FASHION HINTS FROM PARIS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2319, 11 August 1898, Page 52

FASHION HINTS FROM PARIS.

London, June 10.

Dear Emmelike, — It is impossible to help being struck by the lack of black sunshades, those I mean which have a coloured lining. In Jjoikloii these are quite as nice as anyone could wish to have, but in Paris none were to be seen. One wonders why, "this is thus." Is it because Paris is a much cleaner place than London, and is consequently much more lenient towards delicate-coloured parasols? In fact, I don't remember having seen a black sunshade ofi any description. Even people in mourning, who used sunshades at all, seemed ten have black and white striped ones, or white ones ornamented with black applique. By-the-bye, the word "mourning" recalls to my memory the number of persona who were in this state. Widows seemed to be innumerable, and the quantity of crape used on their costumes was so lavish as to appeal to me horribly vulgar. Their crape veils reach quite to the hem of the skirt ab the back. And not only the widows affect all this mournful trimming, but the daughters wear equally much. Instead of a. bonnet, the girls wear hats, heavily laden, with crape, and from them depends a tjemendously long "weeper," reaching, like the widow's, to about the edge of the skir&, There seems to be a distinction, however, for while the mother's veil falls down the middle of the back, that worn by the daughters hangs more to one side. At first I was astounded at the number of apparent young widows to be seen in Paris, and was especially curious to know why so many wore hats. But the mystery was explained to me, and I learned that many of those whom I had naturally taken to be young widows had not lost husbands, but had lost fathers. There are a great many people in Paris who are still in mourning for relatives who were burned to death in that terrible fire at the bazaar last year, the occurrence of which will I daresay still be recollected in New Zealand.

As to Parisian chaussures, T must confess that, ou the whole, I was disappointed.-

Many women and girls with pretty and well-shod feet were to be seen of course, but certainly not a larger number than in Hyde Park or Regent street or Piccadilly on a line day,— if so many. Assuredly the Parisian shoemakers know far better how to dress their windows than do London ones ; there is infinitely better taste displayed in the arrangement, instead of the stupid overcrowding one sees in English shops. But a3 to the shoes themselves, I saw very few indeed to beat those in numbers of London shops. In Paris, as in London, attempts are being made to introduce coloured shoes of kid and various other materials for outdoor wear, f mean not merely tan and brown in iheir various shades, but green, red, mauve, grey, and even blue. • Bui the well-dressed people do not lil<e them. Now and then you might see a pair of coloured shoes matching a dress, and I did see such an appalling horror as a pair of bright green shoes below a bright blue dress, but L suspected the wearer of being a fifth-rate tourist. The dark brown patent leather shoes were more often to be seen, bub as a rule the well-dressed Parisiennes remained faithful to the dainty black shoes of shining patent, leather, which combine neatness with brightness. nnd winch have so long been their favourite chassure as showing their fcefc to the best possible advantage. As for shapes, the Oxford (called in Paris "Richelieu") was most used for fineweather walking. They arc made entirely of the bright patent leather, and had no toe-caps: The heels were often quite flat, or at least not more than half an inch in height. Some had the Louis heels, b,ut not at all high. For more dressy occasions the low-cut Court (or decollette) shoes were much worn. The front piece came miich higher up the instep than in most English Court shoes, and the effect was greatly improved. Small flat bows of narrow ribbon were more seen than the little steel stars still so popular in England ; but often a tiny buckle, gilt or silvered, was placed on the middle of the bow. All the best patent leather Court shoes were cut in one piece without; side seams. Shoes in the Langtry (or Moliere) shape

1 were often seen, some being simply tied j across the instep-flap with a single bow j of narrow ribbon, others having a strap of the leather instead of the bow, and others ' again having a rather large square buckle of steel, silver, or gilt. The so-called " Princess May" shape— viz., Court shoes with a strap across the instep, are not so much worn in Paris as in London. Also patent leather sandal shoes— the crossed sandals being of the same leather — were occasionally worn and looked very well. But on the whole, as I have said, London nowadays has little or nothing to learn from Paris in respect of chaussure. Much has always been, and always is, said in high praise of the figures of French women. Where the beauty comes in ib is difficult to discover. There are of course j certain exceptions, but taken as a whole the figure of a Frenchwoman is, to say the least, bulky. What decent figure she may possess in youth she soon loses in middle-age. And it seems lhab v the stoutness of her form is greatly accentuated by the shape of the corsefc so universally worn. This cor.set is very short and very low — not unlike that used by English ladies for horse-riding. It does little more than encircle the waist, wliicli is drawn in as small as possible. To a huge woman — and there arc many &uch in Paris — the result is disastrous. But all seem to favour that particular slurped corset, and therefore all look much alike. Luge hips preponderate. Certainly they are the fashion in Paris just now, and unless thus blessed the woman is greatly padded on the hips, and the appearance is just the same. It looks so dreadfully out of proportion to see so small a waist as it is possible to procure, while tlie bust a-.d hips are so tremendously huge. However, such is the type of the average Frenchwoman of whose' elegance and grace and beauty of figure we in London hear so much. And yet, at the same time, it must be admitted that were the largest-sized Englishwoman placed side by side with a Fren -nwoman of equal proportions, one would not hesitate to pronounce the verdict that the latter was the less unwieldy of the two. In conclusion, just a few remarks about shops and things generally. Perhaps of all the former the flower shops put those of London rather in the shade, and there are many more of them. The most magnificent flowers in Reason are elegantly arranged in large fancy baskets tied with coloured ribbons or rosettes of tulle, or else are in tremendous china jars or arranged in various designs. From the outside they were at the end of May very gay with rich peonies, lovely roses, rare orchids, uncommon azaleas, and all kinds of c 1 oce flow 's Another class of shop is very gay and 'attractive when brilliantly lighted at night, but in the daytime the contents look common and tawdry. I refer to the shops of < sellers, which, in the main thoroughfares , are very numerous. There are a few exceptions, bub the majority of thetn are filled with what are ordinarily here termed "Parisian diamonds." They are showy and vulgar in the extreme. As for the other shops — they make little show of any description. In this respect they are in the main disappointing, and the drapery establishments at any rate do not, from the outside, come up to those of Regent and Oxford streets. One must go inside to see things to advantage, and the contents a.re beautiful indeed. The two principal drauery shorts are the Magasin de Louvre and the Bon Marche. The former is more centrally situated, and its contents are considerably more costly than drapery at the latter place. Also, in Paris, it is the usua 1 custom of the la 1 ge drapers to t-ell the cheapest of ther goods outside, in tEe street, on benches erected near the windows. This of course takes from their outside grandeur. It is at 'he Bon Marche and at another place called Au Prin^emps that this state of things was principally noticeable. Worth, the famous dress- 1 maker, has no shop windows at all, his establishment looking like a private residence. The milliners' windows, too, follow on the same lines. There are just a few trimmed models in the windows, and that is all. By-the-bye, some of the third-rate milliners have all their chapeaux for sale at one uniform price, such as " 5f 80c," or in English money a little under ss. This same idea has been started in London by milliners from Paris, who get "fresh Paris models every day." There is one such place in Oxford street where the uniform price is ss, another in Regent street where everything is 15s 6d, and another at Ludgate Circus where hats and bonnets for children and grown-up people alike are obtainable at 6s. So much, then, for Paris shops and fashions. As a city it is magnificent, contains many fine buildings, and is so clean. Bir everything is frightfully expeii':'."*!, which, I think, somewhat detracts from its charm. Moreover, it does not seem to possess the home, comforts of London. Pariji is all very well for a little change, but on the whole I greatly prefer London. —Yours truly, Zealia.