IN FASHION'S REALM.

Southland Times, Issue 19482, 9 December 1904, Page 1 (Supplement)

IN FASHION'S REALM.

Up-to-date Notes on What to Wear. * Claims for having _ established certain fashions are made on behalf of a number of famous women, and allowed with or without a grain of salt. Thus Mrs. Laagtry is said to have originated the Empire dress in •i Mademoiselle Mars," and Mrs. Patrick Campbell the absolutely sleeveless evening gown, the fii'st of which was worn by her in VTlxe(,JS[otp'iipuß Mrs. Ebbsmith." The long wrinkling glove was designed by Madame Bernhardt, who appeared in such to disguise the slightness of her arms', which at that time were notorious. Miss Edna May is Credited with reviving the picture hat, and Miss Leighton the " Trilby," while a French actress evolved the three-cornered hat which « has had such /a run. As for the coiffure, j claims are.made for Cled de Merode as the originatbirof the fashion of wearing the hair over the ears, Miss. May as the ; parent of the style of parting it in front; and Mrs. Langtry as the creator '.of; the Grecian knot on the. neck, Mrs % Browh'^ with 1 Wing set'tlie: fashion pf : wiaring "a .rose or any other single flower on the left side of the hairoVer tfie fringeV > T^us'all'the world's a stage, and all the- women in it merely copyists. ... # Dressy and .beautiful I That is what may be saioVbf the amazorie hat in the picture—a creation in black tulle with natural paradise 1 plumes, arid as worn in Paris during the equivalent of the present season here. Of course the hafrmay. be worn irith a pluino in-

stead£but it must be large or the effect' will be lost, and the sides may be set off with bows or with say a couple of roses, with leaves. In fact,; the . shgpe.M-is^capable of mud) modification ,or amplification ; this being something which may bo left to the tasteful milliner. . ■-•■ ;■-• ■•■•• < ■•• Yes, the skirts are full, but consider wha( is coming when I mention that the new autumn skirts in London measure round the hem rib less than: seven yards. The skirts, &8 ft rule, are'utrimmed J with ; three or more flounces or tucks, and insertions of lace, and the triple design is much in. favour. AH the same, some of the skirts are plain, but in no base are they other than full, the measure.ment being as stated. Late gowns of lnwn and chiffon'are ornate and beautifully embroidered, while the' ''chine'- printed, and hand-painted obiffons that go to smartnn gowns designed for special occasions are perfectly charming. Voile robes, too, are ornamented with encrustations of lace, and paillettes de strass, while Liberty satin is employed, both for trimming purposes, and for ceintures, Ninon mauve being a favourite shade. '•••■. ■*.■'..■'• Tbe design shows an exquisite reception dress of primrose-colored mousseline <le note* The skirt has three deep tucks around the middle, below which falls a deep flounce of - transparent lace, and a little distance below the edge of this flounce three, more tucl.s head a still deeper flounce that, is liiore Jkh:: n twice as deep in the back as it is in thefronf. The bodice is exceedingly firiiqefal iintl original in style. The top is shaped liltc n roundyoke, sloping downward irrfroiit lo :i point, quite far down, at the crossing surplice drapery from the right side to the'tefiThe stock and lop of the yoke are hici;e<l in

the moasseline is gathered and falls full under the crossed surplice sides of the bodice. Five graduated bows of primrose colored satin trim the front of the yoke.' The fitted shoulder effect is produced- by means of eleven tucks inthe lace surplice, .which fits upon the shoulder and over the top of the arm, allowing the fancy portion of the lace to fall in a full flpunoe over the arm and across the front of the shoulder; The fancy edge of the lace continues along the edge of the surplice, which is fastened at the left side. A charming effect -is .shown in fitted sleeves of alternate tucks and insertion, ending in a pointed effect upon the hand. From under the lace flounce upon the top of the arm falls a full drapery of moosseline, de soie/ which, is gathered at the bottom and caught up on the book of the wrist by means of two dainty choux of chiffon. •■• ■ ■ '- " '"-»■' ■'■ ■'♦"'■'# . Something dainty— the jewelled fringe. This is the" latest London fancy, the originality being in the manner of wearing the jewels. Everyone has at some time or other worn pearls in her hair, but the ;." jewels " have been closely fixed, and therein the difference/; Tfee present idea: wr to have a short string of pearls and loop them from the side of the hair, or in such a way that a loop droops over -the . ear, to, say, two or three inohes below the level of the hair there. It ia a pretty .enough fashion in the picture, but might easily hjß made to look "fast" among a comparatively, quiet, people like ourselves." After all different countries different manners. : -

Blessed be the man — or woman, as I suppose — who invented the blouse. Ifc covers a multitude of financial economies in that it w the i most economical garment that was ever designed. At one time it had to be a dress *very time, but in these days a girl with a slender purse need never despair, as the blouse COlhes to her rescue with the maximum of effect for the minimum of outlay. Given a plain, neat skirt, and a nice plain blouse will save the situation every time, and better still, it will be ji/st as presentable for a few shillings as though it cost pounds. One of the happiest blouses ever designed is the light cloth one— a blouse with a dressy effect because of the material, • and over this fit one, two, three, or half a dozen if you like, linen or lace capes, that give it a dif • ferent appearance with each change. Such a I cape of linen fits over the shoulders from the shoulders, and cornea down in a yoke design in front, finishing with a band to the waist, the effect of which is like abroad pleat. This attachment buttons all round, the effect being extremely taking, arid the edge may be plain or frilled in part as around the yoke line. With lace more things are possible^ and in any case the owner of three or four of these atUcbmonis can always be sure of taking off the shabby edge of a blouse or bodice and looking well ata moment's notice. You know that there are many who " slip an apron on " with the same object in the house; "Well, this is slipping the blouse attachment on for either house or street. ; • • * . A very becoming • and serviceable summer hat is given herewith, the frame being a straw of fine texture, edged with dark velvet ribbon j dihehed every . few inches with a button. The crown is high, arid swathed all round with silk, while a twisted fillet serves

as a band to the extent to which it is exposed. The floral effect in front is of silk, a design of n, light and suitable, color, with a dark edging of cord-velvet, while a button centies the flowers where they, are exposed. A' similar design lies flat at the back with tbe additional loops' either side.' 1 ;■ ■ ; ' ■■ ' • • • . * ' Large hats for the theatre are now in bad taste. The new French custom is to wear a small hat, even when the gown is not of the: evening kind. These small hats are more properly mere hair ornaments of gauze cre'po or tulle, and the likelihood is that they will become so actually, till no one will wear a hat to a theutre any more than to a dinner table. It is interesting -to reflect that even this is a revival, as the fashionable women of a hundred years ngo went through the same experience, till all the head covering that was worn consisted of a, wreath of flowers. Some of those that were distinguished enough to note consisted of a lbngAvreafch of white velvet flowers, anemones, narcissi, water lilies, or other blossoms, extending across the forehead, reaching low down on the neck behind and falling over the shoulders. At. a fashionable ball of the period one great dame wore a wreath of white camellias and white lilac,- while others displayed long trails of small green fruit made of very light glass, some others, again, decking their brows with cherries, red currants and the like. When it came to the coiffure, generally onr great grand-mothers — I suppose that will take us back a century — were as striking in theic ideas as they were artistic nhd resourceful; For example the nft.iiul consisted of aquatic plants gemmed with dew-drops across the brow and red and bine shells finishing tho wreath at the back, while theocoah jewel, a pearl, hung on forehead ; the bacchante was a "wreath of vine leaves veined with gold, the grapes being white, •while a small tiara of stars surmounted tht article and gave it finish ; the nymph, again, was a mere band of pretty pink blossoms, each centred wjth a jewel, the wreath tying behind with ribbon, while a striking design was the imperial — a velvet band like a royal circlet, around which were set roses at intervals, centred with jewels. . They must . have been great days, as well as great dames, and now?— "hie thee to thy l:idy's chamber, and tell .her that even if paint an inch thick, to this pass will she come." * • • Hero you' see. two charming new belt designs, in- which the prevailing fashion has resulted in the acme of what is possible. The silk belt with the how behind is legion, but here the top ends, instead of forming in bows, are taken straight to the shoulder, where someone must assist the dresser by

?■■ «f .■'■;• buttoning or otherwise fixing theii, Correspondingly the lower ends float down tbe skirt, -a stitch in the centre preventing them from blowing out where the wearer is combating a head wind or breeze. In- one design there is a plain buckle, and in the other a jewelled one, either being a matter of taste. „ ..... • . i # # Miniature painting originated in the practice of illuminating manuscript books, when small pictures were introduced with the initial letters, or upon the borders. These initial letters were 'usually painted in red, Latin "minium," hence these small pictures were termed " niiniatura." After the invention of printing and engraving, this art: entered upon a new phase. Copies in small, of celebrated pictures were made, and the demand was particularly great for portraits, and so the term miniature came to mean a very small portrait. One of the most famous miniature painters was Holbein, and Samuel Cooper, a Londoner, was also an expert. Milton sat to him, and it is said that Louis XIV. offered £150 for his pieture of Oliver Cromwell. Photography checked miniature painting for a time, but of late there has been a notable revival of the art; In 1903 there were no fewer than 245 exhibits in the Koyal Aoademy. In olden time miniatures were often painted on. vellum, or on oppper, or silver plates. Now ivory i8 the medium commonly employed. Mabgttkbitb.