IN FASHION'S REALM

Otago Witness, Issue 3382, 8 January 1919, Page 50

IN FASHION'S REALM

WEEKLY UP-TO-DATE DRESS NOTES. By Maegckritm. Referring to the summer tub frocks—voile, gingham, zephyr, Fuji, and Japanese silks, and so on, —the voiles are, as a, rule; white, and trimmed rather generously with fine Val laces and hemstitching; or, for the other extreme, as simply a.T possible in the same way. But voile frocks are not always white, and before the summer is over the flcral ones may have become a craze. With vepryr or'gingham the choice is generally in a stripe or check, the mention of which brings before my mind's eye a range which seems like space itself —unending and therefore bey end limitation. A special reference to voile tub frocks is to the effect that more latitude is allowed than formerly both with design and draping. Then tunics are more than charming with a floral pattern, a dress of this character being good enough for an afternoon function, worn with a hat of the broad brimmed kind, this being flowertrimmed, and with dainty white shoes. Someone says that two colours of voile are preferably in a tub frock of this character, as in the case of a blue-trimmed with bands of white embroidered in blue outline; or a blue with- grey, or a grey with white. Of course, much depends on the age of the wearer—youth, say, blue voile with light buff outline embroidery; age, say, grey with black or white embroidery. The more voices the better, and so this on gingham frocks; —one with a simple fitted bodice, shawl rxfllar, and cuffs of organdie with hemstitching: skirt narrow at bottom, and pointed tunic; another of plaid gingham with novel collar, one-sided effect, bodice low-waisted, skirt having a pointed one-side tunio; tight sleeves and novel cuffs to finish; another again of plaid gingham, with collar and vestee carried out in organdie muslin; bodice fitted with tunio effect; then a combination of checked and plain gingham, belt pulled through, falling

into .Mish in front; kimino sleeves with bishop effect at wrist, dress neck collarless; and finally one with U neck and. shirt-waist with soft fulness in front, sleeves oneseamed, and skirt in two pieces. Millinery was never more difficult to picture. It is so completely radical as regards what w© were accustomed to before the war when summer was the time to revel in trimmings. Shady shapes are worn, but as for the adornment, everything

is reduced to a mere nothing—a band of ribbon, a spray of small flowers or fruit, and there you are. This is an example to illustrate the nearly trimmingless hat. Panama suggestion, straw fine, and for all its seeming simplicity not a cheap choice. Cotton frocks and blouses are the great stand-by. They are in all sorts of coloursblue, pink, yellow, green, and every shade and of such even amalgamation. Something has been said of a new material in cotton georgette—something that has the appearanoe of heavy-weight crepe de chine, but with a rougher surface, and running from the darkest colours to the pastels—fawns, greys, pinks, mauves, and blues. The material makes most delightful dresses —such with pleated effects with coloured wool embroidery used on the collar, cuffs, and waistband. The contrast is with discretion—mastio with a gay-coloured embroidery; pale purple with grey and mauve, and for the surest, black with white and white with black. A frock that sets out to be green checked gingham will have its bodice formed of plain green in such a way that it looks like a coatee. And the skirt will be a continuation of this coatee of plain materials to form a hip yoke, from which it continues in the check. Hems sometimes appear in surprising ways on the plain-coloured frocks —as checked or Btrißed borders, echoes of a note set by the collar and cuffs. Sometimes on a pink-checked gingham gown, a vestee and hip yoke of linen will appear embroidered in the popular darning stitch. In fact, it is hard to say what the gingham would do without the touch of embroidery. When snowy white organdie muslin conat* and cuffs are used-, they are generally em- * bellished with embroidery Btitchings in the same colour as the frock. It is difficult to say exactly what kind of cheek and what width of stripe is most- popular in these very smart gingham tub-frocks. You might fancy a very fine.-,hair-line stripe closely placed together, or your purpose might demand a wide verandah stripe. Both would be equally in fashion. You may wish for a very modest check,' or your taste may run to something on a larger scale." The exquisite design is legion. Instead of the straight effect taking from the designer's opportunity, it has added to it. So muoh may be done where the line is unbroken by an ugly pinch—so much because the scope is more extended. These

clasp effects have been referred to before. They -were invariably with a. panel effect as between them and the excuse for a little gathering. And the sleeveless effect is counterfeited by the seam, and may, indeed, bo emphasised in the case of two colours. I havo been reading something about cotton —something new and something entirely different from popular belief. And it happens to be authoritative—direct from America, the home of cotton, and then by an expert. It is to the effect that there is no shortage at all, but, on the contrary, a tremendous surplus. _ The words are that it was the shipping difficulty, and not the over-demand, that hung up supplies. It is said that the mills have for long been working only half-time because of this — that the cotton was always there, but that it was useless completing orders that could not be filled by delivery. From this I gather what my common sense dictates — that, with the difficulty over, there will be a tremendous output of cottons when, of course, the present prices should suffer a decline. And it la because of the prices that I mention as much. Paying what we

do and must, it is consoling to know that the eun is still in the skies, and only awaiting the chance to send down the usual comforting rays. This is an interesting item, even though on what may be esteemed an "adjunct": "Prominent among the advance summer fashions are hats and bags_ ensuite, hat and fiung-over scarf, and, again, there are to bo seen all three of a family. Thus one of the small brocade crown hate, arranged to spread out at weird angles, will be accompanied by an equally angular reticule fashioned of the same brocade. A knitted braid brim to a pull-on hat of gTey jersey, boasted as companion a ielly-bag-shaped reticule, the lower half of which was of the knitted wool and upper of jersey. Another rose-coloured jersey hat, the adjustable brim faced with black satin, was designed to be worn with a cache-nez of the two materials. It is impossible to describe the cachet these sets impart to the plainest and quietest suits and frocks." Again, an illustration of how the straightness of line lends itself to adornment. But this tunic, instead of the side being treated, it is the front, and in a way that suggests a collar-pendant, a vestee, and, perhaps, several other things in additon. The

\ front is embroidered, or, if preferred, braided, and the opportunity providing a sash is used to great advantage; and this, of course, has its complementing touch in the collar and cuffs. We think we have seen Paris at her best already, that nothing she could do now would be able to eclipse what she has don© in the past and ■continuously. But from what I read, and the advance catalogues go to prove it, the city of La Mode is going to leave everything of the pre-war years in the shade. The reason for this i& varied. First of all the great dedsigners realise that they were extravagant, whimsical, and often bizarre, and they have " toned down." \ Then they want to study the cosmopolitan'--mind a little more generously, or, perhaps, really closely. And, finally, all France is calling to them i;o produce '"designs that will make Taris the Mecca of fashion twice over, irrespective ot whether London and New York "want to or not.** The designs I have seen are, on the whole, a little too advanced for the moment; but wait till the autumn. For myself I confess that I have never seen anything so exquisite as the frocks turned out by some of the great French houses for the " little season" between summer and autumn, and then for autumn without qualification. , These are hints: Fringe will play a great part, row after sometimes appearing on a skirt as tiny flounces, and, again, the opposite way from the shoulder down. Long soar-like side-fronts will be seen with plain dresses, light on dark, and such have fringeends, the sleeves being also light. Frilled capelets will prove another feature—double and treble, the frills being monogramed through the different depths taken. Tunio panels, whjch the French have given another name, will be in very strong evidence—veritable apron effects, back and front. Cascading tunic will reappear in a different form, and waistcoat effects na worked in with coats in a way which' will have to be pictured to be- understood. Then, as the season advances, enormous collars will be seen—but different ones. The horee-collar, as the irreverent call it, is a pronounced favourite. As time passes we see more perfect examples of it. This, a very choice expression of the style,

over a bib-like front, from the sides of which a drawn-down eash is used to great advantage. The design is one of the prettiest of a very pretty group. Several emphatic notes are provided by another for the hour with us: Gingham is used in plain and striped varieties. Cotton voile is rendered charming by using two colours and some embroidery. Check gingham, with a vest of pique, makes a smart tub costume. Checked voile is used with plain-coloured or white for a tub-frock. A bag offers a note of contrast when carried with tub-frc<?ks. White shoes are indispensable to the wearer of a summer washing frock.

A voile or organdie muslin blouse needs a befitting under-bodice or camisole. White ribbon camisoles are exquisite hand-painted with sprays, wreathlets, and other small designs. Shoulder straps may be of lace and narrow ribbon. These- are among the daintiest. Others may be of muslin and val lace interspersed with rows of pin tucks. Then, again, there are the ever-popular crochet-top and sleeves camisole, ribbonthreaded, lasting many a season.