SYDNEY STYLES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 473, 3 April 1909, Page 10

SYDNEY STYLES.

[ A French lady visiting Sydney, says ; a ! writer in the "Australasian," recently made some interesting observations about tho'-Syd-noy women and dress. "I find you .Sydnoy women, liko French women, too, - lo'vo their . toilette. It struck me at: tho theatrej and, , on tho King, George, and Pitt Street pavements of an afternoon ono sees beautiful women and pretty children. This typo of yours, it is very pretty. They'> have stylo about them, in their hats, their dresses, Hut it is all of ono style, ono hat, ono dress!" Tho observant foreign lady, fresh from Noumea, whoro most of tho women obtain their frocks direct from Parisian modistes, who havo their measure (literally), and understand their particular style, has hit the right nail on tho head. Sydney women, more perhaps than any other in tho Australian capitals, follow liko sheep some set pattern or mode, and what one woman has tho majority of tho rest must havo also. When a stylo arrives here, it is almost immediately done to death. Everyone adopts it, and endeavours to adapt'it. Ruchedhats come in, and somehow or other every woman in Sydney, from the school-chit of fifteen to tho matron of fifty, sports a ruched bat. Suddenly these hats arc all dead, and apparently buried (for what becomcs of them I've nevor been able to ascertain). A newer idea catches on, a "boll" hat, with fowl's feathers massed upon it; or, later, a silk hat bristling with wings. (Now is tho era of the winged hat.) Dresses, too, are all alike, different colours perhaps, but the same "make." No originality in design, suitable to the particular wearer is ever seen. in Sydney. Well, hardly over! At the Randwick races last year, amongst all the dresses' of crepo do chine, loaded similarly with tassels and insertions (just as this Easter ono will not look in vain for buttons and braidings on every costume), ono lady stood out. She was conspicuous, because so different. She wore a plain tailor-mado of black cloth, with a neat fur toque unliko anyone else's. She possessed a good figuro (being an expert horsewoman), and looked as though poured into her "suit." AH masculine eyes wero. upon'-'that trim costume,-and tho. 'horrid. . creatures, turning to the'wearers of'■ monotonous "reception" .dresses, declared quite boldly that it looked far tho best thero, and was a relief from tho everlasting frills, tho frou-frou, and the fripperies. Aware that ornamental and elaborate frocking does i not suit her "style of beauty," this lady re- ; ligiously steers clear of all but clothes of tho ] severest cut. Other women, too, would bo better employed finding out what cthfl,y-/!ook '] best in, rather than slavishly ; .,inu,gating !| every new fashion-plate stylo;mote or. "less ii successfully worn by tho ''fashion-plate" j typo of woman. . . . ;