LADIES' COLUMN. London Fashion Notes.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 12, 15 January 1910, Page 11

LADIES' COLUMN. London Fashion Notes.

[FROM OUR OWN COIIRESPONDEKT.] LONDON, 3rd Docemhcr. From a visit to the principal, millinery centres one returns in a slate of bewilderment, because one has seen so much, and no two models seem exactly alike — shaprs are in amazing variety, and there is such a wealth of material and trimming from which milliners make their selection, while colours also are in immense choice, though always running on eoft and "sun-bleached" tonings. Each milliner seems to have been inspired w ith a brilliant idea whicli is different from anything thought of by her neighbour, and as there are a great many milliners in London it is easy to realise that there must bo endless 'ideas constantly taking 1 visible form. Each successive week brings forth 'come novelty, and as in this vast community there is always someone wanting a new hat or toque, it follows that there are immediate patrons who are eager to take up some novelty that no one eke yet has. There are many shapes of vaster dimensions than have ever before been dreamed of, and some of theso monstrosities are laden with trimming, looking burdened under its weight, while on the other hand other enormous shapes are made to look ridiculous because of the almost total absence of any trimming. Even the smallest shapes are really of more than ample \noportions, because all the crowns are bo capacious and bulging ; -many so-called hats are- absolutely without brims, and yet they are not really any relative of the toquo family ; they are simply a, great dome coming ever so far over the forehead and low down on the hair behind ; again, there are vast crowns fitted into a mere apology for a- brim. There is a great deal of freak millinery which enjoys an undue amount of patronage, but it is possible to find something really picturesque and becoming among the less exaggerated sizes moulded on more sensible lines. There is still a marked tendency for the hat of the day to be worn Bet far back on the head ; if it is not really worn far back, it looks like it, as the crown is expressly made with a distinct backward bulge or sweep. A good many shapes, of hats and toques alike, still arc wide oifough to hide all the back of" the neck and the coiffure too. THE UPTURNED BRIM. Tho majority of shapes turn up somewhere in the brim, bnt no two seem exactly to turn up at l the game angle or from the same starting point, or even from the same side. The tricorno shape has its own method of turning up, and "this "form is in considerable request in various materials and triixrminge. !Morx3 trying- is the bicorne, with front and back brim sharply upturned and attached to the orown, with { decided points over the ears ; there are a good many people who wear the bicorne, but not always with success ; it is a trying shape, more especially so if of exaggerated dimensions. Then there is tho picture shape, whose brim is slightjy rolled up at one side, or a little toward the back; tho next gradation shows the side brim turned sharply up, often towering higher than the crown ; next one finds the turned-up brim attached closely to the crown, with flat effect at the side ; another variety is almost minus a brim in front, but one gradually develops from the sides until it is quite wide behind ; this brim turns itself up all round. The Henri 11. model is of the high-orowned type, almost brimlegß, made entirely of velvet, softly folded and finished on one side with a jewelled clasp. There are tricorne shapes of felt, with the upturned brim of velvet in contrasting colour, simply bound round the edge with gold or dull silver, and finished with a cockade ; tho fluffy beaver tricorne similarly is seenwith tho upturned brim of velvet. White and black thus combined are becoming, simply banded with oxidised silver lace which has a bright copper thread running through it. MILLINERY NOTES. For reception wear, velvet shapes trimmed with a handsome buckle or an oetribh plume are everywhere seen, though corded silk shapes trimmed with fur have a newer appearance, i Brilliant and trying are hats made of nothing but gold or silver tissue, trimmed with swathmgs of the same, into the middle being tucked a small cluster, of gold or silver berries. Judicious trimmings of oxidised tissue nan look well, but entire hats, without softening relief have n, garish appoarance. There are rosettes of inetallid net, used as a finish to hate of velvet or beaver or felt, and these look well ; so do quill-shaped ornaments of it when placed amid congenial surroundings. There are not many feather quills used, though (here are numbers of gigantic wings which are so spreading as to envelop even so .tun of the biggest of the hats ; each is either of two colours or shaded. Very attractive are quill-shaped ornaments made of fine chenille attached to a background of net, wired to shape; they havo a rich appearance, particularly in the dark prune shade which is so immensely popular. All colours are to be had, but £O far they belong exclusively to the swell milliner; they have not yet descended to the "shil-ling-three" standard. Among the novelties ia hat-trimmings just now are wooden beads and bugles, dyed to- match tho colouring of the velvet or satin, on which they appear. These are threaded on string, and are used iv festoon's. Coloured beads* 5 and bugles made of satin straw are attractive ; they are on a background of net and, of course, meander about iv elaborate -patterns, picked out hare and there with a little something that sparkles. Then, too, there are- jetted millinery insertions, and others which give prominence to beads and sequins of silver and gold. On the fur toque a favourite trimming consists of a bow of coarse open-mesh net — black, white, or colour — generously sprinkled with large silver pois; two ay three silver cords are looped across the front and attached fc to the bow, the twisted ropes standing out prominently from the fur background. The fez, having for its only trimming a large bow of coarse mesh tulle matcning the fur in colour, is an oftsoca model. COLOURED FURS. New Zealand people must not be surprised if they happen to run across recent arrivals in their country wearing toques or trimmings of fur in such colours as pink, reseda, pale green, eky blue, emerald, or cerise, or indeed of any unusual colour at all. It will not mean that new animals with coloured coats have been discovered, but merely that white fur has been dyed in all the shadings of the rainbow} if not in more. At the moment Londoners "are mad on rinking, and these new coloured furs, whether as toques, or _ trimmings, or necklets, or muffs, are being pushed as "suitable for wear when skating." A combination of moire silk with fur is good; eroam or white or very delicate tones of soft moire composo the draped crown of toques, 6et into a bordor of fur, dark or light. ANOTHER HATPIN. The double-headed safety hatpin is the latest notion, and a very sensible one, particularly as the pins are made of such excessive length that the business-end pokes out far beyond even the most spreading crown. The second head is affixed to this business-end after it has been driven through tho hat. Motorists will find the use of these hat-pins a comfort, as they tend to keen the covering firmly attached to the head. The second head is of similar design to the head proper, but is usually of smaller size. HERE AND THERE. The "sash-brooch" is a very essential modern trifle ; it is used to hold in position any union of two hulves of a sash or scurf. Therefore it has no staled position ; it has to adapt itself to the vagaries of tho sash and scarf and drapery, all of which arrangements meander about just as they think they will — frequently with tortuous effect. The waist js tho last place where one looks to find a sash — far more usual i 6it to find it artistically draped round about the shoulders, or even tho knees. Some arc worn in military "Uyle. draped from one shoulder to the hips, and thoro knotted and held in poiition by v. Urge "»aohbrooch,"- tang fraged ends finally falling-

to the hem of tho drefii. Sashes are generally of soft material, including u.i.iiiui oat..i, :uiu jeuuu Luuj, unilo me -.. -1.. ..iu<_ii- ,.._•' .i oashnijio fecirvej ■ worked with Chinese flowers and bordered with deep silk fringe, are being revived. Tho velvet neckband fastened in front with a fla;. benv, through which is slipped a diamond slide, has returned to favour. A band of rich embroiderory or bugle trimming, o» narrow width, finishes the top of the neckband sometimes, just as one would wear a band of velvet ; either looks nice. So doei a lattice-work edging made of steel or aluminium or gold beads. Beads are * everywhere; they now outline the edges of wide evoning scarves of strong silk net, with very open mesh ; :i pattern of flowers is usually followed. This class of net lends itself with success to tho introduction of bead and intricate silk embroideries. To some extent, no ' doubt, the soft satin brocades will take tho place of selffcatins, which have so long been liked. But of course the floweied Varieties do not lend themselves to draped find simple effects as do the self-coloured fabrics. There is a new smart tailored coat which lias onjy a single rrevert, t and that very broad, funning from the' collar to a point at the waist. Material-covered buttons are at the mofnent deemed best taste for tailor-made coats and skirts of rough masculine-look-ing material*, and popular among- the range of colourings is kingfisher blue — a brilliant shade.