THE LATEST FASHION NOTES FROM PARIS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3663, 26 October 1912, Page 9

THE LATEST FASHION NOTES FROM PARIS

PARIS, August 23. The open necks of the dresses of today have keen tlie means of bringing in the pear’ necklace once again. .The lino of tire corsage ending abruptly round the shoulders is all the better for being softened, and in some cases wooden treads, in well-selected colors are sown all round‘the edge, or a narrow binding of some bright colored ribbon is chosen to throw up the particular tint of the skin. There are shades- of blue .and magenta which are very useful in this connection, while white and cream are pretty on lightcolored frocks, the important point being that, the line must not he too thick or strongly marked. FOR TEE COMING AUTUMN.

Coats and cloaks have considerable importance about this _time of the year, for the- autumn" demands in wraps are usually productive in new model's. Fur lias already made its appearance and there is no doubt that the woman who can introduce panels, bands, or a rounded corner of ermine into her cloak, will do well to utilise it. Brocade lias taken the place of velvet, and there are wonderful effects in stuffs of British woven fabrics. Some of the rich tissues done in two. colors require scarcely any cutting. They are merely draped shawl wise round the'form, accentuated by having pirated rovers turned out to show the second color more strongly than the first, and finished with small touches of ermine. Lace is to he introduced into the composition of the new models. Insets of lacs, 1 rills of it and long scarves ludd by jewelled tassels, will enhance the .appearance of coats of dull brocade and of plain satin, as well as of holder designs in tapestry, sometimes veiled with chiffon .

COIFFURES A LA MODE

A demand for a closer style of hairdressing lias been the result of the small brimless hats in vogue at present. The placing of-the ringlets, and the stylo in which, the liair is parted and coiled and twisted, is rather a more decided revival of the days of 1830 than any so far accepted, Bunches of curls are freely donn-

ed, and the way in which they are finished with wide bands of velvet, ornamented with designs in French paste, is becoming to most faces. A French custom of making a short parting, and bringing rolls, lightly puffed, well to the front of the head, is very neat, and some designers ate boldly showing hats which could be wearable only witlr a short fringe of nicely burnished and lightly-curled hair. A tendency is shown to cover the upper part of the ears with the hair arrangement, hence the taste ior long earrings in colored pearl shaped jewels or the revival of filigree woik with colored stones inset.

VARIETIES IN THE MODES.

For the woman who must be practical, though she may yearn to plunge into fashion follies, cliic simplicity is a better key note than daring originality, and it is easy to sound this note at the moment. Never were prettier things seen that would come under this head than are seen at the moment, here, there, and everywhere, and many of the models are really not beyond the talents of a secondrate dressmaker provided the idea is furnished her. White serge is always a feature of the summer wardrobe. and while each season brings out admirable models in this material, this summer showing is more rfian usually attractive. In Paris, during the gay season, white serge has been seen in many odd phases. The famous makers have, for instance, combined woollen materials with the finest linen, letting the cool lingerie material form the upper part of the bodice and sleeves, and perhaps a pleated or flounced, or embroidered skirt or petticoat under a. tunic of white serge. " * In the realm of details, I an ay mention that the so-called paniers (though they go "by that name, their draperies are not really paniers at all) have brought with them in their train m thousand and one dainty trifles. There is for example, a collection of the prettiest- little lace flounces and frills, of tiny flower wreaths, of the dearest little bows, t-iny» (millings, and pleatings, fascinating J lacy ■ ruffles, sleeves, collars, narrow fringes, hats, rose-wreathed, and then smothered in swirling tulle, pelerines, sashes, the note of black vo'vet, and ostrich tips; wonderfully pretty muslins, linens, lovely in texture and “color, silks, beautiful, supple and lustrous, embroideries, hosts of trimmings, many of them comparatively or literally inexpensive—yes, truly, this is the season of opportunities for lovers of modish dress.' And charming as they are, and longing as they do, to a (lay of more opulent and of flowing outline, details they are, and details they must remain. Moreover, they must he used sparingly, scantily ; they must be flattened, suppressed. If your skirt lias more material in it than of yore, it must be so limp and arranged to cling so closely, that the silhouette shows none of the addition.

COMING .MODES IN MILLINERY

The same applies to liats. ■ If we see as I have already remarked, fdwer of the big ones, all the same we see a scantiness of trimming as before. One feather, it may be but standing away from the hat, aping a oert reraggincss foreign to its magnificent nature. A really good, really full ostrich fee." tlier should not behave like a quid (or the skeleton of a scarecrow). It should be soft and gracious, as should every detail belonging to feminine attire,' including fair woman herself. But most of the new hats present a certain nakedness of outline, which is occasionally carried even further. I walked all round my best friend only yesterday, trying to find out if she had any trimming on her now hat atall. It went as far as that.

NEGLIGEES MOST ARTISTIC

Surely never were negligee garments as delightful as now, no, not even in the days of the grandes coquettes and their morning receptions. These essential garments are of the lightest and most gauze-like appearance; for elegance, thev depend upon that simplicity which is the acme of daintiness. Though the prettiest of the negligees do command rather distressing prices, among the cheaper things there are the thin silks of which there are so many qualities. Fine muslins, cotton (jrepes, and dotted muslins are perhaps the most satisfactory, wearing well, and needing far less trimming than anv of the plain tub materials. A little heading and lace cleverly applied, some perky little bows posed in just the right places, and the sab or robe is daintier than any of the models in coarser materials loaded with cheap trimmings. I was interviewing some materials for a beautiful negligee lately. There was a wide choice, and there were all sorts of lovely things. Then quite by accident, I came across a fabric I thought to know its name, hut I don t. It was the softest, su-Mest gauze faintly shot with silver; it was brocaded with big blurred chine velvet flowers, it was in* three shades of the most adorable wild-rose pink—oh,. not wild rose, there is a certain geranium, the name of which is—(l am no good at names to-day. 1 had better leave them alone!) which it imitates exactly. softness itself, with an elusive gleam as of dew on velvet leaves, a material that was as entrancing as its coloring. (I met it again, all in one shade of grey, with gold “shootings, and it was nearly as lovely, if not quite!) LA FLEUR A LA MODE.

The flower of the moment —for the fashion in flowers is an exigent and- as changing as the form of a hat, is not the dahlia with its edges as regular as though done by machinery, but the dahlia cactus, with ragged petals, like a chrysanthemum. In all their gorgeous colorings they are carefully selected for the costume, with which they are intended to he worn, but the facorite is the odd nearly black red kind.