LADIES' COLUMN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 38, 13 August 1910, Page 11

LADIES' COLUMN.

London fashion Notes, (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, Ist July. GOSSAMER FABRICS. As the rcßulfc of visits to rucecourees, to garden parties, to Rar.elagh and Hurlinghwn, and to *11 places where Society doth confrregato ono is more and more impressed by the affection with which thin and transparent fabrics have been received this season. Drosses arc frequently of layer upon layer of ninon or tulle posed upon a foundation of clinging- satin. In comparison, a dress of silken lmen or broderia Anglaiso looks clumsily heavy. Colours are. beginning to be raed, but generally much is done with mauve, and wonderfully varying are the results. Dresses of flimsy black nel or ninon. are reh«v«d ~ with transparent guimpes of unlined chiffon or tulle ; they are trimmed with handeomo embroideries of silk and jet combined, but these trimmings are more often on the underdresa than on the_ outer veiling. Aluminium-worked embroideries are extremely effective on black, but here again they are covered up, a ehaffc of sunlight being needed to reveal their presence. Many of the knee-length tunics are of gauze texture, edged round with a, handeomo trimming, the under-drese being of Batin; peplum draperies of chiffon characterise some of the summer gowns, parting at front and back to reveal the under-dress of satin. Veiled jewels are noticeable— strings of pearls ar© worn beneath the transparent yoke and ehoAV but vaguely through; pearl embroideries forming waiatbelts or corsage decoration are hidden away beneath *t, veil of chiffon or gauze. Very euccessful is the combination of faint grey and a pale mauve— the former of Batin, tho latter of transparency — tho ono forming the dress foundation, the other its all-important overdross ; for the trimming there are handsome embroideries of grey 6ilk mingled with eilver thread and pearls. MILLINERY. Transparent effects arc sought by milliners, who are producing hats wholly of. lace, while thoy are persuading customers of tho charms of the mob cap made of muslin, frilled round its odge and banded simply with, velvet. The Charlotte Corday hat is a fnvourito model, made of laca in either white or black, tho full crown banded with wide 6atin ribbon. COATS AND WRAPS. Transparent are tho scarves and coats and 6hawl-wraps worn by tho stylishly dressed. There ore long transparent coats made of chiffon or ninon that have been prepared to accompany smart lingerie frocks; some are heavily weighted with eilk fringe, others are heavily trimmed with eolid-looking lace dyed to match the coat, which 6ometimos is sleeveless, and co is reminiscent of the Early Victorian fashion. For wear wilh tho lingerie dress there aro numerous odd littto shoulder wraps, draped with chiffon and laoe. There aro other coats, light in weight and dressy, though not of transparency ; they aro of silk, or satin taffetas, of .crepe do chine, and of meraaline^ mado en suite with the dress; some aro medium length, some are short, some aro of bolted Russian shape. Thoro aro Directoiro-shaped coats made with imposing revers or 6houldor capes. All are expensive — many aro veritable works of art. Transparency rules tho hosiery world, and here and there open-work shoe& havo boen seen — made of silk and velvet inlet with open luce and^ embroidered motifs. A groat deal of filmy chiffon is needed for the dressy sunshade, and there i», roundly Bpca.king, hardly a department in drees which the transparent effect has failed to invade. A NEW "FREAK." In every department of dress, sooner or later something in tho nature of a "freak" makes an appearance. At tho moment it is found moot decidedly in the sunshade department, for the crook — which usually forms tho handle — has preferred to poke its way through the roof of tho sunshade, and so to form an unaccustomed feature of the landscape. Tho end that is held is nothing more than a thick, straight etick, tied up with bows and loops of ribbon to hide its barren condition. In shape, the sunshade is often eccentric, /for when open its outline consists of a series of indented curves, rendered moro noticeable by an outlining of hanging fringe of boads or silk. Frills, too, are introduced on to the roof — frills and flounces aro asserting themselves quietly, "but with persistence, in quite a number of ways, and presently wo shall find ourselves swathed in flounces and frills right up to tho waist if tho present rate of progress bo maintained. Apart from tho curious novel featurce of tho parasol — which had a first airing at Ascot — there aro many examples which aro 6impl« and pleasing. It is the rule that the shade and tho dress shall match —ordinarily this is an exacting and expensive fashion, but at tho moment so little else is seen than black, mauve, and grey, that tho private store of parasols does not require to bo so extensive aa usual. Biscuit-coloured gros-grain silk accounts for many of tho most pleasing, and for theso the demand is considerable, as tho colour allies itself with natural Shantung, >and so much of this silk is used by tailors and dreesmakors, "touched" with black. As a decoration near the edge, sprays of garlands of light mauvo flowers aro very effective, mado usually of satin, raised from the foundation. Tho native flowers impart an air of importance to the sunshade aa they also do to millinery when made of soft material, and are of good shape. Whito eatin roses and leaves train round the edge of black satin sunshades, whifco shades are garlanded with mauve, while the same colour looks effective on certain kinds of grey. Muslin sometimes mingles with tho petals -of eatin. Many of the shades arc lined, particularly those to bo used with lingerie dresses, in which case the cover will be of drawn, net or lace or brodorie, and tho colour inside will accord with tho dress. _ Care must, however, be exercised to avoid any colour trying to tho complexion. Green, for instance, cannot be recommended to show to advantage tho complexion; certain of tho new blues are cold and strong and trying and meet unkind near the skin ; therefore recourse i«> had to a touch of pink somewhere where the lined sunshade is wanted. At a recent wedding the bridesmaids did not carry bouquets, neither did they choose crooks; each preferred to carry a parasol with long Directoiro handle, to which were attached bunches of Marechal Niel roees. The modern, bride is always trying to think of some feature which will be a- novelty, and this is no light task taking into consideration tho hundreds of weddings which occur in London every month. . THE TAILOR-MADE. Rather more than six months ago I had occasion to mention the us© made by the tailors of moire and moiro antique, alike for entire costumes and for long wrapcoats which were just as suitable for day near as for evening wear Of tho moire pattern the public is not yet to be allowed to tire, and of garments made in black there are now many. It is only just now, however, that prominence has been given the coat and skirt costumes made wholly of white moire, and it seems probable that they will have a lengthy period of popularity. So much are the white suits liked, that the tailors aro euger to produce some in pastel colourings. The moiro used is all silk, it is soft but strong, and is able to do all that is necessary in. the way of "hanging" in shapely way. The moira skirts are short— so aro the coats, the latte^ just reaching to the hips and fastening in front with one button, large in ti?e, covered with the silk ; there is ft tendency to bring in big aquuro revere, but then, of course, tho coat cannot be so open as it is with the long narrow line from ohoulder to waist. Large, soit, falling revere of the Gainsborough period are a prominent characteristic of numerous satin and silk evening' wraps. Various kinds of silk are buing usod by th« tailors, somo ol whom are ralhui inclined to give Shantung a- vest and to aie instead thick ribbed Orientale or toile-de-soie, while charmouse can hold its own with any of rhem. Satin tailormades aro quite orthodox , it is a pity that so many of them nro scantily treated in tho >\ay of material, for satin is a fabric which clings to luo figure, whose outline is quite visible enough when ma- , terial is generously u&ed ; when it U i 6kimped, too much outline is seen. Satin

tailored skirts are nearly all of tho "hobble" make, with tight band of kneedepth.