THE WORLD OF FASHION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue V, 1 August 1903, Page 70

THE WORLD OF FASHION.

(By

MARGUERITE.)

The wnole fashion of modern-day inodes trends towards soft and falling draperies, hanging scarves. sashes, tas seis, fringes and girdles. Everything must also be as soft in colour as it is diaphanous in material, and to this doubtless we owe much of our latter-day elegance. Even the feather of the moment droops, instead of standing smartly erect, as it has hitherto done; indeed,

the feather of the moment as often as not falls right over the brim of the hat, and rests lovingly upon the wearer’s shoulder. Strong colours and vivid con-

trasts are now absolutely out of date; instead, if at all, a noticeable colour is chosen for bodice or toilet. Every possible arrangement of lace, frill and fringe is added to soften the whole, and to give to it the shot and subdued colouring

which is now considered the one thing desirable in sartorial modes. ABOI T MILLINERY. There is a whisper of bonnets in the air, and without doubt millinery strings are already with us. Almost all the large hats are supplied with velvet, tulle or ribbon strings of some volume, and certain it is that a big bow tied under the

chin, or set ai one side of the face, is remarkably becoming to almost every type of feature. blower bonnets are very lovely and dressy-looking. while small bonnets of every kind are especially becoming. There is nothing smart in a large bonnet, but now that every head is so extravagantly coiffured there is no doubt that the small bonnet will show up the beauties of the modern-day hairdressing very considerably. Are the new hats to be flat or to exhibit crowns’ There are as many quite flat ones seen as ever, but, be they never so pancake-like, when they are trimmed beneath the brim and raised on rouleaux <>f tulle, flowers or velvet, and worn tilted high up on the head, their aspect from the front face point of view is far from flat. Moreover, the flattest of flat hats are not preventing the crown from appearing. It is creeping up slowly but surely, and is seen in a very novel form upon some specimens of the latest millinery. Quite the prettiest crowns are made of Howers closely bunched together; they are so small that they are aimost lost in the midst o. enormous flat brims. All the same, they are crowns, and they are very charming in effect.

In this column a new departure of the pelerine is shown. It is materialised upon a blouse of champagne-coloured crepe de chine, bordered with Chinese blue silk sewn with pale yellow silk spots.

There is sketched the tiny straw bonnet—or, at least, that is what one naturally would call it. though it is devoid of strings—shewn in this column, made of eabuehons of golden brown straw, black velvet ribbon, black tulle, and at one side a clump of osprey. The shape of this

bonnet recalls to mind those shown in pictures dated quite twenty years agoTo the presen generation they are. of course, absolutiey novel. The picture hat with strings attached is the bonnet of today; therefore it would not be a permissible form of headgear for the event.