LADIES' COLUMN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 72, 21 September 1912, Page 11

LADIES' COLUMN.

London Hashion Notes. (From Our Own Corresnondent). LONDON, 10th August. SUCCESSOR TO THE PANIER? This time London is interested to hear* what America has to say about fashions present and to come, and to read of the "Sweet Simplicity"' costumes -which is written about as being all the rage in New* York. The style is specially designed to represent Purity, Truth, and Love, and this is how the three virtues are distributed:— "Purity is signified by the dress itself, which is all of white. Truth i« represented by the sky-blue trimmings Love is symbolised by the red roses which nestfe into the belt and under the hat brim. The lace edging forms a halo round tho wearer's face. Soft white satin 'is the groundwork of the Sweet Simplicity frock, over which is hung a fine white net skirt with a seam down the front, along which theTe are placed white satin-covered buttons. An overdress of white chiffon is worn, but is cut away in front. It has < a roll collar like that of a man's morning_ coat, and a single button at the waist. From tho waist- it is cut away gradually until it reaches the full skirt length at the sides. This overdress is bordered with white satin. The sleeves are long and tight, and the chiffon, on its net foundation, reaches to the wrist, where it ends in a narrow fold of satin. The new Sweet Simplicity dress may bo the result of a movement in the Western States which has for its object the legal prohibition of the immodest present-day fashions, especially tight-fitting dresses. Fashion ia New York has revolted, against the fripperies of the hobble skirt and the frivolities of the panier, and has begun a new ultra-Puritan revival." Paris admits that the_ resurrected panier stylo is only an experiment, and it was not expeoted that the populace would rush after them all in ft hurry. But, says one on the spot: "Those of us who witnessed the closing race meetings of Auteuil and Longchamp cannot fail to have noticed that there were paniers there that seemed borrowed direct 'from our decorative eighteenth century modes, paniers worn with the powdered hair of our great-grandmothers, and seen side .by side with the genuine and traditional tunics of Persia, in gorgeous and startling hues'— emerald green, lapis lazuli blue, or Itdian yellow— and all embroidered in still brighter tints, chosen in violent contrast to the«oolour of the ground. This, as an experiment in colour, is by no means new, but it must be said that never have more daring effects been seen or tried. They derived the full force of their audacity from the presence of the pnnier. The two tendencies were seen side by side, and since the fashions of to-morrow are always inevitably made up of elements that belong to yesterday, the coming season should logically bring with it the most wildly heterogeneous of combinations." All in good time, no doubt, things will settle themselves, colours will not "swear" at each other 1 as they are at the moment frequently minded to do, and lines will be modified until complete harmony results from between-tne-seasons chaos. A CERTAINTY. Paniers may be discarded, with bouffant tunics we may in the end decline to have anything to do, but there is ho doubt about it, draperies have come to stay. Already iho arrangement is in variety that bewilders, and the more successful the drapery and the apparently-so-simple results are just the kinds that defy description. In most <saees the wonderfully draped model gowns have been arranged on the individual figure, and the lines of fulness and their ultimate destination vary according to the build and shapeliness of the wearer. Soft satin will be as much usd 3 for the draped gown as anything else, for the pliable folds of this fabric are found to make a fine, yet uncertain, line that is full of grace. Tunics have been with us a good many seasons, but it is evident we are not to tire of them. Paris still dings with affection to the style, and London cannot do better than, fallow the example. An authority of considerable importance in the fashion world of Paris write*: —"Tho tunic frocks of plain chiffon still continue to meet with unparalleled success. They are usually quite straight, except for two wide tucks on the tunic, that divide it into two parts. Occasionally a fold of white satin is added to the front of the tunic, a becoming little touch, since it lengthens the line from shoulder to hem. The light flowing tunics of plain chiffon over richly embroidered under-dresses are keeping their hold on public favour, but they have a powerful rival in the tuniccoat of fine lace, which floats so softly round the wearer that it brings to mind the wings of a graceful dragon-fly. French necks are being cut very low, leaving not only the throat without protection, but a wide line from the shoulder as well. It must not for one moment be supposed that effects of white in all is purity, or white in association with black are to be abandoned because gay colours are beginning to make their presence known. _ There are many people in . tbo community, however, who are glad to use colour with white, instead of always blaok. A good many embroidery dresses are sent out made with fairly deep hems of velvet in a bright colour—cherry red, flamingo, emerald, apricot bordering on orange. Waistbands, usually folded, ahd some of them quite deep enough to suggest a small corselet top, always are of velvet to match the hem^ It is doubtful whether the newest experiment will have a long period of success, for the result is iust a little sudden. A new note certainly has been struck, and it is a very insistent one. But there is still another way in which colour and white are used in association. There are coats made of linen in bright red, yellow-ochre, rich blue, as well as in soft pinks and blues and greens, worn always with skirts of white, which look more complete when finished at the hem with a band of the colour to match tho coat, while the coat needs the finish of reveTs and cuffs in white, and ft oascade of white laoe-edged lawn to fall crisply down the front of the coat. Even more remarkable in appearance are the coats made of old-fashioned cretonne, carrying a design of printed flowers in colours that are always visible a mile away; these flower-printed coats are not seldom worn over dresses of white batiste, while they associate, too, with cotton frocks having a hair-line stripe of white and colour. Tho white skirt or complete white dress, as the case may be, looks better finished with a waistband, cuffs, and turned-down collar of the colour, the dress thus being quite pretty on its own account when thp coat is taken off. , The dTessy coatee of taffetas, shot or embroidered, or striped with a hair line, is still worn over the dress of cream net, and it looks well. What has, with summer materials, been carried out in this way, will find repetition presently with the autumn stuffs. Already' there are suits of white ratine or sponge cloth worn with coats of coloured plain cloth; the coat Colour may just match the stripe in the skirt, or the latter may be of white without a colour-line. There are some model suits where the coat is of plain colour cloth— navy or brown or dark grey, i while the skirt is of whipcord woven in .white and colour. Most of the coats seem to require some kind of belt, and for this patent leather is the first choice, fastening by means of a smart buckle. Suits and travelling wraps of drap d'eponge will be very usual, for this curious fabric has come to stay, nnd its weave is how a closer one than formerly. There is quite a run on it in sand colour, in a deep croam, and in tan, sometimes striped with a narrow lino of black. A FAITHFUL FRIEND. No matter, though, how many tailoring materials are brought forth for approval, serge in black or navy manages to survive them all. In addition to the whipcords, the sponge clo* 1 3 and ratines, them is a new arrival to l.c noted. It is called "fresco," and is a stuff _ guaranteed not to catch, the dust. It is intended for the light-weight tailor-made suits. The fact that, it is new will doubt lew account for coniiderftbla patronage, but even tht latc*t Übiio fflUl set UASrp. J4.UA •erg* i»

popular affection. One .of the smartest possible tailor-mades of fine navy serge has. a pleating of white cloth inlet at one i^ide of the skirt at the foot, the coat, cut low in the neck, has its deep sailor collar of white cloth and its cuffs of the name — which cuffs, by the way, are much deeper at the back than at the front of the wrist. The newest feature of this coat is the fact that it« basque, which w cut away in rounded shape from the front, is turned up with the white cloth, and this white line deepens slightly at the back. The coat, belted with black patent leather, has the basque slightly eased on to the blouse top, and the fastening, which begins low toward the left side, consists of a line of four buttons of white cloth sewn on with silk of navy blue , four similar buttons appear on the skirt at the side to finish the kilting inlet, and no one choosing such a suit would do other than wear shoes, principally of white, made to look like .gaiters, having only the merest tip of black patent leather and black heels. The hat most suited to go with 6Uch a costume is the one of white Tyrolean beaver with its brim lining of navy straw, the trimming consisting of- a band of blue velvet finished at one side with an up standing blue brush osprey. The shirt blouse worn underneath would be of white surah, with its turned-down collar cut rather low at the throat, and finished with a knotted tie of navy silk. Tho modern girl takes care that all her dotails shall be a match, and if she chooses blue ahd white for her costume, everything worn with it shall be of the same tone. Everyone who is travelling seems to be wearing a hat— close-fitting and compact and neat of shape— made of union felt and straw or of Tyrolean beaver and straw, and though the month is August, and should be the height of summer, the autumn hot does not seem to look out of place while we are experiencing a temperature more_ suited to late October. The new hat, it is plain to see, ie going to add itself to the list of epidemics; its popularity, unfortunately, will know no bounds.