LONDON FASHION SHOW

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27052, 29 May 1953, Page 2

LONDON FASHION SHOW

NEW SEASON’S SUITS AND COATS SOFTER LINES AND LONGER SKIRTS (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 'p.m.) LONDON, May 27. Many overseas and English buyers were present at the opening of the sixth annual fashion fortnight at Grosvenor House, London, today. They saw a parade of tailored coats, suits, ski suits, slacks and shorts from the autumn collection of the Mantle and Costume Manufacturers' Export Group.

There were no startling innovations, but the line for suits was definitely softer, with rounded shoulders, highdraped roll-collar necklines and longer skirts.' Coats, both full and fitted, had sleeves coming to a narrow cuff. There were no severely tailored suits in classic tweeds.

The hard colours of last seasonemerald, scarlet and violet—had almost disappeared. Instead there were black and muted colours such as golden brown and greeny grey. Use was made of flecking tweeds with black or white to give subtle colour effects. One topcoat was in peacock flecked black worn over a suit in darker peacock with more black to give a twotone ensemble.

Fur was used mainly for enormous cape collars that can be worn like hoods or folded down. Pile fabrics were used for warm topcoats. Two three-quarter coats, one in ocelot fur fabric and one in nylon fur fabric, like nutria, attracted much attention.

The small group of skirts showed how much the modern skirt owes its influence to men’s clothes. They had adjustable waist bands and flat hip pockets giving the tweed skirts a smooth tailored look.