LADIES COLUMN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 40, 16 February 1907, Page 11

LADIES COLUMN.

London Fashion Notes. _. (From 'Our Own Correspondent.) i 21st December, 1906. A long period of popularity for the Empire style seems pretty well assured;- -• at any rate it has survived a long period of probation,' and in Paris at the present time everything on Empire lines is in general demand, dresses for evening wear and for afternoon wear are frequently made in the Empire style, sometimes, perhaps, in a modified form. For instance, there is often a difference about the position of tho waist when [ the Empire style- is chosen for a long- , waisted Englishwoman, and the best \ solution which can be found is the ' modified Empire belt, which is high at i tho back and drawn a little down in front; that littlo slope makes all the ■ difference, and its line is becoming, i especially in profile. The belt springs i from beneath the shoulders at the back ; it holds the folds -'closely to the figure, and 'is drawn down in front to within three inches of the i,yaist. ! Soft oriental satins in the palest > tints are being used for some of^ the 1 most successful ball gowns, with plain s full skirts, devoid of any kind of trim- .' ming, except, perhaps, a wide band of • velvet at the hem, in the same palo shade as the satin itself. The bodices of these satin gowns are at times very ; elaborately embroidered, with shaded 1 pearl paillettes and tiny diamond se- ' quins, brightened with a light tracery 1 of gold or silver thread. On the other ■ hand, the bodices are sometimes almost ■ as severely plain as the skirts them- ■ selves, with only a few folds of velvet <t to outline the decollettage, above a ber--1 the of fine real lace. 1 Many of the evening dresses are nov» 1 made of layer upon layer of transpar--1 ent material. The crossover arrange--1 ment of the bodice with Empire dresses > is in favour, and sometimes the upper portion of •the bodice discloses a little , . vest of embroidery, and the crossing folds are edged with a band of lace 1 partly hiding an edging of coloured vel--1 vet. Panne and chiffon velours are 1 two materials that can very cunningly be combined with embroideries of a different shade for the evening. 1 Tho vogue for lace for all purposes ' seems to bo on the increase. Many • white lace blouses are to be seen, and these are now given a touch of vivid brightness by bretelles of velvet or ; satin, or by smart little flat bows, with rounded ends of satin and piped edges, 1 that are threaded through circlets of 1 gold, silver, or platinum ; these are sne- ; cossors of the butterfly bow, which is now not seen, and they provide glimpses of colour that are very welcome, and ' that may bo made an accentuation of the tint of the skirt which is worn with the white lace blouse. The vogue for [rish crochet appears lo bo at its zenith, and at present it is carrying all before it. The heavier and thicker tho i design, the more it seems to appeal to the fashionable dressmaker, and many of the designs are reminiscent of oldfashioned antimacassars. A good man^ ■^f the newest Riviera costumes havt > heavy inlet panels of this particular de- ; scription of lace, the bolero to corres- . pond being worn over a blouse of fine [ net or Valenciennes or Alencon lace, r Then for evening wraps, too, lace is . everywhere used ; the most popular i fancy, perhaps, is the cloak of lace . mounted over a coloured foundation in satin or silk; these wraps have superseded tho light chiffon ones which were [ so popular in the summer. The lace, . however, is often so much embroidered p that hardly any of its original design . ts discornible; while the cloak is, in ad- . dition, frequently ' slashed up at the sides and laced together again with nar- , row velvet ribbon, a deep band of vel- [ vet at the hem outlined with ombroid- [ ory providing a finishing touch. A revival in the case of a velvet wrap of elaborate description is the high Me- ; diei collar of Irish crochet, bordered • with fur which is attached to it; where this is introduced the idea is further 1 carried out by a double band of the lace, mounted over a lining of white • satin veiled with chiffon, which is used I to define the waist-line instead of a bolt. Coats of this description have until recently been worn with elbow 1 sleeves, but now the sleeves are always ■ of full and sensible length. 1 Drawn-thread-work, the stitches car- ■ ried out in tho finest silver or gold thread, is making a bid for favour, and 1 some of the prettiest lace blouses are being finished with openwork entredoux 1 introduced in this manner, the effect being almost 1 that of a fine lace. Honeycombing appears to have taken hold on the designers of French fashions, and this is used in Paris at the present time ' where evening blouse 3of crepe de chine 1 are concerned ; indeed it is thought that honeycombing is going to oust from its 1 long-continued popularity the hairpmwork, although it is hardly so light and ! dainty as the open stitchcry. At present, only the finest fabrics, such as silk not, gauze, and chiffon, are treated in this %vay, and the honeycombed material is then introduced as a yoke into a blouse of crepe de chine, tho smocking being done with fine gold thread. Velvet bodices are frequently to be seen with cloth skirts ; both materials of course being of tho same tone of colour. The bodice is usially made with ample fulness, in bolero form, and a folded waistbelt of silk or of "silkolastic prevents anything at all bulky round the waist. The sleeves are for the most part elaborate, though ' they end at the elbow, and sometimes have cuffa of satin embroidered with platinum, odged with quillings of white lace. In addition to being used for : dresses, face-cloth is in great demand for evening wraps, in light and dark tones of colour ; many are made with round yokes at tho back, into which tho material is pleated in close oven . folds, the lines of tho satin-like fabric , falling in a particularly graceful manner lo a little belpw the knees — or to' tho foot of the skirt if preferred. Tho yoke in front is frequently brought into long points which suggest a ■ stole, and tho cloak ia rounded off • gradually to the back. Hero is the latest item regarding i t party frocks for littlo ones ; the matel rial must be accordeon-pleated chiffon, '■ so arranged that the pleats fall straight ■ down from the square-cut berths of lace and bebe ribbon ; tho colour preferably should be palo bluo or rose pink. The point to bo remembered is that the 1 frock must bo worn very short over • any number of frothy littlo jepons, with i silk stockings fixed by garters that arc » specially elaborate. Made of ribboni covered elastic that matches tho frock l in colour, thoy are profusoly trimmed , with loons and ends of ribbon and fino l laco, which dangle at ono side ; and 1 the tiny kid shoes of the, same colour . are finished with large ' rosettes en f suite. f Among fatest hair-ornaments for evening wear, are tiny wreaths of vol- - vet flowers resembling tho garlands on - the littlo figures teen on Dresden r china, and these garlands may be in- • "troduced on to tho dress itserf if liked, I tho corsage in such an instance consist- . ing of gathered tulle or chiffon entires ly covered with small chaplots of linkt cd rosebuds, forget-mp-nots, or Parnia . violets in miniature, interspersed with - jowels, each wreath being attachod to , tho next by a littlo jewelled clasp or a ;Jjyuy._of.sil,ygt.ribbipn 4 - The- flowers are

carried out either in their natural colourings or in pure white" — the' latter of course for the debutante for whom the white jasmine flower is pretty or the white button rosebud, while silver ivy is used too. The skirt is similarly trimmed.