LADIES COLUMN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 77, 30 March 1912, Page 11

LADIES COLUMN.

London lUtshion Rotes. [FROM OITE OWN COnD-ESPONUBNT.] LONDON, 16lh February. A NKW MATERIAL. The name is more awo-inspiring than is the reality — tho formor is "fjauze-eponge," the latter is jusc liko a piece of Turkey towelling, glorified perhaps, but Turkey Towelling nevertheless. Tills fabric is a February novelty— a month as a rule devoid o! anything in tho least now or sensational. Tho background of tho now towelling is gauza or- chiffon, and upon this tho whiio 1 towel-thread stauds up in a raised design, imitative of a loce-pat-roru. Picture a black niwiu and satiti dress, tho former veiling the lattev.^ having vs.* th* mt«t prominent trimming a very widu band of "gauze-epenge" midway ou (ho &k»rt, where it was bo cut ub to describe very deep Vandyke points, and all round tho edge 1 * o£ theea points the towelling thread had worked its way in an uutifly loc6ene&3 from its background. Thh constituted ono of its charms, and a band, titi inches in depth, occupied the middle of ihe bkirt all the v.ay round; in rather a. narrowed edition, but still cut in sharp Vandyke poims, it embraced each slesve as a cuff, and appeared ag3irt on Ihe bodice beneath a rounded guimpe of uinon. Not only is it mado in. white, but dark bluo, rich red, sapphire, cobalt, browns and greens, and there 13 somo idea that the towelsurfaced fabric, with a foundation possessing more substance than chiffon,, will supplant. in popularity, the ratine, which i» not so new. Towelling deeigns ares applied to smooth -clothß, and a 6trip of gauze-eponge is -considered very appropriate for tha petticoat or underdraws of a costume mads of fabrics far more t>uniptuous. The towelling, us an early, acquaintance. .*o iiot. particularly attractive, y6t*it can ; be mado to look, at a distance* quiie effective. For jnounnng — which is now, of course, worn in Court , circles again — a new edition of '-dull chiffon, is on the market; it has a slightly crinkly »urface sugjjeetivo of crepe. i '- TWO VIEWS. Seen from the front, it is a crossover fichu arranged in ample foldu about the shpuklers, crossing at the wai&t, whoru the end 9 disappear. Naturally 0110 takei a walk round the back to pee the destination of' tho. portions which should tw. Then cornea tho ' surprise, for" the entire back of tho figure is covered with a wrap shaped . cxaotly as a chasuble, which gradually narrows off to a 6harp point right away at the 'edge of tho ukirt behind where a pendant tassel falls as a. finish. This duel-duties garment; is quite the latest, and it shows how the tichu idea is returning to favour and to what extent, it may be developed. The ends which did not show at all in front were carried round the waist and tied in a short bow, which was covered by the chasuble back of what suggested so forcibly an eccle«iastical vestment. Tho niodel was of' taffetas of golden hue shot with "peacock, and it ,tvas bordered all round with an embroidery worked by hand in silks of gold and peacock, and lined with gauze of eimilar hues. ' Thero were no ruches and no fringes, just a plain edge all round. This type of wrap is. ono of the surprises of the moment, but presently we shall not be taken aback by anything the fichu may choos* to do, forf the picturesquo drapery of the bodice is ouo of tho definite fixtures of coming fashions, and , many experiments will bo made, to render one different from all tha others. Something of tho same idea was carried out in black Chantilly of the' moat delicate' "and transparent' design. It- was ■in l-oality a flounce. Seen from the . front it took tho form ofrevers. From below the waist line the joined sides formed a coat-tail back, which finally assumed a round shape near the edge of the dress, which was of white satin, the upper part of' whose bodice was of gather 6<l white ninon, guimpo. arid-slooves being all ill one, and tho sleeves gracefully gauged ou the outside of ' the arm ; the hem of the skirt was protected with a band of black velvet, and' a folded band of the samo encircled the \yait.fc, with two short sash ends falling down ono eido of tho front, steel beads baing added to brighten tho velvet. This is a thoroughly up-to-date example of a smart gown of white and black, suitable for afternoon wear. It- is very generally anticipated that a taffetas fionu-cape will bo a feature of many a spring dress, tho cape being a movable- one, mado to follow lines and to form folds which shall bocomo the figure, tho general 'outlining border- being a pinked out rucbe of the silk. The Magyar aleovo continues. a prominent feature, but its rather trying effeot is quite obliterated when covered by any sort of fichu capo or fichu drapury. SOME RELIEF. In those days uuddon changes aro not made. Things are dono by degrees, and it is only slowly, that ono notices gradual changes creeping in where- sleeves are concerned. There- is a general tendency to make them a little more fanciful than of late, and minute tuckings aro called in to aid, as also are puckerings finished by a Little* heading ; - the tucks run across th« arm. like 'tho rungs of a ladder; the gatherings go with the length of tho arm. Tho ladder of minute tucks may bo broken up tho middle to allow a laoe insertion to occupy the oentral space, but in a case such us ( this the material used, must bo no .thicker than not or mou&seline or tho softest Liberty , satin. The 'tucks, on the top of the arm aro really a continuation of th'oso about tho top of the bodice, for the clover dressmaker manages- to conform to thc^ Magyar regulations even when a little elaboration is to Oe introduced. Any slight variation seenib to be .acceptable in preference to one. stereotyped ptittern, thereforo welcome is accorded to the halflotigth Magyar of quite- plain top, which is finished round the elbow with ii\o, long pieces of -chifton of different colours: these strips a»-o p&ddoc! and f-)ightly twisted, standing out like coils of rope; although hard-sounding, the effect" io quite soft;, the colours must,, of courtu, bo a repetition of those femikg tho blouto or budice — anil evory corsage now consists of two or inoro veilings. Ono u£ tho latest colour combinations is a rich maizo satin bubdued by ninou of delicate Parma-mauve, its trimming bojng a v/aistbolt of the darkest violot wlvot and pipings of satin in Parma and maize. Sleeves can to of any length — long or short; so .abbreviated aro wmo that thero is an undue .expanse of bavo arm displayed, in tho daytime suggestive- of chill during the winter months. Each winter people seem to wear less and less of warm clothing, and tho usual uniform this wintor soems to include a Magyar blouse of transparencies, mado with sleoves which do not 'pretend to roach the olbow, and cut with collarless nocks. The wearers don't look,- warm. ANOTHER CHANGE. So accustomed have wo gjrown to tho rounded suimpe of net or lace, made for tho most part quite plainly and well fitting, that we axo apt to stand and gaze long at any threatened change. Kowcr by far than tho guimpo is the- suggestion of filling in the space with handkerchief folds, 1 which caa be brought quite snugly to tho base of the throat, and if the wearer be so minded, a high collar band can readily be added, the lower half sleeves to be either slightly gathered or to bo plain in keeping with tho neckband. All round the lower part of the guimpe the bodice or blouse will hd uiven a finish of braid or scalloped or.vandyked lace, of ton bo deep as to take in a good part of tho upper arm, calling to mind very forcibly tho orthodox piorrcfc collar with its sharp points. Scallops and points and battlomonlß are all preferred tor bold offeetswnbtesitl of edjjes that aro indefinite. Sailor collars c» lace and ombroidored lawn frequently have v scalloped border, and they aro of diau'cpioiu v. hich add eonbiderably to tho breadth of tho figure. Thero aro i£inaller collars ol tho Peter Pan variety, which clasp the throat and do everything possible to discourage the barren oxpauaa of a long uncovered neck. In fact, there is a well marked tendency to make blouses aud bodiceb with a high collar-band. 01 luce or iiiie net inlet with fine iiißertion, and the iippej.ia.nce 13 much more finished than with tho dccullo Ktyk>. One finds that nre^tkally all tho new blouses havo a, cul-ler-band, fished round rha top with a line yj wdwJired fill: ur velvet, aaj idea

0110 sees a tendency tor tho transparent collar to arrange iUolf in -blight- folds an it Burroiindj tho throat ; thero li tV high support at the back to keop_ the collar in plr.ee, aud at> tho net used is so fine., tlya folds arcs not at all clumsy. So marker! is the tendency to return to the high collar that now, lor wearing; with tho deeolleblouse, it is growing quite the custom for <i high band of not u> be bought, with half aleevus to correspond. A short time ago one had to buy a guirape — yoke, neckband, and sleeves all united — but now a sot consists of sleeves and collar. 'The collar is fixed to the collarless blcuise by press fastenings, or kept in place- by a tape attachment ucdor the blouse ; tho sleeves kept <n placo by means of elastic threaded through the' top. It tho Peter Pan finish or any other kind of collar is wanted, this can quite wall h<* worn iv 'addition to tho upstanding band. The improvement ia very considerable. Various devices aro being introduced to bring about thn return of fullness, and now quite au old-fa-shioned type of blouse is brought to light a« a "new" model. In a sense it is new, inasmuch as thp -yoke pieco which stretches across tho figure back and front, making a square, is carried right down tho sleeve in ouo. piece. But to tho lower edge of this yoke the silk or satin or motasclme is fulled ou Tho pat- ] tern is not a stylish one, thought it is in a 6ense convenient, for tho fastening is mado ■ all the way down in front, from nock to waist, by a line of buttons and buttonholes. SCOPE FOR THE TAILOR. Each «cason he has more liberty. During tho coming sprint? he will have more tha,n he ever had before. 11k can choose materials which once were the province alone of the dressmaker: lie can turn- out styles which onpo would have been thought frivolous for him to tackle ; ho can make coatees that are more like fussy dressbodices, and shirts which show double and triple tunics and underskirts of material contrast. No colour combination seems incongruous as it once would have done, and as tho spring advances wo shall doubtlete see much that is dainty. With white and black the lailor conjures cleverly, until all tho fashionable think they must have at least one euch costume — whito hopsack or oatmeal cloth,' with its black velvet details and its black leather patent belt.