THE WORLD OF FASHION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue II, 13 January 1900, Page 92

THE WORLD OF FASHION.

By

MARGUERITE

Beauty is u prerogative of woman, and we all know what dress —if carefully chosen—can do towards enhancing our beauty or hiding our defects. As a matter of fact, the perfect woman is not; and if she were, what a bore the world would be! The very essence of manly appreciation is linked to that supurb, yet fond, condescension with which he regards the adored one. in spite of her faults—“all” her faults, was it not? We, therefore, must be taken as we are, sparkling eyes or dull, pale cheeks or rushy, with our various imperfections on our head. Men, luckily for themselves, are independent of the fatal gift. Given a decent pair of shoulders, a good tailor, and a plain man of Adam may wreak havoc in his generation. But lovely woman must not fail to be. lovely; if she does, the |*enalty is great. Never l»efore in the history of fashion have such exquisite costumes been seen as those designed for 1900. Dainty and Graceful is our motto, graceful frocks, clinging skirts and trailing draperies. The idea of softness is suggested everywhere. We have escaped early Victorian period—the most tasteless epoch in woman's history —of cloth boots and crinolines. Instead, we find ourselves with an army of arts, which may make a very good cause with "pleasing appearance,” and not merely a “peg” for our dressmaker to hang her “latest creations.” ® ® C SEASIDE NOVELTIES. Two prettily arranged gowns are shown in another sketch, and one is a sort of tailor effect in navy blue of a rather faded shade, trimmed with navy blue braid, and combined with navy blue and white striped cloth. The bodice is the most striking thing about the gown, having the front scalloped deeply and buttoned with opaque green buttons, which, by the way, is the latest. Paris fad. Another odd feature is the little capes or collars which set out over the shoulders ami are of the spotted cloth. Where the gown opens at the throat it is filled in by a black velvet stock. The hat is a smart affair of green straw with bows and loops of navy blue gauze folded over the featherbone. The other gown is of black and tan coloured canvas. The main part of the gown is tan colour and the collar and skirt beneath the tunic are of tan, spotted in black and bordered by narrow rows of black velvet riblam. The bodice has the new box tucks running down the body, and it is fastened with tiny turquoise buttons. In the remaining sketch are shown a handsome redingote costume and a young miss’s frock. The redingote costume is of sage green with let-in tucked pieces of lavender silk and a front of black and white spotted cloth. There are large crystal and gold buttons on each side. The girl’s froek is of slate blue combined with red and black spotted ••loth and frilled with white taffeta

silk. A white kid Itelt and white silk stock are worn. There are three skirts, all edged with bias folds. The hat is of red straw, trimmed with red silk in large rosettes.

Voile and gauze are quite amiable friends, and the newest gauze, while extremely expensive, is happily tolerably hardy, and lives with more tenacity than the ordinary kind, besides being uncrushable. Have you noticed liow much nosegays are coming in? They certainly help to “furnish” a Princess toilette. ® ® ® A simple graceful tea-gown is revealed in this figure. It is made en Princesse at the back and sides, is trained, and hangs in long soft folds down the front from beneath a dainty bolero of black guipure lace, with high spreading collar of the same. This model was in automobile red satin merv. and a knot of black ribbon velvet finished the bolero at the bust, hanging in long ends below. Fringes are being much employed in Paris on recent models at the big houses, and those of the most unadulterated description. such as our grandmothers affected in the dark ages of the early sixties. It is only the ultra stylishlybuilt woman who will carry these off successfully. For the ordinary woman they must spell dowdiness in capital letters.

The Princess gown, for indoor wear, is a good specimen of the prevailing taste for this graceful style. The original was of the newest shade of heliotrope silk-warp canvas. The yoke and epaulette part of the sleeves were of tucked silk and lace, bordered with fine applications of lace edged on one side with fine black velvet, and on the other with narrow black and white frilling. Three rows of a similar trimming appear on the slightly trained skirt, while the whole robe is laced up the back. It is easy to see that this design lends itself to many modifications. Thus, for evening wear, or semi-dress occasions, a black velvet or good velveteen would be both useful and becoming, the yoke being transparent and composed of jetted net or white lace. Eor a tall and slender figure there is nothing more graceful and dignified than a Princess robe, and certainly no design could, be more comfortable or more in accordance with the laws both of art and hygiene. ® ® ® The girl of twelve or sixteen, usually so ill-provided for by fashion’s dictates. is just now very well catered for in the pretty frocks and blouses of the moment. It is, I think, imperative that we should dress our growing daughters neatly, prettily and in an up-to-date style, as they are usually very sensitive on the matter of dress, and it is as well that they should be accustomed to pretty, neat clothes, and to know how to keep them neat and in good order. They are far less likely to.over indulge in dress later on if this

plan is kept to. I saw some particularly nice frocks made for a family of daughters recently. For a little girl of twelve there was one of the timehonoured sailor suits of blue serge, but the kilt of this boasted three little

® ® ® edgings of pale blue braid on the hem, and the breadth in front was unpleated and fairly wide. This dress was made with a closely-fitting waistcoat or vest inside of pale blue cloth, and the single-breasted square-cut reefer coat bore a collar of pale blue edged with pale blue braid. Another pretty frock of a very different style was of red cashmere with a white silken spot all over it. The full bebe bodice was gathered round a yoke of shirred muslin by means of two rows of narrow velvet ribbon run in and out of the

cashmere and tied in bows on the shoulders, and red velvet formed the belt. A third frock for a girl of some fifteen years of useful and yet charming detail was of figured grey material, with a plain skirt and blouse bodice, box pleated in front, and trimmed with, two groups of five cordings either side. A broad turned-over collar and cuffs to match of white washing silk, prettily hem-stitched, and a bow of darker grey velvet tied at the throat, the same velvet at the waist, made a charming and distinctive touch. The

frock I am showing you is of Venetian red serge, the large collar and sailor’s knot tie of velvet in a darker shade of red, the cuffs and belt of the same, whilst the changeable vest is of red foulard silk spotted with white. ® ® ® I have given a useful pattern for combinations; for so many folk prefer the combined garments to separate chemise and drawers, that I fancy I shall be supplying a much-felt want. Here the picture really describes itself for it is so clearly sketched, and the general arrangement of the garment is too well-known to need any words

of mine upon the subject. This garment may be made as much more elaborate as any individual may desire, by the introduction of trimming in the way of lace frills and bands of insertion set perpendicularly across the upper front of this comfortable garment. i i