LONDON AND PARIS FASHIONS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XV, Issue XVI, 19 October 1895, Page 501

LONDON AND PARIS FASHIONS.

<■** WILL begin my fashion notes , ‘h* B w ®ek with a very smart parasol for the races. It isextremely chic, composed of white “v. 1 chiffon outlined with gold spangles, and the handle a gold \ Can we wonder that flowers of every specie and colour are bex coming more and more the _gjjy ra R e on ever Y conceivable form y o f beadgear, considering how beautifully they are now imitated ? How real some of them look. But beware of cheap tawdryness. There is quite as much in the choice of flowers as there is in the choice of colour and shape. Moreover, well-made flowers are always the cheapest in the long run, for the poor specimens of roses and other blooms sold at prices that ordinary common sense says at once they cannot be properly made for the money, hardly every bear the test of the sunshine or the slightest drop of rain. Lilies of the valley, pansies, carnations, orchids, and irises bid fair to have the run during the season when we frivolous daughters of Eve appear in the butterfly raiment only feasible, alas, during a few brief months. But perhaps the most popular of all these flowers just now is the pansy in all its shades. At all the smart meetings and other fashionable reunions the colours of the frocks are quite conventionally demure in comparison to the millinery. Here is a little spring bonnet essentially rejuvenating and fresh. It is the

latest novelty and creation of one of our best milliners, and is sure to be one of the bonnets of the season. This capote is a dream in pansies and induces one to thoughts of poetry and inspiration. On this ethereal confection the pensees, quite like Nature’s own jewels, were deep purple blended with yellow ones. Some foliage, was introduced among the posies, and the stems of the clumps of flowers rest in arcadian simplicity on the hair. An additional spray of the purple pansies also hangs down in cache-peigne. * * * * * * Among those thousand and one little feminine frivolties that conspire to render a woman quite irresistible, and make her masculine-minded and stiff shirt-fronted sisters wonder how it is that she is so successful with • poor weak man,’ are the Elizabethan ruffles so supremely becoming to the features. We have them in chiffon, tulle, gauze, net, and finally silk flower petals. The latter are quite a novelty, and are particularly chic in yellow poppy leaves. In my first sketch I show the effect of this new ruffle. • « * * * * Spring, which is with us to gladden the heart of everybody and make all the world and his wife forget that there ever were such plagues as influenza and plnmbers, is essentially the time for the natty tailor made gown to burst forth in its full glory. Our artist was evidently inspired by these same sentiments when sketching the following drees. It is constructed in a ribbed serge of the shade which some compare to the metal called nickel. This

term just hits the colour off; for the tint is neither steel nor silver grey. The corsage escaping the hips fits closely into the figure and hooks down on one side under the arm. In front half-a-dozen smoked mother-o’-pearl buttons form a smart ornamentation, while further elaboration is afforded by very narrow strappings of silver braid laid over the gores. The same trimming is repeated on the sleeves, and the prettily-cut revers enclosing a frilled and slightly tucked white batiste plastron. This style of waistcoat has superseded the masculine shirt front and tie, the frill in some cases being replaced by a series of baby-tucks separated by bands of Swiss insertion, a black velvet ribbon revealing itself where the starched neck band doesnot meet. Yes, we seem to have at last realised that a smart tailor made frock need not necessarily be uncompromisingly hard. The French have always, moreover, understood the art of blending the neat with the purely womanly. •*« • » * At one of the smartest of our drapery establishments in London all the novelties for the season are to be found, and, it must be added, at prices which place them within the reach of all. The costumes and mantles here are of exceptionally good value, and the blouses, sunshades, millinery, and materials, though impossible to describe even in a general way in the space of a short notice, are well worthy of inspection. At this time of year the coat and skirt are a necessity, and this firm is amongst the best of caterers for this style of costume. In covert-coating, habit, Amazon, llama, and Melton cloth ; in serge, crepon, or Scotch tweed ; in cashmere, or merino, they are to be found in the latest shape and cut. The Zouave is evidently popular ;so also is the basqued coat. For wearing with blouses there are some wonderfully inexpensive skirts of black crepon, either with or without material for bodices, and in pretty bright-coloured crepons, pink and blue, the skirts are adorned with bands of black satin ribbon. The 1 Gauloise ’is a costume of drill in the new blue, pink, white, and navy, made with a cape and skirt, at a price which is quite incredible. Others, a little more costly, are trimmed with cream lace. The black silk and brocade dresses trimmed with satin ribbon and jet ornaments, are useful for any occasion ; and for mourning there are some charming wool, cashmere, or merino gowns, with a garniture of silk crape. The shirts and blouses are worth a few words of description, seeing that they are al most indispensable adjuncts of every toilette. Those of striped glace silk are good value, and some in shot glace and in bright shades of surah, with veilings of beaded net, should be seen. The cotton models are pretty, especially the ‘ Jeanette,’in holland cambric, trimmed with beige lace, and lined throughout with muslin ; and the ‘ Daphne.’ with an embroidered front and turned-down collar. The * Henley ’ has a box-pleated frilled front in white cambric spotted with black, pink, or blue. The golfing jersey, in many colours and in black, should not be omitted from any wardrobe for the seaside or country, and the * Inez,’ soft fronted pique shirt, with starched collar and cuffs, is another useful morning blouse. The little capes and mantelettes are also most dainty and stylish. Here the models are in crepon, merv, velvet, and lace. Particularly pretty is one of black merveilleux, with the closefitting back, quillings of the black net forming the wing sleeves. The neck is finished with a ruche of net, and jet ornaments and bows of satin ribbon complete it. Another of velvet has appliques of moire and jet, and alining of shot silk. Beaded net jetted with little medallions, and edged with pinked-out frills and ruchings of black glace, makes a light and dressy vttement for a warm day, a similar one of black glace being entirely veiled with quillings of fine blacK net spotted and having a neck ruffle of the same. Of en-tout-cas and sunshades there is an enormous choice,

the former, with the new patent tubes, being excessively small and compact when rolled np, and at the same time light to hold. Many of these are of the glace silk, which is übiquitous to a degree this season ; others are either of plain silk or moire. The fancy bordered en-tout-cas, either in plain or fancy shot silk, are pretty, the combinations being smart; black with white, gold with

cardinal, blue with red, and many others. For sunshades nothing could well be prettier than the black moire or satin ones, trimmed with the new gnipure in butter or tan colour, or the chine floral silk models, with handles of cherry wood, the borders being crepe. A bordering of two insertions of gauze ribbon adds piquancy to some ombrelles of shot dark hued silk. Figure 3 is a dress of rose crepon with bands of black satin ribbon cut into diamond openings, edged with jet. • • •*♦ • « More than one artist has already declared that materials were never more beautifnl or more perfectly thought out than in these up-to-date times. Fairies might have been at work at some of the new Chin£ rustling silks, so supremely dainty are the tintings and designs. A French gown for evening wear closes to.day’s column, and is made up in one of these charming taffetas. On a faint, dreamy blue ground

are fine black pencillings, tracing a pattern too bewildering to describe. This material forms the principal portion of the frock, but the huge sleeves are in a silk more pompadour in style. Besides the shadowy lines there are tiny black dots and bouquets of indefinite rosebuds and forgetme nots. A pink velvet girdle and bows of the same ornamented with old silver square buttons carry out the very Parisian melange of pink and blue. Across the bust is a mull muslin fichu of cerulean hue demurely folded a la pay sanne, and on the shoulders are bunches of velvet roses mixed with forget-me-nots.

Heloise.