THE WORLD OF FASHION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXII, Issue XIII, 26 March 1904, Page 66

THE WORLD OF FASHION.

(By

MARGUERITE.)

With Ihr lirsl bill iinniistaknblr -ign <»f autumn already upon us. we have 1<» say farewell, reluctantly enough. to many of the airy garments in which we have been delighting during the summer. Ami the first change to be made is almost always in the blouse, for tinthin coats and skirts may still do duty for some time if the muslin or lawn Idolises be replaced by something more cosy. Flannels are already be seen displayed, and the new patterns are very dainty and can be had in every imagin able variety, so they are sure to meet with favour. THE BLOUSE OF VESTING MADE I P IN MANY STYLES AND COLOURS IS A FAV()I RIPE THIS AUTUMN

A number of new silks have been introduced this autumn which develop in to charming lit lie blouses. They art all of the softest and most supple quality. Nets, too. made up over silk, are a great deal used; while crepe de Chine, plaited chiffon, and a line quality of Liberty satin are all of equal popularity.

Many of the tailor suits have a blouse of cloth to match, as well as other blouses in the lighter fabrics: and with these suits arc also worn the embroidered blouses made of flannel, with Ihe front, stock and cuffs worked with floral designs in silk Hoss. Here, again, the present law concerning the harmony of blouse and skirt must be borne in mind. If colours are used, they should be shades of those which enter into the suit it Mdf. FOR MORNING W EAR. < otton vesting. French flannel, and plain silk of durable quality arc all ma tcrials wall suited to tin* morning blouse. Plaits or fucks ami embroidery, as a iiMial thing, constitute its only trimming. I’he heavy washing materials are stea • lily increasing in favour for winter blouses. The grades of cotton vesting now shown are quite warm enough for iim* in colder weather if a high-necked ami long-sleeved bodice Im* worn under neat h. Women of leisure favour the cotton blouse because of its beauty ami com lort. while business women applaud its utility. 11 is possible to keep it alway(rim in appearance, ami a fresh-looking blouse is of infinite importance to the woman who spends her day in an office. To meet this increasing demand the manufacturers have put out a large number of novelties in vesting this season. Many of the mercerised weaves come close to silk in beauty. hi fact, you will look twice before deciding whether

some are reallv cotton or basket weaves in silk. W HITE STILL POPULAR. White still leads in favour for the cotton blouse. When a coloured or figured material is preferred, one should be selected which harmonises well with the suit with which it will be worn. A vesting having a grey ground covered with a design in black, for instance, would be suitably combined with a skirt of either black or grey. Many attractive patterns having black figures on white grounds are also obtainable, and these, too, combine well with skirts in black or grey. Shades of blues and tans, or white materials figured with these colours, may be chosen when the suit is of tan. brown, or blue. Pipings are a great deal used on morning blouses of both cotton and flannel. A white blouse, its plaits piped with a colour harmonising with the skirt, gives a very smart effect. Sleeves of the morning blouse are. as a rule, much smaller than those* for more dressy wear. They are cut on simple lines; usually the fulness is held in with plaits or tucks for a few inches below the shoulders, and the wrist is gathered into a deep cuff. Different arrangements of tucks and plaits serve to produce variety in styles among the morning blouses. The most novel and effective designs are shown in the artist's sketch. Among trimmings are many new features. The application of cloth bands to produce a harmonious effect in blouse and skirts is the most striking novelty. Deep collars and cuffs of the skirt material. handsomely embroidered. are used on some of the blouses to brinu about this same result. A NOVEL IDEA. lira id as trimming for blouses of silk and Liberty satin is another novel idea. A year ago we should have called such a combination incongruous, yet. now that it has been given the stamp of approval. we find it both pretty and effective. Silk braids of the straight “military ” order are those employed. Laces nf all kinds are, of course, very much used in blouse trimmings, and the

entire blouse of lace is by no means out. though it is not so new this year. Some beautiful silk ami liberty satin blousehave deep transparent yokes ami cuffs of hand made lace. These may be worn either with or without a silk slip be neath.

A design for a girl’s dress for outdoor wear, I may say, has been asked for. anil 1 hope the sketch will satisfy, not only the requests—one in particular but a much wider circle who have to clothe and see after girls just in their teens. The frock is a very becoming and

comfortable style, and is one of those which can be easily made at home. I he. Russian style of blouse is again fashionable, but this season the basque is much favoured and seen in every variety of shape and length. The eoat sketched is arranged with this fashionable feature, and also with a small shoulder cape, for the cape is an indispensable feature of our outdoor garments this season. The costume sketched could be fashioned of serge, frieze- homespun, or tweed, and the ornamentation cold I be of embroidery and a little piping of any colour Io contrast with the mi lerial selected- With navy serge a piping of green to the eape would he very smart, when the tones of this should be carried out in the embroidery. Again brown—which is to be. it seems, the fashionable colour this season—could be trimmed with the same and look particularly well. Red or green could be piped with black, with black and white embroidery on the collar, and so on. The skirt is quite nlain except for a few rows nf stitching round the footpart.

The blouse which is here sketched is a trimly-fitted pretty garment, quite easy to make and capable of being adapted to many different occasions. The secret is in the pattern, which is styled tailor-cut, and has a shaped seam concealed under the side pleats both in the front and back. By means of these seams the blouse is lifted to the figure, and all superfluous fulness is avoided, the box pleats are only laid on an I stitched, but the effect is the same as if they were folded in the material. The quantity of flannel required is three and a-half yards, and if. as in the model, the pleats are edged with a piping of

silk, three-quarters of a yard of glace will be wanted for that- The llannel

itself was of dark blue, with small dull red decks on it; the pipings were of red silk to match, which also formed a natty little bow tie at the throat under a- turn-down collar of embroidered grass lawn.

KE\ 1\ ALS OF PAST CENTI RIES. simplicity in sleeves is a thing of the past. It’s the sleeve this year that stamps the gown a new creation or a last season’s model. Many of the fash ionable sleeves are but revivals of the sleeves of past centuries. I’he IS3O sleeve is really the -leeve of Ihe moment. with just a slight modi lieation. and it is the languishing IS3O sloping shoulder that we see to-day in the newest French frocks. This quaint long shoulder elleet is the successor of the broad, straight shoulder; and all sorts of clever devices are introduced in the way of trimmings to lengthen the effect of the shoulder line. In fact.

many of the costumes so exaggerate this style that several of the sleeves have the effect of actually starting nearer the elbow than the shoulder. THE WING SLEEVE OF MIDDLE AGES. The first sleeve sketched is the fash ionable three-quarter length sleeve, to be worn with evening gowns. It is made of accordion-plaited black chiffon, and headed with a shoulder strap of velvet and a cap of lave. Another unusual and pretty way of making an evening dress sleeve is shown in the second sketch. The third sleeve belongs to a French lea-gown. It is finny and graceful, and made of accordion-plaited chiffon. To the elbow it clings to the arm. the chiffon showing the plaits running round the rrin. Then comes the wing-like dra cry. edged with a frill of lace. Frills ami furbelows distinguish more than half the new sleeves. A fashion able sleeve for a cloth gown is shown in No. 4. It is entirely a mass of lace frills from wrist to 'near the elbow, the frills widening as they go up the rrm. At the head of the lace frills is a narrow turn-back cuff of velvet, trimmed with appliques of lace. 'l’he upper part of the sleeve is most conventional, a nd is made of clot h. I landkerchiefs are used to add to the novelty of the fifth sleeve. The upper

part of the sleeve is gathered, the han<tkerehiefs forming the frills. ( Rl NOLI N E-STI FFEN ED SLEEVES. The sixth sketeh is an extremely graceful sleeve of satin doth. puffed at the elbow, finished with a velvet ruff and a mull frill trimmed with lace. This style of sleeve is the latest mode for a eloth or velvet coat. For a walking dress I he seventh sleeve is a fashionable model. It is a cloth sleeve, with an abrupt widening at the elbow. The elltow puli' is lined with crinoline, and trimmed with a band of contrasting cloth embroidered with silk braid. Another odd feature is the tight titling mittline cuff. For an Eton or bolero jacket sleeve. No. 8 is the latest fancy. It is three quarter length, and a goodly portion ot it is made of black silk fringe. Ihe upper part of the sleeve is black silk, en crusted with jet: then comes a jet-trim med net of the silk fringe; and then the deep fall of fringe itself.

Quite one of the most elegant blou>eappears in tin* attached illustration. Developing in silk ami lace, the design comprises the highest art in this direction. and represents the cream of fashion. Tin* tucked yoke part i- eon vexed on the sleeve, as is the draped fold which is brought over the bust to tie in front with a but tertlx bow. Then the artistically-designed volante of lace has its counterpart in the same wav. the position of the arm serving to exhibit it in all its beauty. Such a blouse max be accounted a precious possession by any well-dressed woman at this period of the season-