New Hats Are Daring

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 106, 7 May 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

New Hats Are Daring

By ... A Paris Expert

Fashion

THE pendulum swings. The over-the-eye beret is still with us, but we are also wearing hate on the backs of our heads again. Paris is backing the movement heavily. The dinner hat is pushed right with the verbaten paradise, clear off the forehead, and several of the fishermen hats sit far back on the head. Every sort of trend, influence, fantasie, politics, history, or •"ecrap of romance has been used for inspiration in the new season's millinery. And the results are disturbingly decorative to one and all. Unrestrained imagination marks the daring new millinery. High hate, low hats, brimmed hats, off-the-face hats, tiny sauoer ihats, big picture affairs, dashing down-trimmed models, the be«t yet of the turbans, and swathed numbers are so plentiful that anyone can easily be tempted into buying at least three hats all of different kinds, at a time. Blaok velvet, black faille, blaok taffetas, mostly stitched, is used to fashion piquant, little topknots as well n« high hats. Black velvet, mysterious, infinitely seductive and always smart on practically everyone who can wear black, is used to make twists masquprading as hats, and they have a lure impossible to describe with veils and a dash of a sequin or two. Tunics And Blouse Jackets Every sort of foathor, from stiff quills to trailing bird-of-Paradise plumes, appear—ostrich tips, breast feathers, small feathers and fruits, and flowers in felt, in silk, in velvet. Ostrich feather diadems, aigrettes, and bird-of-Paradise feathers conjure up the splendour of the tale of the "Thousand and One Nights." Certain Park milliners would love to get us into bonnet strings. They have been trying to do so since last spring. and the result i« that many pretty women are wearing little IS3O bonnets that tie in a bow in front under the chin. Tunice are as , übiquitous as jackets, blouses of flounces. Many of them button right up to the neck in front like

a soldier's coat. Slip-on jackets, wrist-1 length, flared and belted, are new. Usually they are collarlees and worn with ecarves. Bloused jacket* which end in a band belt—buttoned at the natural waistline or slightly higher—are fashionable off-spring of the old lumberjackets that people used to wear in bygone times. They are very cute and undoubtedly will be popular with slim people. The tunic blouse has almost driven the inside blouse from dressy occasions into the sports ring. At the same time there are many of the smartest dressmakers who continue favouring dressy, satin or crepe, inside blouses. Short peplum and cut-away basque effects are smart both for coats and blouses. These peplums are even seen in lame, and are worn, both for smart afternoon and for dinner wear. Then there are those new delightful bloueea that are full at the back and have short peplums in front, the back being cut in some tricky way. so that it continues into ends that tie in front, forming a belt at the natural waist. For evening wear blouses are being made in flattened gold stuff, which is so fine and soft as to seem to be fused, or of silver veined with many coloured filaments. Pearl embroidered or spangled blouses are becoming the rage, and they can be worn "with a coat and skirt in any material. For the afternoon blouses are various, with a lot of work on them, and sometimes with short sleeves, but nearly always with full shoulders. They are made cotton crepe, satin, and sometimes they are lacquered or printed. Tea Gowns And Pyjamas Lovely tea gowns, lingerie and decorative pyjama suits, are being featured in eome of the Paris dressmaking salons. Tea gowns are specialised with fine workmanship, and often emphasise in embroidery. Great stress is made

upon satin and upon orepe de chine, which are being trimmed with sequin p ni broideries, and there are lots of glittering effects — lame*, spangles, touches of gold or silver beading, etc.. which are very striking. The prevailing directoire influence is to the fore, end directoire pyjama suits are. seen with straight trousers and a shirt-blouse buttoning to the throat. The "smokinge" in pastel shades and in satin or in lame ere having an enormous success with Parisiennes. Long and tightly fitted, these smokinge are often topped with silk Ottoman jackets, and sometimes with a jacket of spunglass in many coloured stripes, making a very striking ensemble. The first necessity to a smart appearance is well-fitting undergarments. Parisiennes who are guided by what Paris says, wear almost always a dress elip and culottes, and omit the step-in garment that ie apt to make your dress curve at the wrong place. Greens, from apple-green to moss-green or myrtlegreen, line up for honours for lingerie. Then follow the pastel tone* of palest pink, flesh, pale yellow and hydrangea blue. Reversible Coiffure* Reversible coiffures, which can be completely transformed with a few flicks of the comb or brush, recently made their appearance in Paris. This clever new hair trick originated in the Hollywood film studios, and was eo successful there that Parisiennes quickly adopted the idea. For day wear, under shallow crowns or the skyscraper hats, the hair is left quite flat on top. with soft shadow waves at the sides and back. It is brushed lightly up off the ears, and arranged in sleek, smoothly flat curls close to the head. For gala affairs, when one wants to look gay and charming, the hair ie combed or brushed up and <>ut into a eoft halo of ringlets. Over-Huffy curls ■and elaborate hair arrangement* are definitely out of fashion for daytime. But the practical two-way coiffure allows the hair to be brushed in a closefitting trim style by day. and quickly changed into softly feminine lines for formal pveiling occasions. The quaint pompadour or Grecian roll effect for

eoiffuree has heir parted in the centre and left unwaved on top. Then, with classic Grecian simplicity, the hair ie swept smoothly up and back from the brow and ears. The ends ere turned up into a feather, soft roll, or natural looking ringlets closely encircling the sides and back of the head.