Fashion Notes From London.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 23, 6 December 1911, Page 69

Fashion Notes From London.

MOUNTAINOUS MILLINERY. LONDON, October 13. No great revolution can be said to have taken place in the fashions of the new season, and there is no reason why the deft-fingered home dressmaker should not “make over” last season’s

gown and be as npto-uate ae th* woman much nirtier than herself. HOBBLE SKIRT STRIKE. That the “horrible hobble” would have the far-reaching and evil affect it -has on trade, not even its enemies could foresee, but the mischief is uow made evident by the fact that, entirely owing to the introduction of the tight skirt, the whole of the girl employees of t-lie Brook Manufacturing Company, at Northampton, numbering 1,2f>0, went locked out yesterday. The girls, owing to the introduction of the hobble skirt, and the consequent decrease in the demand for underskirts, had been assigned other work, at which they declare they cannot earn a living wage. Previous to the introduction of tho hobble fashion, the whole of tho girls were engaged in the making of underskirts, at which they were able to earn as much as £ 1 per week. The hobble skirt dealt a deadly blow at the underskirt makers, and the firm, rather than dismiss the girls, introduced the making of children’s pinafores, the payment for which is fivepsnee per dozen. Tho most expert underskirt girls assert that they cannot make more than throe dozen pinafores a day, and the return for their hard work docs not amount to a. living wage. On Saturday last 120 of them struck work, and the result this week was that the remainder of the 1,200 were locked out. VEILING one material with another enjoys nothing like the popularity of a few months back. It is still employed, but not ini the same way. For instance, it was no uncommon thing "to have a plain, coloured silk or satin foundation on a gown, and one, two and sometimes even three veilings of different delicate shaded ninons over that. Now there is a tendency to drape the top material back, curtain wise, to more effectually display the lower one. Some very beautiful tapestry silks are used like this with rich satin foundations -in black, or in colours to harmonise. TUNICS. >re still with us, and one very graceful • own I saw this week was of pale -blue eharmeuse, with a tunic plainly draped, over the right hip only, of white net embroidered in silver and crystal, tho ends edged with silver fringe, reaching the hem of the skirt. Heavily beaded tunics. according to Paris, are to bo again fashionable. HIGH WAISTS. The waistline is still above the normal, and, though girdles have gone out, belts are not yet seen, and skirts and bodices are generally made in one. Occasionally, however, a belt is introduced to give the only splash of colour to a dress. One stylish example of this I saw to-day. The skirt and the very top of the bodice of a housegown was of black eharmeuse, while, hark and front, there was a sort of apron tunic forming the plain bodice and reaching almost to the knee, of fine navy serge, edged with broad Wack silk braid. The gown waa

flnishad by a narrow belt of emerald •hiny leather. , THE NEW-EST SfjKKVHB ' ' on some of the newest models are the old and ugly kind, with no cuff—« •nodifa-d leg of mutton that does nothing to soften the look of the wrist and hand, as a sleeve should. The old fashion that fitted the arm closely above the wrist; and then tapered over the Lack of the hand, was pretty, and only drew attention to a pretty hand, but the {present fashion is inclined to be loose at the wrist, and is unbecoming to Everyone. , MILMNERY STYLES (have , become much more pronounced this week, and judging from all the West End windows, perfectly mountain-

ous headgear is to be worn. Feathers point skywards, large velvet flowers lower one over the other, bows arc enormous —everything practically stands up, ornamenting a high-rounded crown. This applies, strangely enough, to smalt as well as large hats, and, on the former, it gives an effect- that can only be described as perfectly hideous. Large models, of course, will allow of such an inartistic piling up of trimming, but toques embellished so only make tho wearer look grotesque.