LONDON FASHION NOTES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CIII, Issue 15742, 28 August 1915, Page 3

LONDON FASHION NOTES.

AFTERNOON GOWNS. Taffeta is the favourite material for afternoon, gowns. The best evening drtsses are made of chiffon —p-a-in or embroidered —and <>£ the now silk tu'i'le, which is as substantial as crepe de cli.no. Ouo of tho most famous dressmakers is making a specialty of gin's even inn; frocks made of flowered taffeta and chiffon or tulle. These frocks havo on. old world flavour. The full 'skirts are flounced from waist to hem or finely rucliod, with narrow, gathered flounces appearing at regular intervals. The corsage, may he described as simplicity itself, comprising a. modest length of chiffon mounted over taffeta. ' v.ii cli moulds the figure, and is not trim-' med at all. Then :i velvet ribbon sash

is added, and at the waist a nosegay of bright-coloured .'lowers. With such a gown as this, cobweb silk stockings should be #om and Cinderella- shoes made of silver tissue a-ncl ornamented with a tiny rose instead of sp buckle. The favourite fabric for lighter and more elaborate gowns are the lovely messalines, sheer siik vdilings, swisses, and other lacelike materia's. These adapt- themselves well to the tucks, sbirrings, and puffings demanded by the fashions. More material is needed for'the new gowns than has been used for a long time. A printed net gown, green with sprays of white lilac strewn c-ver the surface, is made with a. full skirt, two groups of seven wide' tucks. Tl'.o groups are se.narated by a 4in band of French lace. There is a- yoke of perpendicular tucks set close together. ReJow tjps is a -band of the lace, and the rest of the bodice is tucked to match the skirt. It i~uk':u>s over a soft girdle of green taffeta. BLOUSES. Blouses are varied and more attractive titan ever. There seems every probability that they wii-1 bo more titan ever popular this year, in a measure, 110 douboj because they are. bo useiul to sap on m the afternoon, when tJiey can be worn with any skirt that mayhappen to harmonise with their colouring. Two novel and becoming blouses were seen, the other day. One was a smart, but useful blouse composed of line bi»ck net, lined with cerise ninon, and draped on one sxlo only with cerice taffeta. glacs silk, s.ashed on the shoulder, and brought down to a long point in front, to give tho effect of a deep corselet. 'The- -stiffs were of cerise taffeta, and the blouse was fastened down the centre with small, cherrycoloured, porcelain buttons, and loops of cerise silk cord. Smart blouses for morning wear are of fine white linen, with bands of pale-coloured linen applied with hern-st-itching in the same shade. Collar and cuffs are also of the same coloured liuon. Sueh a b'ouse, for wear with skirts of white mohair, or corduroy, is of white French linen with hemstitched bands of Du Barry pink two bands down each side of the front and two bauds at the back. The collar . has a, fashionable height, at the back but is opened quite low at the frontfor coolness and comfort on summer mornings. The second blouse *i as mad" in silvery-grey soft sntin. and arranged with a - semi-military effect. It- was

fastened, in front with silver buttons, and finished on tne shoulders with broad straps of satin, outlined with darker-grey silk braid. A deep belt •of grey sajin bordered iti the same way with braid, ami made in :i, new shape, . fastened in the centre with siilver buttons, lent an air of distinction to this blouse, while on flu? military collar a.nd also oil the cuff grey braid and silver buttons also appeared. HIGH COLLARS. It is said that the Parisienne is wearing the highest n high collars with her tailored suit. Of white linen, well-stif-fened, one- variety of the genius buttons up in front of the tlyoat a.nd then flares suddenly out at Hie top in sharppointed triang.es that- shoot into space at either side of the chin. Another mode of neck dressing :s to wear a cravat of black satin of taffeta wound round the throat, after the fashion of our grandfathers, while points of cambric darfc out from under it at the top and mount guard aggressivelv just in front of each ear. THE SHORT SIOHT. For a long time past middle-aged and even, elderly women oave shown rather a disposition to> array themselves in costumes more suitable to 17 than, let us say, 4.7, sinice no one is allowed to look more than 60 nowadays. When women cf all ages adopt the ankle-length skirt for street wear, as they seem strongly inclined to do, it will only be by some slight difference in style and material that we fho 1 ! he ab'e to differentiate between suitable fashions for girls and for "grown-nps." BREVITIES. Odd coatees of coloured cloth or silk aro dainty and becoming ""with white 'or black dresses, Girls' dresses are made with squarenecked and sleeveless- blouses worn over guimpes. A favourite evening sleeve is just a series of little tulle frills. Long sleeves may have buttons from elbow to knuckles. It is rumoured that white fox furs wi'4 be worm all summer. Flower-trimmed sashes are a feature of evening toilets. Trim the b'uo frock with blue butj tons in red buttonholes., j Many dinner gowns show necks cut | low in front. ; Paris is making her skirts wide and stil'l widen-. |