The World of Fashion.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 12, 21 September 1910, Page 69

The World of Fashion.

By

MARGUERITE.

Spring Fashions.

¥IIE new spring and early summer fashions show many changes in materials. There are lovely silk-crapes worked in border designs of delicate colourings, mousselines, chiffons, silk voiles, linens, and a new line of soft satins attractive in design and colouring. One of the satins of soft texture has a wide border, decorated in a bow-knot design, woven in colour into the satin about ten inches from the edge of the double-width material. Another satin has a deep border of daisies in the natural colourings scattered carelessly on the material, some showing full face, some sidewise, and others back view. The foliage fades delicately into the background of the material. Among the silk materials there are some charming little striped designs with tiny floral sprays, and there are innumerable foulards, and creponnes in soft, delicate colourings. TUNICS GAUGED TO THE WAISTLINE. Some of the new tunics are gauged to the waist-line. These tunics in ninon to tone with the underdress of foulard, satin charmeuse or cachemire de soie, are smooth-fitting at the corsage and below the waist to the knees, rows of

the gauging clearly defining the waistline. In one design in cloudy French blue ninon, bordered with black chiffon folds, the corsage was cut square at the neck under a transparent vest of black chiffon, while the gauging at the waist

was worked in black silk threads. The underdress of black charmeuse had a French hem of the material piped with the blue chiffon, and the tunic was split up each side to the waist-line and laced together with black silk cords and blue eyelets. Ihe sleeves of the blue chiffon were slashed up the centre and laced together with the cords over smooth fitting under-sleeves of the charmeuse. Tunics of ninon over satin under* dresses are being ‘ finished with plain, flat folds of the satin on the borders, while the underdresses are kilted from the knees to the hems. In some cases the over sleeves are cut in one with the bodice part of the tunic, and swathing folds of the satin encircle the waistline, finishing at the back in bows with flat loops. ALLIANCE OF COARSE AND FINE STRAW. Where headgear is concerned, the milliners have more or less declared themselves, and the idea that a hat to be distinctly up to date must necessarily be of the bizarre description seems happily to be melting into thin air. Blue, and black still stand at the height of their popu-

larity, and in one of its smartest and most piquant forms the hat is designed of two straws, the huge bowl crown being carried out in the beautiful bright bleu roi in very coarse* basket plait with a brim of black crinoline simply turned up on one side with a bunch of luscious black cherries. The very simplicity of the trimmings makes the task of the home milliner a delightfully easy one, and obviates any danger of her efforts producing a “home-made” appearance. A ribbon bow covering the whole of the back of the hat and veiled with mousseline de soie is often the only trimming required for a hat designed to accompany a tailor-made gown, the brim being turned sharply up behind. Big medlar brown hats of coarse straw are treated with nothing more than a row of blossoms encircling the crown, without any leaves to break the uniformity, while there are large round and rather high toques which are made of very coarsely plaited bass over soft folded iulle, ami which require nothing more for their adornment than one of the new’ ‘‘brushes” fashioned of the spines of feathers cut to the requisite length and dyed in different colourings. DELPHINIUMS AND SCYLLA. Among Howers, it is hardly to be wondered at that every description of blue blossoms is pressed into the service of the modiste. Delphiniums—which are the flowers as nearly corresponding to the fashionable shade of bleu roi as it is possible to get —are seen in conjunction with hats of blue straw veiled with black mousseline, the Howers being modified to suit the headgear. Cornflowers and periwinkles are great favourites, while even the bright blue scylla, has been manufactured for the purpose, and it is very effective when intoduced in large bunches. I saw recently a number of attractive frocks for schoolgirls. Simplicity had been carefully preserved, yet the frocks had a certain dignity of outline suitable to the development of the figure during the last few' years at school. Cashmere was the favourite material, followed closely by serge. All the frocks shown were in the one piece style, whether the belts were indicated or not, and all fastened in the. back. One of the most charming models I saw was of tobacco brown serge, with a princess front showing one medium broad pa mH from bust to hem. This was cut with a girdle at the sides. The

joke was of white net braided in >outachr, from which two levers of the material turned back into a deep V, one crossing over the other and running down under the girdle. The long, tight sleeve had a turn hack cuff. At the inside elbow there were three tucks. The back < f the -kirt was plain and cluse titting, with fullness given by inverted, plaits al the back of the placket. Pipings of -elf'-toned taffeta edged the revers. girdle, and cuff. This style of gown will be found particularly becoming to a slender figure, as it has a girlishness that is most attractive. Coincident with tin* rage for the pulled-in draperies of tin* skirts \vhi« h reveal the lines of the figure with startling frankness. is the revival of the knee flounce. The present rendering shows the Hotline in a new gui<e. The sweeping contour, free grace and ample folds are entirely absent. It comes to us now scant and abbreviated, with a strong tendency to cling to the figure, terminating at the ankles or trailing a short distance behind, foi dressy gowns. Even the captivating styles of IS.»O, which are upon us, have not succeeded in coaxing in a. little of the frivolous Hare which < ha rm t erised tin* boullant skirts, supplemented by the ample loops. The bag-like aspect of the skirt must be preserved, no matter how many attractive details an* slighted, ami yet there are indications, •> distant froufrou of silken drapeiies, which surely predict a. fuller line for "iiinmer, that is from the knee down. OF THE KXFE FLOUNCE. So numerous and widely different are the various treatments accorded to the flounce that one finds it difficult to unravel the problem. It flourishes alike mi plain and figured materials and is employed for all sorts and conditions of dresses, and yet doos not lose one bit of its charm of novelty, because of its frequent repetition. In height it comes a little below or above the exact knee line. It swings around on scant, circular lines or drops perfectly straight. Often it is shaped at the top in scallops or points. The edges are plain or finished with a silk piping, lace, em’broidery or other decoration and frequently touched with small but I ons. Those conditions are reversed when

Of heavy crepe de chine, trimmed with a Very beautiful deep cream lace, copied from an old Italian design. The popularity of this coarser lace is creating almost as much • furore'’ as the very fine Maltese. the upper part of the skirt comes down in a similarly ornamental way over the flounce. The knee flounce occasionally rises (higher in back than in front, and is very graceful. Very attractive results are accomplished where the flounce and trout panel

arc cut in one, the sides arc sometimes treated in tins manner. Where a figured material is thus employed. not. a little conjuring is required to affect a correct matching. Stripes and polka dots are very effective 'when employed in this manner. More effective are the stripes which run the opposite way of those on the skirt proper. WHERE SEVERAL MATERIALS ARE COMBINED. With the pronounced vogue of combining materials, totally different in texture and colour, a very successful rendering may be had with the knee flounce, separate or cut in one with a section of the skirt. A dark blue serge, for example, was this combined with a self-matching satin foulard dotted in white. The short coat has its sweeping collar, reverse ami edges trimmed with the dotted silk. Two and triple flounces, volants are also employed. Silk flounces are mounted on various materials. During the past -winter on broadcloths and velvets. On wool crepes, voiles, marquisettes ami similar weaves, the satin makes a charming addition. VAGARIES OF THE TRANSPARENT FLOUNCE. The transparent flounce is witching, though, of course, correspondingly perishable, many, however, do not reach the floor, as this is no longer necessary, except for a ball or large State function, with one exception for the bridal gown much must reach the floor at least. EMBROIDERED SCARVES IN FINEST LAWN. The wide scarf which drapes the shoulders and falls gracefully down the sides of the summer toilette is one of the most pronounced features of the new season’s fashions. This scarf, made in a variety of different materials, from the softest of silk chiffon to the richest of satin eharmeuse. is also appearing in the finest of hand-embroidered lawi