IN LONDON

Evening Star, Issue 19664, 17 September 1927, Page 21

IN LONDON

TOPICS AND FASHIONS [Written by Cynthia, for the ‘ Evening Star.’] The garden party at Buckingham Palace, Loudon, which, despite the unhappy summer iso far.it has got lost), was rchlly notably brilliant. It was estimated that some 14,000 people were present, and but for two showers of rain the day was fine, but it might have been better. Sun was the one thing required to make the picture glow. Owing to the death of the poor King of Rumania, the Court has gone into mourning, and this caused numbers of women to come in black. They were rather surprised to see the Queen all in grey, with silver grey toque, and all the ladies of the Royal circle either in greys or mauves or black and white. I will give you details of the Queen’s dress, for 1 was taken on to the Royal Palace after a very gay wedding. It was really silver grey in tone, and trimmed with silk fringes to match. The coat had scrolls of narrow silver tissue, and a V-shaped scries of fine tucks formed a becoming yoke at the back; and Her Majesty had a diamond thistle pinned in her toque. The King woro a dark grey morning suit, with black silk top hat, and a white gardenia in his buttonhole, la Queen Victoria’s time solemn black would have constituted Court mourning; now tho absence of any color is considered sufficient for the death of a contemporary monarch. I notice that the Duchess of. York also wore very palest French grey crepe, with low hip sash and long elbowIcngtli gloves over her close-fitting sleeves. Her pale hat was arranged at one side with a. fine heron’s mount, and a palo grey fox stoic was worn on the shoulders Princess Mary (Viscountess Lascellcs) wore steul-grcy silk, with a draped skirt, and grey feather plumage adorned her hat. She carried a small grey and silver beaded bag. The Duke of Connaught, Princess Victoria, Princess Selena Victoria (in mushroom-fawu georgette), Princess Marie Louise, Princess Arthur of Connaught (in black satin with white pipings and a small black hat), with Prince Arthur of Connaught, Lady Patricia Raiiisay fin black and white chiffon, with a large black hat and a petunia sunshade), Captain the lion. Alexander Ramsay, and the Marquess and Marchioness of Milford Haven (in black) were all in the Royal circle. The younger guests had colored frocks, and lots of finely-patterned crepe de chines, with coats to match, woro popular. White-flowered georgettes held their own. King Fuad of Egypt, who is still with us, was a notable guest. 1 noticed how fashionable velvet hats were—a stupid fashion lor summer wear, as there is nothing Jolt for winter if wc use up winter materials in the warmer season. I tun wondering if these will bo seen much at Goodwood, our next great Inaction. Thougu there were chairs m plenty, especially by the lake, with its pretty boathouse, i noticed one of our peeresses in her own right, the Baroness Beaumont, carried a shooting stick scat and wore a red chilfou dress. It was immensely smart. Then the now chrysanthemum fringe was in evidence. Tins is either produced in line tubes of material or ol line pieces of chiffon. Tiio latter gives such a sou, uuily effect, especially as a hem trimming. Tho trees, which effectively shut out tho bustle ot London, made an ideal background for the colored dresses, and the moving colored picture passed aud repassed as on a screen. Tea was served in the cream and gold pavilion, which was decorated with crimson and yellow flowers The bands ol the Royal ilur.se Guards and tho Welsh Guards played delightfully during tho afternoon, and wo thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. 1 saw the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, aud Prince George all in a cluster and all laughing and joking together. Everybody was remarking on the good looks of tho King’s youngest son. He is going to be tho Adonis of tho family, and is such a good figure and taller than his brothers. THE PRINCE SAILS. “ Good-bye, David, and good luck,” shouted the Duke of York to tho Prince of Wales. “ Good-bye, old man,” was shouted back as the Prince boarded tho train for Southampton, where the beautiful Empress ol Australia, was in readiness to take aboard our Prince and his youngest brother. Each has a separate suite, including a sitting [ room, bedroom, and bathroom, with a little terrace outside. The Baldwins are on board, too. Tho Prime Minister visiting Canada is a politcal precedent, and a good one, 1 think, but sets people pondering on how many of Mr Baldwin’s predecessors ever set foot in any of the British dominions overseas. The first within my recollection was the late Lord Salisbury, who as a youth of nineteen, fresh from Oxford, and in very bad health, set off for a long sea voyage in a sailing ship. He went ashore at Cape Town and stayed, by accident rather than design, three months, afterwards sailing to Australia, where ho saw tho “gold fever” at its height. DRINKS FOR HOT DAYS. Now, it’s not ridiculous to give you recipes for nice cooling drinks as you are embarking on your summer, while we haven’t had any yet, and it is close on August, so such hints are useless;— -—Grenadine Finn.— Fill a shaker half full of ice, and add juice of half a lemon, juice of one orange, one small glass of grenadine syrup. Shake well and strain into tumbler; fill up with iced soda water. If shaker is not handy, use large tum-j bier and stir well. —Summer Rose.—■ Shaker, with ice, four strawberries, and half a slico of pineapple cut in pieces. Add juice' of half a lemon, juice of one orange, .small glass of mint syrup. Shako well and strain into large tumbler, till up with cold soda I water. Tho drink should' be well i shaken. ! These two I have tried, and can tes-i tify to their excellence. Our papers have been full of recipes for iced drinks and frozen food when wc’vo all been | shivering, and had no summer beyond ■ about three odd days this year. AVell, you are more fortunate, and I do think 1 there is nothing more delicious than a 1 real cooling drink on a hot day; it is worth getting thirsty for it. LATEST SOCIETY HOAX. To “pull your leg” is the latest game in society, if you know what that* means; and if you can’t do it by bogus | invitations, then yon resort to sending unordered cases of wines, spirits, and endless provisions to people’s houses, and so get at them that way. The hoaxes, which began a few days ago, have produced considerable annoyance in the households of society people who have been victims of them. Cases of champagne, wines, and liqueurs have been delivered and accepted by I the unsuspecting servants. When the “owners’ beheld the array of unde- 1 sired goods they got a shock, and the police were informed. Inquiries have disclosed that tho pretty woman suspected visited West End tradespeople during the week and ordered the wine and other goods to ho delivered at once, as a party was i being given MUFFS TO COME RACK. | As you like to hear of all the newest i earliest, fashions, 1 must just briefly j refer to muffs. Since fur gloves be-; came so fashionable muffs have disap- j peared, and I think the only two people using them were the Queen and Lady Oxford (otherwise known as “Margot”), and now, if prophesy is true, they will ho all-the fashion again, f am not very fond of muffs, lor one 1 reason—you are so apt to leave them in places, 1 know I was always forget-

ting I line] a mu IT with me, and only by luck I never lost them altogether. Then they used to hang on chains round the neck, an awful nuisance; and so taking it all round, I don’t think people regretted they became unfashionable. FASHION’S FANCIES. What is known as the between season hero in the shops is the period when the sales are finishing up and tlie new inodes nr© not yet disclosed. But as all the world is on holiday bent it is interesting to note the many pretty styles which prevail. An arrangement of tiny tucks at the hack of the nock is one of tbe pronounced features or this ■ season’s fashions. One sees it on many types of dresses and coats. It is a very practical idea, giving a little interest to tho back of tbe gown, where it ordinarily might bo rather plain, and it gives a Tittle additional room where it is often wanted now that women drive cars, play games, and do much more light housework than lormerly. There is a pitfall with it. Emphatically no round-shouldered women ought to adopt the style, and she who is inclined to hold her shoulders badly must take great care in the fitting, and see that the tucks are of the smallest variety, and that they do not end in rounded fashion. Much better is the V-shapcd ending to tucks. SPOUTS WEAK. For .tennis, socks of white wool, with colored tops, which are worn over silk stockings, have become an almost universal Icature of the kit at Wimbledon. They seem to facilitate footwork, and aro certainly most attractive in appearance. For informal play at tho seaside the colored ospadrilles, so often worn on bare sunburnt feet by French girl players, are worth noting. Tennis lingerie is quite as. important a feature as tho frock nowadays. While most of the stars wear canii-boekcrs or dirco toirc knickers of the same material as the dress, one or two favor shorts. I know how beautiful bathing can he down under, and the pictures I have seen of bathing parties on Christmas Day make me perfectly envious. So you may like to hear that tho latest idea of the Paris dressmakers is the sun-bath costume. This is made, of thin white silk. The sleeveless irock is enriched with rows of open work, through which- the sun can work its will, and tho onc-piece affair is completed by a sleeveless coat of lustrous white silk in a fancy weave. The dainty dress is destined to be worn oif a sunny beach, where tho summer complexion can be cultivated at ease. Bathing caps are made exactly after the pattern of a brass helmet, complete with chin strap, lino rubber material being heavily gilded till it shines like brass. Even more dazzling are the bathing berets or taffeta caps. Sunbath suits follow materials for dresses. Plaid and plain silks, satins, and even tullo waterproofed are used. Fluffy dainty frocks arc worn over frilled knickers, with wraps to match; others are cut in coat frock style, with scal--1 lops and five tucks. Shoulder knots of 1 both materials and flowers aro worn. THE CHANGING SILHOUETTE. Sashes of velvet or ribbon, old paste buckles, and foamy petticoats have all been revived with picture frocks. Stockings, when less of them is revealed, have taken on the shade of the di ess, and shoos aro often in a darker tone of the same color, ’so that feet and legs are disappearing into a demure insignificance that they have not known for many a long day. Frilled paniers aro appearing on some picture dresses, and a suggestion of the Watteau style is provided by a front panel of contrasting material. PERIOD FROCKS. In the period frocks now fast becoming a feature for day and evening wear tho essentials are that the bodice shall be tight fitting, the waist lino almost normal, and the skirt very full as well as long. Now that the mode has crept into day dresses as well, tho sleeve question is cropping up. At recent outdoor functions many young girls wore these drosses in muslin, with wrist-length sleeves, but the effect is not quite right, and a return to tbe elbow sleovo with lace rubles is predicted in some quarters. HINTS FOR THE SMART. Beige is the color used this year before any others. The shades of pink beige, raauvo beige, and that of a bluish tint aro so numerous as to bo impossible to mention. Surely never has georgette had such a vogue. I’vo been to a heap of fashionable weddings where tho dresses had to bo described, and really half tho women were in beige of somo tint or another. There is a very much worn tone of apricot beige and what is known as corn color (all sisters of the beige family), irres- ‘ istibly pretty. Summer ermine, which i isn’t white, but beige color (so why it is called ermine 1 don’t know), is ever so fashionable, and these georgette coats which match all this type of frock are flounced and trimmed with it—a most charming fashion, I think. Marabout is lighter in weight and is much used, as every shade can be obtained by dyeing.