FASHION NOTES FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7865, 29 July 1911, Page 2

FASHION NOTES FROM LONDON.

CANADIAN LAW AND HAREM SHEETS. A TWO HUNDRED GUINEA HAT. I’liOM OUB liADT COEEESPONBEKT. LONDON, June 9., There is just a suggestion that modified "bustles” may come into favour shortly—and how great a transformation would that bo after the scant proportions of last year's styles and this year’s hardly less scant designs! A new model among summer confections has an over-dress of painted muslin caught at the back halfway • between the hem and the waist and bunched together in almost bustle form. Another variation that it is said is going to be exceedingly popular for summer dresses this year is one having the folds caught up, either in front or at the sides, and held in place with a rosette, bow or buckle. For this skirt only the veij softest and most "drapable” material should be chosen, and the corsage should show a certain pioturesqueness of style. An effective frock shown in this way was of biscuit coloured chiffon ’patterned with delicate little flowers with leaves in deep pink, blue, and green. The skirt was caught up in front over an over-dress of black satin and fastened with a big rosette of black satin. The corsage was Empire, with high waist, short sleeves, and a graceful fichu. The fichu was of the same material, the ends crossing in front with large cameo buttons. A deep band of black satin formed the waistbelt, which was folded over a quaint little frill of chiffon. NEW UNDERSKIRTS. Many of the now summer underskirts are being made in Chinese silk, with laceedged frills; others are in fairly thick silk voile, embroidered high from the feet, or in printed voile, with plisse flounce, threaded at the top with ribbon. The new petticoats possess not one inch of superfluous material, for the narrow lines of the outer dress must be preserved. Black and white striped satin is to be much used for underskirts, and these models rely for their trimmings upon the novel arrangements of the stripes. STRANGE HOSIERY. Some of the newbst silk stockings are embroidered with little strips of blossom executed in silk and the narrowest possible ribbons. The latest craze is for button trimmings! ■ Tiny little buttons covered with black velvet are used, and the devices employed for their manifestation are the graceful "clocks" usually developed in_ silk, and the instep pattern as a rule interpreted by means of lace or embroidery. Others are decorated with wreaths of tiny French satin roses. - But/mdoubtodly the most weird and ungraceful of the many new varieties of hosiery are the stockings that show little frills of lace right round the ankle, suggestive of the trimmings of the long pantaloons women wort in early Victorian days! Others show side cascades of lace I SHOES and boudoir slippers are also rising to giddy heights of elegance. Some have coquettish rosettes or silk flowers slightly to one side of the instep, instead of, in front ns usual. Others, of bright satin, black satin and gold, have tiny clusters or wreaths of rococo silk roses in place of a buckle.. BORDERED VEILS of net or lace with a lace edging arc again in fashion, and lace scarves piped .with narrow velvet make cool looking trimmings for shady hats in the long' spell of sunshine that we're enjoying. Some of these scarves—hut not nearly, as many as when the fashion was last with us—have ends gracefully hanging down over the brim of the hat at the back. ■■ ■■. . ■: ,■ ■ .... THE HAKEM AT LAW. The question as to whether a harem skirt can legally be worn in .Ottawa has coma up in that city, and' it appears that a leading ICC., who was approached, said that there was certainly one score on which it was illegal to wear a harom skirt. There was a law which forbade any person doing anything to "attract a crowd or precipitate a riot," and the wearer of a harem skirt has already been arrested in Toronto on the strength of this. The K.C., according to the "Free Press," a plodding fellow* opining that there might bo another reason for its illegality, began searching through a shelf full of law books for the sections which might refer to the wearing of harems and hobbles. He was unsuccessful in finding what he was after, for he threw down the volume in despair. “I believe that there is a law against a lady masquerading in gentlemen's clothes," he said, "but whether that would exclude the harem I don’t know. It depends on. whether the law specified what men's clothes shall be, and whether divided or not below the waist." Mr ~W. P. Lett, clerk of Ottawa's police court, confirmed the statement that there was a Jaw against women wearing men's clothing, but upon whether the harem skirt could ho styled as men's clothin g he declined to attempt to pronopnee. The Clerk of .the Peace "could not find any law that barred the harem skirt" except tho law relating to tho causing of crowds or riot. _ It is perhaps no subject for levity, hut the thought of a group of legal lights searching their musty records for the solution of so weighty and unusual a problem is certainly tickling. ( A 200 GUINEA HAT. ‘ , The latest and most stupendous thing in millinery was on show at the Maison Lewis, Regent street, yesterday. Exhibited in a glass case, it was described as the most expensive hat in the world, its price being 200 guineas. This hat has been specially designed for the Maihesco do Bucharest. Its foundation is of black straw, and its superstructure is a huge mass of osprey plumes, the whole being some sft in circumference and about 2ft in height. "PLEUREUSE" PLUMES. There seems to bo for very smart afternoon wear a perfect furore—for those who can afford them (for tho prices are truly fabulous) —for the long pleureuse feather. There was a rumour at the beginning of the season that these were to pass out of favour, but, on tho contrary, they seem to have successfully resisted all .attempts at dethronement, and are more popular than ever. And not only more popular, but more expensive than ever too, for the fronds which compose them must be of tremendous length to be very smart. This length is obtained by means of several fronds being attached to one another. Formerly a pleurense was obtained by means of two fronds knotted together. Now it is necessary to have two, or even three, lengths of fronds knotted one to another, thus forming an immensely long plume that nods and waves like some supple pennon in every breeze- ■ These are often of one colour, or again of several colours. Sometimes the end fronds are black, and the two fronds nearer the stem are of some contrasting tint. • NECK MIRRORS. Saith. the preacher "all is vanity." That was in olden days—what of today ? One of the very newest ideas for woman’s toilette is a vanity mirror suspended round the neck by a slender black velvet ribbon, which often roaches almost to the knees. In fact the longer the velvet, the more chic is the fashion deemed to he. The newest vanity mirrors are round, and tho cases open like a medallion. Sometimes these trinkets are framed in mother-of-pearl with a fine thread round the rim of rubies or sapphires, or they may be mere circlets of gold with the owner's name or initials set in pearls. Some women have recently been carrying these mirrors suspended from a chain slung from two rings that are affixed respectively-to the thumb and little finger, .but the long velvet ribbon chains are still newer, and one sees them, not only in the parks, but also worn at the theatre with decollotee frocks.