FASHION NOTES FROM LONDON.

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 73

FASHION NOTES FROM LONDON.

(Feom Oub Own Correspondent.) April 15. - ■ —Some Hairdressing Hints.—

No one will shed a tear at having seen the last of the "bun" or swathed turban stylo of hair-dressing; it was neither artistic nor picturesque, and it certainly was not becoming. There is a new asnid picturesque arrangement of puffs and curls —we cannot abandon curls, whether attached flat to the head or hanging about the earns —which may be encircled by a loose plait. or by a swathery of hair, bufc just as often as not it is left without this encircling bandage. Its place is taken by a band of ribbon, which must show only, across the front of the head; it has to disappear at each side beneath undulations, and it may emerge again at the back under the curls.

A style of hairdressing which is chosen in Paris is the arrangement of the puffs in a Psyche knot, in which the curls are massed horizontally across the lower portion of the head, coming almost to the neck, while other groups of curls are placed diagonally or perpendicularly near the ears, giving . something the effect of real short curls falling from the ears to the neck. The hair is either parted in the middle or at one side, and is combed loosely back so that there is no suggestion of tightness—the whole effect has to be one cf soft curves. It is quite expected that tba Psvche knot will be more cnniad.

than any other pattern throughout the season; those who do not like the low. position can have an arrangement fixed higher on the head. The stiff, high pompadour whose outline can be quite rigid is on the black list, and is expected shortly to be seen no mare; there must be easy fulness at the sides, but, generally speaking, the hair must be flatter on the top of the forehead. While there is occasionally no actual parting in the middle or at one side, there is a series of breaks arranged in the most natural manner round the forehead; there are deeply-waved undulations in place of the rather small kinks of a season ago. Sometimes the waved chignon is preferred, and this is crowned by a cluster of curls at the top of the head and another little cluster at the ba.se—curls are much larger and much more ■ careless in effect than they have previously been, five or six being sufficient to cover the space previously taken up by a dozen. For eveningwear it is considered attractive for a little shower of cutis to fall on to. a white and fell-shaped neck. In such a case the loop of hair is wound into a knot on the crown of the head, spreading to the nuque, while a wide band of velvet or ribbon is brought round the brow just above the soft waves, and then it disappear beneath them. For evening wear there are bandeaux made of tiny floweirs attached to a strip of net, and these are chosen in preference to the velvet band. In all likelihood there will be some similar flowers on the corsage.

The prominent feature of the new arrangement of the hair seems to be that the shape of the bead will be carefully studied, and the styles will be made to vary to suit each face. Still will it be necessary to resort to lots of pads and frames and switches and coils and curls, even _ when a generous supply of natural hair is available, and quite up-to-date ladies will, as heretofore, Keep several transformations always in readiness to attach at the last moment. —At© Hairpins to- be Abandoned? — Paris has produced a cabochon or big button, which screws in exactly as one turns a screw into a piece of wood. The screw-eabochon is described as being the most comfortable fastener ever invented' for the hair, and in all probability it will ultimately take the place of combs and all big pins. The cabochon screws into the hair by means of a right-hand rotary movement, and when it is desired to release it the screwing must be done in the opposite direction. These new ornaments may be of tortoiseshell or gold or silver or steel or mosaic or filigree work, also there are jewelled examples. Information from Paris says that it has become unfashionable to employ combs as hair ornaments, and, if used at all, they have to be hidden carefully under the hair. Of the big "fourche" pins, too, the French woman has frown weairy, and, as a last resort, they have been laboriously fastening on cabochons by means of hairpins or ribbons or elastic; but all these fall out —the only satisfactory kind is the screw variety, and it is probable that for awhile all other descriptions of hair ornament will be ousted from the market. The screweabochon is reported to be a great success, but big-pronged 1 hairpins will not disappear in a hum-}'; there are too many of them about. All the most up-to-date, whether made with square heads or round heads, are of horn, with tortoiseshell only so far as the head is supposed to project. Big hairpins all of tortoiseshell are very expensive, and the risk of losing them is great; the horn is a cheaper material, and with its top part of tortoiseshell it is quite effective. In Paris an effort has been made to reintroduce the fringe, but with little success; a few stray tendrils on the forehead, loosely arranged, is the method preferred. —Modern Millinery.—

While hats are still so enormous in brim dimensions, especially at the back, T he hair has to be worn very low or very high; the former position is compulsory in the case of the plateau hat, which is in possession again of a limited' circle. The contrasts in the millinery world l are amazing. There are shape?, with very high crowns and tremendously spreading brims; there are. shapes with tall crowns and hardly an apology for tba brim; and there are other shapes which are all brim and quite flatroofed. The last kind have to be affixed to a shaped bandeau to have any fit at all; the big hat with crown seldom is provided with a bandeau. Then, too, 'there are sharp contrasts where trimming arrangement is concerned. Some shapes, gigantic or tiny, are crowded with flowers and feathers and mountains of wired tulle, standing erect to a great height; other instances show shapes, also gigantic as well as small, practically without trimming. One of the much-liked shapes among the mammoth type is the wide-brimmed sailor of fine chip, slightly turned up at the back or at the side, and simply banded with velvet or ribbon. It is rather a pretty idea to choose inch-wide velvet and plait it to a depth of several inches; it takes away from the effect of crown-height and is less hardlooking than the plain deep band of three or four-inch width which the up-to-date sailor shape can comfortably accommodate. Nearly all brims have to roll upwards from the face somewhere during their course; and often there is a sharp caug,ht-up section near the front, fastened in (position with a huge bunch of flowers.; or perhaps the brim will turn up gradually from the fsaoe, sloping higher at the sides, simply trimmed on the' outside edge with feathers fastened by an ornament: There is a curious fancy for a big hat*

of Leghorn or crinoline, to have stretched plainly over the crown a covering of shot ninon or printed tulle or Paisley chiffon. It does not end at the bottom of the crown, but is extended over the brim, too, so that nothing of the straw is visible except just an inch of its edge. Perhaps the only trimming will be a flat posy of leafless flowers at one side or a big chou of the figured fabric. More trimmed are those which have at one side, toward the back, an immense bow of tulle or chiffon. A velvet covering is similarly introduced all over g, shape of Leghorn, and it seems such a pity to cover up so much of the straw. By way of a change, it sometimes hapipens that the under brim bw a lining of velvet or figured material, the crown then being without veiling;. There is frequent uso •■ black lace in the same connection, and on other models; otherwise without veiling, the lace is placed over flowers that perhaps need to be subdued. 3 On the other hand, one is attracted' :m----mensely by the daring splashes of colour visible here and there. For insta.nce, an immense shape creamy Leghorn was thickly and deep... wreathed with bright cerise silk poppies of minute size, set in a border of poppy foliage. Several hundredl flowers must have been used, for each poppy bloom was only about the size of agarden daisy. On another hat, similarly trimmed, I counted 97 roses, and each flower was three times as big as each poppy. These roses were of all shades of pink and cerise, placed without any relief of green on to an immense shape of black chip. In each instance the wreath was flat and clung affectionately all round the crown, as well as to the greater portion of the all-round and slightly turncd-up brim. There is just a slight tendency to place flowers under the brim at one side, and there can often be seen a wreath of small flowers, euch as banksia roses, set along the inside brim-edge of the shape all the way round, and lace, which is much used as a trimming, is also put all round as a frill to fall just over the edge of the brim, which it does with softening effect; but there must be nothing suggestive of the lamp-shade. Many flowers are miniature in size, others are of excessive dimensions, but the former prevail. Some are used in compact masses, others are spread' singly, and show all their special attractions. New in the millinery world is the gladiolus, and this is very attractive when a spikey and upstanding effect is desired; the long spikes have much the same result as that of a wing trimming. There are all kinds of colours to be had, most of them unnatural. Now that bright shades of blue are in request, the delphinium i® in its element, and this, too, is of the upstanding order. Of cornflowers there are "plenty, also of periwinkles,' while the tiny brilliant blue scylla is to be had in large bunches, and can be used to good effect. —Ribbon Plumage.—

Excellent and deceptive in rppearance are the wings and quills and breast plumage—all made of ribbon. Ribbon of the required shades are gathered upon wire, and excellent iplumage results are to be had by the use of shot mixtures. Ribbon plumage is very suitable as trimming for the rustic straw; in addition, much is needed to make the myriad windmill bows and big loops which are now so essential as trimming features. Black ribbons patterned with gold in a bold design are among the novelties, and they are really attractive. Quite a novel idea is it to mingle tulle with bass in the formation of millinery bows, the bass being dyed to match the tulle, and worked into a wonderful lace pattern forming a light edging to the bow and producing a dainty result. These mingled materials are to be found on the toques of tulle, and the trimming is placed at one side. Tissue and' metal nets are immensely used by 'the milliners, who are turning out many draped toques which depend on no outside help for trimming effects. By placing one colour over another it is surprising how numerous and varied are the resultant colour schemes. —Sunshades and Their Handles.— Sunshades for. future use, and en-tout-cas for immediate requirements, have been given the most freakish handles that were ever seen. Silks of all varieties of colour form the cover, and the stick should be of the same tone; the handles present queer gargoyle heads, distorted human faces full of agonised pain, grasshoppers, cockchafers, birds, snakes, scorpions, and goodness knows what not beside. All these forms are made of carved and painted wood, and they are perched on top of the long, heavy, and substantial stick. A monocled parrot is one of the queerest devices; this bird is about 6in in length, and gorgeous' iii colouring; its right eye is encircled with a gilt rim, and from this depends a 6in chain, which finally is secured to the stick; slipped over the wrist, the chain takes the place of a crook. The upper half of another umbrella stick, of lightish green, is cut out to form a pea-pod, and this pod is filled with realistic green peas. Another example, of light blue, had a large green grasshopper apparently in the act of running down the stick. A fearsome bulldog head is not a pleasant finish as a. handle, while a peacock in all its splendour with outspread tail is not a comfortable thing to take hold of; forbidding is the eagle, which looks ready to fly at the first prey that offers. On the same principle as the parrot is the stork handle, the bird being provided with such a long beak, which finally attaches itself to the stick —that is, forms a good hold. It is a comfort for th.e packer to know that all the latest tall sunshades and en-tout-cas have handles that can. be detached; the union takes place

midway in the stick, and the medium is the screw. —Trifles of All Sorts.— Handbags of coloured leather —dull and polished—are all of a roomy nature. The latest shape, called the Arcadian, is modelled after the school satchel with the turnover rounded flap, and handles springing from below this flap. For the oceommodation of school books space would be limited ; for the purposes of a handbag it i 6 quite capacious. All colours are to be had. in gloves of kid and suede every colour is obtainable, and frequently the shade is startling. For instance, a shantung coat and skirt had little touches of emerald green satin in narrow linos; there were gloves of the same vivid tone in glace kid to- go with the costume. Cerise gloves are in readiness to take their place in conjunction, with cerise facings. All the new bluoa are purchasable, as well as all the pinks and mauves. Gloves of white or cream or buff tint have pointed insertions of brilliant coloured kid inlet all round the top of the gauntlet, and the same colour mingles with the stitching on the back of ■Hie hand. With such a. wealth of dainty choice in the matter of hatpins, one wonders ,how the "freak" varieties achieve the popularity they do. Quite a late design under the latter designation is the snail in full promenade "get up," with all realism. • > The slimy creature is made of dullish grey-green jade, and its house is of mother of pearl. From end to end its length is a couple of inches, and this creature is attached to the side of a.hat, constitutino- an important feature of its trimming. There is quite a demand for insect hatpins. There are beau-tifullv-made spiders in coloured enamel crawling over a large round flat head of mother-of-pearl; there are locusts and beetles- and dragon flies, in all of Nature's colouring, which have themselves at the top of the pin. The Chantecler craze remains, and it is likely to have a fresh lease of pcpularitv with the prospect of the play being staged at Drury Lane at an early date; and there are hatpin heads made in the shape of a rooster either in brilliant enamels or in ordinary common, fowl "feathers, or in silver. No matter of what he is made, he is depicted with all-important dignity, as if the presence or absence of the sun really did depend upon his own enanging whims. New Zealanders are. sure to be aware that quite charming hatpin heads can be made with coloured sealing wax, but the idea will probably be novel to them to coat thickly a small cork with similar colours. This is to be used on the "business" end as a shield; -point protectors are being more and more asked for, and they must always correspond with the head. New are the feather boas made throughout of wee ostrich feathers each of two or three inches length; these are massed closely together, and at a first glance the result looks very much like the usual variety of ostrich feather ruffle. The boas are dyed in every known hue, and most of them, are thick and important-looking, though they are not particularly curly. Buckles and clasps are wanted everywhere. Belt-makers use them, so do tailors, dressmakers, shoemakers, and milliners. All kinds of material are employed. Swathed drapings on skirt or bodies would look incomplete without a jewelled or jetted ornament to keep them m position. Clasps or unpolished jet inlaid with silver are new. Huge square patch pockets are given a prominent place on some of the useful tailored costumes which seem to have been made chiefly for country wear. Pockets to correspond i&re placed on the coat. _ A plaque made of gold or enamel or silver or metal has been introduced whose mission it is to hide the ends of the veil at the back of the hat. The plaque, which is fixed in position at the back of the hair and has the. veil-ends twisted through it, must be in harmony with, the colour of th.e> hat or toque, and as there is plenty of choice there, is no excuse for wearing a plaque that does not agree with the millinery. It is wonderful how dainty effects can be obtained by the use of cretonne appliques. One of the newest Goody-ear ideas is to apply cretonne flowers woven in waving sprays and curves on to white net. The cretonne is applied to .the net by gold thread. Then all kinds of things can be made. Quite'the most delightful long window curtains ever seen are of it, with the wavy pink appliqued flowers along each edge, crossed by similarly waving lines of pale "blue ribbon. Short window blinds are extremely dainty thus patterned; so are cushion covers, table centres, table mats, and every other trifle of the kind that helps to make the home pleasing end dainty. The effect is so delightful that one is amazed on inspection to find that nothing more is necessary than fine white net, some sprays of cretonne flowers, and the gold thread: to work them on. The ribbon certainly adds much distinction to the general effect, but it is not essential to success.

It is surprising- ,how effective a touch of brilliant colour can be on a dress. There was a time when we like beiSt on naturaltoned tussore' silk a splash of turquoise; now the orthodox tone, if on© is to ba added, is oerise. On a dress of pinafore simplicity it was amazing hew good wasthe effect _ of an inch-wide band of cerise satin outlining the rounded yoke, which was of cream net, as also was its collar. The latter was piped with cerise, and there was a little edging of the same round the elbow where the tussore sleeve ended and the transparent net cuff began. The little colour scheme added distinction at once.