FASHION NOTES FROM LONDON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3003, 4 October 1911, Page 74

FASHION NOTES FROM LONDON.

(Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.) LONDON, August 18. It is difficult to know what to wear at the seaside just now. Materials such as zephyrs, muslins,' broderie Anglais©, and the like, though charmingly cool to the eye, have been found to be almost too tihin for the strong rays of this summer's sun, but the thicker linens, although sufficiently protective, are most uncomfortably hot. Shantung, natural or white, is really the best material for all ordinary wear, it is light and cool, and not so transparent as to let the sun scorch the skin. Plain foulard mixed with flowered chiffon is very much worn this summer at the fashionable Continental holiday resorts. A very pretty simple frock seen at Dinard was of pale Rose-du-Barry foulard, trimmed with flowered chiffon and wide bands of black silk. The tunic skirt was quite unfamiliarly full, and both it and the flowered chiffon underskirt were edged with the soft black silk. On the corsage the foulard was only used for the sides and sleeves (cut all in one), a deep square yoke of bucked cream chiffon and a full front of the flowered chiffon forming the

remainder. Straps of the black silk were taken across the shouldews and formed a half-curcle across the bust, disappearing into the waistbelt at the sides. This frock would bo equally effective if carried out in linon and broderie Anglais© or shantung and fancy foulard. For smart wear, frocks or white and coloured lawns are quite a feature at the Miaaido Ibis year. They look delightfully cool ami pretty, but one may see some disastrous failures, owing to insufficient euro in the mixing of the two materials. To bo artistic this must be done in broad Hplashes, so to speak, and not by putting the contrasting colour in patchy bits on the collar, cuffs, yoke, waistbelt, hem, etc. A perfectly charming dress of white and palo blue lawn was made with the new straight fichu of white lawn, delicately embroidered all over in white eut-work embroidery, the edges being arranged in large scallops and ■ finished with button-hole stitch. This fichu was arranged over a tueked-under bodice of pale blue lawn, and caught in at the waist with a large looped bow of soft black satin. There was a double skirt, the under one being of blue lawn, with a group of small tucks at the hem, and the upper one of white lawn, embroidered and scalloped to match the fichu. Both the under skirt and the tunic were quite full, the tunio being set into the waist with fine gathers all the way .round. . With the usual perversity of fashion, a number of quite small hats are being worn just now, but there are, of course, plenty of big hats also. In the summer-big hats always look infinitely more picturesque than the smaller shapes, and the girl whom they suit will do well to leave the small hats to the winter. A novel idea in millinery is the orownless hat. One pretty model is a very large and beautifully shady hat of rough Tuscan, straw with a tiny frill of cream lace falling over the edge all round. The top of the hat, including the hollow crown, is covered with a black lace veil, closely pleated, and held in place by a large whit© cameha and black Velvet bows. Overlapping frills bf pleated net or tulle are very smart and fresh-looking for country or seaside wear. This is a favourite way of trimmiing the new small hats, and' a pretty French model is made of soft green satin, with a dome-shaped crown, the top of which was completely covered by pleatinigs of white tulle, and four rows of overlapping pleated frills of the white tulle covered the rest of the hat. A quaint mount of green satin, made up to look like some exotic flower, was the only, trimming. _ ■>. Most fashionable travellers include a smartly-cut blue serge tailor-made among their holiday clothes, although there seems little lilcelihoodl of its being worn just now. When, however, they do put in an appearance it will be noticed that all, the smarte&t are accompanied by delicate lace sleeve ruffles. These take away the sombrenees of the dark serge, and look delightfully chio for morning wear. Another novelty for tailor-mades is drawn thread-work as trimming. One very attractive coat and skirt of coarse sand-coloured canvas had drawn threadwork —a rather open pattern—appearing in the form of a large square at the foot of the skirt, both front and back, and in smaller squares down each sidle of the coat. A little of the same work edged the cuffs and the small collar. The only touch of colour was given by single rows of blue cord buttons, which were placed at the outer side of every worked square. ,'.•■' —Lace. — Lace, one would think, has never been in such demand before; each day the modistes seem to evolve different ways of applying it to millinery, frocks, and wraps. For an odd length of wide good lace, should one like picturesque head-gear, the net part can be gathered a few inches from the- top. applying it to' the edge of the crown of a hat, so that it forms a little upstanding frill, from this the lace falls softly over the hat garniture—for choice, sulphur-coloured velvet Shirley poppies—and hangs a few inches over the brim. This is quite a new idea, and one that will be further exploited. Then there is neck-wear. f The odd lengths- of "piece" lace secured are just.what is needed for the loose panels that adorn so many of our gowns—and there is the sleeveless lace coat. Should there not be enough lace for this, and one longs for such a garment, perhaps among the bargains there is a piece of taffeta which will answer equally well. Taffeta coats most of us, and l a cerise one, for example, donned over a lace gown takes one's toilet at once out of the region of the ordinary. Even the smallest bits of gold and silver lace and good passementerie, especially those encrusted with stones that look like jewels, can be counted on to do good service. The matinee "cap" grows out of them, as do also the decorative "plaques" for the adornment of the ninon gown;, and many other delightful things. —Waist Swathes. — A nattier blue cloth frock had somewhat of a "Directoire" look, and boasted for adornment, in conjunction with a very fine and delicately-pleated lace jabot, a wide ceinture of Persian silk, all greens, blues, and pinkish reds, so well blended that one could scarcely tell where one began and the other ended. This waist swathe was quite high at the right side, and there about a yard and a-half length of silk was arranged in a double box pleat and stitched down the belt, terminating in a floating end.

Then quite tiny pieces of these glowing silks also fashion delightful oooard'es, which are now applied on evening gowns and hats with equal favour.

—Pretty Girdles. — The waist-line, which has certainly been creeping lower during the last few weeks, is being left at present to the best possible decision, that of suitability. Some figures there are that look grotesque iii a longwaisted frock, while others axe equally maligned by the waist-line being high. The most reasonable choice is the one that is neither very high nor very low, and it is to that that the designers are for the most part faithful now. Charmingly original girdles are to be seen. One frock made of cerise and blue taffetas indefinitely pladded has a bait of blue cords and cerise wood which forma heads and bugles. Another toilet destined for a wedding guest is made of cashmere dta sole printed at the hem -with a design of dahlias in the richest shades of crimson, and has' a bolero printed to miatch, while round the waist a band of latticed black chenille is added, completed at the sides by two long ends handsomely fringed.

—Fashions for Evening Wear. — The high-necked gown for evening wear is, doubtless, a result of much European travel, and it owes its origin to intercourse with Americans, for on neither com tinent have the women ever shown the preference for the decollete gown so freely patronised in England. All sorts of pretty little frocks have the high-necked bodice suitable for such informal wear, one of the latest being of chifltan or the more solid ninon, made with high waist and having the whole shoulder and upper part of the oorsage composed of the new embroidery done in rich colouring or in shades of cream on net in heavy silver work, which has most elaborate patterns. These sometimes resemble interlaced pine-opnes. Coats and cloaks have considerable importance just now, and _ the demands in wraps are "usually productive of new models. Fur has made its appearance, and there i 3 no doubt that the woman who can introduce panels, bands, or a rounded corner of ermine into her cloak will do well to utilise,'it. Brocade is taking the place of velvet; and there are wonderful effects in stuffs of British woven fabrics which were actually designed for the Coronation. Some of the rich tissues done in two colours require scarcely any cutting. They are merely draped shawl-wis© round the form, accentuated by having pointed revers turniad out to show the second colour more strongly than the first, and finished with small touches of ermine. Lace is to be introduced into the new models. Insets of lace, frills of it, and long scarves held by jewelled tassels, will enhance the appearance of coats of dull brocade, of plain satin as well as of bolder designs in tapestry, sometimes veiled with chiffon. —New Coiffure.— A demand for a closer style of hairdreseing has been the result of the small, brimtess hat in yogue at present. The placing "of the ringlets and the style in which the hair is parted and. coiled and twisted is rather a. more decided revival.of the days of 1830 than any. so far accepted. Bunches of curls are freely donned, and the way in which they aue "finished with wid© bands of .velvet ornamented with designs in French paste is becoming to most faces. A French custom of making a short parting and bringing rolls, lightly puffed, well to the front of the head is very neat, and some designers are boldly showing hats which could be wearable only with a short fringe of nicely-brushed and lightly-curled hair. A tendency is shown iq cover the upper part of the ears Mrith the hair ar* rangement; hence the taste for long earrings in coloured pear-shaped jewels, or the revival of filigree' work with coloured stones inset. "..,'• A pretty style of hair-dressing is to wave the hair in lines off the forehead, having curls at the side decorated with a jewelled mount. While' in another, bunches of curls, rather loose, aa® held in place by a wide band of ribbon. —Persian Embroidery.— In Paris a new craze is mailing itself felt; Parisian women are searching for Persian veils, the more elaborate and the older the better. The faded shades which are a feature of embroideries lend themselves to the present-day fashions, and the embroidery that borders these veils is hand-wrought. By reason of their length and suppleness they lend themselves most charmingly to decorations of all sorts; cushions, workbags, teacloths, and the draperies thrown over couches, and chairs. An evening dress may be draped with an antique Persian veil. Silken meshes that perhaps concealed some dusky beauty are now swathed round the hat of th© Parisienne. Cftoaks are materialised with these treasures, worked and embroidered in the elaborate style of ancient days.. Those mad© entirely of Persian drajjeries are merely held together at the neck and sleeves by bands of ermine and chinchilla. The enormous bag of silken brocade, into which the envelope—introduced early in .the season —has speedily developed, is wrapped in a Persian veil, through which the rich hues of the silken bag are seen, their richness enhanced by the soft veiling. The Persian note is also distinguishable in scarves and tunics —indeed, the more Persian veiling a woman introduces into her toilet the more costly and modish will it seam, and the more will it be admired in consequence.