LADIES COLUMN, "London FASION Notes.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 102, 1 May 1909, Page 11

LADIES COLUMN, "London FASION Notes.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) 19th March. SPRING MILLINERY. Large hats have not by any means disappeared ; there are many terrible and disfiguring monstrosities ; last year, too, huge hats were all the rage, but their largeness then was quite differently disposed, running chiefly to brim. This year the shapes are all crown ; there are tens of thousands of them in the " coalscuttle," "beehive," "mushroom," and " waste - paper - baskets - turned - upside - down" varieties. For spring wear the material is chiefly straw, but there are plenty of shapes covered with silk There is no disputing the fact that the crown is the all-prominent feature ; if it does not tower up a great height it makes up in circumference foi- lack of altitude, and spreads itself out over Ihe expanse generally allowecT for the brim, until at length there is n# brim left worthy the name. One of the leading shapes shelves in an unbroken line from the top of the crown to the edge of the hat, like a large flowerpot turned upside down ; another variety has the outline of a pudding-basin, also minus brim, but with a domed instead of narrow top to the crown. From -no brims to all brims of generous proportions is a narrow plank to eross — both extremes are with us. In some of the new French shapes the brim at the back almost rests upon the shoulders, and there are shapes reminiscent of the Napoleon type, but the points are so adjusted that they rome in at the front and slightly to the back, and when on the head they do not suggest the admiral hat, but quite a novel outline, so much lies in the way of trimming and the position of the hat on the head. The busby shape is still with us ; it has inspired quite a number of the spring novelties either in its original style or modified to admit of more generous allowance of trimming. The hair now must be quite differently dressed, and the hat is obliged in some degree to follow suit with the coiffure. " The small toque looks smart and brisk just resting upon the hair and chignon, some of the prettiest and most becoming suggesting the turban in the manner of their swathing round the head. The more nearly a frock approaches to the Directoiro style the larger must be the accompanying hat ; with a gown that rises high at the back with a semi-Empire effect, it is necessary to be a little prodigal in the matter of head-wear. The arrangement of the trimming in such cases is often stiff — little medallions of primly arranged roses or small rounds of forget-me-nots planted out sparsely in the straw ; if feathers are used, they nearly always stand erect with curling over tip. All the hats are worn so far over the head, the front reaching just about to the eyebrows. COLOURS IN MILLINERY. As the millinery .now matches dress materials, it is essential that the range of colourings shall be large, and that there shall be many tints of each. Every year harmony is more and more sought as essential in a toilet which has led to every material being produced in the same complete range of shades, vlillinery shades now are frequently of the faded range of colourings, such as faded amethyst, blues, • brown, gold, "rope fannee," which is a dead-rose colour, "glacier blue," which is a cold clear blue remarkable ' for its purity of tone, "peach," which is a cross between faded pink and mauve ;'"pou6se" is a quiet sort of art green of a mignonette tendency ; "thistle" is a beautiful rich mauve, albeit of a dullish tendency; "hyacinth blue" is perhaps a trying colour to wear, but it is pleasing to 'ook upon. There is a long range of reds and pinks, displaying a coral tendency. The bergero hats of limp straw and fine chip with ribbon sasHes passed over the crown and threaded through the brim, to 'be fastened under the chin, are with us again, and to certain types of people they are well suited ; tho colours chosen -for such should be dainty — pure white and yellow for the straw, with ribbons of primitive shades, as green as grass or as blue as the sky, very simple and picturesque. SKILL IN HAND-WOBK. An authority on millinery matters writes : — "This is pre-eminently the sea -son for the display of extreme skill in hand- work. Not only are the flowers made up in the numerous pretty and graceful effects, but straw and ribbon are manipulated to assume extremely novel shapes. The loops and bows copied from the French models are immense. There are 'windmill' bows and 'cabbage' rosettes, with finely-gauged stalk, and trimming formed of pleated, pointed ends of ribbon, disposed in emart ways ; and there are large pointed ribbon cabuchons, surmounted by a close cluster or ring of small flowers. On the extreme models a favourite trimming is a very wide velvet ribbon, forming loops, and one long end, to be twisted round the neck if desired. Nor is there lees fine handwork introduced in straw. Some hats have the brim composed of iuie straw passementerie in several shades. There are soft straw wings and quills in all new coloure, straw straps, buckles, straw rings, and straw boutons (which are like mushrooms, minus the stem). Ribbon bows are edged with straw. Feather quills have the top bordered with straw of equal width, and there are hats and toques made of fine fancy yedda or crinoline manchons, which need scarcely any trimming, so smartly and elaborately is the material draped up and made into sundry pretty littledevices." Lace straws are almost as fine and delicate as the beautiful dentelles chosen for the most luxurious underwear. Flowers are made to match all the new dress materials, therefore they are in numerous and curious tints. Ro&es, wonderfully real, are made of satin and silk muslin, and some of the finest specimens do not leave much, change out of a sovereign ; yet a dozen of these may be massed upon a big hat — the total price is a mere trifle to the moneyed and fashionable. There are berries and fruit of many types to select from ; dewberries are favoured, some of them looking as if they would drop from the stems from sheer ripeness ; such are piled on to the side of the large cavaliershaped hats where the brims are lifted on one side, and with hats of coraL straw these berries have a good effect ; rose-leaves take the place of the berry foliage. Black currants and black cherries, also plums and apples, are made of black jet ; other fruit is to be had in natural colourings ; there are some unbreakable celluloid grapes, covered with silk to match trimmings; these are quite new, but they are rather suggestive of little pin-cushions. Gardenias and carnations are among the choice varieties of artificial flowers ; so real aie they that it takes some while to appreciate, the fact that those used by milliners are only of material ; waxed gardenias and camelias are used respectively with carnations, La France loses., peach blossom, and giant mignonette. White flowers of imposing dimensions also include marguerites — some with black centre, others with yellow. ODDS AND ENDS. Among the smaller novelties of the coming season is the embroidered scarf ; it is the outcome of the long silk scarf which has long been favoured, and it has altered in shape only slightly. Yet just the little difference in form changes its appearance on the shoulders a good d«ul. One in peacock-blue mouuilinc do goic. bsautifully worked in the rich

tones of a peacock's tail, looked like a long scarf cut in two, with all four ends pointed and embroidered, then rejoined, with two of the ends' crossing at the back, so that it fell somewhat in. hood-fashion ; in slightly more solid material these will make sensible summer wraps. Veiy large and low crowns seem to characterise the hardy sailor shape ; many are provided with ample and spreading brim ; the band is a simple one of velvet or embroidered material. The metallic scarf of net, sewn with, jewels, makes a dainty headwrap for the evening ; ornaments are added — Mich as a trail of flowers or a handful of plumage. Bores of gold or silver tinsel are prominent for evening wear, either as corsage trimmings oras hair ornaments; they are accompanied by foliage to correspond.