LONDON AND PARIS FASHIONS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XII, Issue XI, 10 March 1894, Page 237

LONDON AND PARIS FASHIONS.

A CLASSIC COIFFURE.

— s N many heads a Greek arrange- —. ment of the hair shows to ad- \ ’1 vantage. The style has been \ /f tried over and over again, and \ once more seems tobe dominating •• r > the fashions. An almost classic 1 coiffure is shown in our first il- • lustration this week. The small ■ bonnet is in folds of green velvet, I but tbe rosette and the upstandJJa li* FLing plumes are black. The arsv* 53 —3 J-| —? rangement of the hair is one of J the new forms, the knot being X. now worn quite lifted from the neck at the back. As yet there - are no signs of the threatened ringlet" The sunburned straw bats are now being imitated so cheaply that they will probably soon cease to be smart. As to bonnets, they grow smaller and smaller. Some of them measure but two and a half inches across from back to front, and but five in width. The newest flower bonnets are the tiniest possible little things, the centres composed of imitation stems twisted round and round to form a circle, which is edged with blossoms. An aigrette of flowers and a pair of strings are the only additions needed, and occasionally the latter are dispensed with. Some of the new hats are extremely large. An immense black velvet one is trimmed with a number of beautiful ostrich feathers, some

lying along the brim and curling over upon the hair at the back, and others upstanding and foaming back upon themselves at the top like breakers.

A good model for a child’s autumn dress is of navy blue serge trimmed with red cloth and gold braid. The skirt is very full and is sewn on to the broad girdle which fits smoothly around the waist, coming high up under the arms. This girdle, which is edged with gold braid, is cut bias in front, one piece lapping over the other. The jacket is cut blazer fashion. The straight revers are of the red edged with gold. Coming from under these the front edges of the jacket are turned sharply back, forming what may be called long, straight * lapels ’ from the lower edges of the revers to the bottom of the jacket. The skirt is finished with a broad band of red with edging of gold. A similar trimming forms a cuff for the full sleeve. The costume is completed by a blouse waist of red silk dotted with blue. It is complete, too, without the blazer, so that may be discarded when it is too warm. *** * * * The outdoor garments for little girls are long and voluminous, the fulness starting mostly from the yoke. Some have full capes ; others are of the smock order, opening square at the neck ; but all have full, wide sleeves—even the newest shape of all, which takes the form of a doublebreasted bodice with a short waist, the skirt sewn on in equal fulness all round. This is made in various kinds of cloth, with or without fur, as are the long, close-fitting jackets.

The arbiters of fashion have been very busy of late over our mid season coats. There are several new shapes, one of

winch our artist has shown in the second illustration. The jnoi ei is in brown cloth, and two of the triple revers are in lack moire silk, the centre ones being in Persian lamb.

The full sleeves are in the moire with a narrow edging of Persian lamb at the wrists. The bodice and skirt of this smart coat are in the brown cloth, with black cords fastening the front. The basque is full, and edged all round the outlines with Persian lamb. Anoiher shape is closed at the waist, but neither below nor above it, revers turning back above it from a narrow beginning and widening as they ascend. The new- collar is square at the back. Some of them are plain and flat, whileothersarefull. Sometimesthereisarolledcollar, a convenient shape which commends itself to many, who remain faithful to it even when it disappears from the fashion books for a time. Sleeves are well puffed at the shoulders and narrow at the wrists, but there are rumours that these characteristics are to be exactly reversed before long. Time will tell. Many of the new coats are in good tones of rather bright blue, which seems to have taken the fancy of the fashionable world, a little tired of the perpetual marine shade. A red cloth is made with revers and collar of black moire silk, deep pockets, a flat, square collar at the back, and a pointed belt all in moire. The skirt of this coat was full, of course, and bordered with the silk. It looked very well worn over a black serge gown trimmed round the skirt with a wide band of black moire bordered with a narrow line of jet on either side. For small boys, some of the new homespuns are made up in a style likely to find favour with mothers, namely, the short, loose trousers ending at the knee with a trimming of braid and buttons on the outside of the leg, and a doublebreasted jacket having two rows of buttons down the front and a broad belt. In some of the models the jacket ends here, in others it falls about a quarter of a yard below the belt. The choice of outdoor garments for children is large and varied. There is the Whitney reefer, a comfortable double-breasted jacket; long velveteen pelisses bordered with astrachan or neutria; and a cloth coat somewhat of the sacque order, opening over a velveteen front edged with fur, having wide musquetaire cuffs and a turn down collar. *♦* * * * The beaver cloths have been utilised for loose, comfortable, double-breasted coats, with wide fur cuffs and collars, handsome brodequins with barrel buttons down the front, together with plainer and more coat-like garments for older boys, and the comfortable Inverness cloak, which is always in demand. There are hats to suit all these various garments, from the silk Eton hat and felt hats of various shapes and sizes to the velvet or serge jockey cap, the Glengarry, the Jacobite (which is the newest), the midshipman, and others. There are also some excellent sleeping suits for boys and girls, made as one garment, with foot pieces of the same material smocked at the ankle. These are excellent for delicate children inclined to throw off their bed coverings at night. *** *** * * That eimine will be very much worn this winter is one of the announcements that might have been expected by those who have observed the gradual way in which it has been

re-introduced by the furriers. It was worn fairly often in the evenings last winter, but it will now be more frequently seen in out-door dress. Our sketch shows a beautiful example of its use, in combination with grey cloth and fancy black braid, with which the seams of the skirt are sewn. The braid is arranged upon the bodice to form a kind of plastron, as shown in the illustration, and this is crossed by the belt of braid. The fronts are zouaved. The latter is now mixed up with so many other kinds of jacket that t has become quite a hybrid. One does not know whether to call it a Toreador, a Figaro, a Bolero, a Zouave, or an Eton jacket. Sometimes it partakes of all these in fairly even proportions. It is very ugly when it bulges out at the back, and the best way to avoid this is to continue it in a full basque and catch it in round the waist with a belt of some sort.

There is quite a rage for tan colour just now, perhaps because it is so appropriate an autumnal tint. Whole costumes are frequently seen in it, and others are trimmed with it. A lady at a seaside resort appears in a green cloth gown, the coat of which is turned back with tan cloth. She wears with this a poppy-red silk blouse and for a bonnet a bow of green velvet, with two or three poppies nodding above it. Rather a brilliant scheme of colouring, but it suite the wearer. Tartans are made up with straight lines this season, and not on the cross. Many of them have black

velvet bodices and sleeves, with full fronts of the tartan. The skirts are trimmed with lows of velvet gathered into little frills. H ELOISE.