FRILLS OF FASHION.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2951, 24 November 1900, Page 1 (Supplement)

FRILLS OF FASHION.

The large loose waves so essential to the low, fluffy, half-parted pompadour style of hair dressing can be made by wetting the hair and tying broad bands of tape around it. One of the most stylish gowns for wear with light gowns is old-fashioned looking, and of soft thin kid, with no stitching on the back and only one pearl button. Apparently this is to be a season of buckles. They are steadily growing larger and ntore popular, and are much more beautiful, from an artistic point of view, than ever before. Antique designs are first favourites, particularly the Egyptian in dull metal and opaque stones. This fad for the odd and the antique extends through all the field of jewellery, and the demand is bringing out some work that is wonderfully beautiful and origkKfL'" Long chains are still popular, but they are hung with odd pendants and charms. _ Turquoise matrix is much used in this kind of jewellery, and an opaque stone of malachite green is also a favourite. Fresh water pearls in their irregular shapes lend themselves readily to odd and original designs and make particularly attractive pendants or drops on curiously wrought chains of gold. Real laces are being used to a remarkable extent, Cluny Arabian, point d’Alencorq IrMi point, Point de Flandres and Renaissance taking the lead. Batiste laces are also much worn as trimming for cloth or silk, designs copied from rare old laces being embroidered on ecru batiste. Silk applique on net, and velvet applique on net or silk, are trimmings as popular as lace, and stunning little coats are made of black velvet applique on coarse net and lined witli white. Another popular trimming is made bv laying silk, with an irregular outline, upon cloth, and embroidering it to the goods in self shades.

Heavy, lustrous brocades in one tone are once more in fashion, to tbe unmixed delight of dowagers as well as younger women. In fact, Madame La Mode is treating the dowagers particularly well this season, and both materials and designs are, in the mam, well suited to elderly matrons. ' Panne velvets, embroidered or stamped m gold dots or other designs, are the latest developments of the gold craze, tmd a blue panne with gold dots has admirable possibilties in millinery and dress trimmings. .The Aiglon capes, shown in red, bme and white cloths, are effective for autumn u ear at the seashore or in the mountains. They are full length, made of fine, heavy cloth, and have the traditional shoulder capes, revers and- light turnover collars braided in gold. . , , Plumes made of cocks’ feathers or gleaminn- iridescent breast feathers are greatly used on the low, broad hats instead of ostrich plume®, and form the rim of many of the soft turbans. Pure white toilets are to be as popular dnrino- the winter’ season as they have been durin” the summer, and are being prepared in cloth as often as in lighter materials tor house and evening wear. The white-doth gown and white felt hat, in combination with heavy furs, will be a favourite fad of the woman to whom expense and durability are of no concern. White chiffon tucked with gold thread and laid over gold tissue, is one of the latest and prettiest fancies for vests, collars and the like. Red hats grow raiore and more audacious. Red felts or velvet turbans trimmed t in scarlet velvet geraniums or sprawling velvet poppies, are the most chic. Some of the strapped evening slippers have pleated lace fans set in under the straps and pulled out in fan fashion over the instep. White corduroy skirts will replace white pique skirts, and are more practicable Hum they seem, for the white corduroy can be laundered as easily as pique. It must, however, be washed carefully and pressed upon the wrong side with an iron not too hot. The tall and slender girl is having things rather her own way this season, in some respects. For her are the flapping picture hats that make a short, round girl look like a plump mushroom. She wears the Empire coats with grace, and can allow any of the three-quarter length coats to cut her skirt length, without suffering tortures of artistic misgivings. The Directoire modes and the Louis XVI. coats are all right for her. The short girl must keep to the Eton*, no matter how her heart may yearn over three-quarter length coats, and she must affect small hats, even if her fancy doss run riot in regard to broad, drooping brims and sweeping plumes—but then she has her Empire frocks, so there is balm in Uilead. Length is all very well with Empire modes, but tbe plump, small woman, provided tbe plumpness hasn’t assumed exaggerated proportions, can look very well in an Empire frock if it is well made.

Brown is popular once more, and a host of women will look marc hopelessly plain than a beneficent Providence intended. There seems to be an idea that anyone can wear brown. In reality, it is a colour to he treated with marked respect, and a woman needs deep discretion in choosing the exact shade of brown that will be becoming to her. Yellow brown will steal all the lile from some hair and eyes. Gray brown will ruin some complexions. Red brown will make a sallow skin more sallow. And yet the rigid- brown on the right girl is a. thing to conjure with. Touches of burnt orange and hiack appear on many of the brown gowns. Dull blue and certain shades of green also combine well with many browns ; yet a brown costume does not lend itself to indiscriminate combination, and unless one is prepared to achieve a complete symphony in browns, one would better chose a nioie adaptable colour for a general service costume.

The Hare at the skirt bottoms is distinctly mollified, and the full gowns hang rallur limi lv around the feet.

Next to the white cloth gowns in favour stand gowns of light blue and of mushroom pink cloth, and the indications are that this is to Ito pre-eminently a season of pale limed cloths.

Pale grey stockings embroidered in silver, are in demand to match the dainty cloth-of-silvtr slippers that hav« jo«f apeured. Miss Suzanne. Sheld-m, as Rachael Fullerton fa “G-doncl Cromwell" at the Globe. Theatre, wears a, snow-wtiUe cap and apron, and a liti !<■ >-ape of greeny-brown velvet edged with grey for, an-t black felt. haG trimmed up at ib ■ !*•!t*wn'h a- long black feather. Her go«n is a. |.re(iy, soft green, with a little, hii| waisted corselet uound

and laced across the front with black. The wide Puritan linen collar that turns back from the open neck is edged with Vandyked lace; the deep cuffs are made to correspond. A terra-cotta brown dress is made of Cashmere, with a long skirt with rows of velvet ribbon down the front and round the bottom. The high-waisfced corselet finishes with tabs, and a long, full apron of muslin drops almost to the edge of the skirt. A little lace bonnet, lace-edged collars and cuffs, and pocket hanging from ribbons caught at the waist, complete the costume.

The Russian blouse is once more in evidence, much move Russian and much more chic than its namesake of earlier seasons. In velvet it is particularly effective, and is trimmed with bands of embroidery on cloth or silk. Russian coats, made of heavy cloth, blouse slightly at the back and very distinctly in front, and are elaborately braided and lur trimmed.- Handsome girdles, in Russian enamel, are worn with some of these coats, but more frequently the girdle is of braiding or embroidery, and fastens with a dull gold clasp. The bishop sleeve has made its way to definite favour, and, with its fulness at the top, is a most-comfortable fashion. It would have been hard to jump abruptly: from the long tight mitten sleeve to the bishop, bub the flowing upper sleeves and soft undersleeves gathered into a plain wristband paved the way for the bishop sleeve, with its fulness shirred into a tight wristband, and now it is perhaps the most popular model for autumn street gowns and cloaks.

All the bows for the hair have a touch of gold, and a bit of gold gauze ribbon is twisted into the black velvet and the white satin bows that are so practical for ordinary dinner and home wear. Panne velvet in all over Moorish and Persian designs is being much used for blouses, but the handsomest blouses yet seen are in white satin, silk* or clotn, hea\ily embroidered. The flannel shirt waist is Coming to Lie front in solid battalions, and confronts one wherever one turns. Many of the models, braided, embroidered, etc., seem to have lost their charm of comfortable simplicity, and to have gained nothing that takes its place. A shirt waist is a shirt waist, and a blouse is a blouse ; and the two should go their several ways without interfering with each other. By far the most effective flannel shirt waists are those trimmed merely with stitched bands of the goods, and depending upon cravat and girdles for their touch of novelty and style. The long, narrow purse, with chain and finder ring, seems to be the popular favourite, and is*brought out in the most elaborate designs as well as simple styles. The new bag purse is only a larger edition of the soft, small purse, and its flap fastens with three buttons of opal, turquoise or some other semi-precious stone. A thin gold rod runs through the top of the bag to keep the soft leather from doubling into shapelessness. The prevailing fancy for gold shows in millinery as well as in dressmaking. Stiff bows are bordered with flat; gold braid, gold lace insertion, or fine gold galloon is applied to chiffon, net, or velvet, for the soft folded toques. • ______