WOMAN’S WORLD IN LONDON

Evening Star, Issue 18809, 6 December 1924, Page 10

WOMAN’S WORLD IN LONDON

(Written bv Cynthia, for the ‘Evening Star.’] October 18., I lave encountered many Royalties in Loudon lately. The ex-King and Queen of Greece, whom we all felt sorry for, were constantly about together and sometimes quite alone, and this week (he King and Queen of the Belgians seem to be everywhere, I have met the Queen several times; the last was at a. dress pnrad®, and Her Majesty was as interested in th® frocks as any of us. She is one of the best-dressed queens in Europe, and always chooses such natty clothes, with neat little, toques. She loves a drooping tassel or drapery at, the side. Then her coats and wraps are charming. I saw her driving in one of the fashionable cream matellase coats, flounced and trimmed with the new sand-colored fur, which is so becoming. This shade also looks smart on browns and cinnamons. Thou I was in one, of the big hotels wailing for a friend, when I noticed a very tall man reading the paper. Presently he walked over to telephone box to ring up someone. The waiter pointed out to me that it was the King of the Belgians. 1 am afraid our own Royalties, even abroad, would never be left in peace in this way, and wo have had an example with tho Prince of Wales hji America. f hear he actually had to resort to (he device of wearing a beard on one occasion to disguise himself from unwelcome attentions. Ido not know if lie is “fed up” with all this, but he is not, staying very long in Canada, and will soon be'back in" London. It was his intention to stay a fortnight at his ranch at Calgary, ‘but this is all altered now. I should think the wilds of_ St. -James's Palace will be a real paradise when ho does get back. Other Royal folk Loudon is welcoming quite soon fii’fi th& Queen of Norway and her son Prince Ola.f, who comes to England to Oxford, where he will enter one of the colleges for a course. Queen Maud is the lung’s youngest sister, and is devoted to England, which is only natural. First of all they go to Appleton Hall, which King Edward, settled _ on her as a. wedding present, and which is quit® close to Sandringham. _ I hear Queen Alexandra’s health has improved of late, but it is no secret that it has caused great anxiety to everyone for some time past, and she has not been even able to taka her customary drives. But there was better news this week, and the Queen had been driving as usual. Prince Ola* has grown a fine young man, and is a great sportsman, like his mother, for Queen Maud rides, hunts, skates, and enjoys outdoor life to tho full, and those visits to her old home are part of her most happy experiences. She will be here now till close on Christmas, and England always gives her a warm welcome. All the .feminine world of London i« talking dress. Parades and shows take place daily, and one of tho most interesting was held by the Hon. Mrs John Russell, who was tho tanous defendant in the long light in the jfivorco Court over tho future of her small son, Geoffrey, which, all tho world was glad to know, ended in the little boy’s favor. She is certainly a remarkable Englishwoman, and I do admire her pluck, for sh*& lifts, besides fighting one of tho hardest fights ever presented to a woman, established herself as a dress designer in a charming little salon in tho West End, and has also written an extremely clover novel now appearing in one of our London dailies in serial form, and called ‘Afraid of Love.’ It is most absorbing, and shows what a woman can do on her own. You will be sure to seo it in your bookshops sooner or later, and be sure you buy it, for I fully convinced you will be interested in it. You may remember Mrs Russell took her case to tho House of Lords, and won, so now her little son will one day be Lord Ampthill. Tho family almost ruined themselves by trying to prove that he had no claim to the inheritance. Well, the gowns and dresses she showed were perfectly charming, mid I am sure she did well over it. In intently surveying one delightful costume after another. I found myself asking the question : “ Is the directoiro stylo really coming back?” -So much has been talked about it, and I found, upon inquiry, that the dress designers, at this show at any rate, predict that the high waist will follow the present waistless modes as a matter of course. Prom one. extreme to anotheffioems the rule, and it is signilicant that the high, upstanding collars are returning, especially in fnr. Though lids is a winter fashion, it :s the h'rst step. Certainly, (hey nrc becoming, but old-looking lor young faces. Frocks just now are really little more than belt less tunics, am] run in one piece from neck to hem. Tbeve novel- was a limn when they were easier of home, manipulation, and clever fingers can fashion them at very little exist.. The” nrc. very narrow, and many are split at. the hem, at side, or in front, and all are much shorter than last, year. But it vou mo not in ymir first you:h, clou‘I attempt, to wear these, abbreviated skirts —they arc only for the knldish find very juvenile wearers. Even then they border mi the ridiculous, and at a dance at a famous hotel the other night there was quite a titter when two very np-todato damsels entered in I lee. very narrow short shirts, to the knee only. “ Ifenvens,” remarked a man sitting near, “that is a fashion which will have a short, life.’’ We shall see, hut 1 think wo all agreed with him. 1 did not noli eft, to btvir out my remarks that the long waist is going, that many frocks were nearly iightfilting, which naturally gave tho waistline in ils proper place. ALL KINDS OF SLEEVES.

You may .suit yourselves, my readers, over sleeves, for some day frocks are sleeveless, others have bishops’ sleeves. Not big, but very pretty ere these, m soft, ibid materials; and very new is the long, close-filling .sleeve to the wrist, with voluminous handkerchief culls showing only the tips of the lingers. No, if you have not got the best of arms, there’® no need to show them. I also noticed that many evening frocks have long Russian capo sleeves, ever so graceful in the filmy fabrics which ere so much worn. These could be adjusted to fasten at the wrist and cover the arm, or allowed to fall loose and leave the arm bare. Our old friend Ottoman silk is revived again. Pertotally, I always liked its rich corded effect, and it. is now produced in such soft, sonple makes, having tho advantage of draping delightfully. Evening wraps are much fushoned in this material, and arc handsome. The richest trimmings and linings ano employed. Scarves .arc still most fashionable, and otten those which are of the same material os the dress have a band of fur or marabout on lbs ends. . , . „ i Now just a word on “jung.e taahions, as*we’call them. It is a curious idea to trim clothes, especially evening gowns, with tiger and leopard skins but it is a vogue a great many women have adopted. hue sees dozens of coats and irocU trimmed with imitation tigci J shops, it is a fur winch am bo so easily imitated, even in cloth, and 0«i« • of tiger-skin cloth vs being used ; but thine would ever attract me about Ik The" jungle fashions mfrml-Ko ready ridiculous notions, and our. « M nionkevs for hat trimmings. > met ammftl daws "arranged in (ho midd.a of • . cockade. Really, the more remarkable m- “amusing” 'hose ornaments are, the greater Un^fashion. Only by some ere such things worn; most of ns really do possess a little common sense, hut I am reWing to you v. hat I see in tho shops.