THE WORLD OF FASHION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXII, Issue II, 9 January 1904, Page 63

THE WORLD OF FASHION.

I have told you several times lately about the predominance of ruches, and how fascinated is everyone with them. I hear now, on good authority, that everything will be niched for the next six months. All the fete frocks show’ the revival of this quaint old fashion. Muslin, taffeta and chiffon are all trimmed with ruches of various thick nesscs. Yet. in spite of ruches and flounces,

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skirts are kept extraordinarily plain at the top, and everything points to a return of the severely serpent-like skirt, serpent-like at least as far as the knees, then it comes yards round at the feet. Truly the skirt of the hour must be cut by a eouturiere who is a genius as well as an artist. How pretty in fashions is the mixture of the fifteenth century, and the 1830 modes—such lovely colourings and such

MARGUERITE.)

a vast amount of beautiful workmanship ! Bodices are nearly all made in blouse fashion, yet the waist line is charmingly defined by a pointed sash or band. Picture hats are in great demand this season for wear with the exquisite muslin and dainty toilette of diaphanous materials. Some of these hats made of •tucked chiffon and tulle are particularly pretty. These are to be seen in white

or the palest shades of grey, blue. pink, or ivory, trimmed with just an aigrette or one long white ostrich feather held in place by a pearl cabuchon. Floral ■toques are also much worn, and are generally of the turban shape, worn well tilted over the face. Pale colours are the most popular for these hats, and the smaller flowers such as hyacinths, for-get-me-nots, lilacs, and tiny rosebuds, but in contradiction to these one occasionally sees a toque of scarlet geraniums which looks exceedingly smart for those who can wear it.

All ’the smartest frocks and a good many of the most simple are arranged with gaugings set in every direction. The yoke, the upper sleeve, the shaped saddle-piece below the waist, and often as well shaped flounces below, are arranged upon muslin, voile, canvas, de laine, and a whole host of other thin materials. Certain it is that this gauging effect is particularly becoming to the tall and slender, but let my readers beware of adopting such a style if their waist and bust measures are larger than stock size, for somehow or other these gaugings have a fashion of alarmingly increasing one’s appearance. The very simplest morning gown ean be arranged with gaugings set in the same fashion as those frocks for more elaborate wear. Then, again, gauging should appeal to the home dressmaker, for it is easy to arrange, and may be either plain or finished with a tiny heading, which is arranged by taking a tuck, in the gaug-

ing. This, although it may sound like Greek to the uninitiated, will yet easily explain itself to any needlewoman.

I'he Stuart collar of lace —which has become much hackneyed and discounted by the cheap editions, badly worn by all and sundry—has set a vogue. This is the cape-collar of material with the gown or coat, which is showing on smart gowns of the moment, especially attached to the sac boleros and coatees. This mode is shown in my sketch. The gown is of rose-pink cloth, bordered entirely with a black and pink galloon. A deepfolded belt of black silk shows below the short sac bolero, and a stock of the same finishes the neck. The cape-collar, it will be seen, comes well over the tops of the arms, and within a couple of inches of the edge of the bolero. The sleeves are “bell,” lined with black silk, and the hat pink straw with black chiffon swathings and pink carnations. The skirt quite clears the ground.