LONDON FASHION NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13355, 8 December 1906, Page 6 (Supplement)

LONDON FASHION NOTES.

[from our OWN .correspondent.]

London, November 3.

Among latest - novelties in small -details ,of dress are leather-headed hatpins. .These are -made to match the . waistbelts, and therefore are of all colours, 'and the pins should be chosen to go with the belt in colour.. The - twisted'' leather hatpin, in addition to being new,' is 'also strong, 'and in ''-useful colours it is likely to appeal to the sportswoman and,-, the •motorwomau, especially as;"so many 'motor " coals are trimmed with leather; 'but in such colours as cherry/light blue,- cream, yellow, etc., the new hatpins are quite pleasing. The neads .are very • big,' as ' the heads of all the fashionable pins still are, and round in shape, and the hatpins with big round heads of amber, or kauri gum are still all the rage. ' They are always placed where they will lie /most seen, and. therefore.are often run in from the front, of a toque or upturned hat, so that the head shows piquantly in the puffy 1 hair in front. *'

'.".•Another little 'novelty in detail consists of a very broad ..shoelace, at least an inch in width, and this need not necessarily be black. ;It is" made in all colours, ' but the idea seems to be'.that; whatever colour the lace the shoe. must be black. Therefore shoes of black "glace kid are seen with laces of "vivid yellow, light' blue, Turquoise, emerald, etc.—the colour of the shoelace to correspond - ..with, that of, some other item in apparel, ,perhaps belt and tie. The appearance is decidedly strange and not pleasing, but ..some people who like novelty are already patronising the coloured shoelaces, always broad, with black shoes.. .Then, .where boots are preferred, and they are of the buttoned type,-'the buttons are quite the : size, of sixpences. They are made of mother-of-pearl, ..pierced like > shirt buttons, and "are -stitched through with; silk, the silk matching the colour of the upper, for another novelty consists in the boot having a front of black patent leather/!or« glace with the upper part of cloth' or suede, usually in a lightish shade 'of grey or ", a light fawn, and it is to ". these soft uppers that. the pearl buttons are, attached..;. The fashionable , boot for the; autumn .'for useful < wear jis to bo black. It is ■- neat ; in; the extreme ) and always is faultlessly cut, and preI ferably the upper should be of suede or I cloth. :: ' „ ' . ' .

; : One cannot help noticing that imcrushed j morocco '* is winning for itself; ; " great popularity at the : hands; of tailors, who are ! making waistcoats of it in cur junction j both"' with fur ' and cloth costumes;, There i are little turnover collars and cuffs of the skin, and these are introduced on many of tho new fur coats' made of. Persian lamb or "broadtail, the leather in most cases being heavily embroidered in silver and coarse floss silks*'in. bright "colours, while an excellent ■ effect is gained by the combination *of ■'. black and -■. gold or whit*, and silver. T: Buttons; are made ■'-; to match the waistcoat, collar/ arid cuffs; * "

- Braid is being immensely used ,by the tailors for trimming purposes ; indeed, it is-held in some quarters that the cachet of • the winter . costume will. entirely rest on i the / choice ; of " the .fancy", galon .which trims it, and the way' in which the trimming is arranged. :So now -we see new combinations ?of; colour and originality in design* which would- not - have been attempted a few seasons'ago,.the most effective schemes being, those where, two colours are closely interwoven. . Silvery grey and black, represents 'one -of the ; combinations ;of colour -which are favoured by ■. tailors, a particularly bright .and glistening silk 4 plait -. being used. , Some of the latest T braids display, tartan designs, and these' are -being: used successfully oh coat-and-skirt .costumes of blue serge and hopSack. It is.noted that one- of the most extraordinary revivals in '.-. the ; modistic world is the curious method of braiding, which . was. in vogue >in the eighties. Very narrow braid -is > used, and this is worked into the : most tortuous of scrollwork patterns, '■• sometimes covering the whole dress and coat.; One of the latestmethods, however,: is to introduce the braiding on i panels and insertions of ninon, which is let into the ; cloth gown and carried r out in, a s corresponding shade. In :the case . of. a dress of mulberry-toned cloth the bodice -; and sleeves were entirely of ninon with -a; bolero effect, t while the sleeves were: worked-all • over- with braid, the design .being suggestive of large chestnut leaves, and they had quite a different appearance from the rest of the dress. Odd sleeves, by the by, seem as if they are coming into fashion again. -There are some rather neat- ':'" pinafore" dresses of dark -blue or. other; useful colour, with rounded : yoke of tartan silk, and sleeves to match the yoke. In velvet; too, the same -treatment; is noticeable, . sleeves and yoke of velvet being fitted. into a " pinafore" dress - of. plain • cloth. ■■» To return for ■rrnnoment to the rage for braiding, some of;* the? newest tailor "costumes are being made with long, tight-fitting redingotes, literally covered with close rows of braiding in the .most out-of-the-way designs. and a bolero effect is sometimes introduced on to a princess dress by means of close braiding, which: is' repeated .on the skirt.;

• The following is ' a method to restore scorched linen : Cut up two onions- and squeeze out the juice, and then,mix with half ah ounce of white soap in little pieces, two ounces of Fuller's earth, and half a pint of vinegar. Boil well, and let cool. Then \ spread, it over . the scorched pa'ta and let dry. Finally wash the linen. ?