IN FASHION'S REALM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3274, 13 December 1916, Page 54

IN FASHION'S REALM.

WEEKLY UP-TO-DATE DRESS NOTES

By Makgueeite.

" Prohibition of evening dress in the subsidised i'ans theatres may be taken as a. further indication of the serious way in which the authorities in Franco regard the war." The above is a quotation. As a famous man said, France is a cemetery; and but few homos have escaped. The wonder is how anyone in Paris would ever dream of offending. If we knew the truth we should probably find that the prohibition had been issued to restrain foreign residents—those- of neutral birth. The theatres being subsidised, it is within the Erovince of the authorities to se2 that the ercaved of the nation arc not harrowed by others appearing in gay raiment. Miss Annie Swan, a well-known English writer, was over in Erance, and was struck with the long processions of women in mourning. She thought it a mistake; but that was over a rear ago, before England had realised. To-day I show two hats. For a choice I prefer this. I like it because of the shape and the balance. That raised front will be found becoming. Then the crown i? a mass of leaves set on silk; or, it this is too

much, silk with a wreath, with a fine rose set in front in the position indicated. Wo are passing from the small snap; to the Stility one —the hat whose size is. determined by the time of the year. White shoes and stockings, the latter dropstitch ; pearl- grey shoes and stockings; perfectly matched champagne stockings, that are so much the same tone of the unadorned glace kid pumps that yor cannot see where one begins and the other leaves off —such will be worn this summer with even dark blue chiffon and taffeta frocks. But they must match perfctly cr the sauvo > Sect will be lost. They make the wearer look extremely cool. Buckles are seldom seen on this kind of footwear; at most, simple ones of the same leather as the shoe. There is a little pointed tongue at the top over the instep, but it is very small and does not make tho slipper look larger on the foot. The all-over embroidered lace veil, in diamond or hexagon mesh, in white or in black, is preferred by those of fashion. If the little face veil is worn —the one which does not go over the hat and drops only to the nose —it is always of a very fine mesh and ;.* often not amboidored at all. In fact, it. locks more like a hair net _ than a veil. Touching veils, even the fine silk ones may be washed in luko-warm water. "Washed" may be a rather strong word. The suds are made first, then the veil is carefully dipped in and out of the water till the slight dinginess disappears. The veil is hung over a clean towel over a line, and when dry is carefully pressed. It is then rolled on tissue paper till worn. Few frocks have appealed to me like the one illustrated. It is a charming design. The blouse section has an unusual collar, and ribbon braces (these being more or less f- ee), with an embroidered underhalf. Tho

■ j. kind of tunic, long from a shaped As vc« see, it ia very prottiiy ;tti!(l at sines, and thou rippled over the ated under section.

While Pari* mourns she stil) designs fine clothes for others, and needs the demand to live. I have before me Mirer? models of more, than usual excellence, only it is diffijult to describe thern without the picture. Dne is a frock of emerald and white ltriped tussore opened over a breadth of white ditto embroidered with emerald flowers. The outer section is like a coat, the striped blouse section having a "V" to girdle depth faced with the whito; and the

sleeve cap then has a deep section of the white with bishop pouch, and ends in a striped cuff. The sides of the blouse arc carried to foot, and the embroidered white section connects, and finally a ribbon girdle is worn, tying naturally in front with long streamers. A very pretty frock is of organdie striped with bands of orange and embroidered with orange flowers. It is very difficult to explain. The blouse section has two panelled sides with "V" over inset with round collar, this beinrr plain, and then the sides of the blouse are brought down to waist, and flared in a series of ripples; and from this the sides of the skirt come down with a break halfway. Now we come to the stripes. First of all, they provide a shaped belt missing the sides, a front, skirt panel, with a horizontal connection to break the sides of the skirt, and the cuffs. And the orange flowers are ombroidred on the Mouse fronts, and on the sides of the skirt, just a few, flower and leaf. The third is a neat summer style in a sheer soft groon and white block plaid batiste. It is the buttoning o-. the 6in belt of the material to the blouse-like waist that attracts, this being sailor fashion. The skirt is laid in box pleats so that the green block comes on the outside. The wide belt has a couple of horizontal nineh tucks to keep the sheer material from twisting. The vertical buttonholes are in the belt, the lin pearl buttons on the waist. And the waist is fin-shed by a rolling collar of white eyelet embroidery. All of which, though clear onoucrh with the picture, seems very confusing without. One- of the details of the new evening capes is that the lining is of a different colour and material. This lining hangs separately from the outside. For instance, imagine the striking and rich colour combination which results from a raspberry pink taffeta cape which has a separate lining of old blue chiffon. This chiffon is weighted with a short gold military metal fringe. A loose, fence-like collar of brown velvet is caught front and back with coral beads and gold metal roses, which dangle prettily. Something for juveniles! The prettiest dr.ces worn by children this summer is very simple, yet is on new lines. It shapes itself nicely to the growing girl's figure. It is made like the pinafore of a generation ago. This frock is straight in front and gathered from the waist down in the back, where it falls into a nice full flounce. Strings that come from the side seams tie in the back. Two long box-pleats fall in front —one from each shoulder. The slight fullness in the material, caused by the construction of a child's figure in front, is taken up in a iittlo oblong-shaped smocking at tlio waist-line. The round neck is finished with a frill. For the 12-year-old girl there are charming evening frocks made of lightweight chiffon taffeta. From a high waistline the skirt foundation of net is covered with three equally deep ruffles. These are scalloped deeply on the lower edges, outlined with quilling of the silk. The. top of the frock is another ruffle, scalloped also along tiie edge and quilled. It is fitted m about the round neck by tiny hard tuck?ngs, which form a deep, straight yoke. Quilling edges the neck, elbow sleeves, and arm seam. A flowered sash pulls in the frock about the waist under the bodice scallops. A round white net collar-frill softens the taffeta at the neck.

This is how they do it at tho fashionable watering-places of America —extract from a New York paper: —'"Yivid fabrics dominate for morning dresses. Syrian and cherryred, golden yellow and deep green, tastefully combined at times, are to be seen until late in the afternoon. These colours harmonise with tho cheerful surroundings in a manner which only talented creators and advanced fashionable women can appreciate in its intrinsic value. Silk jersey in its many different colours and shades makes smart coats over striped skirts of linen. These sometimes match in colour. In other costumes it is combined in such a way that one wonders why it was not thought of long before. Dresses of yellow wool jersey arc" seen in large proportion, together with some splendid white alpaca frocks striped with hair lines of black." And then for hats: "Straw hats, linen hats, and small taffeta toques, trimmed with tulle, are mostly worn. Tha majority of the hats have no trimmings. They_ are gorgeously hand-painted with all sorts of creatures from the animal kingdom. They are to bo seen springing out of forests, reposing on tree branches or bushes; on others they form charming and interesting stencil ornaments, Grapes of all colours aro to bo seen spread over the wide brims only. The imitation of this fruit is so natural that one feels tempted to cat it." Which makes one almost apologise for the example here. But, then, we aro not in America, but in Now Zealand. The hat

is a pretty shape even so —what I may oall an economical selection. And the mount is a little bit original—a frilled frame of ribbon with the eontro bow suggesting a four-in-hand.

More model*! A frock of white taffeta; the skirt formed of three circular flounces, with a little fullness at the top of each, the lower edges being deeply scalloped and bound in the whito silk. An embroidered design in silver appears just about every third scallop, and the note of silver is repealed in the bodice draperies of finest silver net, which appears above the deep girdlo of white taffeta. Then a costume reminiscent of the classio Greek. It is of turquoise-blue chiffon, the rather short and not extremely full skirt boasting only one tunic, while the waist is apparently made of two straight pieces of the chiffon. These are caught together remarkably high on each shoulder, and again just below the shoulder-line, thus forming the tiny sleeves. Tho neck is finished with a narrow band of silver embroidery, as is the foundation silk of tho bodice. Then a coat suit of white gaberdine, remarkable for the cut of the coat, which has distinction. Tho ■sleeves and body part give the impression of being cut in ono piece, although this is not so, a 3 the sleeves are ?et in. The back of the coat is formed of a piece which starts at a point at the collar, spreads rapidly out and down, and

so to tho front at the waist !ino, forming the ripple of the hip-lengtn < mc. ;. n. ~ ... frock of turquoise blue tatf( ta, the three irregular tunics being edged with rather narrow cream-colour lace. The bodice, which simulates a wide girdle, forms broad sash ends on either hip, and those are caught at the waist lino with half wreaths of dull ping roses. All of which are expensive creations, and mentioned merely in case they contain a hint. You want to take particular notice of this design It is tho latest thing in blouses — what they are calling abroad tho Russian blouse The material should be plain, as the embroidery is a feature, and iO be true

Russian this is indispensable. I may say tho design was supplied by a Paris house of standing, and that the original was to bo embroidered with silver metal and worsted thread. Judging by the number who choose taffeta for their frocking, it would seem to easily rank first favourite. Even where the entire town is not of this material it is introduced in tho trimming. And touching on the trimming of skirts, the "barrel band" is very popular—in r.omo cases graduated, three- or four bands of lessening width being laid on, or several bands of same width. Contrast is a loading note. A flowered ground or foundation having the bands of plain—taking the dominant colour of the floral material. Taffeta and voile make up admirably in this way. Bands are piped or simply turned in and stitched on. Where these "barrel bands" are not introduced deep tucks are favoured. These look best in self colours—cream, Wedgwood blue, and others; but cream grounds with bright stripes are, also in evidence. Delicate pinks, either silk or crepe do chino. are the vogue for blouses; embroidered white voiles, ninon, and organdie being hardly less popular. Many of tho colourings of the new crepe do chines are exquisite, and cannot bo classed as "delicate " shades either. The deepest mandarin, emerald green, brightest magenta, for fixample. Yet they are distinctly new dyes, even though those are the colours suggested, amongst others. All verv beautiful, too, for those who can wear them. Bodices of such soft fabrics are much ganged and pintucked; sleeves ditto.