FASHIONS IN LONDON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 17, 26 April 1911, Page 69

FASHIONS IN LONDON.

LONDON, March 3. London shops bathed in sunshine surely would tempt the attention of a sphinx. Spring creations—from harem skirts to motor bonnets, from shoes to jewell ry—are displayed with such a wieked disregard of appropriate background that the vain woman must have much ado to keep her money in her purse. Take a delicate mauve model hat lab-

elled “For Country Wear,” for instance. Where would its simple bit of real lace and its daiinty posy of silk flowers be in a catalogue of beauty after a country shower? Of what use in the world is a motor bonnet of palest' green suede in this commonplace world of dust and grime? A few belated and Improved “hobbles” in last year’s foulards are trying to sell themselves as “suitable far the Riviera.” Harems have to rest under the label of “The Latest” —no enterprising shopkeeper has, so far, found anything further to say of them than that. Three or these models one French shop in London is at present showing. One has trousers of black silk striped with emerald, with the jupe culotte made of black satin. An elastic band at the ankle holds “them” in. A very ugly model—the others, even a

prejudiced onlooker had to looked chie—is in blue serge, the trousers being wide at the bottom like a Chinese nomau's, and edged with black braid. Another is et blue serge with trouser* of full black ninon underneath. The popularity of beadwork is remarkable. Everything that ean have a tom 11 of it somewhere has. and very effective it can be made to look. Line pretty model hat 1 was shown this week was of very, light black straw turned up, Napoleon fashion, at one side, with a moon-shaped, cabochon of shaded esral-eoloured beads as its only trimminp’. A novelty of the season is an umbrella with windows, invented to enable tho walker to see ahead when holding an umbrella before, as a shield against the torrents. These windows, whieh are round like portholes, can be attached to an ordinary umbrella. Pasha pettieoats, the undergarments

for wear with harem skirts—do not the names make one shiver? —will certainly, conduce to the comfort of those conforming with the imported fashion. The pettieoat is made preferably of a' soft, silky material, that will not interfere with the lines of the skirt. Silk or, sateen is most fin demand. The pettieoat, now to be seen in most of the shops is similar in shape to the orthodox garment, with the difference that it is divided in such fashion as to closely resemble the masculine trouser. Footwear. —Last week I wrote thall many of the weird shaped hats offered for sale to-day are copied from models centuries old, and this week I heard of several pairs of shoes and boots in a re« cent' trousseau that harked hack over a' hundred years. These were of cashmere de soie, to niateh various dresses or, hats. They were beautifully ent, with as

few seams as possible, and the sides were elaborately embroidered in conventional designs in coloured silks. It is prophesied that we arc approaching a time when it will- be as uncommon to wear black bout buttons as the oldfashioned black-headed hat-pins, except upon hard wear and very ordinary occasions. This is a flight of fancy on the part of some idle designer, I make bold t-0 opine. Think, for instance, of pale blue cashmere de soie after a couple of hours’ wear on grassy lawns, not, perhaps, too dry! The more sumptuous the new footgear, the more fanciful the buttons used upon it. Coral buttons on black boots are being shown in Paris.

Boleros are asserting themselves very prominently again, and the elaborate simulated l coatee is to be seen on many of the new dress models. Among models of thin material already being shown are, also, coats of idee oV of hnely embroidered thin materials, some of them short hip-length affairs, others falling almost or quite to the bottom hem of the skirt in a bewildering maze of h indiwork aud lace.

Parasols for the summer show sig? of being very elaborate. Some of tl models are of bright coloured .taitetas with large flowers fashioned of the same material grouped round the edge. One of orange silk, with great orange and black tiger lilies, certainly looks very effective.

Worse than a “harem!”—News from Vienna on Saturday stated that the Viennese variety of the harem skirt differs 'much from the loose trousered one seen here and in Paris, and consists instead of a divided skirt in the form of an apron bark ami front under which arS worn long satin “hose” —really, apparently* tights—of a contrasting shade to the skirt. “They” had not then been worn in the streets, and have been banned by the committees of several masked balls held in Vienna lately.

The Toby frill, in spite of its popularity last season, still appears, though it is narrower and lies flatter on to the neck th in it did last year.

Lace muffs are the latest conceit in Paris. They are of black, white, or Paris jace lined with silk or satin, and ‘garnished” with a posy of perfumed silk flowers on the outside.