THE WORLD OF FASHION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVI, Issue VI, 9 February 1901, Page 280

THE WORLD OF FASHION.

By

MARGUERITE

ELDERLY WOMEN. Perpetual youth has become such a recognised watchword now-a-days, that in dealing with frocks and furbelows one has no longer an intermediate phase to deal with. It was, we think, Mrs. Brown-Potter who recently said that there was no middleage now —that people were either old or young—and the force of this view’ of the age question up-to-date will be appreciated by most of our readers. But a short time back, young men of five-and-twenty to thirty would have looked upon women of five-and-thirty with the tolerating interest they would extend to their aunts; now they marry women of fifty with effusion.

Complaint is often made when new styles are exhibited that few costumes among them are at all becoming or suitable for elderly women to wear, and, although the times have certainly changed in so far that women now dress at 65 very much as

they do at 40, still many of the more exclusive and conspicuous fashions are certainly inappropriate for women who have passed their first youth. The old lady of our mothers' time, with her cap and a gown open a little at the throat to show soft folds of tulle, mull, or Brussels net, is now not often seen; but there are still many old ladies who like to dress like old ladies, and yet do not wish to be conspicuously at odds, in this dressing, with the styles of the day. Fashion is now kinder to elderly women than formerly, for the capricious dame permits them to wear a wide assortment of colours, instead of confining them to sober black. Soft greys and purples are quite appropriate for women who are 65 and older. The gown may be very effective in design, quite in keeping with the fashion of the day, and yet have an individuality about it that is very charming. Too many flounces and ruffles are out of place, and the plainer the skirt is made the better. There should be soft folds of the material it-

self, whether it be of cloth, silk or of |ieau de soie, or flat bands o_; passementerie, with or without beads. Trimmings of lace, and even a little applique of cut work on a skirt, are quite permissible; but all trimmings should be laid on flat. The skirts may have the gored front and side breadths, but must be made with a little fullness—not gathers, but fullness —at the top of the front breadth, to allow for the rather larger figure apt to be acquired with the years. A long skirt in the house is altogether the prettiest, but for the street the skirt may be of walking length. Eton jackets, or short jackets of any description, are quite unsuitable for the wear of elderly women. A three-quarter-length, half-fitting, is quite the shortest coat an elderly woman should wear in the street, and, almost without exception, a long coat or cape, which may be, if desired, of the richest material and elaborately trimmed, will be the most becoming to her. This may be in cloak shape long enough to reach nearly to the

bottom of the skirt. The sleeves are not small, and can even be in Bishop shape. There must be a cape collar of chiffon or lace, or, if desired, the yoke may be of passementerie over velvet. The collar should be high and in the flaring style, or, if that is not becoming, a low collar, though still with a slight flare. This collar fastens at the throat with a ribbon bow that has long ends, a broad ribbon beint better than a narrow one.

If a regular walking gown is preferred, the best model to select is one with a plain gored skirt, and with a box-pleat or gathers in the back, and a three-quarter-length, half-fitting coat. The revers of the coat may be of handsome silk, passementerie, or of plain, dull silk, and the best blouse to wear with it is a boned and fitted silk blouse. Silk blouses are not suitable for elderly women to wear. The best styleosdress blouse to wear when a woman is no longer young is one that has a straight front effect in pleated chiffon, lace or mousseline de soie. This permits revers that are

. at the shoulders and taper V „ to a point below the waist, d °'i “ a to the figure. Anthe bl lady, who dresses in t^olt Thow the folds of white Brussels net, The waist of the dress trimmed with binds of the silk put on to give long the skirt plain, trimmed with X’of the Serial. This is for the oW lady who still clings to the fashdifficult as one grows old to choose a becoming bonnet. A °a£e rule to follow is to select a shape lone enough at the sides, rather than rn B of the little round French bonnets, charming with young faces, but incongruous framing those on wh.ch “me has set his mark deeply. There should be some trimming in front, bu? the general effect of the bonne, niu t be low, unless for a woman cf .‘iddle age. who still wears smart clothes, and is socially much in cadence. For her a smaller bonnet with an aigrette or stiff ornament at the side is becoming, but it must always be worn with bonnet strings—a necessity, indeed, for all bonnets for older women. Good bonnets in jetted net and tulle that are quite appropriate for women who are 70 and over 70 years of age are shorn; also bonnets of straw, though the latter are hard to find in desirable shapes. ® ® ® It would be a very simple matter to vary the appearance of such a bodice by the fichu replacing it with a sleeveless zouave of lace held in place by a softly-knotted chiffon tie. Indeed the charms of such a toilette so fascinate me I cannot resist a giving expression to my ideas in sketch, by the side of which will likewise be found a pretty collar which would be found exceedingly useful over a coat, and can be speedily manufactured out of half-a-yard of wide muslin and a yard of prettily-patterned lace. Among some of the newest decorations for the completion of our toilettes are dainty ruffles of chiffon stitched with coloured chenille. The long streamers of chenille which were a short while

ago considered le dernier cri for the further adornment of these ruffles are now regarded as altogether demode, their place being occupied by equally long ends of accordion-pleated chiffon

or net to match the ruffle itself, confined at intervals by a twist of chenille matching that employed at the throat. These ruffles are, however, undeniably expensive and only within the reach of those possessed of a liberal dress allowance. or the girl whose clever fingers compete successfully with and altogether overcome the deficiencies likely to be occasioned by a rather limited income. In spite of the undeniable charm of these dainty ruffles, they do not in my opinion come up to the exquisite ostrich feather boa, as in black, white, or grey they form the happiest and most becoming adjunct of dress, but in the acquisition of such the question of expense is again forced on one’s attention, and in this matter the home worker is altogether at a discount.

ELEGANCE IN THE EVENING.

THE FEATURE OF THE MOMENT IS THE FANCIFUL SLEEVE. Prettily designed bodices for wear during the evening are illustrated below. The sleeves, of course, are made a great point of in both models. In the ones shown on the seated figure mousseline de soie is pleated from the

shoulders to the elbows, and then allowed to fall very full and loose. In the other case the old bell sleeve is used. A deep lace collar decorates one bodice, threaded through with velvet, completed with rosettes in the hollow of each shoulder. In the other case the collar is prettily divided at one side to show a jabot of mousseline de soie belted across with velvet. The tablier makes its appearance very opportunely for evening gowns and is pretty when slit up the back to show the full folds of the gauze petticoat beneath. Imagine a pearl-grey gauze tablier covered with embroideries of the narrowest black ribbon over a plain gauze petticoat. It is noticeable now that black lace and ribbon are being very much used, an indication of the coming autumn, and to mark a contrast to the white lace that has been so universally seen. <S> ® ® The necessary expansion of the house which occurs when the children grow up often introduces a very troublesome problem to the mind of the economical materfamilias. Of course, the doing away with the nursery rooms helps a little, but the wherewithal for the furnishing of this extra room is

no small part of the difficulty. No, I ani not going to recommend packing cases. The possibilities of the pack-ing-case have been nearly if not quite exploited. So on this occasion the packing'case is going to have a rest, though the ingenuity of the feminine mind will not be allowed to slumber also, for it is going to be devoted to the

consideration of the daughter’s dress-ing-table. This dressing-table for the girl just growing up shall be as dainty and comfortable as possible, though it may not be within your power to mark the one you would like in a catalogue. and order it to be sent home. Well, suppose we have to do with an old deal table which may have served its time as a work table. By means of a strip of linen, a little planning, and a little time, we shall male it into quite a nice toilet table, not very big. it is true, but if it is not large enough to take the looking-glass, we may be able to suspend the glass, if a small plain one, on a nail on the wall behind, and then the table top will be available for other things. Such a cheap but common little table as this has of course no convenience in the way of drawers. The linen cloth is the chief consideration. This must be, of course, just the width of the table, but as to length you must be guided by the size ’of the table. Suppose we take it as being some 28 inches long. A pocket is made at either end by turning up some 9 inches of the linen. The upper edge of the pocket should be sloped slightly towards the centre, so

that it may be a curved and not a square opening. Before sewing up the pockets at the sides, the top should “be lumnd with a pretty, fancy washing gimp, or, failing that, a crosa-stitoh

pattern executed in ingrain cotton has a pretty effect, the same trimming being carried along both sides of the cloth lengthwise after the pockets are tacked up. The deep fringe should match the gimp, or else a frill of the material can be used to adorn the bottom edge of each pocket, the centre being ornamented by an applique cut out of a patterned cretonne, this being a quick way of producing a decorative effect. The same applique is continued along the front of the cloth. The way people proceed to apply such designs is to cut with great exactness from a cretonne of bold design and bright hue; this cut pattern should be firmly’ pasted on to the background. and when quite dry, the edges must be concealed by buttonholing or fancy feather stitching. These two deep pockets will contain brushes, combs, curling tongs, and all the items of the toilet table, and serve to keep them tidy’ and freer from dust than if they were allowed to lie on the table.

A delightfully’ fresh and pretty fashion has crept into our houses of late years, and that is the making of summer covers for the sofa cushions. It is a blithe moment whan the housewife has finished her summer cleaning

and has array’ed her sitting-room in fresh curtains and covers, and when the cushions are also freshened up with dainty summer inusjin covers. For the making of a muslin cover such as that depicted here a striped muslin is necessary, and it should be as clear as possible, so that the colour of the cushion may show through, and then at each join of the stripe a little embroidered pattern is worked in feather stitch, of which the detail is also given here. The box-pleated frill is then fulled round, buttons are put on, and buttonholes made, and your cover is complete and ready to be slipped over the cushion. This is a particularly rapid and effective way of embroidering a cushion cover, two facts which are certain to ensure its popularity. These muslin covers look best over pale blue, yellow, green, and nink cushions, as the colour shows through prettily.