NOTES FROM LONDON.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 292, 3 September 1908, Page 5

NOTES FROM LONDON.

This 'is -tlie fag end of'the London season, which has been a brilliant one from all points of.-view (writes the London correspondent ;of an Australian paper); One of-its most remarkable features has been the many social festivities graced by the presence ' of the ; King and Queen,and also. the numberi.of' smart, dances given for the boy and girl section of society. ■ There'have been many: balls.; on ; their j behalf,, while that erstwhile ."disturber, of traffic," the pretty, young married woman, has had few, if any, dances in her honour. I thinkshe has turned her attention' to bridge,. ; which, no doubt, ■ suits her better than the effort.' to! keep pace with the younger .section, of society.' • From the' commercia.l side of ' things,it -is said that'society never was'so'abstemious. Tho. big hotels complain that .no one drinks wine, and their profits' dwindle, • while all meals are' simpler, and there is more caro iiiselection' of food by- the middle-aged. . ■ ; ; I think our ; statesmen f do most' 1 of their orations ion. barley water, and lunch off dry biscuits and fruit. I So it' is hardly profitable for 1 the caterers.; And yet one hearsiof-in-numerable cases of'appendicitisand operations. galore. ; : I have seldom .seen such beautiful whito gowns, or such' lovely blouses in the finest white cambrics and lawn. The French houses have simply '.walked off with the! market.Nothing has been so fashiona.ble as the lingerie frock; and - the lingerie blouse. .In Paris . everything "lavable" is'.the rage. Your lamp-shades,. candle-shades, cushion covers, and all household linens are decorated in Met lace and .broderie anglaise; !, ■ The usual method of decoration is to embroider the fronts cind backs of .the blouses in raised satin, stitched" with . bunches of grapes: and flowing vine leaves and tendrils, with insertions of Valenciennes lace laid. On in the form of bows,-and "any device which seems lto _ suit the garments. Cheap, even' at sale times, they are not, for. the materials are of the best, and in some cases the work is done of the finest linen lawn, as clear as muslin, but much stronger./ There has been a great run on plain Malines or - Brussels net for dresses and for blouses. -This is tucked in wide tucks and trimmed with medallions of lace, generally Bruges •or some, form of guipure. All tho vests, t and most of the rucked sleeves are made of this material, and the result'is great softness and elegance. Net is more worn than lace for these things. : Filet is not as modish as it was this timo last year. It is replaced by soutache braid on filet ground, and this one sees on all the best French dresses. . It is so fine and soft andso silky that nothing is.prettier. In white soutache on- Shantung it is at its best., I see it on.'pique," a material • brought back to favour,. and many alpacas and linens are trimmed, in this way. The tendency is to keep .tho white linens, alpacas and Shantungs ,as short tailor-made I costumes and have ooats t<£ match. Tho blouse and-skirt is now not ,a costume, for London wear' bo the blouse in itself ever so beautiful. The're'is a lace coat . often worn with thin skirts or: with muslin . and linen, "but one does not see tho blouse without something oyer the shoulders. Whole costumes, they call; them "jumpersuits," ' of checked or■ striped gingham or washing voile have been almost a uniform, and very charming they look worn with'some soft white ■ blouse under them; I think I have riot seen girls look as "well as-they do in these for some time. But as part of tho social'.'duties of a girl moving in . the smart set is to go for a walk in the Row before . luncheon, -the morning dress is much smarter than at first would, seem I necessary. From the walk in the Park it is " but a step to luncheon, either at a friend's house or at some of the principal restaurants which are much a part of London life now/ Then .come paying calls, Hurlingham, Ranelagh, ' anything -that crops .up. for,-the'. afternoon, and homo in time for dressing'for dinner and . tho • evening engagements. ' Sleep is'got in the small nours, and by, some wise women in that half:hour after' lunch,'.which'does so much to remove theUines from:a jaded face.