FASHION NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 217, 13 September 1930, Page 4 (Supplement)

FASHION NOTES.

DRESSES LONG OR SHORT?

MASCULINE TOUCHES

(By. A PARISIAN EXPERT.)

There seems to be no danger at all at present of day skirts becoming too long: in-fact, women seem to be divided into two camps on the subject, the one accepting the- six-inch-below-the-knees length, °and the other refusing to go beyond three or four inches. It depends entirely upon what suits, for if the longer skirt does not become, why on earth should a woman wear it? There are plenty of lengths to. choose from, even in evening gowns,. although there are a few which simply cannot be shortened, like the new dreek robes, for example. But these are exceptional. Apart from length of'skirt, the Paris dressmaker has all kinds of ways of making feminine clothes, look more feminine this season, and also of introducing little masculine touches into an extremely feminine ensemble. On her coat frock she puts large yokes, or bibs of white pique, or she gets away from the ordinary 0 blouse by making some waistcoat-shaped, buckled at the back.

These are aleo of pique, and very trim they look. Another very charming and typical touch is the trimming she uses on the back of a jacket—a separate roll of flat fur at the back of the neck only, ae a finish to a suit or morning gown. She imitates a man's stiff collar on a costume with a bow tie, and puts,

Pointed or uneven hemlines are always better for women whose ankles aro large, as they do not draw a sharp line across, and thereby emphasise the width of the ankle. The new hats that aro long in the back and short in the front, often look all right from the front, but not from the back. This is especially true in the case of a woman with a short neck and broad shoulders, who is likely to look as if she had no neck. For the same reason beware of broad collar trims. Remember that a neckline can do much to achieve a tall, slender look.

Modify the mode to meet your needs, do not accept fashion dictums slavishly. Every woman can dress and at the same time smartly, if she will.

A pink lace dress for evening wear for a fair girl is delightful. Tomatorose is one name for the new light pinkish-red.. A lace dress of this colour you may wear again and again, and always look well in it. The first consideration for the new silhouette is the foundation — a soft well-fitting corselet that holds the figure neatly. Wo don't want accentuation of line, nor boning, nor limpness. We want a neat foundation that perfects the natural line, without emphasising it or confining it. As the summer advances, georgettes and chiffons will, grow in popularity, and flat crepe seems to have just the right texture to express the new, soft, slightly full silhouette. Tha flared overcoat is adapted to tall or short figures, and "goes with everything" for street wear. I cannot believe entirely by accident of a long-skirted era. They conceal reality as do the lengthened dresses.