FASHIONS FROM PARIS'

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 68, 20 March 1915, Page 17

FASHIONS FROM PARIS'

——■ ' I . ("Star's" Lady Correspondent) J PARIS, January 11. In these terrible days of ooeatinualstrain and anxiety, when the news of the war fills the papers to the exclusion of all else, when most of us have some one dear to us fighting the good fight f or liberty end honour, questions of fashion must naturally seem very trivial by comparison, with such a grim background to ■ all our thoughts. Still, we women must not forget that appearances have to be kept up. We must learn to face the world with a smiling face; the trade of our country must be encouraged; we cam all help in a small way, and in the meantime there are many pretty gowns that must be worn, and which it may be of some urberest to describe. .'■- -."■:; QHAR.M OF SUITABILITY. - But 'before launching into details I wish to say a few words about the charm of suitability. The secret of choosing suitable garments lies chiefly in this " . carrying out of a few simple" rules. It is at; well, for instance, to err always on • * the side of dressing too quietly, and to select soft, subdued colourings, rather ' than anything that is over-vivid and ' crude. Wide stripes, large checks, and big spots should be avoided, while new fashions, no matter how desirable they .' may seem, should never be carried to an outre or extravagant extent. Directly a mode is exaggerated, no matter what it may happen to be, it comes perilously - : near to being vulgar. ' NEW AND REMARKABLE FASHIONS. By this season of the year, the styles s have been so weeded out that we go about with out minds well made up as to what we should avoid and what to accept. We know, for instance, that the flaring, long coat, with its almost imperceptible belt well .below the normal • waistline, and its long, cloEe-fittrng sleeves, is correct. We have adopted the satin' blouse, cloee-fitting, with high> ■ wrinkled collar of saibin, instead of ' chiffon, and fine embroidered lingerie muslin and mousseline blouses; we have abandoned tire kimono, and agreed that : '.'S all out garments should fasten up thefront. We have broken our faith with/ the broad shoulders, and given allegiance to the narrow shoulders known as French, / and to have omitted the fullness at the waistline, no matter what tbe garment/ We have dropped the exaggerated Em- ■ pire 'Waistline, and are listening to ths siren call of 1840 and 1870, and those fascinating modes of purely Russian ebb* ception. * : '" :; . i COMPLEMENTARY COLOUR ' SCHEMES I will now come to the question ol" colour. There are certain shades and tones which act upon the wearer -in some peculiar way. We may laugh at our own foolishness, but we (are happier, when wearing some colours than when . dressed in others. It is all a matter- of ~ our own appearance and colouring. : : The great aim in choosing colours for w the evening, is to get them cojnplemen; tary to the complexion. Colours may be worn at night which would be quite ; wrong in the day time, and it. would be wise to consider these points in choosing colours both for day and evening. Many"■".,-.-.'' brunettes are inclined to b« a littlesallow. They must above all things be■ware of dead white. A rich cream white" is, however, good, and the shade known; v as bread-white, is particularly becoming-, to tbe mature, brown-haired woman., m Green is favourable to the fair blonde,but the shades of green should be carefully chosen. The ruddy blondes should choose blue, as it refines and improves the naturally fresh and healthy, colour:.fi ings. Blue is a colour, however, which should never be seen in direct contact to the ekin, huts hould be separated by (some eemi- transparent white mousselme, or other material. Olive-brown and greybrown are unbecoming, but the banana shades and the flesh harmonise w«4 with most complexions. OCR ILLUSTRATION. Very Russian in its conception is. the model sketched this w«ek by our artist —an extremely advanced model, and on* which we are not likely to see much of before the early spring. The material of the original model was a dark blue velours de lame, in a light, very siippki tissue. This particular make of velours de lame is as pliable as charmeuse. Ths colour in- which the gown of our sketch is chosen, however, is of a very peeuVwr m shade of pinky grey—a shade which gint splendid effects. The gown (Shown gives tbe -fuller skirt—quite five yards toto*

the hem—<ind the long, loose, indefinite Hne which is enow considered so desirable ■> by certain leading Parisian dressmakers. I must draw your attention to the novel / i corsage, hip length back and front, and cut away at the sides. This is chosen ■. V ;:J; in a deep dark shade of elephant grey velvet, and matches in colour the bias band of the esame material which forms the adornment of the skirt. The loose Lord Byron collar, and the delicate 6ilver embroideries gives a pretty finish* {' ;.C;t ing touch to a daring ensemble.