THE WORLD OF FASHION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue VI, 10 February 1900, Page 284

THE WORLD OF FASHION.

“My tailor” is now as familiar a phrase with ladies as “my dressmaker,” for the tailor-made eoat and skirt are permanent institutions now in the wardrobe of womankind. A matter of no mean importance is to be satisfactorily suited with a tailor of perfect tit and of moderate charges—a union of qualities so rare. If, however, a tailor can be found whose terms are reasonable, and whose tractability is such that he will listen to the description his fair patron gives him, he is a jewel well worth knowing. For the benefit of my readers who would be tailor-made par excellence, and yet cannot afford a lavish expenditure, a number of suggestions have been gleaned from the very best authority. First of all, the skirts are to be long, dipping in demi-train behind. They will be fitted glove-tight round the hips. Coats are to be tightly-fitting, and two small pockets are cut in below the waist in front Horn buttons in two rows deck the. fronts of double-breasted eoats. Singlebreasted coats, fastening straight down the front, will often be left unbuttoned, to disclose a doublebreasted vest in some brilliant colour, such as scarlet, burnt-orange, or turquoise blue.

This is a linen dress trimmed with bands of the same, anil prettily arranged so that the bodice has a slight basque. Roth the bodice and skirt are decorated with narrow bands of silk braid, fastened across and fixed with tiny Hat gilt buttons.

TUCKED AND HEMSTITCHED LAWN IS IN HIGH REPUTE.

One criterion of a good dressmaker is the art she expends upon the back view of her toilettes. It looks as if we should soon have to consider these with rather more diligence than heretofore. Regard for example the dress sketched from a beautiful model which hails from Vienna. It is very elaltorate in design, and yet the tout ensemble is simplicity. The little white tucked and hemstitched bodice is almost covered by the Princess robe of the palest dove cloth appliqued with large white

By

motifs, finely stitehed upon the cloth. These and the edge of the tunic look like ivory, and like motifs also trim with great profusion the otherwise quite.plain front of the robe. Two little buttons define the waist, and there are others to hold down the velvet strappings that apparently support the tunic robe. These are of plain polished ivory, one of the latest freaks in fancy buttons.

A eharming toilette designed by one. of our most exclusive modistes is shown in this figure. It was of lint brown holland as to skirt, and short Eton jacket, with a bordering of some two inches wide of dark blue silk embroidery edging jacket, and having two lines running dewn the skirt. The under Shirt was of very pale blue silk with tiny tucks from top to but tom. This design might be very s' e eessfully carried out in cashmere, still retaining the tucked silk ahirt which is so dainty and dressy. The adapting of the preceding little velvet coat, might be successfully achieved in less extravagant, materials. A brown velveteen, for instance, with cream silk revers, or a gre-n cloth with green silk revers, would he both stylish and picturesque, the lace jabot and froufrou being retained in either case.

MARGUERITE

A USEFUL TOILET

An all-absorbing topic now — the War—is even affecting our fashions. Red is predominating as a colour. Hussar trimmings are obtaining, and the latest hat shape is the “New South Wales,” a reproduction of the gallant Lancers’ headgear of that ilk. This figure is a sketch from one of the models in question, which are being shown in all coloured felts, with various shades of coq plumes. The base of the crown is completed by crossed bands of ribbon the same colour as the felt, a flat knob of which fastens the plume behind the turnedup side of the brim. Our model is entirely of rifle green. The extremely pretty idea of hand-painted fabrics for gowns is now being applied to felt and velvet hat shapes, a spray of flowers being artistically fixed on the

high crown or broad brim by the dainty and capable brushes of lady flower painters, who are happily finding an active means of adding to slender means in a very pleasant way. Revers and cuffs to tailor-made gowns are also receiving this pretty decoration.

FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON IT IS JUST THE THING.

I think it so often happens at this st ason of the year that one wants a special type of evening gown, one that is not an evening toilette, if you follow my meaning. A friend asks us to dine with her and her husband just “en famille,” or we are asked to grace a children’s party, or to go to a very quiet concert. Here is just what we want.

A sweet little demi-toilette of cashmere or voile, delicately embroidered on the front of the skirt nnd side of the bodice with that pretty white lace that has a black cord run through it.

The velvet revers are decorated to match, and a wired lace collar stands up at the back. A black chiffon sash

drawn through a paste Vickie completes the details of an elegant costume. It eould be carried out effectively in any other colour, such as pale blue, rose, or rose pink.

• • • WORK FOR BUSY FINGERS.

TWO USEFUL MODELS THAT ARE WORTH THE ATTENTION OF THE NEEDLEWOMAN.

A few suggestions as to the materials of which it would be a good plans to compose the smart shirt shown in the skethch below should be of service. Great are the possibilities of the flannels for the coming autumn. They are smart, warm, and the very opposite of their dowdy predecessors.

A few years ago a flannel shirt spelt all that was distressingly homespun, but now, with the addition of a lace vest, such as the one in the picture shows, mounted t.cr silk, or a silk one without any lace, flannel achieves quite a smart bodice. There should be some handsome buttons on a garment of this sort to give it a special cachet, and the shops are showing some marvellously smart crystal ones in delicate colours, with gold wire running through them to make them look as if they were stitched on to the fabric by its means. Velvet bindings and sleeve straps are also conducive to smartness.

The picture was made from a gown of leaf green with a pattern in the softest cedar brown. The lace trimming used toned with the cedar, and the hat and its floppy strings were

of the same soft shade of brown with green leaf trimmings and pale blue flowers. The big bow on the bodice finished it very prettily.

MOURNING IN SUMMER. A GREATER CHOICE OF FABRICS THAN FORMERLY.

Condemned to wear “black” in hot weather! How sincerely one used to sympathise with those whom bereavement forced to such an unpleasant necessity. Now it it is quite wasted sympathy that pities anyone who must don the garb of woe. One may be very grieved for the cause, but there are fabrics so cool and of such light weight, instead of the once heavy paramattas and the ugly bombazines, that no one need go about in

discomfort any longer. Moreover, no toilette can be made more truly becoming than the black or black and white gown. Black gauze over white silk, with straps of black ribbon or crepe, and a vest of white lisse, worn with a white chip hat lined with black gauze and trimmed with white poppies and a big black paradise plume, is pictured here. It is a graceful mourning gown, and withal a light and eminently cool one. But it might equally well serve as a model for a dress in colours.