LONDON FASHION NOTES

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 February 1912, Page 4

LONDON FASHION NOTES

J LONDON, December 8. | There is no doubt about it— the short skirt, tho tight skirt, the skirt which is both short and has to be opened at the side to allow inovomont—all have made their influence felt oil chaussure. All these skirts, whether for the daytime or for the evening, demand elegance in footwear, and they have been responsible for the very modern craze of making the shoe lace up the outer side of the foot on a level with the anklo bone. In this position, as 1 mentioned a few weeks ago, writyes a London lady correspondent, the shoes are ornamented with laces of gold tinsel, or of satin ribbon weighted with beads. It is not every, evening shoe, however, which fastens at the side; the Court shoo does not fasten anywliere, bift it has to be up-to-date, and adopt a side trimming. Therefore it is the height of fashion for sparkling ornament which usually rests on the instep, to be shunted a few inches, to take up its position at one side, the outer side of course. And hero it glitters through the skirt or lace, or shows itself as the hem of unlined fringe dangles with movemenF, or iis revealed in all its glory when the skirt happens to be slit up at tho side for several inches, as quite a number of the still-tight skirts have to bo to allow some sort of plav in walking. There is a new walking skirt, t-00, which brings tho foot into considerable prominence. Tho back of this js made with some fullness at the waist, and is cut in a downward curve of the back: this Rives freedom to the gait, and the front bredth is similarly cut in a f »ive, while the side widths aro straight. This skirt insists on being accompanied by the smartest of shoes. Shoos, are in these days a lending feature of the toilet. Velvet, doeskin, suede to match the gown are needed, finished with buckles of silver or gold or paste (for tho evening). Tf boots are required, they should have pateut-leather floats, with uppers of chamois or suede or coloured cloth or satin to match the dress. White tops to black-irouted hoots aro still much worn, hut they are trying even to the daintest foot, especially when the skirt happens to be a dark colour.

It is true, of course, that evoning skirts are .inclined to grow in length, but they are not incluined to add much to their width, particularly if the fabric be a solid one, such as brocade or velvet or double satin; therefore a slit is made at each side seam, so that the shoe and the stocking are considerably in evidence. Tho trained skirt, too, does not always cover tho feet, for the train, whether at the back or at the side, whether cut with one point or of fish-tail pattern, has at times to be carried—it is always an affair separate from the skirt beneath : and when this train is raised, the feet are visible all round. All the fashionable trains have sewn to them, inside and out of sight, a ring or a hoop of ribbon ; through i!iis the. fiiumr is slipped when the train has to bo carried—this convenience is regarded as ono of the practical little nothings that facilitato the wearing of the most expensive dresses." There is no limit to gorgeousness of the evening shoe, made usually now with its heel high and its front of great length, covering the instep; this length is possible because of the side lacing, and scope is available for the decorator with beads and gems to work a flashing pattern on the front of the shoe, whose material may bo of satin or of tinsel cloth or of Ottoman silk; the fabric matters not at all; the only thing that does matter is that it must be a colourmatch to the skirt, and quite frequently tho shoemaker is supplied with r piece of the dress material. Not only does he devote attention to the ornamentation of the front of the shoe, but he is outlining tho hoe] —top and bottom—with a line of glittering gems, the colour, of course, being regulated by the individual requirements. Dainty feet, therefore, attract attention as they trip lightly up and down ngroat central staircase, visible in their entirety below a short skirt which, if it has length in Its normal position, has none at a.ll when the train is carried.