TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11510, 5 October 1915, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

JAPANESE DRESS. adopting western ideas. Tho Japanese are beginning to find out that hats are more than ornaments. • " With the beginning or the Metji era ii.ite came to be used, amd now no gentleman finds himself without such decoration. At first they were worn only for decoration, but now they are being regarded as useful, too. All kinds are in vogue, th© soft felt being most popular. In summer panaraa hate and straw hats are as plentiful in Tokio as in London and New York. " The rich like to smoke pipes of silver or gold and to have their tobacco pouches ornamented with rich carvings or precious stones. Finger rings havo also been coming into fashion, especially seal rings. It is still believed, however, that the real gentleman does not follow tliis now fashion, which savours more of actors and suck persons." . It appears to be in the > matter of wearing " western " or foreign clothes that the Japanese is particularly unorthodox. "The Japanese who havo adopted foreign clothes apparently do not take much care as to fashion, anything that is in foreign stylo being regarded as i>ossible. Xhey set! little distinction between clothes which Western people say belong to morning wear and those which are sfcid to belong to afternoon wear. ''For most Japanese one frock coat will do a lifetime. The same may be said of top hats, as no one could doubt who has .seen some of those yet in use, which, it is said, came out of the ark. A foreign visitor to Japan very justly remarked that in this country, on a ceremonial occasion, ouo can see at a glance all styles of silk hats that have prevailed from tho first one up to tho latest creation from London."—'"Japan