SPRING FASHIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 186, 10 September 1909, Page 3

SPRING FASHIONS.

SHOWING TO-DAY AT WHITES'. Messrs White and Sons make their first complete stowing to-day of the new season's millinery, dress materials, robes, costumes, blouses, and the thousand and one charming novelties which always find a place in a well selected range of goods for the warm weather. Every year Dame Fashion fias something fresh to show us, some new delights in the designing Of pleasing hats, the fashioning of becoming gowns, and in the general adornment of the fairer sex. Spring and summer of 1009-10 are no exception to the rule, and New Plymouth ladies have not been in any way neglected by the firms to whom they look for the correct modes of the .European world, for, although llaorilanders claim to lead the world in Dreadnought offers, football and sculling prowess, still, in company with the Mother Country and the nations on the Continent, we follow on the heels of Parisenne in the realm oi ladies' fashion. Neither is there need to dethrone the leading cos- [ tumiers of "La Belle France," so 101111 as they design becoming "modes" such as our reporter saw displayed yesterday in the showrooms and 071 the counters of Messrs White and Sons' up-to-date establishment. Dear to the feminine mind is the "latest" in ujillinery. Black anil white letterpress utterly fails to adequately describe the beautiful color schemes which the designees have presented. But the shapes are chic and smart, generally large, and varying greatly in t/he manner of wearing. The lovely bergeres, profusely covered with flowers, velvet ribbon and lace, are very prominent. The "picture hat," boldly turned up at the side, and trimmed with costly osprcy aigrettes or ostrich feathers, is spoken of as one of the most popular in northern climes; whilst the bell-shaped millinery and the pot-shaped cone, with narrow brim, are specially designed to accommodate the wealth of roses and other flowers which the inanu-. facturers this .vein- have brought to the high-water mark <Sf beautiful and statural coloring. As usual, of course, the modiste perpetrates a blue or a green rose occasionally, but whilst these would cause a furore in the garden of one of our amateurs, they arc' accepted with out comment as becoming bits of beauty .for tho better ornamentation of the hats and toques of our feminine friends., Italian straw, roughly plaited rough tagal, yedda, and rice straws, and horsehair are also among the newest materials for millinery construction. The ''imddin^-!)asra !I shapes will he popular in coarse. fancy plaits, often very slightly trimmed, with but a plain bow and a quill. As mentioned before, the summer shapes are in the spreading brim direction, the "Too-Large" crown being retained, in many instances very irregular both in regard to size and in the method of turning up. Enormously big velvet how* are frequently used, and much cretonne ribbon indifferent colors, liberty, taffetas, faille, and soft moire ribbon in tho most beautiful and oldfashioned shades. White, black, ficelle and ochre lace form sweet and light arrangements. Flower and (ruit ornaments ate the rage ot tho season. Jet cabachous, discs, and chains of large beads are well to the fore, and will continue so. Here arc a few o! the models which were shown to us yesterday:— First, a fashionable bell hat of golden yellow Italian straw, covered with pale ficelle lace (imitation Venetian) j pastel ficelle silk ribbon surrounding the crown and finishing in a smart bow at the left. Second, a simple but pretty cabriolet hat, of white yedda straw, finished in peacock blue ribbon tied in a bow nt the back, and a pink rose place in frout and behind. Third, a small bell hat ■with high crown of white batiste, bordered with a tulle volant arranged gracefully at the left, wreath of lilac tinted pink sik roses. In leaving tl\c millinery, it must be remarked that there is a continuance of dimmed colors, which "caught on" recently in the millinery world. 111 the chidreir's department the "Jack Tar" and "babette" shapes are amongst the nicest shown, and thcTe is a pleasing variety of them.

Dress goods. —Colored lines* will be much -worn this summer, and these goods are greatly improved, behig now produced In a nice bright mercerised finish and lighter in weight than when previously in fashion. Stripes arc a predominating feature, and there are twolone effects everywhere. Green leads In colors, in every cbnceivable shade, but dad-rose; heliotrope, amethyst, pjid golden browns are going to be gveatlv worn. Special mention made Jbc made here of the firm's purchase of exclusive dress lengths. In trimmings there is an enormous range of braids and "button-loops, and we saw a fine selection of aJI-ove r embroideries. Valenciennes all-overe, a?id mercerised trimmings. There is a splendifl range of robes in shantuns, lincens, India linoiis. directoire satin, arid other materials. We noticed particularly a smart empress Tobc in black, alpaca, quite "the" thing. Dust*coaU are shown in alpaen, the favorite colors seeming to be pale irrevs. blues, browns, greens, navies, black, cream and champagne. Coming to ladies' shirts and blouses, white goods in hvwn trimmed with embroidery, and nearly all with long and tightly tucked sleeves, are choice goods, and will doubtless have a large sale. Printed regattas In fancy and block stripes, and two-tone effects arc -well represented; and the Jap silk shirts are taking a prominent place in Evening wear.