Fashion Autumn Fashion Showings

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 286, 3 December 1938, Page 5 (Supplement)

Fashion Autumn Fashion Showings

By--A Paris Expert

STARTLING differences between the front and back view of autumn clothes were apparent in the autumn showings. For instance," a dress seen has a pastel blue jacket front and a back that's undeviating black, as i is the skirt. The jacket front is made of dark blue ottoman silk, buttoned in crystals. The close-fitted dress is made of flat, absolutely dull, finished silk crepe. A flat bonnet in jersey trimmed with shirred silk jersey flowers, tops th's model. The jackets are longer 11 ■ - season vith normal waistlines and lightly padded shoulders. The majority are closed with link buttons with tin* exception of a few double-breasted in-, idols carrying four and six buttons. Plenty of interest i« given to j>ockets, many po.'Kols. being used in a smart tailored jacket. The shirt blouse, tailored and natty, butterfly bow and all, i«s supremely chic, and best of all when tailored in the newest foulard twills anil printed -urahs. Braid is much seen at the openings. chenille braid in colour contrast*.

logs, cncniiie maid in colour contrasts. Seams are bound ill darker shades, pockc's are piped, quitting is in selfcolour, soutache is in bhiok on colour, two-saw edges are remarkable in zigzagged hemlines, scallops and the irregular baroque design* are nil introduced as effective trimmings oil tailored ensembles and suits. Oriental-dancer-drcss-lines are first autumn thrillers. You know what is meant —lots of front corsage movement*, a stretch of skin-tight middle, and the skirt beginning soft and easy, anywhere from the hipbone down to the 'hipline. The big Paris dressmakers p)|iy this up by making the midneetion of the dress in a strongly contrasting colour, giving, for instance, a black dresa a white middle, from corsage line to hips. This Oriental stuff it for daytime, more than for evening. Remember that. The dressmakers are dramatising the centre of a dress by outlining it below the corsage and around the hip«, with embroideries and appliques. Tliere are a number of slim evening styles in heavy material, but on the whole, these are so simple that they are completely eclipsed by the romantic type, and are chiefly interesting on account of their trimmings.* Lace in this case is important, being used in bands ami for « short bolero in contrast colour. There is a good deal of beading in subtle colourings and a good show of sequins, though these are more discreet than last seast>n, as mother-o'-pearl and iridescent types are those most frequently used Striking Floral Designs A variety of new floral designs are treated in a striking manner. Floral bayaderes, colourful all over effect lace i.iotifs, tl:e new large allover Louis XV. furnishing florals in one colour effect, are all used. Giant effects in flowers are shown for evening. Flowing lines, crossed bands, and scarf effects, besides striking colour and harmonies, lend themselves to this ingenious treatment. Cross-draped corsage bands in fichu effects are seen.

Bows are everywhere, they are splashed about over owning dresses. walk down the front of the eorsi-je, tiiev are perched on the shoulders and >u hips, and they appear in >ivid <• donrs in printed materials on dark hackpiounds. Dazzling details and accessories for daytime, are first-water fashions. Purple handbags and shoes are in. Violent and husky jewellery, bringing into style old fashioned stones, such an orals and turquoises, will be worn in big necklaces. bracelets, clips and pins with simple daytime clothes. Diadems are being worn a good deal by smart Parisiennes. A novelty is a diadem in the form of sprays of lilies-of-the-;allev done in white enamel and gold, and they are as flexible as the real flower. Another evening coiffure in-orporates four immense clips in the shupe of leaves and green "berries'' and which

barely weigh a quarter of a pound. Xo longer are bracelets or cli[»s made flat, instead, they are built up in tiers. A broad but flexible bracelet in gold and silver, is like a pleated ribbon round the arm. and the inside of the "pleats" are net with brilliants. Motifs, in the shape of rones form clips on wristlet bands, and tho centre of these flowers rise to the height of over an inch. Lined Pleats The day ensemble shown at some of the principal fashion openings show that a thorough study of pleating lias been made, and a note of hitherto unseen harmony is found in the coats and jackets which go with dresses which have pleated skirts. These jackets are fitted at the waist and some are loose three-quarter length affairs. Paris specialises in dressing the smaller type of woman, and for her there are tailored jackets over silk dresses, manv of which have box-pleated skirts sewn down flat over the hips. These pleated skirts go well with long jumpers. Another way of treating pleats, is to set them in a group in

front of the skirt and line them with a contrasting colour. The three new colours- "Alabastre" "Ultra-Bleu" and "sunrise-yellow" are used chiefly for evening, and lovely dresses with fitted bodice® of taffetas or satin are seen with full pleated skirts. An unusual type of tube bead is being shown to embroider bodices and tunics, and coloured silk embroidery is also having an innings. Fringe is seen again, and trim < Irenes for lioth afternoon ami evening; ribbon has been happily reinstated in fashion for some time now. And finally, there's lace, a light and luxurious trimming which brings a novel note to numerous creations. For the evening, there is lifjlit, simple or re-embroidered lace which creates valuable contrasts with the fineness of the jjround work, and the insertions of line lace in tulles and chiffons are infinite. Something new and in accordance with the somewhat Victorian tone of the moment, is a blouse of white organdie with much fine tucking and stitchery, with a frill of lace down the front. It is long-sleeved and is worn outside tlie skirt. It may be used with a suit, but it is also shown with a slip which ends in a pleated 6kirt of georgette— black crepe or dark blue crepe for preference, a two-piece dress, in effect, which is none the less of such a startling contrast, as to emphasise the division of the garment.