LONDON FASHION NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14235, 4 December 1909, Page 6 (Supplement)

LONDON FASHION NOTES.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT."] London-, October 22. MATERIALS. It is quite. the exception to come across anything extreme in the materials used or in the colours'. Striped stuffs are seldom seen, and checks are equally rare. Most of the materials seem to be self-coloured, and if there is an indication of a stripe it is only in the weaving; two-colour effects are the exception. There are cloths of smooth surface.for certain styles, and there is no lack of rough materials. Zibelline is in demand, and it lends itself particularly well for the coat and skirt. Fine serge is more seen just now than anything else, with its diagonal rib or stripe which tends to enhance the apparent slimness of the figure. Wide-ribbed serges are seen, and so are friezes, and rough-faced materials share popularity with tine worsted suitings and satin-faced cloth, the 'cloth garments being made up in more dressy ways than the others.

The tailoring colourings are generally quiet, »>f the "sun-bleached" type, including sottish greens of an olive tendency, "dregs of wine," which is a soft dark red, mole, wisteria, puce, mauve, etc. But at the moment our old friend navy-blue has more wearers than any other colour. It is rather a pity that people will persist in. trimming it with black for everlasting, and there is such a lot of black satin and black jet and black braid plastered over some of the blue coats; so much, indeed, that a line of emerald green satin piping is introduced to outline the revets and the collar between the .satin and the serge. Coarse bare is a fabric which takes its name from the stuff used for the costumes of monks in the Middle Ages. It is now available for coats and skirts, and in a deep shade of cream it makes a nice background for bands of sable or beaver trimming. Sometimes a very narrow and scarcely perceptible stripe crosses the surface in a slightly softer tone than the ground. .Molegrey is a favourite shade for this little stripe. also the new tones of blue, green, or violet. These delicately contrasted hairstripes on the bine are quite French, and the tone of the stripes can be introduced into the trimming. SOME NEW TDK IS. There are going to be lots of jackets and mantles made of mantle plush. But it conies rather as a surprise to meet coats and skirts made of it. These necessarily have to be plain, particularly the skirt; froggings of braid may ornament the coat, and form, its fastenings. The entire costume is rather weighty, though perhaps this may not be noticed in really cold weather.

Moire is a fabric which seems to have ! asserted its rights to be introduced into ! every department of dress. All the newest j evening cloaks of the burnous shape are made of. moire; there are blouses of it, j there are hats of it. and trimmings of.it, | but quite the newest notion is the coat and skirt made entirely of moire. For some departments of drees there is a shot variety, in shadings of grey and pink, heliotrope and grey, and so on. For tailoring purposes it is in self colour, and one fervently hopes that it will soon be relegated to a back place. The up-to-date moire certainly does not look so hard and forbidding as it did in former years. There is a bloom ! on the surface which ueed not to .be there, and its texture is altogether softer to feel, but the broad water linos can never be pleasing wandering over a tailor-made coat and skirt. When used for evening cloaks of the draped burnous shape there is always a lining of cream or some contrasting colour in satin, and care is always taken, that this shall show; the moire is looped Up therefore with a definite purpose. Moire is "much liked by milliners for covering shapes or for miking full beefeater crowns. Blouse-makers are trying to do their best with it as well, but they cannot make many tucks of it. therefore silk braid of the narrowest width is introduced as a trimming, and this, at a distance, has .somewhat the appearance of narrow tucks, especially as the tint of the braid exactly matches the tone of the moire. These braiding lines meander about in marvellous ways; if the moire blouse enjoys any popularity it will be mainly on account of its novel! v: it seems to be a strong fabric, and this may be a further inducement when a b'nuse suitable for good, hard wear beneath a coat and skirt is needed. , DRKSSY FABBICS. . / So far the materials mentioned have been suitable only for coats and skirts. But dressy indoor gowns are always worn in the winter, and for the construction of these i there is velvet, also silky cashmere, woolbacked satin, soft silks,' crepe de chine, etc. " Faconne" crepe de chine is a new variety : it is woven with a curiously shimmering surface, and upon it various designs, some floral and some conventional, are lightly but effectively patterned in selfcolouring. It is a fabric literally of feath-er-weight, and adapts itself most admirably i to the elaborate scarf and handkerchief draperies which must be accepted now, j without question, as among the distinguishing features of • all the newest indoor gowns. Velvet i- ,/oing to be in keen request for trimmings < well as for entire dresses; the texture is &;'., and light, and some of the new varieties —velours mous.seline and velours crepesare nearly as light and soft as crepe de chine, and they drape beautifully. Soft satins make up ideally for home wear, and the wool-back-ed variety is practically uncrushable. In colourings they are delightful, and for the picture gowns of the moment nothing could be better adapted. Then, too, there is cashmere, which is produced in silky quality and of light weight, and is nearly as effective as satin, though it has not quite such a sheeny surface.