Messrs, McCullagh & Gower,s Up-to-Date Establishment, Auckland.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue XIX, 7 November 1903, Page 42

Messrs, McCullagh & Gower,s Up-to-Date Establishment, Auckland.

How tiino flies! and how some Auckland businesses progress’ Two years ago I sat down to write for readers of the "Graphic” seine account of the improvements ami additions which Messrs. MeI'ullagh and Gower had made to their premises. yet so fast has time sped that 1 hough this >vems but yesterday, ami the business of t la* firm has so still further increased literally by leapsand bounds that further and most extens.vc ; iterations have recently been carried out, improvements which seemed almost impossible, but which have nevertheless come to pass, and which after the expenditure of some £3OOO leaves 1 he firm with an establishment of unequalled appearance in the colony, and which might certainly grace any of the great shopping thoroughfares of the French or English Metropolis. The huge plate glass windows, with their brightly shining brass and gun metal name plates, are more handsome than anything hitherto seen in our part of the world, and travellers and tourists who see them in a city of 60,0(10 inhabitants may be excused if they rub their eyes and wonder if they are realty 13.000 miles from Kegent-street or Piccadilly. At the invitation of the firm my friend Cicely and I attended an evening "At Home’’ show inspection on Tuesday last. The establishment. which was brilliantly lighted ami beautifully decorated for the occasion, was crowded, and then- must, during the (‘veiling, have been present fully 3000 visitors. Meredith’s orchestra played a charming selection of music, and wandering round the huge establishment examining the host of beautiful things in every department. we spent as delightful an evening as women fond ( f pretty things could d<>. Let me first tell you that the enormous show windows. the largest plates of plate glass in the colony. 1 believe, are most beautifully dressed. One is arranged as a fashionable draw-ing-room. with several superbly dressed models artistically grouped: while in the other is a most effective display of dress goods, etc., arranged with infinite skill, and good taste. Auckland used to be notorious for poor window dressing, but this firm are leading the way in

changing all that. However, unless I begin at the first counters we came to and go right on. I shall never finish. Our first stopping was at the glove counter, which has always been one in which this firm has taken a special pride. The newest things we saw were the Milanese silk finished gloves in the new champagne colour at 2/6. which have (piite taken the place of the imitation swedes. I also noticed some cool-looking open-work lace gloves and mittens, but the things that particularly attracted our attention were the washing gloves in really good white kid which were marked 4/11, and which are quite a different class of thing to the old fashioned <•1 unisy affairs which were certainly cheap, but which spoil even the prettiest hands. Having disposed of our hands we began to think of our feet, and examined a most complete selection of the daintiest stockings both in open work and embroidery. From here we naturally gravitated To the lace counter, and well! I really don’t knowhow I am going to do justice to the extrordinarily line display set out before us. It made us both break the Tenth Commandment over and over again, and wish for the purse of a millionaire; though, as a fact, many of the very pretty collars and vests, and in fact all the odds and ends which a woman loves, were far from extravagant. The variety of lace nowadays is really amazing. Amongst the most noticeable being the renaissance, sautache, point d’Arabe.bruges and guipure. Personally. I fell in love with an exquisite point d’Arabe cape collars which certainly did not seem dear at 19/11. while Cicely was more extravagant, and hankered after a lovely renaissance creation, which was 59/6 and all things considered not dear at that. Most of these and the choicer collars were displayed in a very effective crystal glass counter, which is a decided feature of the establishment, and immediately carries one back to the smartest of Regent-street emporiums. The same profusion in variety is found in the laces and insertions for trimmings, of which we were told one shipment had already been disposed of. while there is <>n show at present the loveliest collection imaginable, which arrived by the Ixaramea; but these are disappearing so quickly that a further order has been cabled, which will be fulfilled before Christmas. A special feature for this year is the hand punched and embroidered lace flouncing, which is ex-

ceedingly beautiful, but somewhat expensive. the !:n? t specimens costing up to 39/6 a yard, though beautiful designs can be bought at 12/6- The tiichia lace is also a decided novelty. Models of the real Howers hanging down, and very attractive indeed is a mixture of Teneriffe and guipure cunningly finished with coloured dots. We both wanted for mother some of the exquisite real Maltese lace, which is effectively displayed in a glass counter. Silk yak lace, in champagne, black and white, will be sure to become popular, and Is far from expensive, while the black and white drop ornaments are very uncommon and (piite new. The continued popularity of the Oriental embroideries is. by the way. evidenced by the heavy stock there is to choose from. I must not forget the very latest idea in the shape of “judge collars.” which are exceedingly fetching, the one T noticed particularly being composed of chiffon and lace with ermine tails. Before leaving this department I may mention the number of patent leather belts in black, and collars which are to bp all the rage this year. We next made our way to the show* rooms, passing en route the parasol and umbrella department. The newest things here were in floral glace silk, and also some plain with the daintiest of borders in matching colours. Tussore silk ones. T may say. still keep their popularity. The show-rooms are. as you probably know, downstairs since the improvements and alterations, and really excellent taste has been displayed in the arranging thereof. There is a grateful absence of overcrow cling of models. One can see the goods displayed with comfort. Blouses are mere fashionable, and T certainly think more beautiful, than ever. The most charming are of softest white silks with insertions of ecru or other laces iand chiffon, Ore which particularly caught my L...ey was of delicately fine white crepe de chine, with lace embroidered latticework insertion and motifs. Others in exquisitely pleated thin silks with ecru insertions were almost equally attractive. and the choice was (piite distract* ingly wide, for one was always discovering one which seemed more lovely than the last. The prices run from about 15/ to £2 2/, so all purses are. after all. catered for. Some exceedingly pretty spotted silk blouses also attracted Cicely, but her heart went out most.

1 think, to the delaine blouses which are really very smart and chic, and (piite astonishingly cheap. With their dainty insertions, medallions, yokes, and sleeve cuffs of lace and chiffon, they are indeed effective and they are pre. curable from 7/11, at which price 1 saw several really charming ones in floral patterns. Amongst the very latest things in this department are the new coats, mainly in the inevitable champagne tint, which, by the way, varies considerably in shade, there being several tones of the same. These were the smartest of the smart, and have only' just been landed from the Karamea. They are all beautifully finished, and mostly with stole ends and Oriental embroidery. One which 1 much coveted was of champagne canvas voile over rich rustling silk, elegant lace collar and chiffon stole ends and cuffs. The price was beyond my purse, being £5 19/. but it was hard to resign it. for considering the quality and work it was certainly not dear. Another beauty was in palest grey summer cloth, with elaborately stitched turn-back collar and cuffs of gauntlet shape, and drop ornaments and fancy stole ends, a most uncommon and distingue garment, and luxuriantly lined with silk. .Jackets in crash and linen there were in profusion too, and as showing how up-to-date we are getting, some long motor car coats in crash, with fashionable San 'Loy sleeves and large brass buttons—most imposing-looking affairs really. Thev would make ideal dust cloaks.’ The full costumes in crash and linen were full of temptation to both Cieel v and I: they look fresh, clean, and just the latest thing, and ought to wear like the proverbial nails. Thev can be had from 17/6 up to 49/. excellent ones ranging between these prices. UNDERLINEN. On the right of the show room is the underlinen counter, and here was a billowy and dazzling white display of exquisite torchon and muslin underskirts, aritstically arranged and in the utmost profusion. How beautifully they do make these things nowadays, and at prices .which would have seemed impossible even a few years ago. Every season our under garments seem to be daintier, and the designs more perfect. Some lovely petticoats in pile soft Japanese washing silk, with broad lace insertion

and flounces, struck us as particularly rich and sumptuous, and yet we were assured they would wash and wear to a marvel. Dressing gowns and dressing jackets were also seen here, and one in blue particularly attracted by fancy, it so combined a smart “dressed” appearance with absolute ease and comfort. Close by were the fixtures for corsets in the American La Vida. P.D., C. 8., and several others in straight fronts, on which there is such a great run. Mere, too, we saw the children’s coats and bonnets, of which McCullagh and Cower have quite made a specialty, and in which they have some very pretty and most uncommon designs. But naturally our eyes —as what woman’s eyes would not, turned to the millinery counters, which are placed at the extreme end of the show room on either side of a handsome glass case, containing the most expensive and choice goods. Here are shown a very wide variety of the latest Paris and London creations. The “Country Girl” shape is all the rage, and we noticed several of very attractive appearance. A particularly uncommon one was of black and white straw, trimmed across the top and under the brim with bunches of the green fancy grass, with black seed pods. There are also a line choice of black picture hats, trimmed and untrimmed. Another counter was devoted entirely to burnt straw hats, trimmed in poppy red in flowers of various sorts, ribbons and chiffon. My fancy centred on a perfect picture of a hat with lovely poppies on the tinder side of the brim, most cunningly and becomingly placed, and with whole bunches of buds on the top: but Cicely was captivated by one almost equally pretty, in which cherries played the dominant part. Certainly it is a very chic affair. One of the new poke bonnets, with tiny rosebuds and green leaves, was very effective, and also we coveted more than one of the lovely toques in ehiffon and straw, particularly one of blue ehiffon and straw, with a blue floral crown, finished with a black osprey. Trimmed hats,_ by the way, run from about 12/C to 59/6. We now wended our way to the DRESS DEPARTMENT, passing on our way a stand of mantles for both old and young, the fashionable pelerines being greatly in evidence. Some of the work on the mantles was really lovely, the lattice-work embroidery and the accordion-pleated chiffon evidently being in high favour this season, as are also the dainty little coatees.

It would be manifestly impossible to even give an indication of the number and prices of the materials which literally reach from floor to ceiling in this portion of the building. Every possible material which the invention of manufactures has placed on the market, from the richest of silks and exclusive robes, to the most reasonable prints, in dainty designs, at but a few pence a yard, are here. One or two only of the newer lines can be specialised, and this most briefly. For those who have ample pin-money the chine silks and tussores, at from 2/11 a yard, will most appeal, as will also the exclusive robes, of which there is a fine choice. A cream voile, with black border, and single dress lengths in various shades of bordered voile, which run from 49/6 to 72/, are worthy of special notice. Grass lawns are nearly as popular as ever, the flaked variety being the latest thing. A whole counter and table are devoted to delaines, which are both pretty and inexpensive. They comprise every conceivable design in spots, floral, threaded with imitation black lace insertion, and selfcolours with borders. They run from 10? d to 2/11, and cotton ones from 6fd to A special novelty, specially im-

ported, are the soie de brines, with a silk mercerised finish, at 1/01 per yard; and this is really one of the cheapest things we saw. Crashes and linens, both flaked and plain, are stocked in great variety, and quite new things are the French Octavia linens, 47 inches wide, at 2/8 a yard, and the Connaught crashes in different shades. Then there are voiles from 1/3J to 5/11 a yard, in black, spots, flaked, colours and cheeks. Canvases, crepe de chines, fancy tweeds, summer cashmere of a silk and wool mixture, the new San Toy cloth, and a host of other materials far too numerous to mention make up a collection from which even the most exacting shoppers could surely make a selection to their choice. THE MANCHESTER DEPARTMENT. This more homely, but useful, department we found fully stocked with a fine display of linens direct from Belfast, drills, towels, flannelettes, cretonnes, draping satins, and vyellas. and a really very fine exhibition of Swiss and Irish hand-worked tray-cloths and fancy napery. The show of curtains is also excellent, both in eream and white laee, and in guipure. A fine stand, dressed with their special make of calicoes. Finlay’s sheetings, table damask, serviettes, with here and there a pot of .ferns, made a very striking exhibit. In this department they are making a speciality of a make of calico manufactured to their order, and it is giving great satisfaction. DRESSMAKING DEPARTMENT. We found this branch still under the direction of Miss Tuffnell, perhaps the most popular dressmaker in Auckland. Forty hands are employed here alone, making the grand total of employees 85, which fact alone will give the public some idea of the business done by the firm.