LONDON FASHIONS.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16780, 24 April 1926, Page 15 (Supplement)

LONDON FASHIONS.

NEW FUR COATS. (From a Correspondent.) Last season fur-trimmed cloth coats bad a monopoly of favour, but now it appears likely that fur coats will share the honours and rnorc will be worn than last year. They have the advantage of being a good investment if a hard-wearing fur is chosen. The, greatest care, however, should be paid to the choice of furs and furriers, for this year much skill seems to be spent in making low-grade furs look like the .real article, and often only wear repeals this manipulation. The Flaro. There is a tendency to flare in fur coats, but it is not strong, and many women who begin by asking for flared coats often end by choosing a style which docs not flaro but is some other variation from last season's line. A flare in the richer furs, such as Persian lamb, greatly increases ils weight, which is the very last thing any welldressed woman desires. Moleskin, however, being a very light and silky fur, is permitted to flare, and many designs of great beauty, with reversible workings, are to be seen. Furriers of the highest standing are allowing themselves sucli eccentricities as moleskin dyed bronze-brown, green, and even blue. One autumndyed moleskin coat is lined with leather, with the suggestion that it, is reversible, but this fur is 100 delicate to make a sensible, lining. Mink is the best fine fur for durability, and a mink coat is a valuable possession, as it can be used in the daytime or as a theatre wrap, although sable coats arc more usual for evening wear. Tins year there lias been a greater demand for mink coats than ever before, although their costliness puts them out of the reach of many women. They are usually worked like sables, the skins being dropped, witli no cross joins visible. In length even mink coats are affected by the passion for shortness; for a woman of average height the length would be from 40in to 44in. Favourite Colours. While brown fur is fashionable this year for coats and trimmings, grey squirrel, too, is in great favour. It is one of the best of the "young-look-ing" furs, and is also considered suitable by women with fresh complexions whose hair is turning. A becoming collar for a'grey squirrel coat is found in platinum-dyed fox, though the squirrel itself forms some of the collar. Natural krimmer, which is rattier rare this year, is used for some grey coats, and its curious grey shadings suit many women. It looks its best with a grey fox collar of the same tone as the krimmer, but with the fashion for brown toned furs some krimmer coats will be collared and trimmed with "natural" fox. Persian lamb coals with mink, beaver or kolinsky collars are being worn, and here again the preference is for brown fur trimming instead of skunk, which was fashionable in other years. .Many light furs arc being used on dark, and contrast is sought in many ways; and Hudson soar and seal dyed musquash, for instance, may have collars of blended marten or opossum dyed brown. Latest Novelties. The long roll collar is the newest, and although set in sleeves, many made with deep cuffs of the contrasting fur, arc general, a bell-shaped sleeve is now being worn. It has the attraction of novelty, but it is not as trim as the lighter sleeve, and is more suited to evening than to day wear. The return of muffs lias been suggested for many seasons, but they arc not likely to be,generally carried this season. Another novelty is the use of three box-pleats on a seal musquash coat, the back of which is kept plain; il is a concession to the desire for fullness without Hare, and may find its admirers. For travelling and Ihe races there arc some handsome leopard skin coats, with the. beauty.of their natural tawny colouring cleverly used to emphasise sleeves and back. A new fur, called "susliki," a smooth, lawnygrey fur, is being sold for "sports" coals, and looks well when trimmed witli suede in ils dcepesL tone.

Choker Ties. Together with what one might call the revival of fur coats there comes a demand for choker ties of Russian sable, mink, and pine and Imum marten. They are made of single or double skins, and also, it they are scarves, six skins are required to wrap round Ihe neck and hang in two ends in front. Wild silver foxes with a pleasant silvering are in favour, and hold their own against the cheaper ranch foxes, which are thin, and do not wear well. The lovely black "silver" foxes which used to fetch such great prices some years ago have now gone wholly out of fashion. They are too cleverly imitated by white foxes dyed black with a few grey hairs introduced. A large quantity of natural fur is used as trimming this year. For fur-trimmed coats hare and coney are rarely chosen; instead there is racoon, fitch, American opossum, natural musquash, and other "wild" furs which keep their looks longer and wear better. A few evening dresses have a certain amount of narrow fur. and some evening cloaks are trimmed with fur, the choice lying from ermine right through Ihe more luxurious furs which have a soft depth. A few cloaks have two Kinds of fur. one for Ihe collar and the other i'or Ihe hem of the cloak —a careless though novel fashion.

Wide sleeves trimmed with bands of plain material outlined with picot edging are a feature of this fashionable kimono.