LONDON FASHION NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2295, 24 February 1898, Page 44

LONDON FASHION NOTES.

(Wkitten Specially fob the Otago Witness.) London, January 7. Once more, with the arrival of the month of January, we here in London are in the throes of that important psriod, the biennial sale — this time of winter materials and all classes of drapery. Some few of the sales j started with the mor.th, but not so with the | majority, which waited until the Monday i before placing on offer their many enticing j bargains. As a rule I myself do not believe ; in making purchases at Bales merely for the j sake of spending money, like so many people | who " snap " Dp at once remnants of silk, j ribbon, lace, &c, because they happen to be cheap — and not infrequently nas>ty, as is afterwards discovered, to the purchaser's disgust — on the chance that " some time " ! their bargains will come in for " something." J No doubt at sales there are a certain number of goods sold at a sacrifice which are really well worth having, but it ie generally found that these are nearly always cleared out for a reason — either that the fashion will have altered before the next like season comes round ; that the goods will «poil with keeping ; and las', but not lea*.t, that there must be coma things worth having, otherwise the trash would never be cleared out. Bat in S the majority of cases th«re :s more rubbish | get rid of than anythif g else, though most fortunate are those who do succeed in securing the " piums." On the mornings on which the biennial clearancis begin all the shops are thronged by 10 o'clock, and the doors are then locked jto prevent others crowding in. However, ! judging from the thousands of womankind ] who do attend these gatherings, some must indeed pin their faith to the periodical sales. On the whole this so-called winter has been a bad season for the drapery, tailoring, ! and furrier's lines. There has been hardly ' any cold weather so far, and people have not required to go in for vary thick jackets, dress materials, furs, &c, for the worst weather yet experienced has been foggy, wet, or windy, but not really cold, with the excaption of ose or two days; indeed, it might now be springtime, it being so mild for tbe season of the year. Hence it must be, for I know of no other reason, tbafe womenkirul ', have for months past clung more faithfully J to their coat and skirt custumes than to I anything else. It is really a most ucusaal j occurrence to see coats and skirts go j generally worn at this season of the year as 1 they are just at present, when winter jackets { are, as a rule, recognised to be de rigueur It [ has hithtrbo been in the sprirgtitse and • again in the autumn that these useful garments were all to the fore. Among those which are now worn there is really no change to record. They still have coats of a moderate length without fulness in the basque ; and while some are singlebreasted (the Chesterfield shape) and fasten invisibly down the front, others are of the always popular, double-breasted type and fasten with large buttons of smoked pearl or horn ; and the sleeves have only a moderate allowance of f alneas — in iact, the generality of them are not new at all, for they are what people have had in use since the end of last summer. Such being the state of things and the shops all dismantled and topsy-turvy, what is there to be said about dress 1 Not much, lam afraid. Until the spring is well established nothing new will be shown, when the things then on view will be the heralds of the summer fashions. Veiy possibly at the present sales there will be much better opportunities or securing things well worth haviDg, as winter garments have as yet been so little in demand, and it I is not generally until the months of January I and February that the worst weather is experienced, or, in fact, looked for. And though the first month of the year has " come in like a lamb," it may depart "like a lion." I cannot underhand why the sales are held so early in each season ; of course it is to the advantage of customers, but not, one would think, to the shopkeepers "themselves. And there comes such a fearful gap between the end of the sales and the appearance of the really new and reliable season's goods and styles. When j the sales are practically over there comes a dead season while stock-taking is in operation, and in order to make ronrn for the new things the remainder of the old stock is being cleared out as quickly as possible and the cheap pricas continue. The Russian blouses, I hear, will be and are being sold for almost anything they will fetch. It is but a passing fashion, which is expected will quite die out shortly. And a good thing too 1 If most people knew what irights they looked in the Kassian-shaped bodice or coat they would give it a wide berth. And in spite of its unbecomingness it is most astonishing how comparatively few there are in London who have not for months past adopted this disfiguring style of bodice ! Evening dress still seems practically to anp,rosa all attention, and I have already spoken jof ths of the sash. Now that this adornment has met with so much favour it is plain to Bee that it intends to Btay, for it accompanies about two out of every three 1 evening gowns for young people and girls — ' not for matrons though. Provided the sash is skilfully handled and manipulated it becomes suited to almost every stylo of figure, ' besides often forming most pleasant contrasts

and harmonies of colour. In Paris, laca sashes are the newest things, and crepe de chine is very popular, as well as chiffon, so£ silk, and mousseline de soie. In the thinnest materials some sashes are intended to pass twice round the waist, and while some are fastened at one eide others are arranged with the bow and ends at the back. The ends in either case reach just about to the edge of the skirt. As I have before said, some are beautif ally-embroidered at the ends with pearls and various other kinds of jewels, and have fringes either of the same or of knotted silk — if the saeh be of silk — of lace, or of chiffon frills. With sashes, buckles are in great demand — in fact, the two always go together now. In the midSle of the bow there is a buckle of some sort. Sometimes, if the knot be at one side, the front as well as the back of the sash is held down either by two small buckles, by brooches, or fancy pins. This is a etyle eminently snited to short-waisted people. Eecently I saw a gash made of cream crepe de chine, and it was bordered along at both edges with a narrow design of gold, diamonds, and pearls, while at each end the same were used for the purposes of forming an embroidery and ended in a fricge. Chiffon sashes are very perishable ; they are much trimmed with small puffings of the same favourite material, and are nearly always fastened at the side. They fall softly, and look well on a dress of satin or silk which has drapings and other trimmings of chiffon about the bodice. Fichus are moßt popular now, and are made in various materials. Some are rather elaborate and are edged with deep frills, and others are much plainer and more simple. It is an always becomiug fashion, and at the present time paople fully realise this. Now that there is such a rage for veiling evening dresses with jewelled nets or tinselled gauzes, very cheap patins can be bought at tbe present sale*. The colourings are beautiful, and of every shade. The price is 11|,1 per yard ! These bargains always are soon cleared out, and for girls who go out a great deal, and have to be somewhat economical in the matter of dress, they come in beautifully, and look every bit as nice as if they paid shillings instead of pence per yard for their foundation skirts and bodices. And tbe quality, toe, is quite good enough for the purpose, and looks very effective wbeD made up. Glace silk slips are rt-.ucb. favoured, but, of course, add considerably to tbe cost. After all, evening dresses are not as a rule very serviceable, and when it is possible to pick up bargains of this kind it is as well that such bargains should be made. For evening wear, particularly for matrons or non-dancers, trains are without doubt; gaining ground. The newest are put on from, the waist at tbe back, though some few do come from tbe shoulder, and one train arranged from the former point can be made to serve for more than one dress. It is another old fashion revived, and tlie train — which is very narrcv at the top and stands up above the waist, whero si. is beld in by a largo buckle, in two tall loops — by the time tbe edge ot ths ekirt, is reached has widened to the extant of about a yard and a-half. It is to be hoped that this revival is not the thin end of the wedge, for we don't want trains to become the order of tbe day — or the order of the evening either, for thai; matter. This winter the nicest kid gloves for day wear are those which have silk linirjgs. Hitherto those with fur tops and flannel linings have been the most popular variety, but on these latter the newer kind with the silk lining are a great improvement. They are good wearing gloves, are nics and warm, and do not possess the disadvantage of looking clumsy, as did their forerunners. Palecoloured linings — salmon pink, yellow, light blue, &c. — are the shades of silk most commonly used, and a number of pairs of glove 3 with their linicga displayed present a very gay aspect. A few of them have buttons and points to match the linings. Cashmere gloves are never seen in London now. Their place has been taken by the thick woollen variety, which are supposed to be warmer. They are clumsy to wear, and some people say that the insides are harsh and spoil the hands. In a degree this has been remedied now, and the nicest are lined, throughout with fine scarlet cashmere. Of course it makes them a good deal thicker, bat they are moie pleasant to wear and essy to slip off and on. Some are plaid, but white with black points are much liked, as well as black, brown, and all dark shades. Zealia.