N.Z. FASHIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29239, 24 June 1960, Page 2

N.Z. FASHIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Next Winter’s Preview

A collection of New Zealandmade coats and suits arrived in Sydney yesterday afternoon ready for a series of fashion showings in that city, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide. Featuring a selection of brilliant new colours and fabrics, the garments are scheduled for sale in Australia '’uring the winter of 1961. They were all made in Christchurch, by W. Selby, Ltd., which has already supplied several hundred coats to the Australian market during the current season. One specially attractive coat was of saxe blue cashmere wool cloth with a luxurious Puritan collar of Italian lucca lamb dyed to match. Another was a dark, dynel synthetic fur, slim in line and shower proof. In appearance, texture and warmth these and other synthetic furs in the collection can hardly be detected from natural fur but they are much lighter to wear.

Fashion news in coats for 1961 includes slimmer lines that retain the high, back fullness, smooth materials and shorter skirt lengths. With the accent on lightness and smoothness, suits have been sent in two-sided reversible fabrics. One was fashioned with w ! de double-breasted lapels in the reverse material.

Leather jackets were also included. Among them was the newest pearlised chrome-grrin leather that has an irridescent finish and is as soft as doe-skin to touch. In pastel and vivid shades, these jackets are sprayed with a solution of treated fish scales, a preparation that comes from Norway.

There are other jackets made from kidskin which has a suedelike finish. These are finely trimmed with hand-drawn Spanish leatherwork on the yokes and pockets.

A warm fluffy fabric, called Tibet teddy, went into the making of one topcoat. This fabric is long-haired pure wool worsted.

As well as to Australia, a few of these garments have been sent to an American retailer in San Francisco, a move which brings New Zealand-made garments well into the international field of fashion.