LONDON FASHIONS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27090, 13 July 1953, Page 2

LONDON FASHIONS

LATEST HOLIDAY TRENDS (From a Reuter Correspondent) LONDON, July 1. With the Coronation over and a wet Royal Ascot behind them, British women are now busily planning their summer holiday wardrobes as optimistically as ever. The luckier among them are going abroad to seaside or mountain resorts when the sun. which has been conspicuously lacking in England during this spring and the Coronation celebrations, is almost sure to be shining. But even those whose holidays will be spent at British seaside resorts, in the lake district of Cumberland or the mountains of Scotland or Wales, are not daunted. “It can only be hot in July and August after this,’’ is the optimistic statement one hears over and over again in the London streets and buses today. Whether seaside, mountain or lake is the chosen destination, one thing which is sure to figure largely in the wardrobe is the beach suit, consisting of shorts, “bra” and matching blouse, and, perhaps, one of the new “shortie” coats. Slacks and, to a large extent except for beach wear and sun bathing, shorts are quite out of date this year. Their place, already usurped a little by jeans last year, has been taken this year by stovepipe trousers. And. looking ahead, that goes for the winter, too. The latest ski suits now being designed for next winter all show the influence of the craze for the stove-pipe trousers which also affects men’s newest lounge suits. Matador Trousers A variation of this style, for wear at the smartest resorts, winter or summer, is seen in matador trousers. These are close fitting and embroidered with braid, straw, beads or diamante—or a combination of all of them—round the waist and down the outside of the legs. One striking suit, designed for after-ski wear by Teddy Tinling, designer of the famous lace panties with which Miss Gertrude Moran (“Gorgeous Gussie’’) created such a sensation at the Wimbledon tennis championships in 1949, is in heliotrope facecloth embroidered with white straw and diamante.

Probably the most talked-of beach suit in town today is an all-black wool jersey two-piece “laced” together at the waist with a black cord. Designed by Rima, the upper part consists of a shbrt-sleeved sweater and the lower part is a pair of ra'ther short, closefitting jeans. A full straw skirt made on a model imported from Italy can be worn with this beach suit, converting it into a dress suitable for wearing in the street, restaurant or even for the informal cocktail party. A variation of the converted beach wrap this year is the “shortie” coat which reaches to just below the thighs and is made in denim, or just ordinary mattress ticking. Both these materials are, indeed, widely used for the informal cotton frock designed for seaside or country holiday wear. And very smart they are, too, trimmed with rick-rack braid in contrasting colour. Indeed, one of the smartest dust coats seen at Royal Ascot was made of blue striped mattress ticking. showerproofed and fastened with fairly large red buttons.

Outfits for Yachting Those who are going yachting or cruising will almost certainly follow the example of the Queen at the Coronation Naval Review and choose at least one outfit in white and navy blue. One smart ensemble, designed by Jaegar. consists of a navy blue reefer jacket with red and white striped wool jersey, matching striped sweater and shorts, with a pleated white wool skirt.

A practical and at the same time smart sweater for the chilly evening by the sea or abroad has a ribbed sleeve from the wrist to within about two inches of the elbow. This gives the effect of the just-below-the-elbow sleeve which is so fashionable this year, while at the same time providing the required warmth for a cool evening on deck.

The woman whose hobby is fishing need no longer clothe herself in the dreary—and dowdy—sou’-wester type of garment. A fishing jacket in Harris tweed and green barathea trousers cut on the latest stove-pipe line will provide her with an ensemble which is at once elegant, hard-wearing and supremely suitable. Finally, for the horsewoman who will spend her holiday hacking, there is a good choice of workmanlike yet eminently wearable outfits. One of these has a jacket in saddle tan proofed West of England tweed with West of England worsted cavalry tweed jodhpurs.