IN FASHION'S REALM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 3 October 1913, Page 2

IN FASHION'S REALM.

SOCIAL NEWS AND FASHIONS.

UP-TO-DATE NOTES ON WHAT TO WEAR.

The X-ray skirt. I said we should never wear it here. That was on in-1 specting a photo. This was extreme enough, though not too extreme. Since then I have inspected others, one in particular —that which held up the traffio in New York, and about 1 which there was a court case., Well,! I hardly like ta mention it, and yet it is as well. The picture shows a young "lady" in undergarments of the bathing suit type, the kind which is certainly not neck to knee. Over this she wore a single skirt winch, opaque enough with a dark background, became transparent in the ( light. The crowd hissed her and she' wa3 arrested. But a dozen others* turned out nearly as bad, and as for the. skirts—well, a photo shows the skirt slashed up to-below the knee, caught thereto with a buckle, and with no petticoats. An exchangccontains a declamatory sermon, but the preacher was unjust. ' He irefers to "women's attire," and Ms remarks fail to discriminate. All these people who so forget themselves were either emancipists at the best, or something eke at'the worst. They serve for & general censure of iheir sex to the exact extent that a dozen roughs who have got out of ha*nd would serve for one on the other. If a magistrate were to say "I do not know what men are coming to," he would be ridiculed, and that deservedly. Tho X-ray skirt has no more to do with elegant attire" for women than a stable has to do with a drawing-room, or the kitchen waste you throw into the bin with the bowl of flowers on tho dainty I table-centre. But enough of this ! subject, and so to X-ray hats. These were tho latest in Paris early summer and to its end. The X-ray hat is bound to be seen and worn in this country. "Lucille" says' that the type is so frail that a harsh word will crnsh it, but that, of course, is her way of speaking. Tho type may consist of a wisp of tulle and all the paradise feathers you can carry In one there is a wonderful display of paradise. • Also an odd but pretty arrangement of pearls. . Pearls are tho only jewels a woman can safely wear in the daytime. The decree is that sho must not wear them in the conventional manner. She must not put them around her neck in the way they are supposed to be. Thus one Parisian, last July, had her pearls wound round her 'hat and caught up under her chin. The hat itself was) merely a turban off tulle built on a wire frame, and perfectly transparent. The tulle and tho paradise were black. 'Some of the Look-through hats have no orbw'ns. Tho top of the head takes the place of a tulle crown, and when this is well dressed the effect is good. A curious hat is a hat within a hat. But it is all of tulle. The inner hat i« of silvery tulle or inaline, and the osspreys at the back are black. , Another hat is ofthe crownless kind. The wide or rather "deep brim is mere-" ly fold on fold of the tulle, edged at top and bottom, frill of the same. This hat is created in a brilliant cerise. Tho broM paradise is black. k lt is necessary that these tulle hats have some bhiSck in their composition. . Another model has a transparent brim, nothing* more or less than a wide frill or ruffle of black inaline. The crown in this ease is light blue satin. There is nothing lovelier nor more . becomng for the face than these frills of maline that may finish nine hats out of ten. A distinctive model has a crown of rose satin, the brim black and the frill of the enaline rose-coloured. The ospreys are black. The foregoing, of course, is a millinery advance note. One must act the herald. Though not a very good indication of the beauty of tho original, ,the sketch will serve. It is a hat by the famous Samson, Paris, and is oalled "small!" The basis is white satin straw, a largo taffeta bow at back and a crushed band of this round crown. A high—l should call it very high—branch of roses is employed, a white bloom oil the summit, and if desired, a black ono against the crown x of smaller size. The spray is leafy,

and leaves are tumbled over tho brim one side, stalks coming to other. T4iis brim has a roll on the edge. The model illustrates the possible in the upstanding floral mount. Tho original was voted a fine creation, and selected by a judge as an example of tho bosfc'of tho far .spring designs! Samson contributed it as a standard, and the rank of Samson is practically equal to that of Lewis, of whom later. \ How does July in Europe correspond with the timo here? It would bo midsummer. Well, what of furs.? 1 must quote to be believed. Thus:

(By "Ma rguerite.") [Social ltema for this Page would bo gladly received by "Marguerite," care of "Age" Office, but to ensure their publication, must be accompanied by the name and address of the sender.]

"No matter what the weather is, Fashion's decrees must bo carried out. In a way, Fashion is above the weather, just as it is abovo the law. Fur is necessarily a winter accessory. It does not harmonise with the torrid. But there are times when Fashion gives no thought to harmony, and this is one of them. To those who love contrasts, there is something very satisfying in adding furs to a costume of filmy chiffons and laces. Furbands are usually put on only thoso transparent fabrics that are called X-ray stuffs. Imagine, if you please, a costume of white cliiffon, an airy fairy nothing, with which one wears one petticoat only, weighted down with furl Does this not sound bizarre. We, in Paris, are also wearing fur on our evening gowns. Picture a charming evening costume trimmed in this way. It is one of the very latest draped models. The underskirt is mauve charmeuse, and the wonderful draped-over robe is a delightful rosebrocade. The bodice and tbe large roses at the froint of tho skirt are of mauve and chiffon. The neck and sleeves are edged with bands of brown fox. There are other ways to use fur. New tunics of voile and chiffon are frequently edged at the lower hem with fur of some kind. But it .must bo fuzzy fur. Moleskin and ermine are all very well to place at the hem of the skirts, but tho tunics must have tho fuzzy edge. It is time to talk of cool gowns. A few word pictures will suffice for the moment. Thus a white chiffon over white. A now and unusual sash is rose satin embroidered with roses. A small bonnet-like hat and a parasol convey the thought of breezeu and coolness. Another is made of the wide-meshed net that is to be so fashionable. The underskirt is of white charmeuse and lace. Although the fabric is transparent, tho underskirt is of stuff that veils tho figure. It is not necessary to wear more than one underskirt, but it must be opaque. A heavy weight of charmeuse or crepo do chine used for the under robe satisfies all the conventions. The hat with this second gown has a novel streamer that is becoming. It comes over tho right shoulder, hangs halfway down the full figure and gives the note of contrast. An ideal "trot- i about" is created in dull blue crepe. The draped skirt has a turn-back rever lines with rose silk. A girdle with tassel is of the silk. The collar and cuffs are hand-embroidered crepe.