LADIES' COLUMN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 94, 22 April 1911, Page 11

LADIES' COLUMN.

London Hashion Notes. [rBOM oub own correspondent.! LONDON, 10th March. In all likelihood criticism will be made because of the paucity of material which is going to be used in the construction of dresses for the coming season, but certainly no criticism of an adverse nature can be made on the score of lack of variety. Already, many weeks, before the season has begun, before even we have entered upon 6pringtime, the wealth of summer materials on exhibition is bewildering, and a mere catalogue of all their names would result in a lengthy list. And the worst of it is that domanc l for any 'of them will be practically nil for some weeks to come. This is all tho more tantalising as most of them aro at tractive, the colourings are good — if sometimes rather gay — and the patterns are not outrageously conspicuous, though of the ptripes we shall perhaps grow a little wpary. • SOME MATERIALS AND THEIR NAMES. The little word "satin" conveys nothing — one is inclined to remark that "satin is satin" and that's the end ,of it ; how can there be much variety where one kind of fabric is concerned ? Well, there is, and so there is with silk, and the season's 6ilks and satins are notable not only for their texture but for their colour range and for their beautiful quality, . whether of heavy weave or of make so soft and fine as to be pressed into the smallest compa.«s. Satins are, for the most part, of double width, and very many lengths of gorgeous colouring ami splendid texture are labelled with the word "British." Quality varies as well as texture, bo much co that one grade bearing zl certain name will cost four shillings a yard, while the price increases for iust the same liame-kind until it reaches fourteen shillings a yard. Very new is the double reversible satin, of Janu3 type, for while one side is black, the other is woven in colour. In this way we find rose associated m ith blnck, as well as the most 6trong Royal blue ever introduced, to say nothing of a vivid emerald-green ; possibly a tubdued colour would not look well on the reverse side of black ; at any rate it is not seen. This type of satin, of course, is capable of forming a trimminsc in itself, and while sometimes the black side is plain, the reverse may display a damask pattern. "Drap Royalo" is a satin glace, usually shot, and very effective it is. "Patrick Croft" satin is shown as a British-made fabric, and it can be had in at least forty different hues: satin Victoria is a double width variety, in a long colour .range, of quality eaunlly suitable for" day or evpning wear. Silks, too, seem to bo in endless variety and to possess more names than the satins. "Cascade" silk is a fabric a good daal like crepe do chine, though its substance is a little stouter and it is guaranteed to be more durable in wear. Persian printed crepe de chine is bound to he in demand, while the variety woven with gold is indeed a sumptuous material which vill he used a great deal for court gowns; tho soft ground has a gold brocade representing a moire design, and a change is effected by using silver instead of gold. Tinsel brocade, which will be so much seen later, is already prominent, some of it being ornamented with hand-paintnd flowers of realistic beauty, and for veiling such fabric there is the soft marquisette in white and many pastel tones. Silk departments generally are notable for an interesting display, reminiscent of Georgian days in tho richness of texture and figuring, and all of them seem to indicate an approaching Coronation season ot considerable brilliance. For the afternoon gown, -silk serge will be one of the triumphs of tho spring and summer, while satin-faced cloth is to enjoy a new popularity. The foulards make a brave show, and one of the latest species is guaranteed to be waterproof and unspotablo if it happens to get wet. Radium foulards are printed with black designs, also shot and striped effects am to be had. Bordered foulards will be found useful, while charming indeed among bordered fabrics is tulle, which may be florally patterned or quite plain, but which will nave a border of Greek key pattern at each side; the good wearing qualities of dress tulle are now appreciated, and dainty are the majority of the floral designs which characterise it. Foulards are obtainable in all colours, and they are going to be used for every kind of garment, from theatre coat to tailor-made, and from evening frocks to the pretty afternoon dress. ..It is a \ comfort to find that most of them have the smallest of patterns; there is much that is figured with little round circles that touch each other as often as circles oan, and there are honeycomb sections also wedged closely together, while as for spots, they are mostly of the pin size, and they arc moderatelj' wide apart; the border, too, helps considerably to aid in the variety, and its presence is appreciated by the dressmakers. The surface of the season's foulard tends about equally between satin and the twill silk kind. Some of the shots reflect a charming sunset glow. Bongaline should bo mentioned among the silks ; its texture is fine, ite colour is often brilliant. Soft silks are often given a tapestry pattern picked out with effective tinsel thread, while there are voiles with gold tinsel brocade, in Coronation red, blue, and purple, which are attractive in their soft and rich colour schemes. For the quite simple frock, white voile is going to be a great deal used, made in pinafore shape, embroidered in colour, with hem to match, and a colour-touch of the same to outline the rounded corsage. Taking the striped fabrics, we soon discover the prominence that is being accorded to silk and wool poplins, while striped otamano is something quite new this season; in appearance it resembles a coarse voile, the plain coloured ground being thrown into relief by white stripes running through the stuff; the texture of the fabric makes it useful for the tailored suit. Stripes will be very popular, especially in a silken material in soft colours with a black stripe printed, and a woollen material in dark tints with a white line woven through them. Stripes are found to run through materials of most kinds, from inexpensive cottons and cotton voiles to more expensive satins and taffetas and a certain soft ribbed silk, but stripes are not found on evening toilettes in any great degree. Some of the stripes are broad, others are only of hair-widtli, and are separated from one another by considerable space. The tailors are producing some rather strange effects by using striped materials, for the lines rnn horizontally, perpendicularly, very much on the slant, and anyhow at random al! on the same costume. One hopos that the tailor-made coats and skirts of striped satin will have a life that will be brief ; the quality used is good, of course, yet the effect is no better than if a few yards of striped coat-lining of indifferent quality had been bought and run up to form a coat and skirt; the make is simple and severe, and trimming does not exist; the stripes trim themselves by running round in bands and strappings in any direction, so long as it is a contrast to the general line of the costume as a whole. The suit of striped satin is not a success; the line is usually white on a coloured material. Even the satin suit guiltless of pattern or colour-contrast soon palls ; 'its affect is "gingerbready," particularly if the material happons to have a very bright surface. At present satin suits are being shown in many hues, but they are not really pleasing at any time, though possibly an isolated exception may be made once in a, while. In variety of their colouring, stripesiare making themselves conspicuous; oneMiot infrequently finds that they are, of two separate colours or of two shades of the same colour — white, silver, pale grey, or beige being introduced to contrast with blue, red, violet, and grey in any of their different gradations of colour. These Pekin materials are consideied, on the whole, to be more becoming than checks, and possibly they are; but neither is pleasing if Droduced on too liberal a scale. Where dress materials of th» cotton voile variety are patterned, one usually finds a narrow hair-line used in conjunction with some very minute Pompadour rosebuds, or &lac an all-over effect produced by round rings of small size packed closely together. For Empire gowiis of silken muslin, also, sprigged patterns will ; be ohosea. i

Splendid are the evening fabrics, which rely upon glitter for their principal attraction. Most striking', perhaps, is "gauze perle," hs foundation of fine net in black being worked over by a design of hand-embroidered beads and bugles in Claire de Lunc, which is very striking under artificial light ; dainty, too, is the black net of fine texture, having a small triangle pattern worked of iridescent bugles, three of these going to make up each little section of sparkle. Tinselled nets, chiefly of tarnished silver or dullish gold, are woven with lace-like patterns of an all-over nature, and these nets are used as entire undordress foundations or merely as the foundation for the blouse corsage of crepe or ninon, the faint glisten showing through the veiling with very fascinating effect. All these blouses corsages are cut In Magyar patterns, and without exception each one has a rounded guimpe, filled in with cream lace; immense variety is obtained by the use of different veils over the metallic foundation.