LONDON FASHION NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13390, 19 January 1907, Page 6 (Supplement)

LONDON FASHION NOTES.

[FROM OTJB OWN COKKESrONDEN'T.]

London*, December 7. FRENCH people are still preferring to wear their veils just sufficiently long to come to the tip of (he nose, especially when accompanying toques of medium tize.: but these short veils have not yet armed in London. The complexion veil as now worn is described as being cue of the wonders of the age, and one. of the most effective of these veils is brown lined with palest pink, a lining as light and a buy as gossamer. There are coloured veils, patterned with enormous and unbecoming patches and spots which are as unbecoming ss is the colour of the veiling itself, yet there are plenty of people who wear J them.

There is yet another material added to the. already long list of fabrics which aroused for evening dresses, and this is tarlatan, in a new edition. The latest make is more amenable than its predecessor of old days, and one dress made of it, in pure, white, had an 1830 corsage a poiute, carefully boned and piquantly trilled at the. edge with goffered plaid ribbon, the colours being several shades of delicate coral pink intermingled with a little damask red. This at the back gained importance in the form of a sash with long ends, ruched at one edge with blonde lace —quite a reminiscence of 70 years ago. when plaid sashes were deemed a. prerogative of the first party-goer. Sashes for girls, except in the case of the Princess gown, are practically always seen, usually made of wide ribbons patterned with bunches of flowers. These sashes are tied in a large kimono bow at the back between the shoulders, the long ends depending to the foot of the skirt. Instead of ribbon crepe de chine is frequently selected for this purpose, and some charming effects are gained by the wide ends being finished with rive or six rows of narrow lace gathered into ruches, while the same idea is repeated on the breteiles.

Quite a number of evening dresses which arc designed in light fabrics, such as chiffon or tulle, arc trimmed from the decolletage to the hem of the skirt with bias bands of graduated ribbon. In most cases the ribbon exactly tones with the colour of the dross, but there are times when effective contrasts arc to be seen, such as reseda green chiffon trimmed with bands of soft, Parma violet ribbon velvet: or a dress of black gauze might have bands of gold gauze ribbon. Occasionally with a dress of this description an overdress of lac© is worn, and this is cut. into long points all round just touching the hem. Ribbon of silk and satin, plain and fancy, and of velvet descriptions, forms loops and bows and rosettes and kinds, and anything else one likes for the decoration of evening dresses. There are dresses of white tulle sprinkled with diamonds or silver dust, and almost covered with a scrollwork of tiny frills of gathered white satin ribbon, while the change in this connection is rung by the employment of ribbons in silver and gold gauze.

As regards the shoes worn with evening dresses a great many follow closely the scheme of the ball gown, and are carried out in opalescent sequins, silver and gold tissue, and crystal beads. Some of the whit« satin slippers are embroidered in raised ribbon work in place of bows, while not a few are decorated with beaded lace butterflies, attached lightly so as to have the appearance of having just alighted on the wearer's feet. Striped shoes are fancied by some, particularly when stripes .ire- introduced upon the dress, and another novelty in shoe leather is the white model with coloured heels and the narrowest possible binding of colour at the top of the shoe. Tims we see rose heels and mauve heels, heels of blue and heels of gold and silver. These coloured heels and bindings, by the by, are almost as much a. feature of black shoes as they are of white ones. But after all. it is impossible to oust dainty shoes of black patentleather from the position which they have gained in the world of dress. * Other varieties come and go. but patent-leather is always with us and is always liked.

BUMPED FLANNEL COSTUME. What might not bo made of such a costume in striped flannel as we illustrate this week? The material is of that tine order that the tailors are using and that makes an ideal summer morning fabric, light and cool and yet always dressy. A particular cloth recommended has * pin stripe in brown, and with this could go little coat-trimmings of bright apple-green. The buttons are embroidered in green, and the jabot in front formed of kilted Valenciennes insertions. We now constantly see the straight-edge insertion used where formerly there would have been lace with a decorative edge.

The hat shown above ii essentially for the seaside or country. It is somewhat of the old-fashioned sunhat shape, in white Tagel straw tied with spotted red and white ribbons. A practical feature to be noticed in this specimen of larger headgear is the arrangement of the trimming, which fastens the hat securely on and so defies wind and weather. Probably wo have improved in country millinery even, mow: than in country dress. A few years ago it was almost impossible to get a hat that was smart and yet practical. Nowadays all the milliners seem to vie with one another to turn out the biggest sunbonnets as well as the smallest and neatest tip-tilted sailors. The charms of rustic lift we very much enhanced if a. woman be dressed with due regard to her appearance as well as to her comfort and health.