MY LADY'S MIRROR

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6495, 15 April 1908, Page 2

MY LADY'S MIRROR

SOME NOTES ON FASHIONS. The tailored blouso and mannish collar call for a tie in keeping. If you are fastidious, you will want to tie this tie yourself. There are all kinds of pretty knots you would do well to Jearn. In fact, you may evolve a lev, yourself, simply by practising during the idlo half-hours. A severe tio of bow-width can be tied in a simple bow, and prove effective; but employ somo originality, and it may be artistic at the. fame time. I'or example, have the longer end longer than usual, and when you have turned it over repeat the turn the other way. This will give you a double fold, and one cud. Now tie the other end in the usual fashion, and the two ends the other. By a very little practise you will discover how to leave the under fold longer than the other, and the, same with the ends. Your brother will show you how to tie a four-in-hand, but take the tio lound twice instead of once, and you will get a cross knot, which, if the tie is striped, will produce a beautiful effect. If your collar is a turn-over, this produces a lovely tie: Get two strips of silk, and make up each into a half-length tie. Then join so the join goes under the collar at the back. I am assuming that the shades are contrastive, though not too much so—two blues, or any other suitable shades. Thus you will have one end one shade, and one another. Now learn to tie a bow so deftly that the bow "monograms"—if the term bo allowable—the two colours. I tied a tie in a dark and light blue by way of experiment, and managed to "frame" the latter with the former, which went lender it, except in the cross-piece. Tho effect was very pretty on a fine linen blouse, with turned-down collar.

Bows in millinery are equally pretty whon made up in two shades of the one colour. Here .you have an advantage, as being stitched, the bow can be "false" as regards the laws of tying. Aim to get the lighter silk on the darker if tho hat is light; the reverse if the hat is dark. The bar across may be treated in the same fashion, one shade over the other, the former being narrower by just enough to make a ''frame" either side. A little while 6pent in experiments will repay you for your trouble, if you go to this, when you have, a little leisure. Can you sketch—ever so roughly? If so. pencil out your ideas and experiment with a water colour brush. In this way you will get a guide, and save creasing your material by frequent trials. Still there is no real difficulty in the thing whatever, as you will discover on setting to work. Tho made-up bow is always easy, as you escape the limitations of tho other kind? I always contend that every girl should be able to trim a morning hat, whether a new one, or an old one. Happily there are thousands who can, and they are the girls who make a first-class millinery display on a very small outlay. Practice, moreover, always results in improvement, so that later efforts are invariably better than first ones.

Plain material coats are very nice when bordered with tartan an inch or two wide. I saw one such a few days ago, and tho effect was delightful. The lines of the tartan were vertical of course, the cuffs of tartan, and finishing touch of all. the buttons were (artan covered to match. The skirt was pleated with a tartan band a foot from the ground, the ensemble being beautiful, seeing that the hat was trimmed

in keeping. Tartan is fashionable, opinions varying as the most suitable shade-.?. For in ehoho there is nothing like a green, with just an indication ot r'd in some of the line*. As perhaps vou know the greatest colour contrast possible is green and red. io other shades wiil produce anything like the same effect. In fact wo can see this in nature, as what is more beautiful than a red flower i.eelliiig among green leaves. Still, the inclusion of the least blue is pleasing, as it blends with tne green, and assists in producing a gc-oa effect. There are many other possibilities in tartan, but I do not think that the result is ever equal to tho tartan mentioned.

Tho prevailing shape in hats is still with the srrc;iter width at the back and with an inclination down. Too much of it, however, suggests that the hat is falling off, and when the point is reached it is not over pretty viewed sideways. A hat on the lines of the present one makes the necessary concession in the brim, but the crown is very attractively treated, a band going round it, and the top being a continuous bunching of velvet, set with brooches at convenient intervals. A handsome bird is displayed in front in a nestling attitude, wings

raisad together, and two other wings are employed behind it in the style shown. It 15 ft pleasing example of the millinery of the moment, though it may easily be a rather expensive one. A milliner has a great opinion cf the influence on . the face by tho hat that is worn. I have been entertained with a lengthy aiticle on tho subject, most of which is undoubtedly true. For example.— Every hat has its awn expression, just as every face has. If you have never noticed this before, begin to watch the relation of a women's hat to her face. You will see how wonderfully a certain mysterious tilt to a hat. will impart characteristics to a face never dreamed of before. The hat of to-day makes or mars a women. It is the fad to wear a hat with expression by the manner in which hatpins are stuck. Sticking hatpins has become a real art. subtle and significant. The clever girl gives individual expression to every hat she puts on. She sticks eight or ten hatpins into the soft shape of the new hat and crushes it, or bangs it, or whacks it. or twists it, and gives to it an expression to harmonise with her whim. She will eet twinkling ihineatone pins among the trimmings of her hat, give it a sharp tilt, and look tho image of saucy coquetry. At another time 'she will stick sober-tinted pins quietly about her hat, give it a dignified perch upon her haij, and look up demurely from under the brim as a little Puritan. The truly expressive hat is built upon tho lines that characterise the face of its wearer. It is only when the shape- of tho faco if. studied and the shape of the hat accommodated to it that a hat. may bo said to have ita best expression. The smart hat is never built upon lines contrary to those of tho face. Tho contour of one supplements that of the other, and the expression of one adds to and enhances the expression of the other, so that a hat which is wholly successful is the hat whio-h has most individual expression of 'ts own, and which best carries out the particular expression of the woman who wears it.

A very taking costume appears in the illustration, the style being good from now- on to through winter. The material suggested by the sketch is plain, but a check would be nicer, not, however, of too large a pattern. The coat

is strapped, and again we see how the* length is modified by the way the skirt of the coat is slashed—twico in front,) at the sides, and of course at the back.: Also all this is assisted through tho coat opening at the point it does, and note that this ie a point, for the ma-* terial is cut at an angle. The /ashioa-i able skirt nowadays is pleated, the ad* vantages of which are so very obvious. A few weeks now will bring us to the threshold of furs. Aptly enough, therefore, we get a glimmer of the designs in advance. Furs this winter will compass a variety of designs never previously seen. Kimono coatess and pelerines, very short 6ac coats, and smart little wraps, following the lines >.f the figure, will appear. These last, too, will spring oat into little basques, just meeting or covering tho hips. Muffs will bo large, many of them very large, and flatness of form will bo a feature. Expensive examples will show the head and tail attached, and, perhaps, two heads and two tails. Necklets will appear for scarf effects, and some wiD have diamond-shaped ends, and some display tails. All the usual furs will be in evidence, and soft, shades of brown and grey may pofs'bly lead in regard to colours. Squirrel, dyed to a creamy-looking grey, is the forecast of some authorities, and examples in this

pelt will bo among tho economical ones, imitation furs nowadays aro so perfect as to make one regret the qaulifieation. Pmbably. "artificial" would be better, and bo more juist, and quite as often as not tho imitation is superb. I have spoken of fur hats and fur-trimmed hats. A felt, with ;. band of fur may bo very effective, as well as very rich.