Ladies' Column.

Lake County Press, Issue 2188, 26 September 1907, Page 2

Ladies' Column.

Millinery of Ul2 Momen'.

Latest London & Paris Fashions, BY MISS ADA MELLER [All Rights Reserved.] A Pelisse Costume. One: uf the sartorial successes of the winter is the pelisse, which tailors have

unanimously adopted for their clients. It is charming in face-cloth, in frieze oi velvet, and is a pretty change from tlic more ordinary coat. In the case ot a velvet pelisse costume, the upper part "' the skirt is sometimes oi sateen concealed, of course, beneath the skirl of the pelisse, which reaches to within a few inches of the. oTound and falls upon a deep hem of velvet. O-stumes so made are naturallv suitable i"i outdoor wear solclv; the skirts cannot be used without "the pelisses, and the latter must be sccurelv fasten* d troin the waist downwards, to avoid all n jk of a display of sateen. The simple but smart pelisse costume sketched !• of da.k green and blue tartar with a round collar and upturn d ci faced with plain .loth, 1; rc!o e with black silk bra;;l. The beit ; s also of B-rccn cloth, and to this both the bodice and skirt of th • pcl : 3C are attached. The same design carried out in violet frieze is very smart and i becoming. The tailor-made coat and skirt costumes arc apparently very simple this season, but simolc effects arc often deceptive, and really the utmost skill is required to bring about success to the plain, untrimr gown. In Paris, princess dresses are still beloved, and these in cloth, wtih perfect-fitting bodices, slightly draped, are charming. The drapery starts at the bust, and, by the skill of the nit- { ter, swathes the waist in the form of I a corselet, and finally merges into a which flows out in graceful

folds at the back. Empire effects arc much encouraged in Paris, chiefly on evening" dresses, but also on cloth coats. The Empire wreath a d garland are favourite designs for garnitures of various sortSj and Empire head-dresses., consisted of bandeaux of black twisted tulle with paradise plumes, or of gold trssue and ostrich feathers, are much seen in Paris theatres and ball-rooms. A fflint of gold tissue or braid on hats and \v;:istcoats is significant of a favourite vogue, and a new note has been struck this winter by the introduction of p'atinum braids and other fabrics, and platinum buttons and belts.

Eccentricity is the keynote of modern millinery, some of the damticst little hats of the moment being- those of draped felt, inclined to boat-sn but posed on the head in a direct slant, so that the point takes its place, not in the centre-front, but in line with the right or left eyebrow. The hat is then built out with draperies of ribbon, velvet, or tulle, to yield the requisite width, and of course, the hair is adequately fluffed our rn form a becoming" frame to the face and support the hat prettily. So absurdly diminutive are some of the more exaggerated hats that nothing more than a big bird or a full-blown flower is perceptible at a short distance ; for the hat, such as it is, becomes submerged by the coiffure and is scarcely as large as its trimming. There is much art in posing the hat on the head in these davs of bouffante ctfiffure and tilted millinery. Unless the hat is adjusted at exactly the right angle, it misses the mark of smartness. Onof the most popular pieces of millinery

is the mushroom hat, the bum of which is now closer to the head than formerly. The pretty mushroom hat sketched is a simple, charming style for a young girl. It is carried out in black velvet, with forget-me-not ribbon bows at each side and a band of similar ribbon running round the base of the crown. The addition of strings tied under the chin, is sometimes preferred with mushroom hats, and others whereof the brims turn downwards. It is a fashion by the way, constantly followed by the Duchess of Westminster. Another popular hat is the low-crowned sailor, ot soft felt or velvet with a bunch of quills at the left side. The grape mania still holds on, the crowns of picture hits being smothered beneath bunches of grapes of various colours, and toques of fashion also bear the fruits of the vine for their decoration. Hapnilv there seems to be a falling off in the adoption of osprevs, their place being effectively taken by pheasants feathers and marabout plumes. Coqun feathers are also very much to the fore, and are dyed. like ph a an; feathers., to all sorts, of deep, rich colours They are inexpensive an cipital substitutes for ostrich feathers