Fashion Starts With 'Sand-Pit Set'

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30634, 28 December 1964, Page 2

Fashion Starts With 'Sand-Pit Set'

[By

EDITH TEAGUE]

[Edith Teague, fashion writer and journalist, formerly Fashion Editor of “The Evening News,” London, writes about 1965 styles for children and teenagers in the British fashion world.]

Fashion parades give pleasure to the eye because the viewer is seeing the combined efforts of fabric maker, designer and showman to produce perfection in clothes. But when it comes to seeing children’s styles it is more satisfying to a mother to be told that the fashions she is watching have been proved child-proof.

“This garment has been through a washing machine three times and not ironed afterwards,” was the heartening commentary repeated several times at a display of 1965 styles given at the teen-age, infants’ and girls’ fashion fair in London recently.

It is impossible to separate young clothes trends from what goes for “Miss 20 and over” now that fashion starts with the sandpit set. If small daughter takes a liking to the new trouser suits .there is no reason why she should not have them—from the designer's point of view. One children’s fashion house designed a suit in honeycoloured cord with matching hat, intending it to be a tough-wearing play outfit—for boys. Now they are having to market it for their sisters also. The idea of providing an accessory with a garment is popular for 1965. At this show I noticed high-waisted cotton print dresses with their own matching head squares, and diminutive trouser suits with striped scarves picking up the main colour scheme again. Denim “In” Fabric Denim is an “in” fabric for next year, not only for those all-purpose jeans, but for smart shift styles for “Miss Three to Five Year Old” Dressed-up denim comes in light navy and is trimmed with white saddle-stitching. A junior-style firm with the interesting title of “Tick-a-

Tee” used fine cotton for Aline dresses with pleated front bands embroidered from the bow at the neck to the bow finishing off the panel just above the hem. Small floral Provencal prints (note the name, because it is going to mean a lot to us and the children in the months ahead) are a speciality of another house. They are designed with highbanded waistlines and sleeves finished with fluted frills to give best dresses a Victorian air.

I noticed, too, an enormous number of anoraks—stretchy ones, reversible ones, mosaicpatterned ones—the range of these zip-up jackets was larger than I have seen before. The anorak, it seems is no longer reserved for snow sports enthusiasts. It looks like becoming the all-purpose garment for children the year round. Love Of Water Games

“Think of all those youngsters who love water games in any form,” one of the exhibitors explained. “On a boat, by a river or just near a hosepipe in the back garden, the anorak in its proofed form is

a protector as well as a practical cover-up over dresses, shirts and shorts.”

Bermuda shorts, the ones with the near-to-knee length legs, are also set for popularity in 1965. One firm which produces a “play clothes” range for children under 16 is presenting them in clear, rainbow colours as part of five-piece outfits (along with matching skirts, jackets, tops and trews) for out-of-school hours.

“Miss just-about-grown-up” is not going to be relegated to childish clothes. Her coat for 1965 is cut on the same fashionably skinny look as the one for her older sister —often in linen, or other fabrics with a linen-look, and with cuffs and collars in toning prints or stitched silks of contrasting shade. A Lot Of Black

The skimmer dress (more fitted than the shift) is aimed to give a girl going through the puppy fat stage a svelter outline. I noticed a lot of black around for the young teen-ager’s party or disc-date dresses. But young styling and colour relief in crochet or pique collars and other finishing touches prevent it having the “too old for them” look.

Talk of fashion parades and you immediately concentrate on girls’ clothes. But the children’s presentation in London did set out plenty of choice for the boys also. There were coats for small boys with all the detailing of big brother’s and dad’s fashion in the double-breasted cut, metal button fastenings and tailored stitching to give pockets a stylish finish. Another designer showed smart, chunky V-neck cardigans with leather buttons and for nautically-minded youngsters, V-neck middy jackets with brass sailor buttons and tunic suits with striped inset tops and either pleated skirts or hard-wearing shorts. Colours, junior style, for the months ahead concentrated on marine and light navy blues, summery pinks and oranges mixed together in florals, and clear lemons. Knitwear went patriotic with clear reds and blues to the fore and white as a trimming colour.