MISS COLONIA IN LONDON

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVII, Issue II, 13 July 1901, Page 88

MISS COLONIA IN LONDON

CONFIDENCES TO HER COUSIN S ACROSS THE SEA. MINTS t»N THE LATEST FASHIONS. LONDON. May 24. My Dear Cousins, —Lilacs and laburnums line our Chelsea Road this week, and the gardens before the Hospital for Old Pensioners are fragrant with purple and white blossoms, and gay with the golden rain, as the Germans call it. So you see summer is a-com-ing in. But I have noticed little change in the summer frocks, and my blue foulard that I got three years ago is quite as fashionable in design and material as it was when I first put it on. Of cotirse there are manypretty creations to be seen in mauve and heliotrope in panne, crepe, voile and other soft materials. Grey in various shades is popular, but undoubtedly THE REGNANT COLOUR JUST NOW IS A PALE BLUE IN PASTEL TONE. A 1 00. l m i i>l .il-- sis are seen

in thin materials, although they not quite so numerous as the prop! led us to expect. The pleats in sou.e cases cover the skirt from waist to foot, the bodice being pleated to match. In others they are very minute, and run downwards from the waist in lines of varyinglength only a few reaching to the lev.l of the knees. This is the ease in the dainty- dress of white crepe de chine worn by Miss Ellaline Terriss in “Sweet and Twenty.’’ Bound the hem there is a trimming of raised flowers in chiffon. The wide bell sleeves are trimmed in the same way, nnd the chiffon roses appear again upon the square cut revers of the blouse bodice, which is ornamented with the same fine tucks as those on the skirt. The becom ng black velvet belt is made in a semiSwiss shape. In her hand Miss Terriss carries a large straw hat trimmed with clusters of purple roses and tied with black velvet ribbon strings. Some .

EXCEPTIONALLY* SMART AND ARTISTIC DRESSES

are to be seen at the theatres just now. The one that took my fancy most was the lovely chrysanthemum evening gown that suits Miss Jessie Bateman so well in the “Man from Blankley’s.” Over a lining of pale blue silk, there is a dress of ivory-white mousseline de soie, painted with clusters and sprays of large chrysanthemums in golden brown and tawny yellow, with decorative foliage in soft grey green. The chrysanthemums trail all over the bodice and skirt. R mud the feet there is a soft frou-frou, composed of innumerable little frills of pole blue chiffon. On the right shoulder there is a strap of diamonds by way of an apology for a sleeve, while on the other there are two little draperies of black tulle, with a black tulle chon and a knot of ivory white lace. Drooping from the left shoulder there is a long trail of chrysanthemums.

Another charming evening dress is that worn by M ss Alary Moore in the last act of “Rebellious Susan.’* It is of tucked white chiffon with frills of cream lace round the hem. and long lines of silver paillette embroidery running from waist to hem. and a pretty- contrast of colour on the bodice, between the pink of the carnations, fastened on one side, and the knot of soft turquoise blue satin on the other.

The waistband is also of turquoise blue satin.

Tn “M heels Within Wheels’’ Miss Alice de Winton appears in a delicate gown of ivory-white crepe de chine, with wide insertions of white lace upon the long clinging skirt, painted with clusters of pale pink roses, and outlined with narrow bands of gold galon. Round the feet there is a froufrou of chiffon frills, and at the waist a deep Empire belt of pompadour chine ribbon, fastened at the back with three diamond buttons. The bodice, which is trimmed with ehoux of pink Oriental satin, centred with diamond ornaments. has a deep collar of the painted lace, and soft transparent sleeves of ivory-white chiffon, drawn into a band of gold galon at the wrist. In the third act she is garbed in that pale blue cloth which is now the colour. Her dress is flounced near the hem and cut with a corselet bodice of cloth, frilled in with a transparent chemisette and long full sleeves of cream lisse and lace insertion. Her large toque is of cream crinoline, the brim frilled with lace and turned off the hair, with elusters of pale yellow roses and green leaves. To complete the costume there is a charming little bolero coat of pale blue velvet, with quaint bell sleeves, trimmed with bows of soft blue satin. THE MOST POPULAR TRIMMINGS are cretonne embroideries, with a good deal of tinsel to lighten them up. Ruffles are very much to the fore at the moment, particularly those made of large silk rose and poppy petals. The back takes more the form of a small cape than the old-fashioned ruffle running simply round the neck. Many have chiffon mingled with the petals. Others are composed of chiffon, edged with narrow gathered ribbon. HATS ARE NOW AS FLAT AS PANCAKES. In fact, some of the newest Watteans and Lanibulles that you non see in the Regent-street windows are simply

a dinner plate iu. straw, garlanded i a wreath of flowers. Others reJed me of nothing so much as the quaint saucer - like headgear of the Chinese troops at the Jubilee. One Tom calls the sandwich hat, because, while it is turned up at the back, it has a double brim in front, between which is ranged, sandwich-like, a row of roses or other flowers. A new shape is the tricorne, or Marquise, and is simply a repetition of. the threecornered hat of last century. The material of all these hats is straw, which is sometimes of the burnt species, sometimes fine satin, or else chip,’Tuscan or Leghorn. Many of the twisted toques that make good travelling hats are either composed entirely of or decorated with spotted foulards, dark blue or dark red, with a simple bow of foulard and a couple of quills, spotted in the same way as the foulard. But to my mind the most becoming and simplest hat is a plain garden hat in burnt straw, narrow at the back, but with a broad brim, curving over the forehead. On the bandeau of black velvet in front are clusters of red and gold nasturtiums, which are taking the place of the now somewhat stale hydrangea. The same flower

forms the trimming of the brim. Th# crown is threaded through with black velvet ribbon, which is finished oft with a bow at the back. A similar arrangement, with a bow of scarlet ribbon and scarlet geraniums, was equally effective. Geraniums and pelargoniums in scarlet and jink go particularly well with burnt straw. A good many flowers are being used this season which hitherto have not been much seen. Pale blue and pink convolvuluses were arranged with rather dainty effect on a white rice straw hat, the brim of which, slightlyturned back, was draped with white chiffon (on which were painted convolvuluses), interspersed with the same flowers. Very picturesque and popular are the clusters of red, brown and gold berries on the upper and lower edges of the brim, which has as its only other ornament a chou of black or green velvet. Cherries are frequent, but too heavy to be attractive, while the clusters of tiny blossoms such as pink and white hawthorn or yellow and white jasmine, which meet the eye everywhere, are too trivial to-produce a good effect. White and black marguerites and black roses are always neat and never out of fashion.