IN FASHIONS REALM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 51

IN FASHIONS REALM.

WEEKLY UP-TOJDATE DRESS NOTES By Maiicuekitb. It is my habit to start my little weekly dress gossip with something more discursive —something over the tea-cups, as it were,— this being calculated to interest my readers and afford them a diversion.. A lady from America had the privilege of doing the English -workshops the other day, and was fairly amazed. And her consequent lullpago artiolc in one of the leading American papers iust to hand is one of the most entrancing things I have read. But try. to accompany her on a day tr march. < JJirst she leaves her hotel in London to visit an aeroplane factory. She finds hundreds oi ■women at work, even in tasks involving the welding of metal joints, and their dress in the harder ones consists of a rough leather •suit, leather apron, tightly-fixed cap, and goggles. She then passes down a main street on her way to a ship-building yard, and it is a case of women everywhere—women conductors on the tram m coat and leggings, former braided, and wearing a cap; women carrying ladders, cleaning and painting, and so forth, and all dressed in belted coats and trousers. Finally she reaches the ship-building yard and goes through a foundry—women at torges, women with sledge-hammers, aways women, and this time in heavy overalls with leather aprons. And to the dock where an un-successfully-attacked ship with 'a hole in her bows large enough to take a motor car has just been drawn in and fixed. The deck, as though in an instant, becomes a inve of women with implements for the repairs, and they are in khaki, coats and trousers, swathed head dresses,.-and wearing, observe, wooden clogs. From here our friend goes to a munitions factory—just the same; and then to other places—the same again. Sometimes the dress is blue—blue coat and trousers and blue-swathed head-dress. Next day it is into the country. There .is the railway station—a woman to sell the ticket, another to check it, and a cry, "Mind yourself," and a woman comes along wheeling luggage. And as the train moves out our friend catches sight of a luggago train with 50 or more women loading the trucks; and all are in the same dress, coat and trousers. Arrived in the agricultural district she has aimed for, there is-the agricultural college—every woman in a coat and trousers, and the instructor, be it noted, a Tasmanian, and a woman again. And so to a farm with women driving motor ploughs and doing other jobs, tending stock, repairing, and so forth, and all in coats and trousers, and some in worker's blouses and such. It is-a revolution in dress which before the war would h?.ve been thought impossible, and so tht question arises, What effect has it had on the moo.es? A great one, as you can see for yourself in tho present coats. And then, looking ahead, what effect it will have on the modes later, to stay. In a word, are women going into bloomers? To some extent they may, and it will be where they insist; but recall what I said beforo on La Mode as an autocrat. When tho war is over she will demand a return for industrial, commercial, and domestic reasons together. At the' same time coat and trousers in the field will remain, and this .brings me to the most interesting thing of all. This American • lady asked many what they intended doing after the war, and from the way she writes I infer that tho answer with many was, "Emigrate." And to where? The article mentions-Aus-tralia and New Zealand, and as farmers and farm hands, some, no doubt, looking forward to plots of their own, two, three, or four women together, and each with a nest-egg to make a do of things. And so it may bo that it is destined / that this extraordinary revolution in dress will have its most lasting results in the countries of great spaces. What think you of it? But I must retreafc_ to my own special sphere with the preliminary remark that whatever changes the seasons bring, the blouse is always an evergreen. This, for example, is what nothing displaces—a pretty blouse of the moment with a somewhat new

feature in the form of those two pockets. It is the rule to say that every gin should be able to make her own blouses; but it is not one we -should over-exalt. Sometimes it is better economy to buy them ready made* The shops just now are stocked with gems. This is the time when one looks for bargains. As the assurance has been gm-» that the main features of what we nave will be carried forward, it is just as well to sometimes buy with an eye to the future. For the great all-riding note of autumn will be the coat —the long, semifrock coat, with pockets and belt, and the former modified from what we have now. And in this connection it seems reasonable to suppose that the price of materials will be high enough to make such choice something of a proposition in ways and means. I mention this as a hint. When it comes to studying a return to heavy weights there is what we have over, uncorrupted by the moth, and what wo shall need to get. Both should be weighed in the balance in the scales of economy. And if pm-chases are made with an eye to thq future some consideration should be given weights and shades together. There are two kinds of bargains— the garment with a short life, which is so cb*»ap that it is just as well to acquire it and tho g&Tmenfc with a long one, which is not. so cheap, and yet, perhaps, as it promises long service, better buying.

For those who want to make up thenown, or get them made, never were materials so fascinating. It is the greatest suit season on record. Tho eastern types continue to reveal fresh attractions. # A striped Japanese in two tones is specially suitablo for costumes, and the samo of a different kind for blouses. One of tho newest things is a striped Sakusan—a smglo tone stripe in very smart colourings. And then .thero is a satin stripe on a tussorecoloured ground, of excellent value for a skirt, sports coat, etc., and fascinating. Certain Oriental satins win attention because of their lustre, and a few are different from anything of the kind we have seen beforo. Passing from this department, one notices tho voiles—they are plain, striped, and floral; also the zephyrs in checks, and the linnenes. Tho wealth of materials is extraordinary, and colours, from having been taboo have become rather riotous. But thero is something, . and it emphasises what I have said with respect to tho future. It is a line 'of dress serges, black and navy, and of the best. But the price! Well, the best thing I can say is that it might be worse. I must still harp on summer dresses. This is an exceedingly pretty model for present use. Those flounced effects are always attractive, and observe that they

aro in contract, repeating the facing of the collar and cuffs, and again the band of the hat. The contour, too, is worth noting, as it savours more of the future than the past. A writer in London has had a good deal to say about embroideries of wool. Such will bo most fashionable —indeed, may become a craze. The wool chosen will be of the tapestry variety, procured in whatever shades you need, and, the design having been attached to the material, it will be laid or couched on with silk, either in the same or a different colour. The braiding pattern will bo the one to select, and crewel wools the choice for the work. If wo follow the lead of the Old World we shall embroid£r jumpers and costumes in suitable contrasts, enhancing their beauty by the excellence of the design and workmanship. And, passing from apparel to millinery, clever workers will embroider the trimmings, of their felt hats, selecting artistic motifs.- The same writer speaks of the craze for crochet, which has engaged the attention of millions. Crochet is fairly easy, but the design must bo perfect. What is possible to the resourceful was never better exemplied than in the letter of one who did. As it is just ono of those things that always appeal to mo, I repeat it: "The other day I was making a jumper blouse of white organdie, and thought it would look very dainty if I worked a spray, in simple, white, in the front When I searched my transfer box I could not find anything that would answer the purpose. Shortly afterwards I went outside to do some gardening. Pausing in my work, I enjoyed the beautiful natural picture which a rosebush made. It was a mass of dark red flowers, with a most delightful perfume. My eyes idly wandered over it, and then I gave a start, and went up closer 'to examine it. Why, I soliloquised, fancy wanting a transfer pattern when there is such an ; inexhaustible transfer treasure right in my own garden. Theii I made a careful search, and clipped off a spray with five small leaves gracefully clinging to it. I took this indoors and placed it on .the blouse where I wished it--

Then 1 loosely tacked it on and faintly pencilled it round. Afterwards I removed tho greenery and commenced to embroider my white spray. To finish it off I made a small trail of rosebuds, and worked in French knots. I was quite pleased with tho result, and several of my friends have admired the simply-made blouse."

This is another addition to the charming list of Kussian coats-. We still call them Russian, though since first it was launched that, form of coat, or blouse, has undergone so many changes as surely to justify a different title. The front is perfect—a corded closing with pleated sides from a shoulder-piece; the cuffs in sympathy, and tho pockets of the usual character though fiat, and with just a touch, as indicated by tho buttons, to identify them. Tho coats in vogue are quite entrancing. Sports coats of the kind wo have been used to for some little time have, as a rule, been reduced to meet the slenderest pocket. The coats in mind are in cotton gaberdine of medium quality and silk-finished poplin, and in extra cotton gaberdine and black-and-white checks in tussore and Assam silk. I am astonished at tho individuality the designers have attained in the one standard by varying the features —tho sbape of the collar, tho pockets, the cuffs, and so on. A coat that riveted my attention a day or two ago owed everything to a striped facing. Of course, it was perfect otherwise, but this stripe on collar, belt, pockets, and cuffs. was very taking, and above all the largish buttons covered in keeping stood out as a finishing touch by a masterhand. Some of the choicest coats are made of knitted Jersey silk. This admirable material has all the appearance of real Jersey, and is procurable in a wide range of colours, as pink, sky, lemon, _ ivory, grey, helio, cream, etc. As it is sold by " tho yard, it can be fashioncl into coats or costumes according to desire. But it makes an ideal coat. This is a glance-ahead design. As Ihave previously mentioned, apron effectswill be much favoured. It is a smart idea to gather the hip-like front of a costume to

the side and resolve it into a bow and sash in the manner indicated. I 'took this from an autumn catalogue just to show you one of the new styles. The front is embroidered, and so is the sash. Embroidery is going to count.