London Fashion Notes.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 107, 1 November 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

London Fashion Notes.

(FROM OTJR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, 13th September. This time of year is always an awkward one from the fashion viewpoint — it is the transition period. One day it is possible to wear something light and fairly cool; next day darker and quite warm things are wanted, and thus it is that long three-quarter jackets jostle with thin muslins and silks in the streets of London at the present time. Autumn fashions are not by any means definitely announced, and they will not be for at least another month. Leaders of fashion in London, Paris, and Vienna never return from their summer spells at the seaside or health resorts until then, and it is not much use bringing forth many new ideas and costly materials until there are some to make purchases. Prominent items for the coming months are hats of white felt, or of other light tones, and these have a border of colour round the brim, frequently emerald green, dark blue, or brown, the idea being for the coloured border to correspond in tone with the dress. London shops are showing chiefly hats of dark blue straw bound with green velvet and trimmed with blue and green-speckled wings, while shapes of green are bound with blue ; but green on blue is more frequently to be seen than blue on green; the colours employed are 'often very violent, and the contrast is practically never pleasing; this combination may be regarded more in the light of a fad to fill up the present gap. Ribbon velvet and wings and long drooping plumes seem to supply most of the necessary details so far as milliners are concerned, and the plumage droops over the shape in a variety of ways, and not infrequently the arrangement is perfectly absurd and with out taste. Low crowns still seem inclined to lead the way, and when this is the case, it is in the brim of the shape that we look for variety. Brims either turn decidedly up or decidedly down, or else are intended to be set at a clear right angle from the head. For useful hats, the upturned sailor shape promises to remain, and this is to be simply draped with lace, and secured to the head by two large-headed pins which are 'placed in front instead of at the sides, and so are intended to be ornamental as well as useful; for this purpose it is necessary to choose pins with very big heads, either of pearl or jet, or paste, or, newer still, of fancy straw. There are indications that pretty often the back style of trimming for millinery will, again be revived, but this mode has never yet been particularly favoured, or met with any inducement to remain for any length of time 1 . Birds of Paradise, of immense proportions, adorn some of the picture hats of beaver, their full drooping plumes rendering anything else in the way of adornment quite unnecessary. For Biarritz, where the sun still shines, riovel toques have been prepared in Paris ; they are ' made entirely of ' dragonflies and of birds, and have in addition a small aigrette of fur. Quite a number of shapes of gathered velvet have no trimming on the outside; what there is— either a' feather and buckle, or trail of flowers, being put underneath uhe brim to rest on the hair. All the plate-crowned hats are hideous from the back view, and the wonder is that they have remained popular for so long. Crowns of quite respectable proportions are, however, beginning to show themselves again. For autumn costumes, zibeline — despite its rather wretched wearing qualities — continues to the front, but vow, in addition to its loose white hairs, it is generally figured with coloured spots, in faint shades, usually two or more colours being introduced on the one piece of material ; the loose white hairs have a softening effect and blend the whole, together rather well, but it is my opinion that zibelines are richer in effect without their coloured spots. Friezes will also be in large demand,' and so will very smooth cloths of the panne and satin types; while cashmere and mohair are to come in for some attention. The latest idea for trimming dresses of any of these materials, especially if the colour be black, and this is to be more fashionable thnn ever, is to use pipings or narrow borderings of some vivid tone of velvet, and from this combination some extremely handsome effects should easily result. Apparently the return of the basque in some of" its many forms is quite assured, and this addition to bodice and coat will ue a feature of the coming autumn and winter. Perhaps one of the most usual will be tue rounded style like a nian's morning coat, cut away in front; then, too, the extreme in length will be the basque , reaching right to the knees, which, if the material be not too thick, will be set in pleats all round; needless to say, it will not be generally becoming, and ought not to have much chance of "catching on" violently. Velvet is going to be extremely fashionable for the construction as well as for the trimming of dresses; it is to be used largely in conjunction with cloth of corresponding colour, and a velvet coatee makes a decidedly smart finish to a skirt of cloth. Many of the velvet and silk coatee-blouses have a seamless effect in front, or else are- double-breasted, fastening quite 'to one side, and a. new feature which characterises some of the model" coatees is in reference to the collar. This is double or triple, according to fancy, and is seamless in front, and fastens at the back, where it is prettily curved or else is cut square, simulating a tab ; some of the models are made to be worn open or closed, and are set into a fitting band at the waist; the sleeves are gathered into a bell-shaped cuff. Velvet coatees are frequently lo be trimmed with lace motifs of ecru tone. As » contrast to the coats with triple collars, there are still any number of them, aa well as mantles aiid boleros that are- made without collars of any sort, the neck being hollowed out and set into a shaped piece of embroidery or velvet, this type of collarless coat always looks unfinished unless a neck rutfle "is worn with it to takeaway the baro effect. A great deal of ecru and Paris and. string-tinted lace is to be used this autumn, while the heavy guipure variety is specially effective ; Irish crochet, too, is to enjoy much popularity, and it always looks particularly handsome on black and grey, while light green is also a splendid background for it. Entire dresses and coats of Irish lace are to be hud, while collars and yokes of it are extremely plentiful ; among the newest collars are those round in shape like a cardinal's cape, and these look very smart when worn by those possessing the requisite figure with sloping shouldeis. All the year through lace has been an important item, and it evidently intends maintaining its position ; nearly everything is trimmed more or less with lace, and several lace collars and yokes of different shapes and styles are considered nowadays to be among the necessities of the up-to-date fashionable girl. Just at present Irish lace seems to be in the gieatest request here, while in Paris its special merits are being moie and more appreciated. Irish lace is used on millinery, on coals, on handkerchief's, on dresses, on blouses, on evening wraps, and, indeed, on every garment, including underclothing. Some of the newest col° lars are so deep as almost to form capes, and these, as well as bertlies, which were so fashionable many years ago, are being again taken up, alike for adorning coats and mantles as well as blouses and bodices. I have noticed lately that in quite a number of instances the shoulder seams of bodices have been cut to come well over. the shoulder, with the sleeve springing forth in gigot style ; s>ome of the

newest sleeves seem to be Ml from th© elbow to the wrist, shaped as to stand out stiffly in fulness, which is obtained more by special shaping in the cut than by any gathering. I am told that skirts are to be fuller about the hips ; some are to have a box pleat introduced at each seam, and this is to end in fulness below the knees; if the material be not too thick the result may be rather a giaceful skirt. In regard to length, it seems pretty well accepted that those who like short skirts for walking are at liberty to have them, but for indoor functions the trailing skirt is to continue the only recognised model. It is expected that some skirts will be made in tunic fashion, while in other cases this style will be simulated by means of trimming for heavy materials not sufficiently accommodating to allow of any treatment that is not practically plain. Frills and flounces are out of the question with winter fabrics, but evidently wide use is to be made of appliques of silk or cloth or velvet in the matter of trimmings during the next few months ; in a large measure these will replace the delicate lace incrustations of the summer, but the thicker makes of lace will come in for plentiful treatment, and classed among the latter are the Yak and woollen varieties. Dangling tags or tassels often finish sleeves of coat blouses ; they are placed at the wrist, outside the cuff, which in the case of coats, at any rate, is generally bell-shaped, falling wide and full over the hands ; some of the cuffs are finished with a succession of frills, while quite a new style of sleeve, seen at present only on tail° r -made coats, is described as being shaped outward from elbow to wrist and then fashioned into a pointed ciiff which comes over the back of the hand, the sleeve being made to button on the outside of the arm all the way up. By the way, buttons — large and small — will play no unimportant part for a long while ; if they are very tiny, hardly more than pin-heads, it is .possible to use three or four hundred on one dress — think of the poor person who has to sew all these on ! — according to the mode or arrangement; many buttons are large and flat, and the latest are covered with velvet or else • with crochet work. Buttons are to be employed to hold down tabbed loops of ribbon which are to form another mode of dress decoration, in sudh instances the button being placed a few inches from the end of the loop.