LADIES COLUMN. "London Fashion Notes.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 144, 19 June 1909, Page 11

LADIES COLUMN. "London Fashion Notes.

THE PRIVATE VIEW. , (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON. 7th May. Frost within and frost without — that was the state of affairs on the morning or May Day, which fell last Saturday. It happened te- bo the date selected by the Royal Academy authorities for its private view, that big society crush when people assemble as much to display their new summer frocks as to inspect iho year's show of new pictures. With a temperaturn approaching the low forties, however, thera was little inclination for ladies to don thin clothes ; to do so wonld have been to< run a foolish risk. Unhappily this meant that tho interior of Burlington House on the great day, this year, from a dress viewpoint was a^ distinct "frost." In the early morning' all outside was white, later there was a fall of snow ; consequently those about to jnake tho Academy their objective thought it wißer to wear their coats and skirts and furs. A TAILOR-MADE DISPLAY. Never can I recall a more dingy drees show of what has come to be relied upon as an infallible harbinger of gummer styles and fabrics. It was a coat^andakirt day, aDd by this time New Zealanders have probably arrived at the conclusion that the up-to-date tailor-made is not. possessed of many features .that maks it attractive to look upon. Tho coats and jackets are long and skimpy in the skirt, vaguo and loose in the back, and only define -the waiat at the sides by means of clever cutting and skilfully introduced trimming. .Many .of them fasten ftorosa tho chest with a single button, somo fall straight open without fastening,, and come of them are sleeve- i loss — particularly is this the case with ! tho coat made of embroidery, toile de Jouy, and laco. There is no middle seam in the back of the present tailor-mada coats, but there, is a flat plastron effect which, is generally outlined by buttons. Tho coat has little room below the hips, and as tho wearer walks there are wrinkles and bag-ginesses above the waist and below .it. Coat sleeves a-re skin tight, and they aro mado to fit into tha armhole without even a pleat to impart an easing tendency. Skirts as a rule are of sensible length, and many are still of the kilted variety. Somo of tho new coats aro made with a stand-up collar, like a dress collar; this does not quite moot in front, but leaves a space for tho introduction' of a laca or lawn jabot to surmount sharply-pointed revers. " Cloth was tho material chiefly used, tnd a popular colour was a bright tone of| flamingo pink. THE BLACK ELEMENT. Whether the colour of the costume was gay or dingy, there was practically always a touch of black, introduced in the form of pipings or jet buttons, or more conspicuously by pocket-flaps, cuffs, and collar of it. Thero were a number of coals and skirts of the heavy-weight tussore, in natural tint, as well as in bright colours; all these had a relief of black — many would have been, much prettier withd»ut it — and ishis not infrequently took the form of jet buttons of oonsidortiblo Bize. which wero dotted about wherever a suitable epaco could bo found. The black sash, wound high above the wawt was visible beneath tho openfronted coats, ita ends being carelessly knotted to .fall at one side of the skirt. Coats — transparent and otherwise — were much braided c/ith lines of Bilk braid, of colour to correspond with the fabric upon which it appeared, in vyidths varying from tho hair-breadth lines to two inches. ' t THE PRINCESS FROCK. In cloth and cashmere , de soie, the princess frock was well represented at tho Academy on Saturday ;x; x had the weather been warm, it would have been thero in muslin, chilfon, and all the othor tviry fabrics which are bo much liked. Tho princess outline is iust now tho most prominent note in tho fashioh-world vague, yet denning the figure; what little fulness is allowed takes tho form of 60ft fichu-liko d*;aperies of transparent material, falling slightly over tho shoulders and disappearing into tha waistband. This latter, by the bye. has considerably descended from its former lofty position, and now it is generally where the waist naturally is. There is generally a guimpc — yoke and sleeves— -of _ cream sprhxged net, the plastron is usually a good deal embroidered with silk, and touched hero and there with buttons. It is to bo regretted that many of tho skirts are still so skimpy that walking looks difficult and doubtless is difficult; tho train is narrow and of eel-liko aspect. Tho Princess gown seems to need tho addition of a bolero ; Paris is reviving this dainty detail, which will be a feature of tho summer. Gold and sHyer tissue are again being worn for evening dress, but whereas last y«ar silver tissue was most in request, there is now a tendency to give the first place to gold. It is almost always veiled with come other, colour or combination of colours. Nothing could bo more pleasing than a dress of i rioh gold tissue veiled in gauze ,of sunset pink, painted or printed with flower-petals in white and pale pink, the gold tissue gleaming through with every movement. ' NECK-WEAR. At the Private View people needed some protection round the nock. In addition to fur stolos, there were many ,boas of ostrich feather, some very long and full, others of the pierrot type, with ends finished with dingle-dangles of chenille or silk or ribbon or velvet ; of spotted tullo there were many, tho dots being of chenille, to match the net ; some of them wore parti-oolourod, the foundation being white, the outer edge of colour. These are prottv, and have a shot effect ; the colour should bo chosen to blend with th© dress. Others of tullo foundation were thickly sewn with silk roao petals. Then there was a great display of scarves — hardly a summer dress this year will be complete without this addition. Wider than the ecarf of last year, it assumed in some cases the dimensions of w shawl, and it is always elaborately embroidered and not infrequently edged round with thick fringe. From scarves it is only a step to veils. Sometimes a .loose veil is attached to tho hat by a oluster of roses, and is then arranged round tho shotilder. The new white French hats aro finished with a veil which is becoming and pretty ; it is of wide meshed Greek net in white double sUk, and represents a straight wido pie6e with a border of satin ribbon threaded in and out and very closely quilled, _ making a ruche nearly half an inch wide. This ruche is repeated along the borders and up each end, and consequently, though the veil is very open and clear over the face and hair, it is sufficiently weighted to remain in position in a fresh breeze. Veils of fancy spotted nets, with large open mesh of square shape, are sold in all tho newest colourings, an<* are selected to match tho hat. HATS WITH STRINGS. Several hats worn at the Prixate View •wero finished with strings from the sides of the brim, and those, on a pretty woman, are very becoming. Ono hat of black crinoline in the new modified mushroom shape, oval from back to front, and with th» brim curving out at either side as if to roof in the hair was trimmed with pink tulle and blue forget-me-nots, and tha tulle formed tha strings; another had strings of black lace, caught together under ono ear and held by a diairion'd lace-pin. I Unfortunately, it looks &$ if the enormous hat has taken on a new leaße of life ; at i any rate it was conspicuous at Burlington I House, made in straw, satin, and silk. 1 Many wero laden with ostrich feathers in I euriou3 colourings, but their arrangement was not always such as to show them off to advantage, so many of them standing erect against a tall and bulging crown. Tho now method of trimming hats with feather fantasies and grasses ia popular in Paris. Tho feathers, which aro «f the new fibrous description, aro thrust through a. band of velvet which encircles the shape, and stand perfectly tipright all round, formiug a species of forest plantation which is not at all pleasing to look at. Wilh tho -exception of tho intense Empire- green., whiob is still popular, the hats themselves • are usually in half-tones, dull in hue, the

wings striking tho only strong colour-note in tho loiletto; beige wings are been on a, soft violino hat, yellow wings are arranged on blue straw, cherry-colour on black, and bo on. Even when they trail over tho brim the majority of theße wing trimmings are well in front of the hat, the- chignon of the wearer being sufficiently elaborate and noticeable to do duty for both hat and head from a _ back view. Tho new crowns are seen in all kinds of shapes, conical, bowl-shaped, flattened across the top, pointed, and fluted ; some aro of uneven height, being decidedly lower in tho front than at the back. Toques are smaller than formerly, and some which have full fcoft crowns and bandeaux of oloselyset flowers are decidedly becoming. SHOES. Coloured shoes were a marked feature of dress at tha Private View; all hues wero there; tho material was oither leather or euede, as a rule, but there- were some which had tho back portion of tussore set into vamps of patent leather ; large buckleß finished the insteps. Somo peopln sadly lacking in taste wor» cream-coloured suode shoes with dresses of violet or blue ; the result made one feel sad. If coloured shoes aro to bo worn they must accord oxaotly with tho shade of tho accompanying skirt. Stockings must mattch the shoes : embroideries in fIoBS silk are ». feature of come of the coloured hosiery. Stockings are to be had in half-tones, embroidered in contrasting shades. Soma of the finer examples in pilk have both laco insertion and bands of coloured embroidery, and' all boots have extremely wide curved tops ; theso tops match th» dross in colour ; for instance, one pair had tho tippers of Hue silk, with fronts of blade patent leather; tiny blue mother-of-pearl buttons wero the fastenings.