Fashions For Spring At New Brighton Trots

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29301, 5 September 1960, Page 2

Fashions For Spring At New Brighton Trots

Promise of an early summer was in the weather for the first day of the New Brighton Trotting Club’s spring meeting on Saturday. The fashions were colourful and light, Casual in line and well suited to the warm, windless day. “Dressy” clothes and elaborate furs had been left behind and a cool elegance in attractive spring ensembles took their place on the fashion scene.

The crisp, spicy look of black and white was favoured by a number of women racegoers. One striking outfit featured large platter buttons in shiny jet arranged in a double breasted line down the front of a three-quarter coat. With it the wearer had teamed a tall black hat dramatically accented by a broad white grosgrain bow across the front. Lilac and green made another pretty combination and this was seen mixed in the tweed fabric of a spring suit. The wide, cutaway collar framed a highnecked lilac jersey blouse, and complemented the dipping brim of an angora felt hat of the same shade banded with green. Soft Coral The vivid scarlet shades that had helped so much to brighten winter race wear in Christchurch was softened here to corals and light rose. A fulllength coat and dress in coral was offset by a pretty floral lining and matching cloche hat in pure silk. One or two summer frocks, finely checked or in floral patterns were worn by a few braver patrons and did not look at all out of place. They had been chosen by younger girls who very often went hatless or alternatively, wore neat straw hats in pastel shades. Fine, embroidered fabrics in muted tones were accented by vivid hats in many cases and these women wisely kept their accessories plain in the basic shades of black or brown. A few carried long-handled umbrellas—usually in shades to match their dresses. Ensembles This year the indispensible dress and jacket ensembles again take pride of place on the fashion scene and at New Brighton many of these showed the newest overseas lines. There were jackets flaring in a diagonal line from the waistline, jackets caught in at the hips from fully gathered yokes, jackets with wide Chinese sleeves, and jackets relying on button and pocket trimming to offset the more tailored effect. Skirts were usually uniform, pencil slim and short. Shoes featured lower sensible heels and the hats were tall, #>ut flattering with face-framing brims. At New Brighton on -Saturday women race-goers provided a passing parade of fashion at its best. In the stands the clothes were tasteful, with samples of all the colours, and rivalled a mannequin showing for interest. It spoke well for future dressing over the 1960-1961 season and hinted at a gay outlook for the coming summer months.

The wife of the president of the New Brighton Trotting Club, Mrs Alex McDonald, wore a tailored wool suit in sapphire blue with a powder blue silk blouse. Her fuchsia pink hat followed the cloche line with a softly folded crown and a trimming of fuchsia rose petals on one side.

The wife of the vice-president, Mrs A. E. Laing, had chosen an embroidered wool ensemble in a wild duck turquoise to go with a hat of burgundy red trimmed with wild duck feathers. She wore a brown fur wrap. Mrs W. E. Desmond was wearing a sage green dress of lightweight wool with a matching small hat trimmed with roses and green petals. For the official luncheon. Mrs McDonald and Mrs Laing had arranged an attractive floral decor. Orchids and cyclamen . were placed in front of a long mirror at the head of the room and on one side stood a large urn filled with a spreading arrangement of pale pink carnations, irises and hyacinths. Red and gold tulips were used as the focal point of the flowers on the facing wall, and these were supplemented by trumpet daffodils and pale blue hyacinths, in a similar fan arrangement. Club’s Guests

Guests in the women’s box included the following: Mesdames A. G. Jamieson, S. J. Moore, W. F. Stark, H. E. Cook, M. T. Dixon, O. Hutchinson, C. S. Thomas, J. K. Davidson, J. E. Prendergast, A. J. Nicoll. J. Lister, G. J. Francis, E. Osborne, H. E. Goggin, R. "W. Saunders, M. C. Magee, L. G. Reiger, and J. E. Farrell.