LADIES COLUMN.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 33, 8 February 1913, Page 11

LADIES COLUMN.

London fashion Notes. (From Opr , Own • Correspondent.) LONDON, 27th December. Christmas excitement is over. . Sales and chaos aro the attractions offered for the immediate future. . This is the gayest 'spason of the year, so far as indoor pntertaininents are concerned, and the young people who are in request for dances and small quiet parties need a varied assortment of dainty dresses. Nothing is bettor suited to tho requirements of the young than the dress of soft satin with a pretty tunic of ninon or net or shadow lace. Or, supposing that one i has grown tired ' of the satin underdress ifc is>a pleasant' chtinge to use accordionpleated chiffon and to surmount this with a' tunic of any of the numerous transparent- fabrics co well adapted for the purpose. -The general effect of the tunicdrese'is one of girlish simplicity and of dainty effect. Soft colour schemes have the preference, though -there is ample opportunity for indulgence in bold and bril* Hant hues,- vrhich are so characteristic of all the BUttiptuous and old©r-lookjft(jr materials of this very ' vivid colour-gea*on. There »re many 1 ttfider-dressea of «64ffl or 'white, or pffle pink with top*. of flame colour, of emerald green or of bright blue of ■ go|den brown and all of these are striking eVen though quite- simply made. Tho ideal dress for the girl is of . cream satin, with a tunic overdress of lightly-sprigged cream net .slightly sown with crystals- The colour touch is imparted by ribbon, which is wedged 'in. between th§ tunic and ita foundation, so.-th»t there are slanting bands of ribbon . across the bodice, or a waist-belt which has a panel continuation falling down the. skirt back and front. Or twith ends that are, made to. arrange themselves in all , kinds of • positions, as fancy may suggest. These ribbons are soft in texture and soft ia colour, whether patterned or plain. Much of the ribbon used, is light blue, a good, deal is, delicate mauve, and just as much is of palest blush pink. Each of these three colours is a happy associate with either .of the other two, so that mauve, and pink, blue and mauve, -.pink and blue, may be combined to form , sashes, panels, bows and belter visible only through the tunic top. Fof the rest,»such a dress would have a border near, the skirt 'hem of tiny chiffon , flower? made of -'two colours, and' if the tunic is looped up anywhere — and, of course, .it ought to be raised somewhere even if ever so .slightly-— the , gathering- is kept in position by straps of the- same dainty miniature . flowerets. A < further touch of sparkle is imparted by the trail of closeset paste discs which outline the decolletage 'and ■ the small sleeve: The bodice front for the girl is fuller than, a while ago, and a very pretty, effect is that of a butterfly, bow of lace stretching across the' corsage, .and through this a faint colour touch imparted by the ribbon bolt' is just discernible. The whole effect is sure to be simple,' and so inexpensive are the dainty ready-made evening dresses that there is> no" excuse 'for- anyone -to wear a dress ,'that does t not look quite fresh. Pcopjo of stock size are much to bo envied — 'thejf can * look well dressed on a very small expenditure. THE LONGER LINE. Very wide waiat 'belts and' half-length tunics ought to make the . figure look rather stunted, but somehow they- seldom • do. In fact,- they, never do when tho long _ line -from shoulder to waist is emphasised, ' and this is more than ever being done. The - underdrees . will probably haVe . a very wide . waistband • formed on the pattern or a corselet belt,' and .this will be of ribbon. But over this will come a_ tunio whose bodice portion is made with crossover effect, having bande of'insertiofa starting from each shoulder, and crossing juefat the natural waistline ; length of figure 'is thus obtained. Then, even though the tunic is of only half or three-quartet length, it falls unconspicuously and with simple lihea on to a clinging skirt of straight- cut. ' Tho 'general effect is always' a pleasing one, and variety isinfinita, for Colour schemes themselves provide unlimited scope, and there are scarce two tunics made just ulike. Some fall straight back and front, leaving blank, spaces at either side of the skirt; some have sleeves; many have no sleeves, hut leave displayed the sides of the. underdress all the way down from the shoulders ; some coyer the bodice and one sleevfe, leaving uncovered one arm, and, continuing to the skirt,, the covered side is carried down into a sharp point below • the knee at one side, whence a sharp, angle front and back makes the tunic .-quite* a short .thing on the other ■>hip. borne., tunics are mado with very long coat-tails, behind,, having the fronts cut. away in rounds: In these days of lodpings and slight gatherings, the long^ er .type of tunio needs to ba bunched up slightly somewhere — the more unusual the position and the manner the better, and the' scheme •is kept in plaice by a large gauze flower, or by a wreath of »tinjr chiffon flowers, or by a rosette, which is sewn with sparkling discs. , Every tunic needs' an outliqyng of somethinp dainty, which assists in emphasising ite pattern, and for the purpose a fringe of. pearls or crystal beads is very Usual, or a' fringe of bugles, while. a borderline of < the tiny .gauze or.chiffon flowers and leaves is very, well suited to the purpose. Slight- flouncings of lace frequently decorate one 'side of the^dres?, ■ and the tunic is' left purposely open for these 'to be displayed. There are' still some 'of the heavily beaded and bugles r^n'^s,' which need 'to be very_ plain, 'but .-' i^ fairy, fabrics it is 'possible to introduce becoming- fichu .draperies about tho bodice, •and j these; are, 'a great feature of the moment. The one-sided fichu drap* cry „is not unusual, the falling lace or chiffon over the arm forming one sleeve, while the other sleeve is ; of the satin or. of ..whatever ihe > foundation • fabric happens, tp be., Narrow rouleaux of satin are coming into fashion again, and these,' applied to- dresses of .net, .recall the pretty dresses of half a century ago, 1 especially- with the. revival of flounces in. a, modified degree. Bouffant effects^oharacterise the overdress of .at least one, in twenty, and though this is not always evident all round the figure, the effect is" given at one side ; efforts are many to leave the panicr ' alone, but ' while there is this overhanging fulness anywhere about the sides or hips" the panier is bound to be suggested. The casual observer- may , say -that "there is. nothing much tnatjis new about the season's evening dresses, tunics are still worn, and the skirt is still- a thing of narrow line." Just a little closer ■ attention will reveal the -fact that there >is scaVce a- -tunic to be 'had to-day -that, is a duplicate of the tunic a _ year old ; there -are differences of- detail, and these > are all-important.' A* tunic that =is prominent' in very fashionablo circles is- quite a one-sided thing about the bodice; in front it begins with a ' tapering .point on the left shoulder, and is carried, across the figure, gaining slightly in width during its progress; the same line is earriod up the back, and by the time the same' shoulder is arrived at- the fabric i«> just, wide enough to mateh i the starting-point of the front. A t tunic of this shape is more massive on e*kirt. than,. on bodice. On the latter it will , probably be ' hardly more than ■ a crossway line of , bead-worked ■flowers, while on the skirt the beads and bugles have become more numerous and more elaborate, so that a ,very striking overdress is formed in colours chiefly of the mother-of-pearl tintings, brightened by large - flowers carried out in ' beads of colour. For the rest^ the dres3 will most likely be of cream shadow lace . and flesh-pnik ' satin, the lace doing duty on the bodice, the, satin, forming the skirt, whose tijain will be , a drapery of lace looped back. midway at the back of the skirt. There are some tunics which • are gathered into .the waistline in bocoming folds which start at the shoulder ; . the,n the waistbelt. is partly under the skirt, partly outside . it, and the finishing knot with ends may be placed _at one < side of the .front or at any position behind. A crys-tal-sewn underdress is very effective when lightly covered with an outer veil- , ing of needle-run, lace. Wide sashes of satin x>r velvet i are often finished with an erect pleating standing higner than the belt, and held in place by a handsome buckle of 6tsel or paste — the jewelled buckle imparts .one of the distinctive notes of the moment — and of courts compl*tion of , effect is imparted by an , , embroider?., or if rings of eteel beaia or

of jewels applied to the sash ends, one of which will be several inches longer than the other.'