Fashion Notes for Islands Women

By Therese.

GREEN leaves, turning to gold, clear, crisp, invigorating mornings, make us alive to the joy in everything and fill us with the spirit of adventure. Adventure in clothes, too, for with the contempt born of long familiarity, we regard our summer clothes with a jaundiced eye and turn our

wayward fancies to fresh fields and pas tures new.

To discourse on Winter to a tropic dweller seems not only superfluous but cruel; but the woman of wisdom in search of chic realizes that be the season Spring, Summer, (Autumn or Winter in other climes she must study well the dictates of fashion to ensure discriminating choice when the necessity arises.

The new weaves are delightful—wools shaggy and smooth and, of course, the inevitable tweed for the taileur, dull un crushable velvets, their rough surface looking like the bark of a tree, and pat terned jerseys for both blouses and sports wear.

For evenings, marocains, crushed vel vets soft as silk, flamisols, wind-swept satins, come to us under the same name, but in slightly different guises, and their colours are gorgeous. The rich autumnal tints of falling leaves, the new berry shades, cocktail and Shanghai reds, lizard and bronzine greens vie with each other for supremacy, and make the approaching Winter so gay in perspective that surely we must forget its icy blast.

The streamline silhouette, following the lines of the figure, still predominates, but ’tis whispered in overseas’ fashion circles, that the full curves of Venus are being madly sought. What balm for those of us who slavishly follow the eighteen days’ diet with regrettably imperceptible results.

Cream cakes ad lib may now be our por tion.

The vogue of the blouse and skirt is still with us, and little wonder, when one con siders the attractive blouses —silk, velvet, knitted —each variety of such tremendous appeal that choice is difficult.

For evening, a cocktail red Russian blouse, its tunic hip-length only, is worn with a skirt of black satin or velvet. The sleeves are wrist length, the fulness start ing from the elbow and tapering to slim ness about the wrist. A slit from wrist to elbow bound with gold and silver lame adds a perfect finish and supplies the necessary coolth for tropical wear.

There are endless capes, too —short, long, waist length, dipping at the back— made of fringe, feathers, georgettes, vel vets —in fact, of any material that suits the need of the moment.

An adorable little jacket of patterned silver tissue, reaching to the waist at the back, is lined with flesh-tinted georgette and has a collar of hand-made silver roses. It is particularly charming when worn with deep rose or sea green lace.

Long evening coats reaching to the hem of the gown, give definite grace to the wearer.

Hats, for the most part, are frankly absurd. Small and vivacious, they perch on the head in a provocative manner, and their success in many instances lies in the moulding of the model to the head, and in the cleverly draped crowns. Pert little goblin caps, flat crowns with the tiniest of brims, turned up fronts, twisted backs, fill the need for something diminutive to be worn with high necks and upstanding fur collars.

Unfortunately, only the ingenue can be really a success in these infinitesimal wisps of nothingness, but there is also the trend towards the wider brimmed cha peaux of velour and velvet, and these are charming for the woman past the first flush of youth.

Accessories are still as important as ever. Your shoes, gloves and bag may be in the same materials, and this applies to both day and evening.

Wood is well to the fore for decorative purposes. There are delightful, highly polished wooden clips to take the place of metal ones, and wooden beads and but tons have been with us for some time.

The newest of new fads is the handbag of the thinnest imaginable piece of Eng lish ash, beautifully grained. It is quite flexible and completely charming.

The most popular new season’s foot wear, other than the übiquitous court shoe, is the low vamp lace shoe, which looks well with a costume of either silk or wool. The Ghillie tie is often seen for sports wear, as is the light brogue.

Sandals for evening are triumphant and are obtainable in a variety of designs.

Many dispense with toes altogether, merely being held to the sole of the foot by means of a few bands. A very sheer stocking is worn with these, but toeless sandals are not always attractive and are the choice of only the ultra smart.

Silver and gold kid shoes are returning to favour, and bags of the same kid are distinctly fascinating. In plain envelope shades, sporting a jewelled clasp, they are the dernier cri of the season.

Here is a belt and link fastening in crochet. Try it.

Novel String Accessories.

Nowadays it is possible to make the most fas cinating of fashion accessories from such an ordi nary medium as string. Here are two ideas —a frock fastening and a belt. Both are crocheted in string. The link fastening consists of two long buttons joined together and passed through bound buttonholes in the frock.

For the buttons: Form a small ring of the string. 1st Round: Work 9 double crochet into ring, and join, 2nd Round: Work double crochet into the back loop of each d.c. of previous row, increasing once by working twice into one stitch (making 10 d.c.). 3rd Round: Work 1 d.c. into each d.c. of pre vious round. 4th Round: Like 3rd Round.

To form the openwork centre: sth Round: 4 ch. (3 stitches of this chain to form first treble), 1 tr. into 2nd stitch (1 ch., 1 tr.) 3 times, missing a stitch between to form a space, 1 ch. into 3rd stitch of commencing chain.

Repeat 4th, 3rd and 2nd rows on other side cf openwork part.

Make a tiny roll of the material of the coat or frock and pad the button, then to decrease, work (1 d.c., miss a stitch) 5 times. Break off.

Draw the ends to the inside with the hook.

Make a second button, and poin the two together with a chain of about 8 stitches.

For the Belt: Crochet a chain long enough to pass round the waist loosely; turn with 1 ch.

Ist Row: D.c. into every ch., turn. 2nd Row: Slipstitch to 2nd stitch, 2 ch. to form first tr, * 1 ch., miss 1 stitch, 1 tr into next stitch, repeat from * to end of row, turn. 3rd Row: D.c. into each stitch of previous row, omitting the last two stitches; turn. 4th Row; Like the 2nd row. sth Row: Like the 3rd row. D.c. along slanting end to make neat. Break off and darn the end in.