IN FASHION’S REALM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3098, 30 July 1913, Page 65

IN FASHION’S REALM.

By Marguerite.

WEEKLY UP-TO-DATE DHESS NOTES

It js now decreed in L ranee that no on© shall sketch in front of a show window. \ain ordinance, when photography is as sudden as a lightning-flash. Paris gives tho irli ■a only. iioth London and New York adopt the former with more or less success, the latter with much. The cultured American has a clash of the Frenchman about him —anyhow in dress-designing. New York, therefore, does something to influence London. and all combined influence us. Tho Southern Hemisphere should always he the better dressed one. The Northern Hemisphere has to create, and ere things are settled there are many eliminations. W© whose season comes later have tho imrncastirablc advantage of being able to pick and choose, which we do through our professional buyers, the other bide assisted by local selection. No other people have less excuse for indulging in the freakish, and I think 1 am right in saying that it is the main reason why we don’t. This is the most marked type of coming hat. There will be many varieties of it ; but arch from back to front will rule. Smaller hate will be seen in plenty—smaller

alleged wit said that it reminded him of the type the clown balances on ins nose in tne pantomime. The feather is a coque with a ;ini|i top. Such will appear front, side, top, or buc-K. Lin the other hand, the side applied osprey, horizontal sweep, will be inueu favoured. Tins hat is a crowd of "ospreys.'’ All trimmings will move to the baeit as nine goes on. The intimate development may bo a back trijniiung exclusively. At me same tunc, as we favour what is said, large nans will not be relegated to tne pise entirely. We shall nave picture varieties as be;ore, and necessarily summer wilt send the sma.i siiape packing, tor such reason I opine lor tne latter a ■short and merry hto. Sou, low crowns, With more or less negligent brims curled on one side will carry surrounds of material or small no wets. Or, again, there will be a cord, and m any case, a feather or two p.acod Slantwise trom the trout or side. Km bo u ornaments will consist of bow-loops, always with tile upward tendency. tailored su.ts win give us no great departure from the present ultra- fashionable note. W neie a coat is long and loose it wuJ inevilaD.y cut away in rounded term in iront, button w:ta largo buttons, and display a co.lar of generous proportions, tne upper part m contrast ana Dent over at the join. Suit coats will savour of the Kussiaii belt tor the best taste, the Byronic collar simulating a shouidor yoke to rule. The Norfolk will bo seen in a pleasing style with this col.ar again. Sxirts will frequently feature the seam steps halfway down with three pleats thcreirom to foot. Also we shad continue that very pretty idea of three vertical gathers one side in the senii-Iront seam, such vanishing into soft folds and thence to nothing. I’’rocks will make a great feature of tne stepped seam, which breaks the monotony of a ,ong line. Ua an otherwise plain skirt such is ideal. Buttons will perform an important auxiliary purpose on frocks with a seam bodice to fool. Byronic collars will top bibake openings, revealing contrastive shirtvcstecs laced in herringbone style or set with two rows of stud buttons. Shoulder to waist rovers will carry an overlap from .ho inset, a spring fancy which has been heralded by the anticipation. The effect is a double rover, the over-one light. Afternoon toilets will in their entirety constitute a wealth of design and beauty rarely witnessed. A favoured style will give a panel neck to foot, with the skirt-sides drawn together at the knee, the lines of the skill on the panel simulating an elongated “ X.’’ To the central connection the sides will drape. A gown of conspicuous value will have a buttoning lino from its Byronic collar to foot, blit on tile skirt this will march from the high waist one side to the hem the other, the opposite side coming from under at the knee-level, so that from the knee to foot there is an opening like the sides ol an lon-gated 11 A.” This will carry a fan of pleats. From the back will come a draping to festoon round one side flatly, and end under the buckle the least bit to the front. The draped skirt will be perfected. The general idea will be to gather one side over the other, the former draping. An exquisite model that is sure to bo appreciated is of the costume. The body has shoulder pieces, collar-yoke, with an open panel as wide as the nock to waist. This continues from the girdle ; but as the sides of the skirt at once start to come together, the lower part is like a deep narrow shield. Thus the vght side of the skirt turns over to the left in a sweeping lino, and just above the knee a vertically-placed bow suggests the point of gathering. From here the line descends straight, and the material of the overpart drapes in soft festoons. The “ inset ” of the body and below the girdle—the shield partcarries a centre line of buttons of the complexion of giiche and bow. 1* or the rest the shoulder seam is well down on tne arm, the shouidor deep, and the sleeve in semiarm contour. This style will bo expressed in both afternoon and evening toilets. Again it will be a feature with young girls dresses—particularly evening onoSp By starting early I shall bo able to give a fail array of pictures, and to facilitate matters I shall’ try to give a number of necessary examples as quickly as possible. The younger sot are often puzzled what style to follow for a party frock. Their elders have more latitude. For the benefit of the age suggested I present what, in my opinion, is the prettiest of all prevailing styles. It came, of course, from the panier, hut renders the idea in its prettiest form. A young girl can safely evolve her party frock on these lines and be sure of getting a good result. Incidentally, the design just indicates one of the coming modes, but only in the detail of the front and way the skirt drapery is drawn together. Youth and simplicity should bo inseparable, and here you have it with the acme of what ; s possible in conforming to a fashionable Though note may be made of a slight correction from Paris, waists will continue to bo high. The beauty of the high waist makes it difficult to go in for an alteration. Even so. why should we? The style we have so long favoured has served one admirable purpose: it has, 1 believe, settled the fate of the deep corset, hew of us would willingly submit to a return. What is a corset for? To support the figure and to provide a framework around which to fasten lire lower garments tightly enough to keep them in place, winch means too tightly for the body without this protection. ’ While the latter is an indispensable feature the former is open to question, anyhow with slight figures. For long we have boon euiting the top away, and such has compelled the use of that other supporter which is made of stout linen. The comfort which th’s has brought has been a revelation, and so spring bringing more volume, oi* shall T say less compactness, the modish corset will have practically no top at at all, the supporter beTig a separate article. There are two or throe different

examples of the brassiere, the preferable one permitting of the shoulder strap being strained from the back by moans of end and buckle. This ensures complete snugness. You will bo able to lay in a good stock of ribbons. We shall have a great ribbon season. Dircctoire sashes, oin to sin wide, in black, moire or corded velvet ribbon, will bo a feature of many new models. Needless to say, such an accssory will help out many a dress which otherwise could not lay claim to distinction. There is a taffeta ribbon which, whatever the colour of its sin centre, where pink rosebuds and forget-me-nots are lightly scattered, is provided with a wide border of white moire. This is just edged with the ribbon shade. A fine ribbon is pastel-coloured taffeta, very wide, with a central and far-spreading device and faintly-coloured flowers, divided in effective fashion with narrow stripes of gold or silver. Incidentally metallic effects will be in strong evidence in every form of trimming. Stamped revere ribbons will have a raised design of soft roses and green foliage on a ground of saxo blue satin,

the tiny picot. edging being black. The same variety will look well carried out in nattier blue shadings on old gold. Again when black satin is the chosen ground you will find the velvet roses shading through seme blended tones of mauve, purple, and green, the green being patterned in tiic satin, and only the flowers standing out in tlie velvet. Fringe, again, is to bo used us an edging of some of the narrower silken ribbons, modest as to width, thicker and fuller than formerly. A black fringe edging of this kind will look wonderfully well when the ribbon is of cerise or purple colouring, a vivid tone being needed for black fringe to bo shown off to the best advantage. On certain types of hats there will bo draped and looped silken ribbons with a plain, coloured, or blank centre, and daringly contrastive border. A feature is also going to bo made of black ribbons with a Roman stripe edge. I have already referred to stepped effects. This will explain just what I mean. Nevertheless the variety will be infinite. The bod’ce shows how such an idea assists (lie collar. If it. were dead front, the angle would be a true chevron, which for a homely simile is like a roof. The line carries to the foot of the skirtSmd steps as shown about the knee level. The angles are made to

conform. A verv trifling thing is the fab end of a belt. Observe that it angles instead of being rounded, and that it connects with the dress line. Faddy, some would say ; but it is the smartest etcetera* that reveal the smart, dresser. The now materials will give ms many plain cloths in all manner of artistic shadings, checks small and large, but mostly the former, stripes narrow and broad, but chiefly narrow, close or open, single and double, and, as time develops, _ the usual d’splay in other patterns. Stripes should

have a run, as so many of the designs lend themselves to that treatment. Tunic effects cut on the vortical may give the stripe so, with the lower part of the skirt in perpendicular Bodies of such will have cross fronts, the stripe conforming. As everyone knows, the advantages of a stripe running the reverse way with pocket flaps, cult's, and straps is pronounced. Top to too uniformity m dress becomes more and more a law which cannot be violated. The small hats must not be too d'stinctive or they will appear lost. The many drapings will entail softness of texture, and, of course, as the season advances this would be imperative in any case. Serges, whipcords and eponge, ratines and loosely-woven mixtures, worsteds and the like will come in the vanguard. It is, however, the least bit premature to go into details like that. What should concern most just now arc styles, lines, and the like. ' 1 ~i my opinion the skirt in this illustration was worthy a full space. As, however, it looked bare. I reduced it and utilised what was left to show the possibilities in a scrolled lino with buttons for the decorative feature of a simple frock. This can speak for itself. The skirt, be it noted, has a strapped pleat effect either side of the

panel. But the outer scam is not stitched Delow the fifth button, from whore it resolves into nothing- us gradually as art dictates. The idea appeals to mo us something which is both novel and striking in a separate skirt.V I selected it from a dozen or more fancies which I shall present, us already said, as fast as possible. Too introduction of the Robespierre effect* in collars has revolutionised blouse and shirt-waist styles. Practically all of the designs in waists, both fancy and tailored, will show the rolling or turn-down collar in some form or other. In some waists a prominent collar form will appear —namely, the rolling collar attached to a chemisette. This offers many pretty possibilities for varying the wast, us it may be removable. Separate blouses will be hall-marked by their collars. The rolling collar is the Byronic. It will be dosed with n bow of cord, or from it will come a scarf, loosely knotting and falling either in free ends or passing through a double horizontal slit in the garment. Round necks will have the side seam from mid-shoulder, stepping at the bust and then continuing, and this will display buttons and loops. Shoulder yokes will bo a smart feature, with the side frill from a decorated band. Pleat gatherings into the girdle are a note to observe. I shall give a few examples in picture, form. Whatever the style the blouse will bo hallmarked as stated, the collar betraying its date even as one time this was done by the sleeve. A Paris note runs:—“The Turkish war has had a decided effect on the fashions of the moment. La Mode, ever on the lookout for the new, ami to learn from any country, has seen possibilities in the harem veils. In Paris these veils, so associated with charm, .are becoming a craze. We have been devoted to all the gorgeous trimmings peculiar to the Oriental, wo have overwe ghted our gowns with barbaric effects, but it is only now that we realise the effectiveness of the veil.” What is a veil? Habit has taught us to associate it with the face. The fact is that many a scarf is a veil under another name. It is not so long ago that a veil bad to bo twisted under the chin to keep it from rising. It was, indeed, a face veil, and a scanty one. Then we got to the hanging veil, and then to one which we could carry down the side of tile face and loop to the neck. Paris is wearing what th'-v cal! Seraglio vets, otherwise scarves of filmy character, which it requires a very artistic" woman to arrange. It adds charm to hat, face, and gown. As one writer in the gay city says: —“It is often a yard and a-half wide and four yards long ; The seraglio is always voluminous, else it would lose its fascination. It is the fact that the veil appears to he the greater port of the costume that gives it its charm and mystery There is nothing alluring in a short, narrow scarf.”