IN FASHION'S REALM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3335, 13 February 1918, Page 51

IN FASHION'S REALM.

WEEKLY UP-TO-DATE DRESS NOTES By Mahguebitb. Owing- to demands for the Allied armies, Paris, acting as mouthpiece, has ordered a xeturn to slim styles, and then to slimmer. All that has to be emphasised is that autumn styles will be straight, with close pleats, but where of wool cunningly economised; skirts short, though not so short as we have been wearing, and the combination of materials such as to make practically anything right if cleverly done. Styles that are straight are necessarily simple, and, being simple, they are plain, and, being plain, they must in cases be redeemed; hence embroideries —they will be galore; and braiding, as the gushing Miss who is not too careful of her selection of words, would say,* "There will be tons of it." This braiding will be what we have been acustomed to, and much else. There will be braided collars, belts, and cuffs, pockets and tunic-ends, double rows with buttons uniting them where they finish, fairly broad braids, but far more narrow, and somo the equivalent of cord. And, touching the last, I come to designs suggestive of those scrolls in which the Chinese so delight when working "dragons." You want to get this idea of Chinese scrolls correctly. They suggest seaweed effects when you are looking over the edge of the boat and see the fronds undulating a few feet down, or the fins of the dragon you sometimes find on the back of a brush "made in Japan," or, as a young hopeful, who was looking at a specimen, said " Wriggles." They are not unbeautiful — in fact, they may be very artistic. A fairly pronounced braid is used for a basic scroll, and then narrower to fill in, always carrying the lines like the gram in a knot of wood that' has been brought out by planing and polishing. Such work will be used rather elaborately, but in described in the next paragraph. Take an absolutely plain dress of patternless .material, and form two pyramids for the bodice part, apex against shoulder seam front, and base wide enough for the two to meet at the belt in front and half meet at back, and for the skirt form another, though elongated like the letter "V" from the belt, point down, this, of course, being in front. That is your outline, and for the braiding everything is fairly covered in a continuous undulating, series of scrolls." Again, take one of those Crusader apron effects previously mentioned —a panel wide enough to start on the midshouider and coming down over front to a few inches off the hem of the skirt, this being associated with a tunio. The bodice section will bo treated with the braiding, and if the apron extends below the tunic, as it must, the overplus of this in the same way. Then a dress on quite plain lines, but of two materials —bodice and upper skirt section, then lower skirt section, and light and dark respectively. You know what dovetailing is. Well, the join is'not straight all round, but with an apron simulation back and front through the light material in front being carried down, and the dark sides raised, Greek key fashion. This will give a section of the dark at the sides, and such will be adorned with an elaborate Chinese scroll working down to a point, for all the* world like a_ bunch of grapes. Again, take another plain dress of the egg-shape character, this applying to the skirt. The bodice-fronts are crossed and elaborately worked .in this way, and '■ a band a foot deep at least'round the skirt at the flounce-level repeats it. As a matter of fact, it is always very difficult to explain something new in mere prose, and so let us have an illustration. Here is the upper part of the skirt of_ a dress. Panier effects are coming in again, though in modified form, herald of a full return to them later. Now, the skirt is in tunio form, and to seo what design- it takes elaneo at the third sketch, but only

the lower part. The apron comes clown to a few inches off the hem of the skirt over a tunic which is either plain or pleated, and you may braid this apron in Chinese fashion to tho extent of the overplus, or, if you desire to, twice. What of the rest? It will bo in the collar, which, coming down broadly as part of an inset over tho long V'd fronts, will be braided all over. And it will bo a cord braid as fine as you like. There never was more individuality in frocks, wraps, and coats as seen in Paris this season. Tho scarcity of material necessitates that one frock be made from one piece of material. It was rumoured that evening apparel would not be considered under the present conditions; but that is not so. For never were gowns, wraps, or coats so gorgeous, so absent as to trimming, yet so rich in texture "and colour. Straight, slim", yet simple, are the lines to which all must conform. The most popular material is cream supple satin, which is used as a background for warm colours and for black net or lace. The beautiful materials of these evening gowns follow the straight lines of fashion. Sparkling jet and beads serve to trim many nets for tunics and bodices. Velvets in black, white, or vivid hues add life and make any , gown interesting. Capes and wraps are rich in material, simple as to line, but withal so bewitching. In all suits and gowns the desire

for littlo trimming, but good lines and rich materials, is seen. In starting the panorama of a new season wo should be careful in our selections, ■First ones should be as near to those of the one that is going as possible, so as to avoid any clashing contrast. * For such reason I am giving what you see. In the

main is serves this purpose: it demonstrates 'the contour, the straightish effect, and shows that we are going to make, something of paniers and bunchings to soften. This would be an excellent design for braiding work of the kind already mentioned. That piece on the skirt might be worked in the scrolls closely enough to suggest a different material, and the collar treated in keeping. But the design/-is more in the nature of an indication, and nothing like as important as the others. ( _ I have ho further use for summer designs. Smart clothes in the list of coming modes will make much of , tunics, some with straight hems, more with undulating through being arched in front, and ever so many more of the different length variety, the fronts not' always being longer than the sides, but the sides sometimes longer 'than the fronts. I have said something of .the egg-shaped skirt—just a mention. Though not actually new, it will be the alternative to the straight one, and the extension will be given a panier turn by being bunched up at the back. This, in fact, will bo a revival of a style which Paris launched before the war, and which did not take as expected. Coats will undergo a considerable change, as, speaking generally, where related to the dress, they will, in the main, give place to tunic effects of tho straight character, drawn in at waist, sometimes by a band all round and sometimes by a belt with a hiatus in front for the employment of a sash connection—a very pretty idea.. And those tunic coats will have braided hems, and be embroidered, and, with the right material, find one of their most modish spheres with the ground work of stencilling. I said some little time ago that pockets would be a great feature of the next season, and such was the note. But I am struck with the many designs that haye com© forward in which they are omitted. Pockets of the kind we havo been used to are, of course, possible even with straight lines, if modified; but autumn is always the herald'of winter, and severity in the main must control the lack of i't in the detail. It is this style that is going to load the procession. As I can only give one full figure at a time I havo to deal with other costumes by selecting what I call the main features, and leaving the rest to your

imagination. But tho design is very easily filled in—a straight contour, border section plain with a panel to waist, this cleverly broken, as you see; and skirt with a panel continued with pleated tunic sides. The design will servo its purpose, and I shall give full examples of it as I continue. This little extract is from a New York paper, and when you quote New_ York you generally quote three countries together—France, England, and America. It serves to support some previous remarks; "Fashions have always reflected tho condition of the times, and so, with the country at war, we must all economise in our use of material. Our skirts have grown narrower since last season, and will continue 'to grow narrower. To be smart one must be slim. If course, if that is not possible, why, then, appearing slim will dp. Skirts are longer, being anklo length. The Chinese type of sleeve is 'to be as popular as the tight one. This is due to the important place that 'the Chinese element has taken in our clothes of this season. Let uo not forget that embroidery is seen a great deal as trimming. Hero one may adorn her frocks, obtaining that individual note we prize, and sho is also jriven an opportunity to use her nimble fingers." Again, this modish note of the apron and tunic, but this time with the former in lino with the re6't. It completes a set making up the foreword, and illustrates—-

tho waist contour of the coming dress, that smart over-a_pron trick at another angle,'to show the belted effect, tho width of the pleats, the length of the tunic at its best,

and tho length—and that is the right one—of the skirt. And I have followed with it, with the least break possible, so that it may be considered with the previous sketch in tho one eye-glanoe. Summer sales are in the air, autumn draweth nigh. As I have previously remarked, I nave no further use for summer! designs. Nevertheless, one never goes far wrong in purchasng oddments sutable for blouses. Voiles, cotton crepes, zephyrs, and kindred materials are ever safe investments. Thero will be occasional warm days when a coat may be discarded with advantage. Then, too, summer sales are the happy hunting ground for remnants that are just tho thing for little frocks and tunics for the small schoolgirl, and the smart little hush-shirts so much worn by her younj brother, and which, unlike tho tweed coafc can so easily he made at home. For school wear gaberdine is excellent, while silk of tho stronger texture is favoured for other occasions. In these days of economy it behoves mothers to make for the small boys of the family, equally as for 'the girls* The bushman's suit for the laddie is ideal, and as easily made as tho wee maid's American tunic —for the latter the scalloping around the edge of neck and sleeves and the pretty floral spray worked on tha bodice front in washing silks is an inexpensive ornamentation.