FASHION NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1936, Page 3 (Supplement)

FASHION NOTES.

DRESSING TO TYPE. INTRIGUING NEW ACCESSORIES. (By A PARIS EXPERT.) Questions of skirt lengths, the placing of the waistline, colour and fabric, must be settled by your physical personality. You must choose your skirt lengths for yourself; they should be worn longer or shorter, according to your Natureendowed figure.

Small women look undoubtedly taller in the long type of gown, but if the small woman looks taller the tall woman may look too tall, perhaps. I have heard several people express the opinion, wondering audibly how this 13 going to work out in a country where so many men art of middle height, or shorter. There are very few tall men going around in Paris. If they exist, nobody sees them. So there you are! And these rather short men don't like dancing or walking with women who overtop them completely. But to-day, fortunately, nobody pays any attention to what men prefer, outside the colour of women's hair. Most men profess

to detest dved hair, yet the women who dye their hair are legion. And it is a curious fact that men seem to prefer the women witli dyed hair and with a good deal of "make-up" to their sisters who go about "unadorned." Men also cry out against blood-red finger nails, but they still remain j>opular with all classes of women. When it comes to the waistline, you must find your own, and place it to correct natural defects or emphasise natural beauty. The normal waistline is the natural waistline, but this does not mean that all women wear it or like it. Choose, then, your waistline according to your figure, and if you are not very slim place your waistline a trifle above the hipbone. "O wad some power the piftio pie us, To see ourselves as others see lis." Nothing less than this is asked of the back of the head now. Most women manage a certain amount of becomingness .and a certain amount of chic from the front view, so far as the coiffure is concerned. But the majority do not come through quite so fetchingly for the audience in the row behind. And this is the supreme test of to-day of a coiffure. Jf you cannot turn slowly on a revolving platform and be as pretty a picture back as front, you are not in it in the new coiffure styles. Two things are to be noted about the back dressings: The first thing is that hair is not brushed straight down, but straight up. The second thing noted in the new school of snappy back hair-dressing is that the hair is worn high off the nape of the neck. A few chic, sophisticated, slendernecked girls are seen wearing the knot at the nape of the neck, but very few. And these few have so much of that thing called "individuality" that they could wire each hair with a pin and let them all stick out like porcupine quills, and still look as smart as smart. They are not the majority, however. All I want to-day is to set every one of my readers to studying their heads, to see if they're doing right by their back-view audiences. One thing to overcome is the "square-headed" look. Another the "weed-choked" look at the collar line. No Hard and Fast Rule for Hats. It is difficult to say this season, "brims do this, and crowns do that"; they do so many things. At last hats seem to have developed character of their own, and one may wear a hat that pleases one without being a slave to fashion. Hats this season match dresses. In many cases they are designed from the same fabrics. Hats of felt and fabric appear for stregt and sports wear, while rich satins, velvets and straw will be worked into smart creations for the tea hour. The kepi hat is a newcomer. It is based on the fez, but with a slight softening brim. This kind of hat only looks well on the right person. An interesting feature of many of the new models is the amount of hair they show at the

side, far more than we have seen for a season or two. Even more significant is the effort to revive the off-the-forehead movement, as opposed to the forward tilt. I

A largo amount of skilful handwork is being introduced, and orniments play a large part. Jewelled pins and brooches are being made in pairs, one for the hat, and its twin for the dress. Feathers are everywhere, with exotic plumes for formal occasions.

It is said that there will be a great deal of velvet worn this spring. But the velvet will be of such a light and sheer quality that, although it looks warm, it will be no heavier to wear than cotton or satin. Not only are the dressmakers using it for frocks, coats and trimmings, but every milliner is using it in some way or another. Felt, too .is more popular than it has been for a long time, and felt and straw are being united in a very ingenious manner for the early spring hats. Fascinating New Things. Fascinating, tricky new things with unexpected dash and charm, details that do not shock, but unexpected new ideas incorporated in different necklines, fitted shoulders and sleeves, quite different collar and cuff arrangements —it is surprising how fragile and feminine the new things are. Frilled flutings, some of the medged with lace, outline necklines, wander down the side closings, flattering cuffs to match and equally flattering collars, appear in crisp white to frost a dark frock, and accent the simplest of the sleek, trim, dark blue or black models. There are striped satin scarves, spangled and lame scarves for dressy wear, and taffeta scarves. Scarves of pastelcoloured jersey are seen in rough tweed suits that have wool-jersey blouses to match. Printed silk and patterned wool scarves are all over Paris, and lots of them have some metal thread pattern in their weave. Fur scarves will, of course, be worn as usual, and the scarf of fox fur will undoubtedly be first on the list of furs to go with tailored suits. At the moment the fox scarf made of beige, grey, and other light colours, seems to menace the supremacy of the silver fox. Fox, made into a big ring, and thrown back over the shoulders, is a popular scarf in Paris. Bouc'e scarves in cheery stripes will be very fashionable for spring coats and suits. Their light-weight wool offers just the protection against a chilly wind that silk doesn't achieve. When is a Blouse a Success? A blouse is a success when it looks like a dress minus a skirt. And they are to be much in vogue this season. In white, romantically frilled or tailored, they are fresh, youthful and smart, particularly with a navy blue or black suit. In sophisticated plaid prints, or plain, vivid colours, as well as in sprig silks and gay cottons, the}' give character to nondescript skirts. You should have plenty of them if you would have a seemingly unlimited wardrobe, and change them about to suit your mood and colour scheme.