The World of Fashion.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 19, 6 November 1912, Page 69

The World of Fashion.

By

MARGUERITE.

FOR morning wear the linen skirt, with its row of black velvet buttons fastening on one side, in front, is the smartest of the simple novelties, and with this a short striped bodice with a small basque and a waistband of the same material, long sleeves, with white cuffs and low collar in white lawn, and a sailor knot in any becoming colour. With this simple little dress it will be imagined that a sailor hat in straw would be the right thing to wear, but for many a year the small sailor hat has disappeared, and to-day the straw hat is following suit. We, therefore, find with the linen skirt and striped blouse a hat in white felt, lined with some light-coloured straw, pink, blue, green, or cerise, match the sailor knot, and at times a bushy white aigrette of corn. But as a rule the white felt hat with its coloured lining has no trimming whatever, and is often worn by motorists, who envelop it and the face with a veil in the same shade as the lining of the hat, which they discard witli their eoat as they alight from the car. Buttons provide all the scope for originality which is otherwise lacking in some of the one-piece frocks and braidless tailor-made costumes of the moment. Some of the newest buttons are those which are made of carved white bone, cut in the form of a half-closed buttercup. the centre of which is filled with a tiny red boule of bone, as polished as a bagatelle ball. These looked very attractive on a coat and skirt of ivory Irish linen, with a narrow roll collar of red silk. With the costume it is intended to wear a white hem-stitched lingerie shirt and a tiny red silk tie. Shantung is the material of all others which commends itself this season for travelling or race coats and driving wraps of a light description. Shantung unadorned is, however, little seen, and the newest coats are chiefly trimmed with a colour, or —for important occasions—with coarse macrame lace, and with straps and pipings of the same fabrics. A charming note of relief is sometimes gained by means of a single revers of almost gigantic proportions, which starts somewhere about the shoulder, and terminates in a point below the waist. Shot Pompadour silk in dark colourings,

spotted foulard and Paisley-patterned soft silk in navy and saxe blue, Empire green and old gold represent the favourite choice. The fastenings of the eoat consist of straps of the shantung arranged in the form of a ladder reaching from the knee to the waist, and repeated on the sleeves.

Nothing short of an Elizabethan ruff seems to be the aim of the new uncurled ostrich feather collarettes and boas, some

that they can only be worn with impunity by a woman with a long neck. In order to secure as long fronds as possible, each one consists, in reality, of two or three knotted together, as is done in the case of the pleureuse plumes whieli are used in millinery. These ruffles look most effective in a two-colour scheme, in black and white, brown and white, and black and grey, or black and pale blue. More moderate in fashion, as in price, are the charming little collarettes of taffetas, about eight inches in width, bordered at the top and bottom with a narrow feather trimming. A large bow of the glace silk conceals the fastenings at the side, from whence depend two long ends.