IN FASHION’S REALM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3224, 29 December 1915, Page 67

IN FASHION’S REALM.

WEEKLY UP-TO-DATE DTIESS NOTES. By Marc derite. Far back in the dark ages, and daring tho eleventh and Urolith contur.es skilful ucedlovvorkers beautified costumes with the scallops we are favouring now. An 1 this serves to remind one that nothing is ever really new, as the thirties of last oemuncs have come to life, again with snowy tit-hues, fitted bodices, blouses with lino tuck.-, surplice closings, high-fitting collars, moiuquefcairo and mitten sleeves, jabots and side frills, double waist lines, apron over skirts, and cord shirtings. All these things were in great evidence then; and when wo thought these peculiar it was because we had become occuliar ourselves. Presto begone, and presto reappear, and !o ! who were ever bettor designed for than our grandmothers? Well, the fashions are decidedly piquant, and those who can do their own sewing are to bo congratulated. This is because they may gain distinction in dress by means of so little. For example, lie-ms on skirts and volants are capable of varied treatment, though sometimes there is no hem at all but a braid or cord piping. Volants e-f allover lace arc finished with picot edges or narrow bindings of taffeta. And braiding, beading, patent leather, and tassels are forms of trimming which may be applied with originality. This is tho hat I promised. It was an early autumn —one of several of more or less originality. It struck me that it could be anticipated. Thus the original mowed a black velvet crown; but, as you sec, I have converted it into a straw of suitably light character. What appealed to mo was the way that silk was applied on the brim

anti half-way up the crown. I felt sure it could bo utilised now to great advantage. The bow at side can stand or bo omitted; and. if (ho latter, how would it do to trail a thin rosebud stalk along the edge of the ribbon? It is often found that pretty designs of a forward season may bo anticipated. And it is often with great advantage, as where they arc carry-ons, it sometimes happens that they are an important improvement on something of the season loft, the result of further practice. Well, if I return to those 1880 remarks, because, before mo just now, are several exquisite models that revive that time. For example, hero is one with a cross-over blouse, the “ V ” of great depth from the half shown with tucked inset of lace, high collar, and outstanding frill. The skirt is a triple, two-piece, with a two-piece foundation and very full, and the material is a foulard with white silk cuffs, band to blouse fronts and to make the girdle. Then the next is a charming drees of silk crepe, the blouse in raglan form to give a sleeve and shoulder in one in a contrasting crepe. The skirt has a corsage effect through the snug fit between two narrow bands of taffeta, and such is additionally used to edge the raglan, to mark a line halfway clown skirt, and, in double width, to provide three lines at foot. Then a row of buttons is -used in line, four on blouse from over-turn collar, two on corsage, and six on skirt. A third is equally acceptable -—an -Empire skirt of butcher’s blue linen from scalloped suspenders over a lawn blouse, a scalloped belt of the material having two white silk buttons, one over each suspender. The blouse is drawn in at neck for an upstanding and outstanding frill, and the pretty eemi-tr’shop sleeve is drawn in thrice with a narrow black ribbon above the frill. A fourth is a three-tier skirt of cotton voile, each tier standing out freely, and a ” tic-on.” meaning that one. front goes over the other, and swathes tin waist, the fronts coming from narrow shoulder width. back overlapping front and but toning. The foulard is additionally used tc provide a fold-cuff and to edge the flounces of the skirt. A fifth is an Empire, in which we have an attractive version of the draped ovorblouse, this being in striped taffeta like the underskirt, for - there is a pretty pointed tunic of lace flouncing, and the undcrhlousc. which is a vestee with close collar and long sleeves is in keeping. Now, a dress is often made or marred hv the hat. and these are ensemble models. Thus tlig first has a white Panama with rose in front in tone with dress, and ribbon at back. And the second is worn with a low-crowned hat with hent-up brim at hack, this being in tone with raglan sleeve, and roses in tone with the dress. And the third has a summery hat in the batcher's bine, with white marguerites in front on black band with streamers. And the fourth is a_ hat in check, the colour square repeating the foulard; while the fourth is a Varden of the tone of the stripe with white silk across to tone with the tunic. With all such drosses the sunshade should be on suite again. I am very partial to those flat domes, either with the usual arch between ribs, or, for preference hist now. the straight line. Plains go with plains, stripes with stripes, spots with spots, and combined tones of two with same. With reference to stripes, from ferrule to hem is one stvlo, hut old-fashioned, and bettor when in inset form. With the sunshade with the straight hem nothing is so dee as the horizontal stripe. Spots speak for themselves; but with respect to combined tones, it is a case always of the upper half of one and the lower half of the other, and where the dross features a cheek the latter in that is ideal, ns, for instance, that dross with the “ tie-on ” blouse, foulard for that, cotton voile for skirt. Picture a. flat dome sunshade, straight hern, lower half in keeping with, the one and upper half with the other; and if the hat is chock, the lower part in that design. No two dress chs’gns have quite the same ideals. Some are all width —that is, they like to spr«'ad things, and favour flounces. Others pin their faith to unbroken lines, and no matter what thov concede to width their inclination is generally for a graceful length. Such a design is petrayed, this being by a London hand, and I think von will admit that it is very beautiful. The blouse section is open for a vest, the lower part of wjiich is laco. as though the same on skirt

were a continuance. And the triple girdle is enhanced by that embellishment _ that results in two large ends with ‘‘floral ’ finishings The miniature of this is in associa-

tion with the collar and vest, and as the silhouette is somewhat slender, a small hat is best thus tonina all round. A very noticeable thing just now is the use made of tabs. They serve the utility purpose of providing a buttonhole that does duty, and also serve as an ornament. It is extraordinary the number of angles and turns they may tje given on a blouse, coatee, or coat. Much depends on the way the line of the fronts runs. The simplest is the “V” with the combined line with the crossover. when a piece is extended, diamondpointed or rounded, and this makes the tab. But with some designs the tab may run in the opposite direction—that is. upwards or downwards. These tabbed effects are not confined to any particular range of materials, but they are, as a rule, to simple expressions or designs. A pretty variation of the diamond and round is given in halfsquare, vertical, so as to provide a triangular diamond. Take a Jap silk blouse full out, droopv without being drapy. panel front with “V,” to which I will return, and shoulder shield resolving itself in high turned collar. Now the panel is as wide as

the neck, and therefore the lines are a con-

tinuation of those of the collar; hut it also 1 provides for the closing, the “V” coming j qown so that three-quarter of the panel is i the over pai't and one-auar’tcr the under. Now, if the line of the closing were carried down straight it would run unbrokcnly with (ho edge of the panel; but it does not. Thus the line is stopped and then stooped | again. And the effect is thus —the throe--1 quarter closing side buttons on the quarter 1 on two triapgular tabs, and between them tpe quarter obtrudes a similar tab which overlaps, or seems to do, the three-quarter.

Tho result, which is difficult to explain, is a kind of monogram, secured by no more than two cuts of the scissors.

The stripe is seen to great advantage in

a blouse of this character, which, by the way, illustrates one of the tabbed effects mentioned. A blouse of such severe lines wants to be specially well cut, the stripes running just as shown. The heaviness on the closing edges indicates an edging to emphasise. and the vest and collar speak for themselves. Thus that pretty angled cut in front shows you what can bo done with a minimum of effort. Speaking of making the old new, the greatest problem is with old-style skirts, for who wants to wear a narrow skirt when all have been emancipated from them. How, then, are these seemingly impossible,narrow skirts to be mide wide and up to date? In the first place, what is a narrow skirt? Anything less than one and three-quarter yards in width, for the now skirts measure from two and two and a-quarter to six yards. Your skirt of last year may probably bo grouped in five classes. They were draped, or peg-top. or tunic, or two-piece, or fourpiece, and they ranged in width from a yard and a-quarter to a yard and seven-eighths. Of all these the most intractable is the pegtop. Of course, new material must be combined with most of these skirts in order to make them wider. In some cases material can bo matched, but whether or not docs not matter, for tlrs is a season of contrasting materials, and the more striking the contrast the smarter the result. Possibly the simplest skirt to remodel is the skirt with a full-gathered or pleated tunic, for this can be attached to a yoke of new material. Put what, can be done with the skirt that is fitted at the top? The answer is to have a wide band of contrasting material, say about Sin wide, on the bottom of the tunic, and omit the narrow underskirt. As skirts are worn very short this season, from 4in to 9in from the ground, this will be_ p jsible in many cases. If the fitted tunic is too short for a band of this sort, a ne7 wide underskirt can be made, and the result will be one of the new and fashionable skirts A yoke and front panel of matching or contrasting material can bo used with some peg-top and draped skirts, depending, of course, on the measurements and shaping. In rare eases it is economy to use one's old dress just for a yoke and front panel and part of the blouse, and have the rest of the skirt and blouse of new material. Some will have evening dresses with narrow skirts of taffeta or charmeuse. These may ho widened by one or two new gores of matching material, and a full skirt of chiffon, net, or marquisette worn over them. Or they may be widened and used as foundations for the new many-rufflod skirts. Sometimes it seems impossible to find a pattern by which a dress that is too good to throw away may be recut or remodelled. But one should not despair, for the dress, especially if.it is of good silk, can probably be cut into a bolero to wear over a blouse, and a trimming-band to bo applied on a new wide skirt* of new material. Many shades of blue are beautiful to trim dresses of new sand colour; but then one can always find suitable colours to harmon’se with anything. Combined materials are one of the season’s charms. For example, what could be prettier than this in a blouse, or. if you like, in the blouse of a dress, the skirt repeating in some form or other as may

suggosfc itself. Here you have the dropped sleeve, and if the arm were down it would bo in lino with the yoke. The vest is pretty, this carrying the collar, and such, of course, is one of the fashionable shapes.

Bags are an important minor consideration. There are two kinds of bags, that which is elearlv a manufacturer’s creation and that which reveals the hand of the maker of pretty etceteras. The former are the usual leather in charming shapes, fitted and unfitted. The material one, home-made, should match the dress or sunshade. The lingerie, with the lingerie dross, is the one that wins my attention, as it is ever beautiful, and seems to add to the charm of the ensemble.

I-Janclkerchiefs! A decade or two ago ono rarely saw, except in tho hand of a bride, or perhaps for use at an evening function or for lightly covering an infant’s face, any other style of handkerchief than tho plain fine linen with the hemstitched border, perhaps a monogram in the corner worked in raised satin stitch. But now 'kerchiefs can-

not. Ik* too elaborate. Many arc hice-cdgcd, while many arc embroidered in dainty floral patterns ail round, others at. two corners, others again at one only. Many arc scalloped all round, others vandyl: d. All are rather larger than “one* upon a time." Fn all cases : hcv should he of the hi st. and. need f air =in emphasise the fact, you i .n----not imve too many.