Paris in the Mirror

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 94, 22 April 1933, Page 19

Paris in the Mirror

Written lor "The Post" by Germalne,

PAEIS, March 1,

The collections, as I see them, are characterised by variety, elegance, and grace. The bugbear of romanticism which all women fear, as introducing too voluminous, too cumbersome, or constricting fashions, is unsuitable to the modern woman, and has passed, leaving scarcely a trace in the prevailing mode. Fashions for day-time are dictated by practicality. It is in the evening that more characteristics of elegance and grace appear to justify any selection of them. While for daytime, clothes show no startling changes, yet the designers, perhaps in order to be in keeping with the promised economic revival for spring, have introduced much colour and many original combinations of colour. This will givo a good colour-sense a wonderful opportunity to show itself this spring, but we must remember that the unskilful combinations of colour may strike sensitive observers, as a false note hurts the ears of a musician. While tho putting together of odd things may be a great joy, it is also

a trap for tho unwary. Better tread the beaten path if one is not sure of one's colour. CONCERNING THE SILHOUETTE; You are evidently not aware—or are you the silhouette has undergone a. thorough change, and that narrow-looking evening dresses are considered by progressive minds as funny little bits of skirts, of the kind worn ages ago. Don't misunderstand me though, a slender woman may still keep to her long lines if she wishes, owing to the greater skill of dressmakers. She is not obliged to wear the stiffer. materials. She may wear yards and yards of wispy floating chiffon, if she will, that cling and swirl as she walks, combining the fullness of the new skirt^ with the slenderness of the old. What I mean to say, is that the skimpy look has disappeared completely, and that the new gowns that are fitted to the hips and that have hipline belts and sashes and front flared skirts, are ravishing. Pleated evening skirts are a new feature. Square decolletees are new and going strong. Feather and feather-and-flower shoulder straps jutting out ruffled sleeves, and longsleeved bolero-jackets, are tricks to make your evening dresses formal or informal. LIGHT TOPS WILL BE THE THING THIS SPRING. Light tops will be the thing this spring. You see them all along the clothes' line from morning to night. Sometimes as deep yokes or high-

waisted bodicesj they are a part of tho dress. Sometimes, they are added on in the form of a draped bertha-cape for evening, tucked into place under the flowers in the front of your corsage. They contrast as often in fabric as in colour, and a satin top to a plain skirt, will be a common sight this season. By optical illusion, such a style makes the ribs appear more slender, and for the older woman it is a blessing. It is also practical for the forma) evening run-about—the softness of the top appearing over the dinner-tabloy yet disguised under the jacket. The evening bolero is rampant throughout the evening mode. These boleros are exceedingly flattering and feminine, and furnish an opportunity to add innumerable variations to your evening wardrobe, when several new dresses might be difficult for the family exchequer. Everything from taffetas to faille, with great big sleeves or little puffy ones, or long and straight and sober ones are permissible. THE QUESTION OF COLOUR— BRIGHT RED TAKES FIRST PLACE. Bright red takes first place in both afternoon and street clothes, either as trimmirlg or for entire costumes, and when used for trimming, the background is almost always black. Sometimes this red is only present in a row 6t' buttons, or it may be the complements in a frock to an all-black coat. Red is especially popular with the younger generation, who can dare to wear the brightest of reds, where the older woman has to step warily. Most women, however, can safely choose rust or terracotta —even though they must avoid the reds that tend to orange— and both .tliese tones'are .very much to the fore this year. It must be remembered that colours seen by softly shaded electric light do not look tho same .by day, and that where a red may prove anathema in tho bright rays of the morning sun, it can be adopted with perfect equanimity in the evening. Wo shall run through a whole gamut of browns once again, and two or thro? shades of brown in one gown are often to be seen, the soft lights relieving the dark wood-brown or rich chestnuts. A good deep chocolate brown, with no yellow in it, is often seen. A GARMENT OF MASCULINE INSPIRATION. A garment of masculine inspiration' which nevertheless is extremely feminine in effect, is almost an exact duplicate of tho old-fashioned nightshirt worn by our grandfathers in generations ago. It is mado of heavy wepe do chine, or men's shirting, which is best adapted to the character of its style. It has a shirt bosom and. tab. exactly like a man's shirt. There is a grotesque monogram embroidered on the tab, but other than this, the entire trimming consists of drawn work and heavy seaming. There is a wide sailor collar and the sleeves are smartest when they are long and tucked. Links hold the cuffs together and also close the front. This model is smart beyond words for country wear and also for travelling. Last season the whole gamut was run concerning pyjamas and nightgowns. There seems to be no possible combination of design or colour or material by which to vary and add novelty to our intimate moments. One very smart model comes in heavy crepe do chino in one shade and is piped in some bright contrasting shade, with trimmings of embroidered designs in gay colours. Some delightful pyjama suits have been evolvedl'or the woman who enjoys an hour of peace and quiet before itvis, time tO';slip into her dinner gown. A pyjama suit seen at a recent opening Hras' ini;:-black satin with a narrow piping of coral and silver, the loose jumper being worked at the neck in coral and silver soutache in a scroll design, while the three-quarter coat to top it was almost entirely covered with a spreading, pattern of wistaria with silver leaves.