THE WORLD OF FASHION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue XX, 19 May 1900, Page 956

THE WORLD OF FASHION.

By

MARGUERITE

11l girls’ dresses the fashions now followed are to some extent similar to those adopted by their elder sisters. In taking* note of some new styles for young* girls’ froeks we must again emphasize what we have said, more than once before, about the beauty and excellence of simplicity. It is not. in good taste to put much trimming on young girls' dresses. There is a general preference for bright colours, ami this may be indulged, as gay hues are befitting the season of youth; but simple modes of making frocks are always to be preferred. It may be said that the fashions tor girls were never prettier than they now are, and never so simple and easy to copy, making it possible for the amateur dressmaker, especially when supplied with a good pattern, to produce very charming* effects, with

comparatively little labour. Braided golf capes and cloth coats are the wraps that now engage motherly attention. A girls' school cape falls nearly to her dress hem; slopes away a trifle in front, has a collar so high it serves as a small second cape when turned back, and broad and narrow braid in a Bourbon pattern, running down the back, up the front, and stiffening the borders. Girls have a liking for brown, red and green coats, showing cuffs, collars and long front revers of light-toned plaid. The smart walking coat for the season is a perfect box shape, the seams strapped, and then stitched, and the buttons broad enamelled discs. Another favourite shape is the three-quarter length automobile jacket in Amazon cloth. A fashion journal assures us that young girls now adopt the tailormade. Most of these little gowns are made with a gored skirt, which flares at the bottom, but is unt rimmed, and a double-breasted

coat of medium length, fastened with gilt buttons. Except for the buttons these coats are quite plain, but the little maid should have several sets of revers, which can be buttoned over cloth lapels. They add very much to the appearance of the gown, and quite change its character for various occa-

sions. Silk hats adorned with feathers and in shape a decided poke, tied under the chin by broad strings, are what the milliners have prepared for the young ladies. ’These, of course, will be the hats for special occasions, while for school wear the rather flat crowned, wide brimmed felts are popular, having the brim edges bound with ribbon, and the decoration effected with soft twilled silk handkerchiefs. through which broad-plumed quills are thrust, © © ® Having provided a coat and skirt for the grown-up portion of my readers, which has been so very popular. 1 thought a special offer of the same kind of costume on a smaller scale might he equally useful and appreciated. The costume will he found very neat and serviceable, made up in any woollen material, though to my mind nothing exceeds the usefulness and neatness of a good navy blue serge. The pattern is suitable for girls from ten to twelve or fourteen years of age. and w ill taL * 3*] yards of 45inch material. The coat is almost of the sacqne order at the back, this being both simple and becoming. © ® (?) GREY ( LOTH AX’D ASTRACHAX. The sale season is a particularly happy period for the practical mater of many small folks, for whom “short lengths" (which always prove too short to hr any real use for grown ups) are more often than not most useful; and some quite dazzling results often follow the purchase of some of these same lengths, both for smarter wear and knockabout school wherewithal. Kilted skirts make very

pretty wear for children, and are so easy to make. A suggestion for a satisfactory little coat and skirt for a seven or eight year old maiden is given in this figure, and might be applied to some of the recently acquired bargains. This is a suit of grey cloth; the skirt kilt-

ed, the coat cut a semi-sac, lined with red silk, and edged very narrowly with grey astraehan, not as a bordering, but to suggest the edge of a lining, the revers, collar and euffs with muff being of the same grey astraehan. A grey felt round shaped hat is trimmed with a broad band of poppy red velvet, a rosette of the same

holding two grey quills on the left left side. This is a delightful little toilette, which would last well on to cotton and cambric in coming. The bodice to skirt is just a full blouse shape, with full sleeves, and velvet collar, euffs and waist band. ® © Grannie bonnets are certainly coming to the fore again for little maids. When a fashion of any kind is on the wane it is wonderful how many disadvantages are suddenly discovered in it. in the case of “Grannie’s,” for instance, after a triumphant and long reign amongst all classes we tired at last of them, and it was then all at once found that t-hey were too heavy, and that doctors said they engendered earache, being too warm, and so on, and they have been entirely tabooed for the last couple of years, giving place to the piquant little Dutch bonnets. Whether we are tiring of the latter, or whether the “Grannie" struck deeper root in our affec-

tions than we were aware, and must perforce return to its previous important niche in the juvenile wardrobe.it is impossible to say, but it is certainly making- its reappearance in many directions. One. just recently seen at an indisputable juvenile milliner’s is sketched in this figure. This is brought quite up to date by being on Directoire lines in shape, and to autumnal and early winter demands as to material. It is covered with rich toned green velvet, and lined with pale blue chiffon, a tiny ruche of which edges the brim, top of crown, band round base of same, and ends forming the sole trimming, and which, though stiff, form a novel way of decoration. The strings are of pale blue satin ribbon. ® ® ® I don’t know whether to admire the lio.d-yokes that are so favoured by Madame La Mode now, or not. 1 suppose they have come to alleviate the

too great flatness of our shoulders before tlheir advent*. Though these hoods surround fhe shoulders they do not hide the outline from neck to ellx>w, for now-a-days we are beginning to admire a smooth outline, and

to do away with ugly excrescences and over-much trimming, lie that as it may, on frocks and capes alike they find their way. The example shown you here is t>he design of a. Paris house, and both useful and smart. The material is silver-grey box-cloth, the smoothly-fitting upper part of guipure of soft-satin, the apparent edge of which is turned up all round and knotted, sailojr-wise, in fitonti. The collar is edged with chinchilla. The hem of the cape is twice machined round with silk, and the whole is lined with soft white satin. The hat of grey felt matching the cape in colour is trimmed with soft white feathers and a twist of dark grey velvet. For a smart visiting cape certainly nothing is neater than a little affair like this, and it is not difficult to make. If one attempts to make things like this at home, the best plan is to either sketch the garment chosen as a copy, or cut out a printed sketch, and send it to the pattern department of a dressmaking paper, with instructions to send you a good and accurate pattern, cut to your own measurement. Then, thus fortified, at the cost of about a shilling, quite a mcdesit dressmaker can achieve the rest for you. Another great a.id to home dressmaking is the mannakin modelled to your own figure. On to this facsimile of yourself you can fit and pin your frocks to perfection, but these figures are expensive. especially if fitted with pointed arms, and “skirts to match!” ® ® ® Perfectly plain blouses will be less worn this winter than for many seasons past. An exceedingly pretty example of one of the new blouses is given in the “Halsey.” There are three clusters of fine tucks, in the front and back, running from neck

to belt. The waist is made over a lifted lining, drooping over the belt a trifle in front, and drawn taut at the waist line in the back. The high, shaped collar, the cuffs, belt, ami sleeves are tucked. When lack of material prevents tucking, a very pretty effect can be secured by sewing on clusters of narrow velvet ribbon.

Long coats are putting in a decided appearance, and what we may describe as “picture” coats, to chaperon the

“picture” hats, which will be out much this autumn and winter season. Indeed, dress promises to take an artistic turn for a while, and many picturesque and becoming results may ensue if we can only stop short of excess in the matter; for Madame Fashion is not known to fame for her moderation, and in attempting the artistic in past days, the grotesque and weird only was attained more often than not. A picture coat of very green dark velvet is shown in this figure. This hangs quite straight to the feet from the shoulders, and is cut so as to flow fully round the feet like the skirt of the hour. The revers meet down the centre, and are, with the very high collar, edged with dark sable. Roses ami leaves embroidered in cream and green silk decorate the revers and fronts of the coat, which fastens invisibly dtown the centre. The sleeves are tight-titling to the elbow anil then merge into a bell-shape, edged with dark sable and lined with cream satin. This coat is, of course, one of the exclusive “creations": but it illustrates one of the modes that will be. and as such may serve as a model for the home dressmaker to depart from in the matter of extravagance of material, retaining the style. Hideous reports of the return of the thrice-hideous “Dolman” mantle are afloat. Let any who do not remember this ancient garment in the cloth look

at old fashion and other illustrations of it. and say. if the woman of the present submits to be swathed and guyed in this mantle again, if her claims to advancement, enlightenment, and independence are not an empty boast. The good old proverb of “sufficient for the day,” etc., must ealm our fears on the subject though.