THE WORLD OF FASHION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue VIII, 23 August 1902, Page 510

THE WORLD OF FASHION.

(By

MARGUERITE.)

TEA-GOWNS. In the long laee coat, or the picturesque short one, which is worn with the Empire evening frock, anil the tea-gown de luxe, the tall, thin girl of immature charms looks her very best. They, one and all, accentuate the poetry and elegance which are so charming in youth, and at the same time hide the little imperfections and angles which time alone can cure. Of course, as in everything else, we have been somewhat sickened by the hopeless imitations <>f the amateur in the way of tea-

gowns. Let me tell you that the picture frock, in its seeming simplicity, is very difficult to manipulate with any measure of success. Like the picture hat, in its simplicity lies its charm, while its lines are studied and cut by a master hand; every fold has meaning, and so this garment of innate cunning and subtlety can never be the work of the amateur. A NEGLIGEE IS ECONOMICAL. The possession of a negligee is something that should be coveted by every woman. Few there be who do not own a loose robe of some sort.

if not more than the old fashioned wrapper, but this is not enough, for there should be the carefully planned, highly artistic negligee; and there may well be two or three.

The negligee, besides being so very becoming—and who can afford to slight such a consideration as this—is really an economical investment. It saves one’s handsome and more expensive gowns and preserves them flor the occasions for which they were intended.

A woman of much taste in dress confided to a friend that she could wear a tailored suit three times as

long as her neighbours. “The minute I come into the house I take it off,” said she, “and never for an hour do I sit down with it on. In its place, fresh from my best dresser, all scented and beautifully trimmed with lace, I take a negligee—an elegant little affair it is—and with this on 1 feel that I can face the world until it is time to dress for dinner.”

The life of a handsome little house gown, or negligee, is practically unlimited, for it can be worn again and again, then laundered and worn again, until there is not a rag of it left.

TUBBING YOUR GOWNS. Have you ever tried the experiment of tubbing, actually tubbing, your nice room gowns. Do try it, even though they be not recognised as wash goods. Get your druggist to recommend a soap, read carefully the directions upon it and plunge in. When you have dried your gown it will look wofully crumpled to you, but if you will begin with an iron you will be surprised to see how the wrinkles will disappear and freshness come forth. There are very narrow little irons for this purpose, and one can penetrate ribbon loops and lacy flounces with this implement. You will be agreeably surprised to find how many of your goods are washable.

Here is a design for a really smart and pretty dressing-gown, in which one could breakfast if you desired to do so. I think cashmere is as useful and pretty a fabric as one could have. The gown is made long and

loose, held in at the waist with a white washing silk sash, which passes under, not over, the turn-back rever. This rever is continued over the shoulders in the form of a very wide round collar, which, with the hanging angel sleeves, is edged with swansdown.

I am giving you a smart but useful design of a costume to wear in the house during the next few months. The cloth skirt is very long all round, and finished with a deep tucked flounce. The jacket is of ac-cordion-pleated black soft silk, falling loosely from a small lace bertha with a tucked vest and fichu of silk or chiffon, the latter falling in long, cascade ends down the front. The sleeves are accordion-pleated, fuller below the elbow than above, and finished with frills falling over the hands. The best style of tea-gown is that cut a I’Empire, and teajackets of the same period are nice.