THE "mi-saison" in Paris always sees the birth of some new detail which later is introduced into the next season's models. This year, mi-saison " brought with it the vogue for velvet and tulle hats.

What was but a tentative effort in Paris became later an accomplished fact at Deauville, Trouville, and Ostend. Nine tenths of the headgear seen at these resorts — where congregate for a short three weeks all the elegance and beauty of three continents — were of velvet, or velvet and tulle.

The popularity of these materials once established, modistes devoted their attention to developing new shapes. These continue to be very diverse, especially in the smaller hats.

The varied types of the small hat range from a form not unlike the Greek Pope's "beret" down to the fascinating little arrangement which looks like a black taffeta handbag gathered into a wide supple band of velvet, drawn through a jet buckle in front. As a general rule the crowns are full, but not too full—and very supple. They are made without the stiff tulle lining formerly used for the foundation of all draped crowns.

Many little toques, shaped like a boudoir cap, are made of white or colored velvet, appliquéd with black Chantilly lace motifs. Others have a vivid red velvet crown and a curved black velvet brim.

The "beret" is also made of velvet, with a full crown gathered into the narrow velvet band which forms the brim. A narrow band of feather trimming, made of the plumage of the humming-bird, runs from the centre front to half way across the left front, where it ends in two semi-plucked feathers.

Feathers of different description continue to be the favorite trimming for the new hats.

Georgette has a pretty fluffy combination which she uses for her larger shapes. This consists of a ball of ostrich feathers into the heart of which has been set only the soft sides of the aigrette, the stiff aigrette centre being omitted.

Georgette has quite a new way of putting a simple feather on a draped blue velvet hat which immediately lifts it out of the ordinary. The feather is placed at the side and stands directly forward so that it reaches the centre of the forehead. The hat is of blue and the feather is black. Another hat made by Georgette is of black velvet shaped like a skull cap with a double brim. The first brim is of fluffy, feathery aigrettes, forming an aureole round the face, while the upper, stiff brim is of black velvet. This is placed at least three inches higher than the aigrettes.

At present, but few aigrettes are seen, instead straight "couteau" plumes arc largely used. Usually these are uncurled ostrich feathers thinned out and at times cut narrow 

White feathers that look like aigrettes are placed on a few of the toques. These are really vulture's feathers, bleached and especially treated to resemble heron's plumes. Funny little trimmings of black velvet are mounted on the striped feather of the common hen, or again dainty little "marguerites" of black tulle, with centres of black jet, arc mounted upon the same kind of stem.

The large hat is gradually making its appearance,but there is no indication of the exaggerated proportions seen a few seasons ago. However as the season advances they may widen out, but at present, they are fairly modest in size. As a rule, the large hats have supple, draped crowns with straight brims, or they are of the elongated "canotier" shape with soft crowns unsupported bv any lining or stiffening whatsoever. In the latter case the shapes arc similar to those seen during the past summer, only slightly larger in size.

The "canotier" shape fits well down Upon the head, and over the forehead. It is perhaps too uncompromisingly stiff and severe to be altogether becoming and really suits the Anglo-Saxon type of face much better than the Latin type.

Usually these hats are trimmed with wreaths of vivid colored velvet and satin flowers. One recently seen had a wreath of plums, peaches, grapes, cherries, lemons, and oranges instead of flowers.

The larger shapes often have transparent brims of tulle. It is predicted that this style will hold its own until well into the winter in spite of the obvious incongruity. Often a double tulle brim is seen with a trimming of ostrich feathers set between where the two brims are curved upward.

Many hats are high in the crown. These are trimmed to further accentuate their height with huge bows of taffeta, or even tulle, wired so that they will not lose their rigidity. In the making of hats, however, velvet is the material most largely used.

Although much black and white will be seen this season, there is a decided movement toward a greater vividness and range of color — orange, emerald-green, vivid blues, reds, and yellows, vie with each other in riotous confusion.

Poiret has used almost everything he can for the wonderfully quaint and pretty hats which he makes to suit his "creations."

Quite contrary to his general style, Poiret, who loves a blaze and glare of color, has also one large hat of black and white. It has a white supple crown with a white stitched "miroir" velvet brim edged with unwired black velvet. A small portion of the brim is turned back in front under a black pear and two green leaves.

Poiret uses fur on many of his hats, often as a fascinating little band under the chin. A vivid, red-blue-yellow-purple mixed velvet hat has a band of fur over the top from one side to the other and continuing under the chin where three natural colored apples hide the fastening. Another shape, of black and white velvet, has an ermine brim while its sole trimming, a bunch of apples, is placed squarely in front.

A varied width of brim is seen. One large violet Tam o' Shanter crown is gathered into the shaped brim which is much wider at one side than the other, while at the back it virtually disappears. The Tam o' Shanter top, where it overtops the brim is finished with a tassel strung with an amber bead.

Poiret also uses fur as an edging to one or two brightly colored brocaded hats which have supple crowns and round shaped brims of medium size. But his most successful models are perhaps those which are "bizarre" as only Poiret can make them. They are of bright yellow with motifs of worked worsted flowers on the top and are formed by being shaped under corded pleatings. One model which recalls an old engraving is a pretty shape of white pleated satin. This has a red satin brim and a knot of flowers placed over the left ear.

For the shooting season he has made a model that is exactly like a "gendarme's cap." It is of green velvet with a hard peak, and its sole trimming is a band of yellow ribbon tied in a small bow in front. It is somewhat like the outrider's caps worn by the servants of the King of England, with this difference, they are supple in the crown while the gendarme's cap is absolutely rigid. Strange as it may appear, this hat is a dream of saucy "chic" on on the head of the dainty mannequin who wore it at his showroom.

This is to be a fur winter par excellence. Fur is on everything from the tulle dress, that has but a narrow fur edging on the hem, or the tunic, to the long fur wraps with wide kimono sleeves. Drécoll has many coats of supple black colt (poulain, as it is called in French). These are cut in the style of the semi-long coat with the much favored retreating line and when worn with a cloth skirt complete a tailor costume.

Redfern has many long black velvet wraps with the new white skunk collar and cuffs. Also he has a magnificent long pure white ermine mantle with a deep silk fringe at the hem, and a wide white fox collar. The collar only drapes the shoulders, for this season the rever effect is omitted.

Poiret is making the quaintest of neck wraps and muffs. The wraps are full over the shoulders and somewhat suggest the rounded cape of former days, with long ends down the front. These come from underneath the cape, however, so as not to disturb the rounded line. The muff is round like a cushion, with two slits made for the hands. It has a black centre, in the heart of which is a green tassel. The centre is encircled with solid white ermine trimmed at intervals with short tails, outside of which the white ermine is again circled by black.

To complete the "set" there is a queer little hat of a greenish yellow velvet, which is stretched on a pudding bowl shaped frame and tied in two saucy-looking ends on the top. The brim is a band of fur to match the stole and muff. Poiret, too, is making extensive use of bleached skunk, employing it as borders to his vivid colored Oriental looking wraps of rich brocades, and to the hem of a vivid emerald-green afternoon dress. This little dress hangs loose from the shoulders, without any support at the waist as do so many of Poiret's afternoon dresses. It was beautifully embroidered over the hips accentuating the wider hip effect now so noticeable.

Judging from the number of so called "naturelle" fox skins seen in the Paris shops, Monsieur Reynard must have had rather a bad time of it. For the most part they are hideous. This is a pity, for the few that were seen at the beginning of the season were eminently becoming, and a welcome change from the eternal black, white, and grays.

However, they are now dyed in all the most atrocious reds even to a vivid, daring red that takes no pains to hide the fact that it is dyed. It is doubtful under the circumstances whether the fashionable woman will wear these so called natural colored skins this winter.

What is more likely to gain in favor, is the pretty little neck pieces of real ermine that cling about the throat of a beautiful woman like a caress. They are quite narrow, being composed of two animals joined at the back, with the heads in front, or one small animal when the ermine is intended to nestle amongst the laces of a wide ruche.

The white mousseline de soie boa, made with full overlapping pleats and trimmed with long ends of black velvet ribbon, is rivalling the revived long feather boa, which is now shaded from white to gray and to black, and at times shaded in colors to match the dress.

The military collar with flat batiste pleats forming a vest, introduced by Madame Paquin, is a very neat adjunct to the morning tailor-made.

The blouse has never entirely lost its hold, although the chic woman has preferred the one piece dress or the two piece costume. For morning wear it is always desirable, but for the smart afternoon costume, the popularity of the white tulle blouse seems magical.

When Madame Paquin made her fascinating little model a black taffeta coat and skirt with the upper part of the dress of almost transparent tulle, she probably never dreamed that she was ushering in the vogue for the blouse again. And yet such was the case.

Since its arrival smart women have never tired of asking themselves how they managed before its coming, so indispensable and elegant has it been found.

Although, alas, tulle — especially white tulle is easily soiled and crushed and its whole chic marred unless it is spotless — the white tulle blouse, with its transparent, dainty, perishable freshness, has come to stay, and stay all winter, too. It is just the thing to complete a taffeta moire or charmeuse draped skirt, accompanied by one of those little coats which, we arc told, is to be worn under the large fur coat, or mantle later on in the season.

In its most elegant form, the tulle blouse is of the finest Alençon, the variety, however, that cleans or washes beautifully. All the seams are of openwork, so that no seams or joinings are visible, while a little, dainty vest, very décolleté and of finest Valenciennes lace is fastened with pearl buttons. Around the collarless neck and down each side of this vest is a treble ruche which can be worn either up, to form a modified Medici collar, or down, to form a turn-down collar.

Redfern and a few other houses are discarding the kimono sleeve for blouses. Instead they are using a shirring over the shoulders to give width. However the sleeve is still cut in one with the body of the blouse but without that fullness under the arm, which was imported from Japan and so much overdone.

For the moment the frilly collar, which stands up around the neck and outlines the low cut front, always looking so clean and fresh is almost universally worn. Its only other rival as yet is the turned back collar of plisse lace, but it is predicted that the coming season will see the throat confined in high and straight collars. It is a question if the woman who loves the line of her neck will allow it to be thus hampered.

A general appearance of ease and carelessness is to be the ruling note of the coming season's fashions.

Callot says we are to wear skirts that are wider, and this wideness is to be further accentuated by rows of little frills. But no one wants fuller skirts, and so, while the frills are retained, the initial wideness has been curtailed, and the winter "silhouette" will remain as slender as ever — as far as the feet are concerned.

THE waistline however, is likely to prove a source of lively discussion this winter.

Drécoll was never conservative in this matter, and so the waistline in this establishment, so ably governed by Madame de Wagner, is always an elastic proposition. It is raised, or lowered, according to the "physique" of the person she is dressing.

Redfern, however, says that the waistline is coming down nearer to the normal line, at least as far as the tailor mades are concerned, and Redfern is an authority in Paris in such matters. As everybody knows Redfern, Poiret, and Callot, each in their different style, have left their mark upon our times in the matter of fashion. The great vogue of lace this summer was inspired by Redfern; the success of the very tight skirt, bulging over the hips and tight at the feet, is due to Poiret; while the draped skirt, slit up somewhere at the feet to enable the wearer to walk, was first inspired by Callot.

What these three say usually holds good. Therefore, when Poiret says, "I shall continue to go to the East for my inspiration and shall surprise my public with startling new effects," while Redfern says, "Waist lines longer," and Callot "Wider skirts," it looks as if the world of fashion will continue the eclecticism of the past season.

UPON one thing they are all agreed — hips shall all be wide. Even tailored gowns will have a plisse frill or a full basque to give this wide hip effect.

Here one sees exemplified what thoughtful people have always maintained — namely, that fashion is ever in a state of evolution — each style suggests the next, each evolving out of its predecessor. There is no revolution in fashion.

The only exception to the rule was the apparently glaring error made by Poiret who had not sufficiently studied his public when he launched the famous "harem skirt." Everybody knows his temporarily dramatic failure — and yet, can one call it a real failure?

If one regards closely some of Poiret's models of last summer it will be seen that many of the new skirts are but little removed from the skirt that caused such an outcry. However, nobody seems aware of the fact, so discreetly has it been forced upon us in the quiet stages of evolution. Meanwhile, Poiret has discovered that a garment must be pretty and becoming before it will be adopted by the modern woman, who has learned to exercise her own judgment even if she does leave the task of designing her clothes to her dressmaker.

Successively through many stages Poiret has taken his public from the Algerian to the Turkish, and now to the Persian and the Indians. The Persians wear hip draperies which, with a little French imagination, have easily been transformed into short tunics. In the "Minaret," staged by Madame Cora Laparacerie (Mme. Jacques Richepin) Poiret gowned all the actresses in harem skirts with baggy trousers held in at the ankles, and each wore what has been called the "lamp shade tunic."

On these full tunics all the Paris dressmakers are agreed in one way or another. In consequence, the idea, will be carried out in the individual manner of each great house.

Thus we have the evolution of an idea, ugly in itself and derided by all the other couturières, but in its development brought to a point of beauty and adopted by them all.

Even tailor-made costumes are thus affected. They too, will have deep plisse frills reaching to the knees, even when the material is of serge or of that new supple make of ratiné now taking the place of cloth.

Many of the coats are very long in the skirt, and high in the neck, with a tight collar of fur wound around the throat. In view of the flimsy " top" of the dresses, and the more than flimsy tulle blouses which will be worn during the winter, this is a welcome innovation.

VELVET — in all the colors ranging through purple, brown, red, and blue, —will play a most important role in the outdoor dresses, and we will see much embroidery over the hips and on collars and cuffs. The coats are without revers for the most part, and here, too, the little tight fur collar, chiefly ermine, makes its appearance. A few of the coats have a fluted skirt; either fluted or accordion pleated in direct defiance of bulk. Evidently the modern woman, in her newly acquired slenderness and gracefulness, would show the world how much she may dare with impunity.

It does not look as if the corset is yet to be restored to favor for a careless pose of the body, especially at the hips, would appear to be the end which all women seek to attain. Surprising it is how many have attained it!

For evening wear "all that is shiny but nor glittering" is the motto. Silver tissue, gold tissue, and a new dull aluminum tissue, as supple as the softest silk, will largely take the place of the rich brocades of to-day.

With these materials, will be worn full wide tulle tunics, or funny little frilled tunics, trimmed with wreaths of flowers, that only reach half-way to the knees. Ribbons of the same tissue will also be used usually running from the left side of the waist to the opposite side, looping up the draperies, and then tied at the back in a huge bow.

Big bows at the back of the dresses, however, are not the only bows to be seen. They will be everywhere — on the hats, at the back of the waists, on the skirt, looping up the drapery, and even on the coats. In every case accentuating the retreating lines toward the back that created so much enthusiasm at Deauville and Trouville a few weeks ago.

On these coats the ribbon is sewn in the under-arm seam, or under a motif of emboidery, and then tied carelessly in a loose knot at the back somewhat like a baby's sash.

Draperies will take on a more modified form, to prepare us, no doubt, for the new skirt with its superposed frills. These frills will not suggest the ugly "bell" skirt at all for, in spite of their width, they will retain that tight line around the lower limbs which necessitates the absence of the underskirt.