THE WORLD OF FASHION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue XX, 14 November 1903, Page 66

THE WORLD OF FASHION.

(By

MARGUERITE.)

All the smart garden-party hats are very large, while many are being made entirely of Irish crochet. The actual shape may be almost what we will, but the Early Victorian model is being copied more or less closely. So long as the straw is a handsome one very little trimming is needed. A big wide shape, with a low crown, is frequently finished with nothing more than a huge twist of white tulle, caught round the crown, and held there with a wry large, long, nar-

row steel or jet slide, set right across the centre of the front, while a smaller buckle holds the tulle where the two ends cross at the middle of the back. I'he tulle is then brought round and tied under the chin in the now always necessary strings. Flowers or a tulle knot may be tucked in under the brim of such a hat. while the colour used must depend entirely upon the gown with which the chapeau is to be worn. Our smart women are going to wear

scarves this summer, great broad, long, flat scarves made of embroidered crepe de chine. hand-wrought embroidery, marabout, ostrich feather, lace, net ami tulle, and are frequently worn just slipping off the shoulders. Indescribably elegant in effect are these scarves, as our ancestresses well knew when in the artistic days of Romney and Gainsborough they wore them morning, noon, and night, with muslin, velvet, and full-dres-toilettes indiscriminately, looped upon

their arms or hung about their shoulders. A great deal of attention is being paid just now to the waist-band, for this item plays an important part where muslin dresses are concerned. Liberty satin, in the daintiest combinations of colourings, is much in vogue both for waist-bands ami sashes. Crepe de chine and soft makes of taffeta are also used in the construction of the sash. The majority of l<ce dresses ami white muslin frocks are finished by a waist-band or sash in pastel colourings.

We give this week the design which secured first prize in a dress competition, announced by “Madame,” a leading London fashion journal. The dress is composed of the new rough linen in dark grey, strapped with a smooth linen in a lighter shade of grey, and piped at all the edges with white. The skirt and bodice are in broad flat pleats stitched

Linen is the one fabric for summer frocks most in favour at the moment for girls, and in one of the aceompany-

three-quarters of the way down. The detachable eape is lined with lily of the valley green glaee silk, and fastened in front with two handsome ornaments in grey and white silk eord with long tassels. The bodice (see small sketch) has the upper part of soft white silk gauged all over or smocked. The hat is in pale green straw.

ing sketches a very pretty and thoroughly practical suggestion is given for a frock to be made in one of the art lin-

<*ns. the style being specially suitable for a girl of sixteen or seventeen. The skirt should l»e adorned quite simply with fine rows of white stitching, ami made with seven gores, a style which always lends itself particularly well to the slimness of a youthful figure. The bodice should be made in quite a lose blouse shape, as much for comfort

in the hot weather as for convenience in the matter of washing. It is arranged quite simply with two large box-pleats, luck and front, ami fairly full sleeves, drawn into a cut! at the wrist. The shoulders are trimmed in the latest fashion. with an insertion of lace or embroidery coming over the top of the arm