THE WORLD OF FASHION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIII, Issue XXII, 25 November 1899, Page 988

THE WORLD OF FASHION.

By

MARGUERITE

'Die summer frocks are prettier than evur. All the semi-transparent materials blossom out in great. I>eaut.y as the season advances, and surely there is nothing so well suited to the tastes of the day as these dainty fabrics, trimmed with tine tucks and lace. Truly if we cannot make ourselves attractive in the styles the summer of 1599 gives us, we must indeed lie plain.' There is no doubt the overskirt has asserted itself, and this is genierally seen going into a point, both Itack anil front. Dotted muslins made with a tunic over-dress, trimmed all over with knots of lace insertion falling over an underskirt, finisheel with three narrow lace-edged ruffles, will form some of the many pretty summer dresses.

Skirts with almost solid tuckings from waist line to hem are among the approved styles for thin dresses. They tire also exceedingly pretty when lengthwise insertions are sett in at intervals of twelve or eighteen i aches.

Notwithstanding the beauty of the spring millinery, that of the summer season greets the eye with a wealth of novel colours, materials, and combinations that has never been equalled. Rough straws, very "glossy in effect, all varieties of lore straws, and the Neapolitans are all favourites, and are fashioned into many new and becoming shapes. The lace straws are made into very pretty and irregular shape toques that, when elaborately trimmed with quantities of flowers, are. unusually light and summery. Flowers are extensively used. the majority of hats being fairly loaded with bright, graceful sprays, bunches and wreaths. Tulle is also a favourite trimming, and is formed into full, soft rosettes, in straw-edged folds that spretul in fan shape or draped effect. Wide straw loops and straw draperies are late novelties. 'l'he new parasols of the season are very attractive in their varied combinations. Bright colours are largely represented; but it is wise to choose a parasol with a careful regard for the colour which reflects a liecoming tint to the complexion as well as one that harmonises with the gown. ® ® ® We can save our pockets very considerably over blouses if we like to take the trouble, for oi.ee one lias a good, well-fitting foundation, the rest is easy. For this reason one should never throw away an old lining mads by a. good dressmaker, for even, if it is worn out, one can unpick it seam by senim, cut another the exact size, sew it u ( p, and. voila! yon have once more your well fitting' lining. A white silk lining thus made is always a good investment, as it will wear a long

time and clean often. The blouse illustrated here is one I made last week over an old silk lining, such as 1 have described, and intend for smart afternoon wear. 'l’he material is piece guipure (you can cut. the blouse out of two yards, but it rather depends upon the width), with a. vest of pleated mousseline de soie, ami elixir collar band of guipure. The back is cut into a little .square, the same as the upper part of the front, and edged with bands of black velvet in the manner of the sketch. The sleeves are very long and quite tight Indeed all

sleeves are liecoming closer fitting every day. 'The advantage of this style of blouse is that oddments can easily be used for it, as the square at tlie back and the vest tn the front leave only very little of the chief material of the blouse necessary, and this can be of any silk, material, or lace, but the vest is prettiest made ot mousseline, de soie only. ® ® C

The boa is in the zenith of its popularity, but I think those of chiffon or tulle are more favoured than the ostrich feather, i give you the drawing of one here (figure 4) in pearl grey chiffon. This bears a tiny ruching of white chiffon on its edge, and is made as you can see, of quantities of gathered chiffon, doubled frill, with long

ends. These cravats, too, are amongst the latest neck adornment, fig 1 being of white silk trimmed with chiffon ruching; fig. 2 white silk with a frill of fine silk muslin doubled and crushed into little pleats on a ruler, a tiny guipure applique between it and the silk, whilst fig 3 is merely of plain silk muslin, the outer bow edged with black velvet. This silk muslin, more often called mousseline de soie, washes beautifully, and makes up again as good as new. ® ® ® With costumes of airy of batiste, or muslin, the short Louis NV I. sleeve is worn a good deal, verytight. only reaching the elbow, long white suede gloves meeting it. Alas! collars are either very high, and, therefore, very hot, or they leave the throat quite bare. These high collars are either of velvet ribbon, pointing as high as the ears, in corners, squared, and in many other devious forms. Others are of lace, meeting a clear lace yoke, and are more comfortably cool, threaded with bebe ribbon at the top, or sometimes a cloud of tulle is tied

in a billowy fashion behind. These toilettes are often accompanied by a white boa of ostrich feathers, or of

ruehed white mousseline de soie. This ruche should be very large at the back, and lessen towards the ends, and is often sewn all over by hand with black chenille dots. I give here a picture of one of these favoured boas. ® ® ® A lovely gown—for a lovely figure—is revealed in this figure, for truly exceptionally good figures are demanded by the present style, which accentuates to the utmost all beauties and blemishes. This charming robe is of white guipure lace over lavender silk,

with a corsage bodice and princess tablier of lavender silk, edged with lavender beads. The pretty, oldworld colour of lavender has been quite reinstated lately, even to the wearing of lavender kid gloves. It will be noted that the throat of this gown is cut quite low, and a dogcollar of pearls worn above. Also that the sleeves have no fulness, and the lack of pocket is obviated by a jewelled licit and bag. The decrease of sleeves has been broken gently to us, and we have at last arrived at the sleeve which is perfectly innocent of the smallest fulness at the shoulder. This is a very trying test of figure, from which hardly one woman in ten can come with flying colours. So few have really prettily-rounded shoulders, and so many are too stout and, worse still, too thin or too sloping in the shoulder department.

This might be made either in a good (inc Tursean or in a rush or basket sfraw, according to the money which

the wearer wants to spend. Care should be taken to choose a hat with a flexible brim, which can be bent about into a becoming shape, and the edge of the brim should be carefully bound with black velvet ribbon. This black velvet binding makes a wonderful difference in the becomingness of the hat. The true lovers’ knots which trim the crown so very prettily are also made of black velvet ribbon wired stiffly, and then twisted into various effective forms. In front of the bows there are clusters of bright crimson cherries, one or two little bunches of the same fruit being placed under the brim in front, so that they rest upon the hair. Some folds of tulle or chiffon might be lightly draped round the crown to soften the effect should the hat be intended for country wear, but neither tulle nor chiffon should be worn by the sea, for the sea air takes all the freshness out of them. ® ® ®

A simple yet exceedingly pretty and dainty morning robe from a leading modiste’s is illustrated here. It is of white foulard with a blue flower over it, and accordioned kilting of

white silk edging the bretelle, collars, and cuffs. This charming design would carry out well in any soft material, and could easily be realised by the elever home dressmaker. ® ® ® Thistledown has been very much favoured by milliners of late, the fluffy white balls, imitated with lifelike fidelity, forming very light and dainty pompons for the decoration of

summer headgear. This figure illustrates this pretty ornamentation for hats and bonnets as recently shown us by one of our most up-to-date milliners, on a picturesque chapeau of ' ale mauve silk and cordioned chiffon, the edges of the silk bows being finished by small ruchings of chiffon.

Girls from ten to any age wear coats and skirts and blouses very much now, and, if the blouse is suitable to their years, look quite nice. But on Sundays and high days most mothers like them to wear something a little

different. A white dress is always dainty, but that means only one day’s wear as a rule. I consider both the pattern and the material of the frock illustrated charming. The frock is, moreover, quite easy to make, and will last, far longer than a white one. It is of pink linen, the skirt deeply hemmed with many rows of thick piping, the edges of the crossed bodice and top of the sleeves the same. A vest of lace is worn, made either over pink linen or muslin, and a black or white sash. The pretty hat is of pink straw, trimmed with black tulle, but if the sash is white the hat should also be trimmed with white, though black looks smart and wears longer. This little frock would be durable and pretty in voile, alpaca, cashmere, tussore silk or Lolland, as there are no “fal-'nls” to get torn or crumped. Black dresses are very much in favour, made of all serfs of ariy fabrics such as moussel'ne, point d’esprit net, our old friend grenadine, the lightest of voiles, and so forth, made over foundations of thin trfleta. This is a pleasing fashion fir those who are no longer in their premiere jeunesse, or for those whose figures are more advantages usly gowned in sombre colours

LIGHT AND FLUFFY. Two costumes of a charming summery appearance are shown in this sketch. One is of soft' flowered organdie in pale green, with mauve flowers made on white silk mull and having a. wide lavender satin sash and a. white muslin fichu ruffled all round. The hat is of sunburnt manila, with a curving brim. It is trimmed with great masses of white silk mull. The other gown is of white china silk, combined with deep ecru lace, the lace forming the entire bodice with bretelles of white satin.

The hait. is of green straw, trimmed with ecru gauze and four black wings starting from a diamond buckle. In the remaining sketch are shown two of the smartest shirt waists. One is of white linen of a dead white heavy quality, and it is made as simply and severely us posible with three box plaits back and front alike and tightfitting sleeves with little cuffs. The collar and belt are of plain bue linen, the buckle even being covered with Niue linen. The combination of starched blue and white is dainty and fresh looking. The other shirt waist is more dressy, being of fine figured lawn in black and' yellow, with ruffles and fold of white cambric down the front, white collar, cuffs, and tie.