LADIES' COLUMN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 77, 2 April 1910, Page 11

LADIES' COLUMN.

London £aslUon Notes.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) " LONDON, 18tb Fobruary. A MIDSEASOX EPIDEMIC. In an interval such ns t!io present ti something startling usually appears for /' a short space, but ncvor previously has g - there been anything so idiotio as tho , w current crazo for tho "Chantcclor" mil- bi lincry. It hes all como about sinco tho x l production in Paris of Rostand's amaiing farmyard play, every member of tho iv company being got up to roprosont a spo- *' ci«* of tho farmyard inhabitant. Tho first * Chanteclor hat* readied London at tho f ond of last weok, and they haro mado a / sensation ovor sinco in millinery circles; *~ it is to bo hoped that tho sensation will Tj | rapidly disperse. *J I The Chanteclor proper in a toquo of *• natural ooclt plumngo, with red-combed J head in front; tho shapo of tho thing " b like a groat holmct, spreading out over <* the shoulders nt tho back. Tho effect of « this from the front is startling, tho pass- p er-by sooing a fierce- cock iweoping from P -the wearer* coiffure, ready to fly out »' at tho looker-on. Tho real triumph is li considered to be the pheasant toque, a n rqplica of the headdress worn by Mme. \ Bimono in tho play, and mado of tho li feathers of tho golden hen pheasant. • Practically tho complete- plumage of tho n bird is used, arranged so that on tho ■ head of the woarer it suggests the graceful curvo of tho pheasant s shape. Short tail feather* droop at tho back, on oithetside are the wing feathers, _ and in front tho ebony black beak. Brilliant colours gleam in the plumage, including tho most beautiful greens find golden browns. I It in likely that the Chnnt«clor orate j will extend its influonco in other dirce- „ tions, for a time at least, for ruffles, stoics, and foathc-edged scarves -oro pro- c inited in myriads, (ho pftlo dovo shades v ar.ci the porgo do pigeon modloyn, tho c pure white and metallic grcon, being i specially approved. From Paris, it is f rumoured that pheasant feathers aro to r rake the place of «attr> and silk undergarments; thcEO are to bo mounted on ( eeh-eoloarad inaillotc and finished nt * th« nock and knocs with rosettes of rib- , bon- Sunshades are being made of cog ( and pheasant fonthor;, tb* handles ornamented with pheasant nnd cockerel heads. These sunshades have tho reputation oi boing difficult to r.hut, «o an ontiroly nornl shapo, obviating the difiv , culty, is being considorod. Tho only hopn in that by the time sunshades aro requirod in England, the Chantecler cram will bo at an ond. Foathors nro ' being used for buckles, motifc, mulfi, i fans — the tropical plumage employed ' making it vivid and striking note in tho ' toilette. ! The price of tho real Chantecler toquo ' of cogue plumago ought to keep it rare— \ it is something like twenty b'umcnls. The ■ dangor is that it mny be copied in ehoaper feathers, and in lo$» select quar- ' tors than the Wost-ond, and then tho ' conKcquonces will bo too torriblo. : Children are not to bo exempt from tho ' all-absorbing Parwian erazo. In tho play, a number of children arc- got up to represent fluffy .'ittlo «-cllow chtckons. " Tho cohiumes wore by thMn b^o to »omo pstecr being copied for tho fltin-thcatri-eii jitv*tnil(»^ 'the »l;iris -lor littlo girlo ' urn to ho i>{ onlo «mboi corgo. dosoly i kilted, o»or them w'!l bo worti the coos mado o' cidordowo, ol«o of trabor. Just ' slightly nouohed in front, t»>» coat Js suggestive of tht» plump ionn of tho newly-flodgod chicks; it is fastened down ono sid<» with buttons, nnd tho waist »s cncitclod with a shining bolt of black patont leathej-,* found tho n«>ck is a Uuty littlo friP of 'awn s nsot with 'ace. Tbo headdress is to bo a close-fitting cap of tho eiderdown, tho sailors ought to bo of a darker shade of yellow, surmounting boots o" choas of tan. Tho result is & human chick. Tho ccorlot oorab of tho oock has suggested that scarlet shoes ought to bo mado fashion ablo again for tho Httlo ones, and thow» already hftva boon mado in considorablo numbers. WHAT HAS THE MILLINERY WORLD IN STORE T That it n quo»tion which ovnrv ono is asking, but one to which no definite answor will yet bo giroc. Tho curious will have to wait owhtlo before thoy aro given a pc«p behind tho scene*. Straw tats are beginning to appear, and tho few models that aro fhown seem to promiso immense variety alike ip colouring, in tho quality of tho straw used, in its treatment, and in tho shape! 1 which finally ovolvo. Many of these will probably lator on disappear; tbo stago is purely on experimental ono. In this ago of contrasts it is necessary thai there should bo extremes in tho millinery world. Honco tbo current use both of tho coarsest and most loosely plaited "straw, and straw of tho finest and softest typo of the satin variety, worked into shapes which look fine and altogether dainty. Tho rustic straw is not really heavy to wear, but its aspect it massive aud clumsy, and it seems as if it must necessarily be heavy. Thore will bo much lino crinoline used, and hats of this accommodating straw, in all likolihood, will remain faithful to masses of wired loco bows as the favoured trimming. STRAWS OF COARSE WEAVE. Straw sorabs constitute a recent sensation. The straw i» dyed to rich iridescent tints of tho scarab, tho "beetles" being ■ewn in a solid mass on to a wido band] of «trtw which pass«« round tho hat. No other trimming is roally necessary, tho scarab band boing generally introduced on » hat of tho coarsest straw. Some people seem to think the we of tho roughest kind of straw impart piquancy to tho result, and in no way is detrimental to smartness : others, who prefer a coarse straw to a fine ape, maintain that the former is youngerlooking and makes the face look fairer and loiter than it really is. Although the height of tho new hats ana toques is not abnormal, it is a marked characteristic that as th«y decrease slightly in circumference they iiwreaae in height. Ercn tho round turbaas aro draped and •high, and thoir height is still further increased by tbo vortical trimmings. For the large classic shapes, too, tho same feature holds good, for many aro trimmed with clumps of ostrich feathers which stand erect, and so add several inches to tho st*turo of the wenrer. A novol treatment of the ostrich foaihor, by tho way, is not pleasing. It i« uncurlod, half tho fronds -are thinned off bo as to give it a somewhat shorn aspect, while over it is posed a wide palette quill of bright colouring, the two forming a composito feather of unique appearance. Otherwise, the ostrich feather is not tampered with : it is encouraged to curl sufficiently, and to have a fluffy "«nd generous appearance. Ono of tho new straw shapes seems to bo a kind of adaptation of th*> Urge Na- ] poleon. Its wide rim is turned up across < the front and again at tho baok — and tho tarn-up at tho bark in considerably higher th»n it is in front. This double turn gives a strikingly free lino to the W, which has a chic all its own, and which is rather becoming to features ltckinst regularity. Froqu«ntlj the turned-up brim of tho straw hat is faced with volvet— every brim turns up more or less somewhere in its course, *omot irons kooping Hobo to the crown, at othrrs tnttim? an far nway from' it us tho width of the brim will allow. The larufe xbapes of utrnw anil of crinoline «ro made without burettes, and so have ulill to be worn well on tho ho«d ; withal, tho shape of to-day, whether hat or toque, ought to be adjusted with a tilt; a certain angle is looked upon »s the concomitant to gmartnou. The all-enveloping hat which droop 3 over on to tho should«m and eclipse* the neck has a notable dwarfing effect, and as evon tall people prefer to add to their height rather than detract from it. it is all tho more strange that the hoati-bnryinj? hat and toque have been tolerated' for so long. It is interesting to note that beve and thero tho hat, despitn iU width of brim, docs i>st on fho top of tho head instead of covering up all the hair and face. THK UPTURNED SHAPE. Amonff the n«w tthapea one cannot help notirin* that whioh has the brim turned up at tbo back. Black tcgal itraw and

fino black crinoline* ar« modelled thun, th» hat being of very largo dimensions and slouching slightly ovor tho brow. Swathings of tulle cover the entiro crown and brim, reliovod only by a. flat bouquet of coloured ro«es. placed a littlo to the left sido but near tho front. Swathing* of tulle are going to bo Nery prominent; their manipulation it artistic in fold after fold, neither too light nor too loose, but just right. Another variation of the hat turned up at tho back and reminiscent ot former days was of ficello straw faced with black silk muslin. This was trimmed •imply with a broad band of black rooiro .arranged in loops and bows across nt tho bark, and edged with a fringe of jet all round tho front and tho sides of tho h t. Considerable attention is devoted to the back of tho hat — it may not always bo beo*u«o that part it upturned — by placing trimming* there J feathers, flowcrti, high loops, of wired ribbon, clumps of tulle, aro all arranged at tho hack of tho chape, leaving tho front with sparre covering. Masses of flowers aro ÜBcd, aud then the varieties aro imall, including the crimson rambler, whito janmine, neriwinklcn, field daisies with their pink tips, violcto, and tho pretty bluo tpoedwell. Tho bluo of tho speedwell is rather strong, but carried out in velvet it i* oa*icr to deal with, and it_ is a tone that mingles very well with pink rose*. Fuchsias hare mado an appeannco already, and a striking toque of fuchsia purplo straw WO3 arranged with a huge trophy of purplo and red fuchmai) nodding over tho crown at tho left side. VioloU aro at tlio moment extremely popular — they always aro in Lent. With the arrival of Easter, resort will, a« usual, be 1 ma<lo to tho multi-coloured flowers of othci •pTing 1 types.