London Fashion Notes

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 81, 5 April 1930, Page 19

London Fashion Notes

LONDON, 14th February

We arc being alternately shocked and amused by the reports of the Paris openings, and although one always allows for a certain amount of sensational dressmaking license in these early trade shows, undoubtedly the pendulum of fashion has swung back to many notions that arc reminiscent of pre-war days. Bows and capes, frills and scarves, pleats and ruchos, all combine to give an <iir of fussiness to both day and evening clothes that has the charm of novelty for the younger generation, but which is viewed with a degree of consternation by those who remember similar decorations in the past.

Sport clothes, and fine tweed dresses under thicker tweed coats are forming a large proportion of the early collections, and indeed there seems a larger variety of country clothes than there is of evening frocks at the moment. Each designer has a different and very decided idea of how tho English and American woman should be dressed for golf or motoring, with the result that every new innovation seems to, have been adapted for sport clothes in one form or,another.

"Waist belts, boleros, waistcoats, little capos, hip'length coats, long capes, and

long.coats with shoulder capos are used for nearly every ensemble. Tho tweeds are perfectly beautiful, and here we sign supreme. For several seasons the French designers have sent to England for their sports tvveeds, then they started to copy English sports designers' dresses. This season the English designers have taken their own designs, made of British tweeds and woollens, to Paris, and are showing them during the early dress openings. This is largely in response to the persistent inquiry of the expert buyers from the United States and South America, and other 'big buying countries, who, when buying sports clothes always ask: "Is it English?" Soft thick T«rsey tweed in herringbone pattern is used for perfectly tailored suits. The coats are often hip length and cardigan shaped, but with strappings of the material down the back and round the normal waistline. The skirts have three or four panels, stitched half-way down or large box pleats. This same herring-bone tweed jersey in pink and white makes an adorable little morning dress with flared skirt; plain bodice, and little white muslin tabs in front and a red leather bolt at the waist. Pink is-one ■ of'the colours that is enjoying a vogue amongst the new creations,'and tweeds and woollens in coral, rose^ and red vie with the browns and blues for popular favour. The lingerie touch'is everywhere; sometimes it will be collar and cuffs of soft pique, or a vest of organdie, or a ruffled jabot of. muslin or georgette.^ The bolero coats open over muslin blouses, and the white shirt blouse with self collar and tie is one of the best sports notions this season. Capes are on. everything, and the uneven motif. often adds an unexpected note to an otherwise conventional model. The coat I have sketched expresses this rather well. It was in fine black and white check tweed, fitting _ the figure snugly to the waist and with a shawl collar of its, own tweed. The one shoulder cape, starting from the base of the collar at the back, going over the right shoulder, and blending into the Bhawl collar as it was held wrapped round the figure, adds the 1930 note of chic. The very smart hat sketched is ono of the new tweed models to match the ensemble, and is cleverly draped round the head with a.'flat bow at the back. A necklace of tweed beads is one of the season's novelties for wear with sports clothes, another idea .being heavy pieces of cork interspersed with large coloured beads. Strings of multi-coloured small wooden beads are twisted into ropes, and rolled ropes of white beads and coloured beads that take up the colour in the frock are still worn with sport and morning frocks.' The new hats promise the welcome shade of a brim, although our old friend—or enemy, according to its becoming qualities—the skull cap, has no intention of fading out of the picture. P^ris milliners are still flirting with the idea of the hat weir on tho back of the head. Some are arranged so far back as to give the impression that you have been interrupted when you were putting your hat on, and forgotten to pull it forward, and the effect is almost comic. Several of the tweed ensemble_ hats have a small turn-down brim, with a plain under facing that takes up one of the colours of the tweed. Garlands of flowers round the crown will add a charming touch to many of the hats worn with afternoon frocks, and usually a small cluster of matching flowers is provided to wear on the dress. These are uually; ■ worn close

against the throat, and such old-fash-ioned blooms as hyacinths, mixed bunches of wallflowers, old-fashioned geraniums, and cherry-pie share the limelight with the more exotic blooms of shell and velvet and pearls. A new pochette-scarf-posy set is made of printed erepo-de-chine, in small all-over pattern. The scarf is not over long or full, but this with its matching pochette and posy make a charming finish to a street suit. —Euth Sibley.