LONDON FASHION NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2744, 17 October 1906, Page 66

LONDON FASHION NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, September 1. Each year as .the autumn season approaches we hear a good deal about tartan materials and the use to which they will be put for dresses, for trimmings, and for millinery, and during this off-season we. again are told a great deal about the advantages and charms of tartans — whether they aTe the%eal plaid or whether they are imaginary in their blend of colours and size of pattern. Dark costumes are to be brightened by a wai&tbelt and other trimmings of tartan ribbon or si'k, especially, perhaps, dresses of serge or cloth. Waistbelts of tartan patent leather are distinct novelties ; for a long while past we have had belts of patent leather in all the self-colours and others of two colours arranged in stripes, but nothing suggestive of tartan designs and colours. Patent leather belts at present are extraordinarily popular, and they are ridiculously inexpensive; practically all of them are very wide behind, narrowing off in front ; in shape they are rounded ; in colour there is endless variety ; a great many of them are made in three pieces machined together, the width of each strip being ,generaHy about an inch and a -half ty two inches. Waistbelts of tartan silk have been shown for some time, but none hitherto of patent leather. In the matter of belts the variety is still bewilderingly large ; the only point of similarity is as to depth, and almost without exception belts are very deep, especially at the back. Those of ckJicatelytinted 6ilk elastic are still much worn, finished with a big oval buckle at the back and clasps to correspond; the elastic belts are made in every colour, so it is easy to get one that will gy with a dress of any. shade; these belts- are very much worn, with the dresses of cotton voile and muslin; they have not been at all cheap, some specially reduced for the 6a!es costing from 15s apiece — original price one guinea — a t West End shops. They are much more reasonable now, however. Ribbon-velvet intended for waist-belts has a back of elastic which gives support to the velvet *and prevents its making itself shabby by going into ugly wrinkles. A dainty waistbelt now means . so much to the success of a- dress ; those of ribbon and soft silk are well boned and beGsmiugly shaped to suit the figure of the wearer, and in most cases they are the exact match of tine colour in the material ; belts of several shades of ribbon are dainty, all in Htrht colours. But there is a novelty in ribbon waistbelts wherein shades from the most delicate to the darkest ai'e used. For instance, a rather wide belt, with upward point at the back, is formed of a eeries of ribbon, folds; the lowest is darkest of allj ar.d the folds get gradually Baler until the point at the top is lightest of all; carried out in dark -navy -to-pale-blue the effect is exceedingly good, and looks very well on a skirt of navy blue with a blouse of light blue or cream ; again, dark claret shading off to delicate pink has much to recommend it. These belts could easily be made at home, seeing that stiffened muslin belt shapes can be bought for very' little, and the ribbon is simply placed on in folds one above the other ; in front the shape should taper off considerably, and as a finish there is a socalled buckle, which is made of quiHed ribon of the darkest colour in the belt, square in shape. For wearing with washing dresses of zephyr there are washing belts of white linen, which are useful ; some are embroidered in a punched design . the pattern being buttonhole-stitched, and through this design the colour of the dress beneath shows; the style is a simple and pretty one for slim girls. The mention of punched or embroidered holes, by the way, reminds me of one of the latest vogues which now is to be seen in France, where the large patronage of white or cream cloth for dresses has resulted in a new idea. The cloth is handsomely worked in a design of borderie Anglaise, and the skirt is placed over a foundation of coloured silk, the coloured lining of course showing through the open embroidery pattern; the same ornamentation is repeated on the short bolero or coat or bodice, while a selfcoloured belt of the lining accentuates the effect. At present the two colours most seen, in thU respect are crimson and green, but all shades of mauve are effective—indeed, almost any colour would be. It is noted that another method of treating the white cloth gown is to supplement it with a tiny bolero of Japanese silk, embroidered in bright colours, and cut much in the shape of the once popular zouave; it is lined with silk muslin and is edged with a thick gold embroidery worked out in a conventional or floral design. Mauve and blue represents an effective combination of colour, and it is carried out in dresses of expensive material as well as in cheaper linens, and there are taffetas coats with tight-fitting barks and cut-away fronts designed in the palest blue silk, faced and lined with pale mauve, the embroidery on these coats being carried out in mauve and blue, the shades seeming to melt the one into the other. A blue linen gown trimmed with a band of mauve Tound the hem of the skirt has an air of originality about it ; the little bolero, if worn, will correspond, and the shady hat of white btraw will probably be wreathed with mauve and blue flowers and will have some loops of soft ribbon to match. Quite a number of the linen costumes strapped with colour are effective, and they are much seen at watering places here and abroad. Pure white may be strapped with rose pink in bias bands; the blouse should be of the same tone of pink, and pink flowers should be worn in the hat. But this style will in all probability soon do itself to death. Some washing dresses are trimmed with coloured velvet this season ; for instance, a dress of a sort of buff muslin — really a warm deep tone of cream — looks well with belt and accessories of cherry-red velvet; or. in another instance. i dfesa of cream batiste was made with

innumerable little frills and flounces, each one being edged with bebe black velvet. We are toJd that trimming of ribbon velvet will be seen more and more in the realm of evening dress as the months advance, and no matter how diaphanous the material forming the diess, it will not be considered quite complete unless trimmed with velvet. A dress descriptive of this idea is thus given : — The material was of white silk tulle flaked with chenille spots of varying sizes ; the underdress was pale blue silk, so the skirt was edged with a broad band of pale blue velvet hem-stitched to the tulle, while four or five rows of the same ribbon velvet in a narrower width were employed as a further decoration, the simple full corsage being embroidered in pale blue chenille and silver. It is remarked by one writer that the devotion of the Parisienne to all-white in preference to distinct colours hA led to j the evolution of many different shades of white — however curious this anomaly may appear, — such as "chalk," "curd," "alabaster," "pearl," and "Parian" white, all of which names are known in fashionable circles. The opalescent colourings are, 'however, very becoming by artificial light, and so softly shot materials will be i worn for the evening as well as all the different degrees of white. Yellow is a colour which has recently made great strides, and it is now considered permissible for the debutante, m a pale tint and in soft crepe de chine or silk muslin, sometimes so pale as to be a champagne tint. Silver ribbons are being used to trim simple white dresses for young people ; in one instance the dress was of white crepe de chine and the ribbon was festooned upon the skirt, apparently in orde/r that it might support bunches of white and silver and pink rosebuds of chiffon ; the top of the low bodice was edged with blond lace edged with the narrowest possible silver ribbon, ,and on top of the shoulders were arranged bunches of white roses and heather ; the high corslet belt was of silver tissue, and on the hair a small wreath of white heather and white roses was worn. A combination of grey and brown sounds very queer, yet we are informed that the two colours will be used a good deal together in the near future, and they will represent the essence of smartness during the winter. Costumes of light grey cloth are to be liberally trimmed with dark brown braid, and a hat to go with sucK a model dress was in the turban shape, made of brown taffetas and trimmed with two large grey and white marabout plumes. Grey and green look very well together, and are occasionally to be met with in combination. Linen coats and skirts of grey are, for seaside wear, being piped with green. In addition to plaid ribbons for trimming straw hats of self-colour there are some new straw shapes made in plaid designs, and it 6eeins as if these are likely to have a lengthy run, at anyrate at the seaside and in the country ; the usual trimming consists of loops of piece velvet and bunches of quills in many different shades. White wings, relieved at the extreme point with brilliant dashes of colour are used on straws of just the same colour as displayed in the tip of the wing ; these are likely to be in great request. Fashion seems to have come round once more to the simple old sailor-shaped hat ; it is now made in every possible mixture of straw, as well as in white, black, and plain colours; and "the dimming consists of a band of ribbon fastened under a rather high bow, or of a tartan silk scarf drawn closely round the crown and arranged in a couple of dog's ears at the left side ; there is a wide variety in the angle at which these resurrected shapes are worn. At 'this time of the year, just between the seasons, there are* always plenty of hats and toques made of plumage, either in natural colours or dyed, but they never seem to make much headway in popular fancy. It is expected, however, that this year feather toque 3 will have a large following, that they will be one of the " sensations " of the coming winter: every imaginable colour will be obtainable, daik and light, and the prettiest will be those in pale pastel tints, simulv trimmed with a how or rosette of velvet. Peacock feathers in natural and artificial colours stil abound all round, and mimbers of ()cople wear them. I 6aw a big picture lat one day this week of rich green gathered panne, the only trimming on top of which was the head of a peacock, from which immediately sprang a liberal mass of the tail feathers spreading in all directions. The feathers of the prairie hen make another variety in tlw» wav 3f plumage trimming. Ostrich feathers are often arranged in rather a queer manner, threaded at intervals through the flat crown of a hat of soft felt, finally disappearing through the crown, to aumar again falling from under the brim; in this wav some are arranged from side to side, and others from the front of the shape to the back, the full ends falling on to one side <>i the face or on to the hair at the back respectively ; the effect from the top is not pretty, for in the first place the feather is pulled tightly through the slits in the crown, and in the second place it looks ;is if the feather has been cut off in the middle of its length by the time the last slit is arrived at tlirough which the the pretty end disappears from view. A combination of felt and straw sounds 6trange, but according to a French authority, one of the milline-rial triumph's for the coming season will bo the hat of coloured felt, soft of texture, and light in oolour, lined with straw ; the felt is carefully draped or folded over the straw foundation, and the only tiimining considered necessary is a feather of two c>r three cogue tail feathers, caught with a jewelled buckle or ornament. Already, velvet enters largely into the construction of the autumn hatt, either forming the shape or else being used for trimming a shape of straw. Piece velvet i< used as well as tlia libbon velvet, according to the requirements ; a band of the latter is oftc-n seen encircling the narrow high-ciowned 'iats of the moment.