A PARISIAN VISITOR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 15

A PARISIAN VISITOR.

ADVICE ON FROCKING,

"Variety is the spice of clothes as well as of other tilings," said Miss Jeanne Cartaret, of Paris, who was a one-day visitor to Auckland on Thursday, leaving by car this morning for Taupo, Waitomo and Rotorua. Miss Cartaret, who arrived in Wellington three weeks ago, has spent most of her time in tho South Island. She explained that her visit was really part of her six months' holiday, but that sho was most interested in seeing how tho women of various countries, particularly in tho Dominions, accepted the fashions originated in London and Paris. She considered that no woman should wear one typo of dress exclusively. If sho did it became monotonous, both for her and for the people who saw her frequently. "In spite of the advice and examples of screen stars, there is nothing more disastrous than to make yourself into one definite type. To be catalogued as frilly, ingenuous, sophisticated and svelte means lack of originality," said Miss Cartaret. Sho advanced the theory that women, whether they realised it or not, unconsciously acted up, or down, to the clothes they wore. They could be young and fresh in gingham and organdie; they could be charming in georgette, and they could be soignee and sophisticated in satin and velvet. The clothes this season offered a splendid opportunity for originality and variation. "And that," said Miss Cartaret, in her quaintly accented voice, "is where the girl who is just learning how to dress will probably go so quickly to the other extreme. To bo conspicuous is not to be well-dressed. If you must be noticed, you must be noticed for your taste and simplicity, not for your elaborate oi", fantastic difference. The woman in a small town, who is loudly conspicuous, is not smart or welldressed, but badly over-dressed. In Paris wo have a word which the English have borrowed, but not yet translated into their clothes. That word is soignee. By Soignee, we do not mean sleok and clinging, but correct in every detail, however Small. The soignee woman of Paris is quietly dressed, but about her there is nothing that is not smart." .Miss Cartaret thought that the dressmaker had rescued the women who were endeavouring, without success, to look smalt 011 a reduced income. An artist of pencil and scissors would claim the credit for the new scheme of dressing successfully at a minimum cost. Th" modern dressmaker was an altogether different person from the seamstress of old, who used to come to one's home with an armful of fashion magazines and a cushion full of pins. She was clever and original. The modern dressmaker realised that fashions all carried out the same basic idea, but that the charm of the costume could be accomplished only j by the treatment given. Despite the per- | plexities caused by the depression (even , that ugly word sounded beautiful in the soft French pronunciation), a pleasant | future was in store for fashions. Many 1 novel Introductions could be anticipated in fashioning styles, with fashions fea-1 turing quality instead of quantity, which I was, in the long run, much less expensive I than the practice of economy, via the I route of cheap clothes. [

"And you must not think," said Miss Cartaif;t, "that we in Paris, believe that we are tho only women who know how to dress. After all, the reputation was given us by you, and I have seen a Tjcrinail mako a Parisicnne look like an [Englishwoman," she added, with a jjuainfc -touch of humour.