LADIES COLUMN. London Fashion Notes.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 09, 11 January 1908, Page 11

LADIES COLUMN. London Fashion Notes.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 22nd November. In Paris, some of tho cloth skirts^aro being made with very deep borders of fur. These, of course, have a weighting influence on the fabric , so that it clings beautifully round the figure. Skunk is a favourite fur for trimming purposes among the less expensive varieties, and before long it will bo seen in London as a bordei* to skirts mid coats. There is always more outline when a full longish-haired fur ads as a border, and for this 'he imitation fur that is made from Continental rabbits has just now a greater value. There are places abroad devoted to the breeding of rabbits entirely for the fur coats, and at these a wonderfully good fur is obtained. Furs are now very costly, yet llipre seem to bo plenty of people who can afford to irfdulge in them to their heart's content." Tho fur cravat of newest shape is a turndown collar, with ends that cross at the neck and spread out upon the chest. Another is a Hat. band of fur that passes round the neck, is tied there in a sailors-knot, and falls in widening ends below thb waist. Quite flat and very broad are some of th© newest fur stoics, m.ido in their most elegant expression of sable, lined with ermine and trimmed sis inches below the throafc with tail tassda of the two furs combined ; they are very graceful, and, like all flat stolen, bestow length and height upon the n.ppearance of . the figure. Rome of the most expensive 1 furs look too burdensome to be worn with comfort or beromingness. A West-End house is showing a particularly graceful model hi chinctiilla, composing a wide stole round the shoulders, caught in at, the waist with 'ong ends cut square, falling over the gown ; the whole is bordered with lace and satin, dyed to the precise shade of the silvery grey fur; the dressing of it, is so sofl. that the stole is as supple as fine cloth. Mole is a fashionable fur, and a good deal of plus=h is dyed to represent mole. Fox in its various kinds is very much to lhe fiont, and of this class of fur some of the most captivating stoles and muffs aro made. All muH's are large ; many of them look clumsy ; some i aro so large and square as to look like cushions. Heads and tails and paws without end ! form a conspicuous part of their trim- I ming. Milliners are showing hats and toques wholly or partly of fur, and some of theso have tho fur crowns enliched with embroidery, and even with beads ! The latest and newest hat has a fur crown, and a tulle brim bordered with velvet or taffetas. For home wear, white and tho palest of pastel tints will be preferred for dresses above the whole gamut of reds, browns, greens, and even abovo tha popular copper tone*, and some charming dresses made of a combination of t.h& softest cream cloth and white net, gonerously encrusted with Venetian or Irish lace, or of ivory velvet or velveteen, are being made for afternoon wear. , These, although designed in modified imitation of the pinafore frocks of the summer, strike a decided note of originality b,y means of the bretellcs of tailless ermine or of snble, which are brought over the shoulders and outJine the yoke, each bretelle being caught with a handsome buckle of imitation gems, which give the only hint of colour to the scheme, while a band of the same accentuates the square effect in front. It is thought that brown will >>c in high favour this winter for evening dresses, even with girls, the favourite tints including "rosewoud" or "mairon," or, as an alternative, the popular cocoa-brovrn which 'is usually mounted over cream or white soft satin. A trimming which is in request for evening woar, where shades of brown aro concerned, is represented by bunches of golden broom. The sash is reappearing fwr evening wear, and it is sometimes carried up to a point above tho waist; but to be succe^sfu' it must bo of rich s,ilk, and not too narrow The* tying of the bows needs considerable skill. All the evening skirts, whether of tulle, or chiffon, or silk, or velvet, have a band of something round the hem ; this may be of the same colour or of a contracting shade. Black and white striped chiffons, for instance, are bordered with white satin, the top of the band being cut out in the shape of briar roses, and tinted accordingly with pale pink flowers and green "loliago; this band gives a touch of colour, and lends relief to a black -aud-whitc-striped skirt ; the bodice will perhaps ba drnped with lace, and a little touch of the same bordering will bo introduced. Generally it is preferred for the band at the edge of the skirt to be of the same tone as the material, or if the latter bo striped, then the band is either one or the other colour. Gold and silver shoes are prominent features of evening dress, but of course must be worn with dresses to correspond, the gold according best with skirts of tan approaching lemon colour ; polished heels of gold or silver as the case may be, aro fitted to these shoes, and they look much better than heels covered with dull kid. Where the evening dress of the debutante is concerned the addition of swansdown as a trimming is noticeable, and in place of the narrow bretelles of ermine which are so fashionable, and give, the requisite square cut to the decollet'age, a Soft bebe effect is gained by the introduction of bands of snowy swansdown instead, the edge being hidden under trails of field daisies or vine-leaves worked out in seed pearls. In some cases little frocks of dewdrop net are finished at the hem with a scalloped border of swansdown over foamy frills of lace or chiffon, while swans-down-trimmed evening wraps apparently will be almost as popular with the debutante of to-day as they were many years ago. Mention is made of the fact that the petticoat is an important part of the dancing dress to date. It is. sometimes moro costly than the dress itself, being composed of fine brocade in some pale colour, cream or pure white, and much punched with trimmings of lace and velvet. This petticoat is often only a deep frill buttoned on to a very tight-ly-fitting upper piece, and this frill has almost invariably another frill at the edge, on which t|ie most ornate trimming is lavished. There are tucks, embroideries, Vandykes of fine lace, ribbon bows, and runnings of ribbon-velvet, or of dainty little silk ribbons with patterns in colour upon them. A white silkmoire petticoat is flounced with wide lace, caught up in festoons, each held with a knot of pale green velvet ribbon ; a frou-frou of white and green silk borders the inner side of the hem. The dress to be worn with this petticoat was of flowered brocade in one of the new designs with very small flowers scattered in tiny groups over a cream-coloured ground; tho skirt was plain and was bordered with pale green velvet. The little field daisy — pink-tipped and perfectly natural in size and form — is introduced in an original manner on dresses l of pure white tulle illusion, built up over foundations of glistening white catin, the skirts being trimmed , at the foot with row upon row of white satin ribbon twisted into loops at. regular in- I t°rvals, each loop enmeshing a loose j cluster of pink daisy-buds with Ion" pale- | green stalks j a large bunch of the daisies | is imprisoned in a twisted true-lover.'p-J

knot of silver gauze in the front of tho bodice, which is made iii simple bebe form, gathered up into a tucker round the decollotage, while n fringe of tiny pendant daisies f«Jls from the little drap.ed sleeves over the arms.