Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 105, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1919 — Furs, Satin and Soft Felt Hats [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Furs, Satin and Soft Felt Hats

Recently, writes a Paris fashion correspondent, j .witnessed an amusing little scene ih which a famous London beauty played the leading role. The background was one of the big department stores on the Boulevard Haussmann, and the beauty was none other than Lady Diana Manners, daughter of the duchess of Rutland. I noticed a considerable crowd of women and girls at the untrimmed hat department. This was nothing new, for nowadays every department of every big store in Paris is crowded, but it struck me that instead of searching for becoming hat shapes for themselves these eager girls and ’ivomen were watching someone else making a choice. I made my way to the scene of , action and there standing before a looking glass, I found a very tall, thin English girl with wonderful golden hair, Starry blue eyes and blushrose cheeks. She was actually making a. restaurant hat before the eyes of those amazed onlookers. With absolute unconcern she pulled on a transparent brim made of black “tulle and then added a- full crown of glittering gold tissue. Then she pushed into place a cluster of metallic flowers and a Louis XV bow of black velvet, gave the whole thing a final pull to make it fit well down on her lovely hair and indicated to the speechless shop girl that she wished the hat made “like that.” It was the prettiest sight you can imagine. A really beautiful girl displaying a wonderful cleverness in the arrangement of fragile materials, above all, the essentially English disregard for the crowd of onlookers. All for Picturesque Dressing. Lady Diana was —as usual —dressed picturesquely. All the duchess of Rutland’s daughters have inherited their mother’s genius where clothes are concerned. It w’ill be remembered that when the duchess was Lady Granby she led a very exclusive circle, in London, who called themselves “The Souls.” All the members of this circle went in for picturesque dressing and the duchess of Rutland Is still famous for her clever arrangements of gorgeous brocades, lengths of rich fur and priceless laces. The day I saw Lady Diana she was wearing a simple one-piece frock, made of navy blue serge, which had a narrow belt of scarlet patent leather. ■Thrust into this belt were two long, white suede gloves and a magnificent red rose. Her wrap, which was thrown carelessly back on her shoulders, was made of black poult de sole and fashioned like an Irish peasant’s cloak, with a plain round yoke into which the-rest of the cloak was gathered. The mantle was lined wdth bishop’s purple crepe de chine and topped with a supple collar of kolinsky. The cloak was tied round Lady Diana’s really lovely throat with wide, black silk ribbons and when the moment came for taking oft the recently “created” hat and putting on one she had worn on entering the estabishment I found that the latter took the form of a fisherman’s cap, made

of scarlet silk tricot, with quaint black and blue embroideries round the peaked crown. I have sketched this highly original cap for the benefit of fashion’s readers. They will see that it is charmingly becoming and youthful. Cap Well Drawn on Head. some mysterious way the peaked crown was invisibly supported, but the cap was so well drawn on the head that It did not need any hatpins. The duchess of Rutland was an amused spectator of the hat-making episode. She also wore a black cloak, and a black charm euse dress with a single string of magnificent pearls caught in by a diamond brooch. - The full-length figure sketched shows one of Redfern’s new models for early spring wear. The material was stategray cashmere de sole and the trimming consisted of bands—wide and narrow—of course black filet net embroidered in white wools. V This is one of Redfern’s newest ideas and a very effective one; the heavy white wool embroideries look splendid on the coarse black net ground and it is a Style of trimming wfaich can be introduced on almost any

material. It looks particularly well on black satin or on raven’s-wing-bluw cloth. The outline of the coat la novel, and becoming. It is quite long, reaching well below the knees. Then in front there is a straight plastron which seems to tie round the waist.. As a matter of fact, this plastron is part of the coat itself and the whole thing fastens invisibly at the left klde. Redfern is showing a good many spring coats of this length and they are having much success. The accompanying skirt is short and tight and the ensemble is exceedingly chic and smart. The hat shown in this drawing is a new model by Reboux. The brim is longer in front than at the back and the crown is high and full. Style Popular in Paris. A loosely curled feather is laid round one side, with a fascinating tip drooping over the brim in tassel fashion. Please note the round-cut neck of the

coat. This is the style now most popular in Paris, for coats as well as for dresses and blouses. Several of our leading dressmakers are trying to make high, tight collars popular— for coats and dresses, but the Parlslennes are holding away from this innovation, except in the matter of wrap coats. All the same we shall certainly see something like a revival of high dress collars this spring. Whether this fashion will quickly become generally popular remains to be proved. I have lately noticed a great many ostrich feathers Introduced on velvet and felt hats. Some of those are of the loose uncurled order, but others are really handsome specimens of the feather tribe. I have also seen clusters of ostrich tips used as trimmings for high Russian toques. This is a revival of an old and very popular fashion. Black satin and soft felt hats will be “the correct thing” all through the spring and summer. The most fashionable milliner in Paris recently told me that soft felt hats will be very much worh this coming summer in conjunction with the most fragile dresses and rich “summer furs.” This indicates that we are in for a picturesque summer season, and that is good news. Summer furs are certain to be more worn than ever ; such /urs as ermine, moleskin, white fox and kolinsky—the latter in the form of square collars for coatees made of pale-hued satins.

Quaint toque in “flamingo” red silk crochet, embroidered in blue and black.

Early spring costume in slate-gray cashmere de soie, with bands of the new white wool embroidery.