LADIES' COLUMN

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 150, 26 June 1915, Page 15

LADIES' COLUMN

FASHION NOTES. Opinions certainly differ very strange^ concerning" tho sudden' change which ii taking place in. fashion at present. A writer in the London Daily Telegraph says: — "During the early part of the season many houses in Paris had oppor tunities for demonstrating fashions which were in direct contrast to anything thai we have seen for many seasons. In fact, they were quite successful in changing the silhouette of_ fashion. Still, as I have so often maintained in these pages, the early exponents of a new fashion arc apt to give way to exaggeration, which a little sober reflection as a rule materially modifies. This year.it was particularly wise to create a very revolutionary change in dress. The poor Parisian dressmakers, like our own, had suffered terrible losses from the entire collapse of the previous season, and were determined, if they had to reopen their beautiful ateliers, to do their work very thoroughly and well— in fact, co thoroughly that the whole world would be bound to buy their models, and they were right. Even Berlin made gallant eltorts, by means of Swiss passports and the spying methods of which they are such past masters, to obtain accurate ideas of tho modes of 1915. But now that the revolution in dress has all simmered down to sanenese, and the exclusive people begin, once more to raise their voice against the gospel of "frightfulness" and stupid exaggeration, we are probably on the eve of one of the most femininely delightful eras of dross that we have ever known. The Gentlewoman says: — The wide short skirt is going- to give its final coup to the stilted walk. I am accustomed to see passing in. the morning a nice comfortable looking middle-aged pair, she doubtless just seeing him to the Tube by way of an early constitutional. This morning there was a difference. She was stepping 1 out with all the freedom of youth and, instead of the usual rather stilted pace, in step with her companion. She had been to tho tailor's, and obviously he had persuaded her to have the spraad skirt of shorter length. Not that it was an. exaggerated version, for even a two-and-a-half or three-yard skirt means especially if short, perfect freedom to tho tread. In a good many of the models the skirt has had to be modified for the Engish wearer, perhaps four yards reduced to three, and so on; tho very full skirt must be shorter than the majority would caro for, henc© the necessity for the com•promise. Indeed, just how far to go in tho matter of the short skirt is giving a good many to think. Wo do not want to look liko ballet dancers, nor do we want tho unavoidable dowdinees of the longish full skirt. What a triumph of simplicity is tho one-piece skirt hung on a nicely fitted yoke! Tho cut of tho circle which achieves the construction throws the spread just where it is wanted, to the sides, yet hangs in front and at the back on the straight of the material. Aerophano is a much run after element, and on many hats of it the flowers are also of the material. Its texture is so very attractive. Most aerophane hats are in navy blue and of most beautiful moulding and dainty shape. A little sailor hat from which hangs a Greek key-bordered veil, is described as being of navy blue aerophane. In front there are some pale pink kid berries, a pretty noto just now. The frock of the scheme is a pale taffetas with little quillings to relievo tho borders. A very finely checked silk has been revived from crinoline days, and models in St aro being" shown by a good many Paris houses. The other scheme is for taffetas and ninon, either black or tete do negro. The skirt is in tho ninon with tho tucks of tho taffetas, of which are also tho undorslip and the bodico which is so prettily overhung by a tnc bolero of the ninon. A palo bolt might bo of silver tissue. A nioe frock is shown which looks as if it wero a device for using tho pair of paste buckles which so many people possess and long to use. The material should be taffetas. With it , is shown a ncgligo for crepe do chine or tho wool backed satin that is always economical and useful. A word may be given on underskirts. Black sateen is favoured, also checks in blaok and white. Then there are striped varieties, these sometime-? being tartan. The other kinds feature purple, navy, i grey, cerise, eto. Models with pleated frill are frequently fancied, and again the colour variety is all that one can wish for. Self striped underskirts with accordion-pleated frill are in navy, cerise, grey, purple, and black. Then another style is the one with a box pleated frill, and again a wide range of colours. Finally, an underskirt with a fancy accordion frill is selectable in a dozen different shades — navy, cerise, plum, black, grey, and heliotrope for a few. Satin underskirts aro in a class by themselves, fancy frill, pleated frill, and accordion pleats, and once more in all the colours likely to appeal to those who aro difficult to please equally with those who are not. At _ the Paquin establishment Mme. Paquin is devoting herself to charity and work for the soldiers, while her brother, ! M^ Joire, 13 at the front. But the Paquin collection shows plainly that it has been designed by a woman, and one who must be young, fashionable, and very ohio. For the models are essentially youthful in line and are much simpler than in former years. Paquin is making short belero coats with a flare and ripple at the bottom which gives a very pretty silhouette with the wide skirt, especially when the bottom of the bolero and the bottom of the skirt are handled' inthe sameway, emphasising the similarity of their cut. For example, one of Paquin's costumes is made with a full bolero and a full skirt of white cloth. The lower part of the coat is slashed into a fine frenzy of fringe to a depth of several inches, and the skirt, which is made with wide box plaits, is also fringed at the bottom between the plaits. The fringe makes the short skirt shorter, though the box-plaits save it from indiscretion. With the short skirts that she uses for all her suits, Paquin advises top boots, or bottes, as Paris calls them, made of patent leather and laced up the sides. Paquin strikes the military note in her summer collection in her breastplato bodices, gauntlet cuffs, field-uni-form tailleurs, and the cut of her artillery coats andcapotes. In her afternoon costumes the civilian reappears, and they are simple and charming and quite in the note of the present styles, with their 1830 outline. An. English paper remarks quaintly that "for those who still danos" there are evening^ frocks and materials. An exchange gives a detailed account of some as follows: — "And co to fabrics for evening wear. Foam crepe- oatches my eye_ first glance — a soft, shimmering material^ in purple, navy, saxe, mole, cream, tan, lime, royal oerise, grey apricot, eto. The next step* brings mo to satinlaine, a very up-to-date thing with wool back. It has a very rich appearance, colours, navy, cream, tangerine, flame, petrol, brown, tango, vieux rose, sky, and pink. The crystallines come next— a soft draping fabric, but very rich and lustrous. It is an admirable selection. As for the colours, they are everything, plus a little more, turquoise, 6almon, and purple for three. _ Finally, there is a material named casciUis, which is a fino 'draper.' The colours are what we should expect — it would take an inch of close type to give them all."