LONDON FASHION NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14787, 16 September 1911, Page 6 (Supplement)

LONDON FASHION NOTES.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.! Wise Forethought. London, August 4. It may perhaps be thought that we have 1 had such a dose of the tunic that its days must now be numbered. Well, perhaps they are numbered, but the span of its life is not going to end just yet. The i tunic is going to last all through the ' autumn and winter months, and far more ; than half the fashionable evening and din; ner and smart afternoon dresses will owe their distinction to the presence of the tunic. This overdress is constantly assuming fresh shapes, and although for tho roost part the foundation is of substantial net, no one ? can complain of lack of „ variety at the results. The low-cut necks are rounded and V-shaped and square; some are sleeveless, some have smart little sleeves seamed in. and others are cut with sleeves of kimono pattern; some of the tunics are belted at the waist, many are made to fall straight from the bust without falling in at the waist. Most of them show an opening about the skirt to admit of peeps here and there of the foundation dress beneath; the apronfronted tunic is open at both sides, a smart shape opens down the middle of i the front, while one-sided effects still influence so many of the fashions the tunic has had to follow, and some of the onesided tunics cover only one-half of the bodice back and front, and one-half of the skirt back and front— opposite sides, it need hardly be remarked. Some of the shapes are square-cut all round their edge, but very new are those" which taper off into a sharp point back and front, and this point is much more likely to be the terminus of a long slanting line than of a straight one. The duty of another pattern is to cover each side of the figure —bodice and skirt— to leave the centre back and front free to be plain, or to show off uninterruptedly panels of wonderful embroidery. The position of the waist continues. to vary, and the chosen position can be daintily indicated by a iold of soft satin ribbon or gaily-uued velvet, which is worn on top of the tunic here and disappears througu it there, to reappear finally as a neat now under one arm or in the middle of the back or in j the centre front. , j The return of the longer skirt for smart i indoor wear is thoroughly well assured, and accordingly we find that the new model tunics for the autumn are longer in the skirt than they have been. Whatever the shape, its special lines are indij cated fey thick embroideries of silk and | bugles and sequins all mingling together i in solid and handsome incrustations and insertions, and there are beautiful iridesbeads which strung together and used in single lines indicate attractively the shape of the veiling overdress: especially are these well-suited to the bodice portion, and these beads, cut with many facets, glitter in the most effective man--?,r These in sphinx-blue are striking on a black net tunic, which is heavily worked in sphinx-blue bugles and silk, * mounted over moonlight-blue channeuse. Iridescent beads of this description will keenly rival the splendid sparkling discs which flash from the wonderful diamante embroideries, whose special beauty is enhanced by a softening admixture of pearls and thick floss silk embroidery." Sets of this embroidery include the"outline for the decolietage or a handsome centre piece for the front of the corsage, enough for sleeves and for the outlining of the tunic. Beaded garnitures, now to be' had at the sales at greatly reduced prices, are of wonderful t value, and New Zealanders here this season with sufficient foresight and taste ought to have made some remarkable purchases, which will be the envy of those who" have had . to remain 'in "their own country during this wonderful year. Wise foresight too will have been displayed by those who have laid out money ■ in the tunic) department, for nothing • will bo more .j fashionable for some months to come, and the same tunic can be made to do duty over; a number of slips so that immense variety is feasible at an outlay not necessarily great. It is true that the gem-worked tunic of ninon has not quite run its course, but an early end is ■ foreseen in favour of net and marquisette, both, of which materials are better able to bear the heavy weight which cannot be avoided in the i elaborately-pat-terned beaded and gemmed embroideries of to-day, which always run to great width. . A few stray tunics of latticed silk ending in long straggling fringes are available, but these being > very dull do not represent the latest requirements of fashion—sparkle is needed. A fashionable tunic, which is not at all transparent by nature, is; that made of Japanese crepe embroidered in Oriental-coloured silks, which include light blues and pinks and gold, gradually getting darker until a suggestion appears of brown and red; if there is anything open about this kind of tunic, it is* because the border is punched with a broderie"" Anglaise pattern, this pattern being worked round with silks in colour. On a white ground many pretty results may be achieved, especially for the day time, and there is no reason why coloured beads should not aid in bringing into prominence the outline of the open pattern. Not by any means have we done with beads, and those of dull porce.lainwhite and colours do duty on 'blouses and dresses, describing long lines which look Tike stripes and finishing oft into a scroll or Greek-key border. "Beaded, yokes and cuffs and collar-bands can be bought all ready to fit into the dress . which: is to be made at home, but immense pleasure is found by the worker with beads in making her own guimpes and trimmings, following a pattern ready I traced or one of original design. , • ' Tabloid '.•' Dimensions. , It. took some of us long to grow accus- » .tomed to the modern outfit which has"} now reached . dimensions so slender that no I further reduction 'can. surely be made. The frilled petticoats of a few years back, the silk-lined skirts and the bodice stiffly encased with boned lining certainly did present obstacles to "the packer,~who perhaps was going out of towa only for a weekend. In these tirsss, when petticoats are seldom worn and when dresses are never lined or boned, 'and when their material is reduced to a minimum, luggage sufficient for a short visit can be stowed away in a small hand-carrier, or, even in a "port: manteau muff," as a French writer has suggested, for certainly the muff—still carried, though it is summer;(fur is not, however, used for it)is by far the largest item of modern dress. Until quite lately the hat box caused most trouble as its dimensions had increased immensely ' to carry the, newest millinery, but the need for being hampered with a huge hat box is quite done away with, provided a collapsible straw shape meets the requirements. Very attractive for useful wear are the collapsible shapes, made of the most pliable straw, which is sometimes woven like canvas, and these can be built into a little pile hardly more bulky than a dozen handkerchiefs ; the big hat can be worn and the useful ones packed away into a minimum of space. That wonderful innovation, the reversible satin wrap, is an immense aid, too, as a saver of baggage ; of satin black or a dark colour it meets all the requirements for the day time, its reverse side which is sure to be of a delicate contrast or of a brilliant colour, such as cerise, provides all that is necessary for smartest evening wear. The reversible satin wrap, made as a coat or as a kimono-shaped garment, has a long future in front of it. Guimpes of the finest net are among the little nothings which mean so much, yet which fold up into a packet the size of an envelope, and an entire dress of uncrushable charmeuse can be wrapped up to look like a packet of sandwiches; as for underwear, it really is almost non-existent. What there is is of the finest woven silk, which can be < 6towed into-thft smallest corner If

There are some dress stuffs, such as crepe and voile, that do not take offence at being packed up into small compass; they come undone without the semblance to a crease, .so that a fashionable woman who wants several casino gowns can fold up one satin slip into a tiny space and pack as many as half-a-dozen coloured voilages to wear over it, thus providing herself with a variety of gowns that would have been undreamed of half-a-dozen years since. The Portmanteau Mufl. The following statement of fact is published from a French source, and perhaps the information it contains will bo useful to some itinerant New. Zealander going away for a brief space: "This year wo had in Paris a very delightful little revue, performed at private houses, in which a charming actress showed us how she went out on a long visit to a country house with only a very largo muff for sole luggage! Out of this article she produced quite a number of voilage gowns of various coloured mousselines, each of which folded into a space as small as that necessary for a folded handkerchief. Several softly folding toques were also produced, as" well as numerous echarpes which were used in succession with the various toilettes. In fact, one could safely go away for a week's visit with a reversible cloak on one's back worn over a silk slip, and carrying the necessary muff. As summer muffs — in size and of shirred mousseline—are largely used this summer, there is no reason why one should not start for a week at Trouville thus equipped.; The muff could be made like a hugo flat bag, and the clothes,- carefully folded, could be inserted in the place of the feather or swansdown stuffing. Then this bag, once folded in two. resumes the actual shape of the large fashionable muff, arid the travelling kit is complete. If this, with a very tiny travelling toilet case, is carried, the inner lid of which conceals a fair-sized minor, and the various orderly compartments contain all the implements of even a most complicated toilet, the intending visitor need but carry a small hold-all that bears her. perfumed lingerie and small shoes, and she need take no trunks at all with her." In these days, too, most distances are .traversed by motor, and the tabloid luggage is therefore a considerable convenience.

Previously I made note of the heelless slipper which folds in half, of the clothesbrush that is as flat as a comb; now, for the convenience of the traveller who dislikes to use a hairbrush of the size more suited to a baby's needs, the brush has been put on the market which has a removable handle the business portion of it is of regulation size, yet when packed it takes no more room than does a complete brush in miniature with handle as part of it. The latest hairbrush is a very useful adjunct in the smaller-dimensioned dressing-case. Again, there .is the. umbrella which not only folds in half, but whose cover can be removed in favour of one with the more dressy appearance of an en-tout-cas, and further, if stripped of both it is stated to be transformable into a walking slick. We all know of the sunshade or umbrella handle whose top opens and discloses space for a tiny purse or a powder puff~*-the up-to-date lady will probablv fill the cavity with cigarettes. It will not be out of place here to remark that the velvet-covered sunshade-handle is the latest item of novelty. To sum up. in the words of a French chronicler, transformation dressing may be said to be the order of the day, and by this means a fashionable Woman could really , travel now to the other end of the world without a single piece of real luggage." The silk underwear has been only slightly reduced at the sales, but any reduction is a consideration when the cost is normally a high one. %' A Feature in the , Landscape. At the moment I refer to lace—in large quantities and in small—its charms are undeniable, and they have invaded l in a wholesale manner the dressmaking as well as the millinery workrooms, until nearly every dress and nearly every hat seems to consist largely of lace. For voluminous bows which stand erect on our hats the finest varieties only are used, and for the I purpose blonde lace is admirable lace bows and loops and fan-shape erections upward, with edges securely wired, and the lightness of the effect on the shape of crinoline or Tagel is delightfully becoming.. In spile of the very general use of gay colours, there are many who seek relief in black and white effects, and the all-white hat, trimmed with all white lace is a very dainty affair if its brim-edge is bound with black velvet. Or black lace can be used with good result on white straw, just as white lace can be used to trim black, but the suddtn contrast needs to be skilfully handled. The lace "feather" continues a prominent feature on the millinery horizon, but I think we are growing just a little tired or it — the idea has been seized with avidity by the multitude, who use only the poorest laces, and whose attempts at forming the. feather" are usually as poor as the quality of the material, and the consequences is that it has become impossible in the most fashionable circles. If coarse lace is used in millinery it is stretched plainly over the shape in the capacity of mere veiling, and the present fashion for wearing lace veils is not likely to know abatement, for, if not worn over the face, the result is often pretty if the border is used to veil lightly the hat itself or its trimmings. * *