IN FASHION’S REALM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3518, 16 August 1921, Page 50

IN FASHION’S REALM.

WEEKLY UP-TO-DATE DRESS NOTES. Dv Marguerite. It is likely to tie a wonderful spring with fabric hats in taffeta, satin moire and tire — models with flowers, feathers, and ribbons, monotones to match suit' or fioc-k or harmonious combinations of fabrics and colours together. Or with organdie hats when these will bo picturesque—urm affaire, though fluffy, with floral garlands and big bows for their additional glorification. Or, for a new note, with leather hats when ihe.s' wi'l combine tones and an en tirelv new note—the latest, or rather the earliest decree for tailored or dressy models. If we prove faithful to Paris it will be to observe She decision in favour of side trimmings. tonal! hats will appear to swathe the heed with Poe ribbon knotted at the sides with extended bow ends; hats with roll brims featuring braid a- a basic fabric in the making will base dusters of ribbon loops, sav, on one side both under and over tie. brim.'and in Roman si ripps: and hair with really large brims, worn we 1 over the fa!’?, will display a veritable “handful” of ribbon cuds, or whatever o'se may serve from underneath, which will fall over the coiffure and ear ess the shoulder. Incidental v there will be a demand for hats that phirtrate in some wav the charms of what Europeans call the “Near East.” '(lie turbans will compass everything that may he said to have an inspiration on the sunnier side of the Mediterranean —turbans which will include the “Moroccan” with its swathed shape and side ends brought down over the shoulders, in front, like a scarf.

AH skirts will be fairly short, as, say, anything from 6in to lOin from the ground for those of “sense” —meaning years—and from 10 to 12—nay, 13 or 14—for those of non-“sense,” especially the giggling ages, and with slimness to render as much additionally attractive. Lhe skirts will be reasonably full, but more so from the fact of the unity, as from all accounts the long waist has the curious faculty of suggesting fulness in the skirt. As for what will adorn as much there wilt be pleats, soft Turkish hems, and loose panels; and, to crown all, there will be the sash. Let those who think they have seen the limit in sashes be asashed, or abashed. The spring sash will be often quite immense, a veritable curtain, in fact, and because of its size and disposition together no little of tlie general effect. The uses to which the sash may he put is illustrated in the sketch with this. At the same time you may eliminate from your mind the inevitable impression that it turns tho rest into a kind of coatee. I have

shaded what you see, as I have, merely to make it the more easy to grasp. True, there will be two materials, but not so pronounced, and even so it is not arbitrary. The important note is that tho “blouse” and sash are one, the former being resolved into the lattc-r by the way it is designed. This sash having been duly and dutifully “tied,” will float away in ends of such length and fulness as to become, in a sense, part of the skirt. I hope, to present some further examples of the “fancy” later on, and it may be with better results. An engaging overseas writer speaks of the blouses for spring in these terms: “The hand-made lingerie blouse is no longer elaborately embroidered. The best are trimmed with hand hemstitching, or hand drawn-work, and are made with straight peplums and straight collars and cuffs to bo used for this purpose. When they are embroidered, the embroidery is usually limited to the collar and cuffs, or to single rather large motifs often combined with drawn-work on each side of the front. These blouses, especially when they are trimmed with the hand drawn-work, are made of scrim, cotton voile, handkerchief linen, and batiste. Net pleadings are used on handkerchief linen and crepe de chine, and laeo usually fi'et, real Binche, fine Irish or Valenciennes is smart on batiste, handkerchief linen, cotton voile, and georgette.” The spring dresses will be artistic —ever so artistic; in fact, as artistic as art itself, and far more artistic than careless critics, oblivious to the fact that art may be por-t-raved in dress, would ever be likely to admit. A great feature will be the odds and ends. The odds will be in scalloped finishings, as in sleeve ends and, again, skirt hems —everything. in_ fact, in this regard being cut in half circles. And the ends«prop«r will be in panels—panels suggestive of slashings, panel sleeve ends, and panelled over-skirts which will be reallv as a continuation of the blouse. buQ to quite long tunic lengths. Scores o f designs that have lust passed under my notice reveal as much as one of the strongest notes. As much will vie with two other standards —one the blouse of the frock that makes its own sash by being carried into one, and the other the blouse section that goes into the skirt bv means of a “dove-tailing ’ section in front, of which more anon. But the mantled dress, what of this? I referred to it before —the mantle that is such, and yet is not. in that it is part and parcel of the costume. Al’owing for rhe awkwardness of the co.lnr unless with a fall in the glass, what co-id be more exquisite than the example illustrated? Some

might say. “But this is for winter,” and others pucker their eyebrows and wonder a., regards ilie difficulties. The only necessary remark is that the design is spring, and one of the groat words from Paris where the spring mantle in all conceivable shapes, forms, and arrangements has been a chief triumph of tho hour. Remodel the collar,

throw it open, as it were, and substitute stioes with a strap, and what then? iiie new sry.e snoe is an orthodox one of tile low variety with a crossed-strap over too instep; but there is a piece carried up ii o-.n the back to the ank.c which is resolved into two ends the other way that I come round and strap in front with tlie d-untivst little buckle. Of coarse, I have cccii some!: irig of the kind before, and so, no uoubt, wive you, but never in such a priuiy torni. I can, in observing it, picture all sorts of variations, one being as much with a i >..t pendant, the buckle in wus case being omitted as a little too muon And 1 believe that for the very young, and especially for girls just merging on tneir teens, that there arc possibilities with nbcon in this relation. Be, shall revel ,n the fabrics—white silks and light woollens for a leading example; and, again, chinchilla crepes, and brocades, and striped etceteras and further etceteras. Ino sports satins wil be see.n in wonderful colourings, the Canton crepes will be found a beautiful silk, the new' Jersey cloth will prove delightful, the new Flench serges tutio, the Jboiret twills ideal, and the tricofines superb. I conjure up summery voiles, sneer, and in fine dark patterns, ginghams m stripes, organdies sheer in pink, rose, lavender, and tan, and tub suitings of all kinds in rose, lavender, green, etc. We so.au revel in the fabrics for morning year, ana again for afternoon, and quite lose"ourselves in those for evening— pastel-tinted cinffon taffetas with garlands for example. V.e shall bear in mind that afternoon urcssrs of georgette will be elaborately beaded, and that statelier dresses still will be of lace in colour combined with georgette and satin. Yes, the long waist is the waist to speak about, and here is a proof that there is good excuse for it. Imagine the skirt, eminently plain, and what could be more pleasing. The long waist calling for something

to relieve tlie monotony of tlie line, observo the artistic triumph in those two pleats which, stitched to the extent shown, naturally resolve themselves into two soft folds wheih m ist in this case be left to tho “mind’s eye” to fill in. There will lie little required to make designing of this character charming—say a touch on the sleeve, and possibly round the neck, and as delicately wrought as possible. From an overseas writer in the midst of things we get this reference to silks : “They are used to-day far more generally than ever before, since they are now no more expensive than wool, and are more comfortable as the days grow warmer. Tho smartest afternoon costume of the spring is the silk dross and cape en suite, a black, dark blue or dark brown silk frock with a cane of the same material and colour. The silk is usually one of the crepes, the new Canton or Marociin crepes, or the finergrained crepe de chine. There are innumerable weaves, some quite rough and pebbly, almost as rough as raw silk, and others with an almost imperceptible crepe surface, as in the case of the crepe satins and crepe meteors. Here, again is an example of the long waist, hut for a different occasion, and with greater age possibilities. Tlie swathing is

good and has been made doubly so bv the way the beading has been broken by it. as though tlie- folds had monogramtned this. The design will suggest its own uses morning, afternoon, and, in a way, evening.