THE FASHIONS AT AMBURYS'

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 339, 15 March 1910, Page 6

THE FASHIONS AT AMBURYS'

THE FIRM'S RECORD DISPLAY. When the history of modern millinery comes to be written, surely some of, the exquisite specimens imported ' from Paris and now making their debut in Messrs Ambury Brothers' millinery department must take an honoured place in their pages. Once again will their clientele be able to revel in the last word of autumn millinery, which has converted the firm's rooms into a veritable Mecca for the woman, who rea;lisest the importaneSe which miillinery has in tl'6 World of dress. And at t,lie outset, we must compliment the head of the department upon the excellent taste evidenced in the purchase and display of* these latest and most attractive and varied specimens of the art ot making the modern headgear. The showrooms will sp«ak for themselves in this direction, and it may be regarded as a fortuitous circumstance that a bois'trous Monday makes an inspection of autumn and winter fashions to-day a less (preposterous proposition. Following our usual custom a News representative had a peep behind the scenes yesterday when the last relics of summer ■were stowed away and autumn «uid winter took command.

The new millinery is fashioned in I Mocked moire, blocKed Ottoman silk, felts, fur hats, beaver, velvet, strawy and black chip. The colours are not pronounced, but mostly subdued tims, making selection easier and enablmg many ladies to buy at last not only what suits their complexion but the colour that pleases' their taste. Shapes show a decided reversion to the toque and 1 smaller styles, but the large styles are still greatly in evidence. Amongst the latter we are introduced to the latest phase of the Cavalier hat. the brim being sharply turned off the face in front and! left side, whilst the trimming is on the right instead of the left. Here i» a Cavalier hat, under the brim showing white moire silk, cut away with olive velvet. The large high crown i» of mirror velvet, and across the crown to the brim is folded bronze, tan and reseda and; olive satin, giving a most delightfully rich effect in colour harmony, the whole surmounted by a fine olive plume. Close by we see a "Dollar Princess" toque, which represents the very latest in toque styles. That under notice is executed in light bronze, trimmed with black and gold lace and black wings; whilst just beyond it comes another in amethyst ottoman silk, mirror velvet, beads' and wings, all to match. Another, and one that will soon catch the eve of the lover of elegance, is beautifully made in tripleshaded terra cotta mirror velvet, with the addition of brown wings and other brown trimmings most 'handsomely displayed. Coming again to the large hat, we need not claim attention for the model in navy moire silk, and moss mirror velvet, with sweeping plume to match, and the brim edged in mrrror velvet. Smart, too, is the black velvet! toque, with fine black plumes' toucned ! with gold flakes. Beavers are exceedingly choice, and are in most of the correct colours, which, by the way, <tre aeroplane, winestain, amethyst, prunelle, mulberry saxe, cinnamon, navy,, mole, bronze, and moss, whilst there is a very fine catering for blacks and whites, and black-and-white styles'. Ca-' bachons figure prominently in the trim- ] mings, whilst large floating plumes, fluffy feathers from the baby ostrich, stiff wings in pairs, single straight quill feathers are intermixed with pas'sementine, oxidised silver trimmings, sequeims and jet. Very stylish shapes in-smart ready-to-wear hats are the Hurlingham, Lily Elsie, Eanelagli and others. The ready-to-wear hats' in the i smaller styles are well represented this year, which will be good news to ladies, whose '-second" hat is thus easy 01 selection. These are very chic. Whilst the change to toques brings good news, for more elderly ladies, they are still well catered for, and the bonnets this season are very, very pretty. With such style, 1 it's rather a pleasure to have reached the age of dignity and composure.

We lhaven't touched on the children's millinery, but it's in nice variety. All the millinery material (wings, plumes, cabachons, crystalline scarves' and flowers') for the untrimmed shapes is shown, and it's apparently very easy of arrangement. _ Large' beetles are the prominent hat piii tops. Ladies' blouses in black and white and colours for day and evening wear, are here in bewildering and excellent variety, and the underskirts, much niched and kilted, are shown very largely in silks, as in silk moirettes, in colours/ and stripes. Costumes deserve a column of mention on their own, but we have spent so much time and so much *>'paee m the millinery that we cannot adequately describe them here. They nave the new long coats (five-eighths, threuquarters and seven-eighths), and have the most correct silk collar and large buttons, ofttimes of jet. There's every conceivable sliade and design in tweeds and cloths here, as well as in the costume skirts for. golf, hockey and street wear. Housings occupy a very large amount j of the space devoted to this year's [ showing, the principal feature being the stripe effects in flannels, flannelettes', delaines and viyellas, silk striped and otherwise, all the very newest pattrms and shades. Dress goods are shown on the ground floor, and these include a very fine range of cloths of all kinds, with nice subdued stripe effects—dark

with black stripes promising to make very dressy wear. These are of superfine quality, too. Trimmings are in all the fashionable shades, to match the great range of dress goods, and the pttdominant items are sequin and jet trimmings, new bronze and gold braids, military buttons in varied sizes, jet ■tassels, s'ilk tracing and Russian Silk braids, passemcnten, and so on. Belts and neckwear are very fetching, some of the new sequin collars being particularly choice goods. Pretty shot knitted ties with gold and silver bead tassels will surely become favourites. Hose thl« Sfeftafift is ?' ain or striped, in coloUfH to suit costumes. -j> fancy department shows a very pretty rMg« of babies' bonnets, bootees, .baVettes, polka jack''ets, frocks, pinafores.', bins, etc. Men will find everything of the newest on their "side," which brings to mind that Mr Ambury's parting injunction was "not to forget tine .parasols for this showery weather." -„