Fashion Forecast For 70s

Press, Issue 32333, 26 June 1970, Page 2

Fashion Forecast For 70s

After a season of hesitation and confusion fashion from the French ready-to-wear collections for autumn-winter 197071 is explicit, reports the International Wool Fashion Office from Paris.

The length problem is solved; there are no more short coats. The silhouette is fine, polished, subtle. Bodices are slim, hips and shoulders natural, the waist is marked. Skirts flare lightly. Length for day wear moves below the knee to milcalf. For evening it is down to the ankle in ultrafeminine, soft, dressed-up outfits.

For “getting it together” accessories are all-important. Wide-brimmed and slouchy felt hats, small, close-fitting woollen caps, and lots of hoods cover loosely waving and natural hair by day. Small, neat chignons appear after dark.

Scarves are in abundancewrapped oyer the head, or tied kerchief style. Belts nip in the waist, and come buckled in leather or rolled like ties. Stockings are opaque, coloured to match shoes with high, square heels, laces or inset-straps. Boots are worn all the time, and handbags have grown to medium size proportions on shoulder straps, or enormous, soft satchels. Jewelled collars are everywhere; some like decorated leather dog collars, others a thin metal band worn at the base of the neck. The swashbuckling era in coats has returned for the

new decade. The new lines are:— Greatcoats (close to the body, inverted pleat or high vent). Trenchcoats (hooded, pleated). Shirtstyles and Sahara coats (straight, shirt collar, four patch pockets, or a long, collarless cardigan). Full-skirted Redingotes (belted, sometimes hooded). Flared coats (the coachman’s coat, like a mock cape, often fringed). Duffle coats (hood set into yoke, often coloured yellow). “Djellabas” and Caftans! (from North Africa, very straight and close fitting, braided, hooded). Capes (wide and supple, with or without a hood, sometimes ankle length, or shorter, worn with trousers). Car coats (cropped at the knee, flared, full at the back, worn with trousers). Suits Replaced Suits have been replaced by more relaxed outfits. Tbe skirts flare slightly, either buttoned or pleated in the front, or midi-trousers are worn. Top styles:— The blouson—a big winner, in all fabrics. (Wear the bloused, cropped-at-the-waist jacket with front-buttoned skirt or moujiks—that is knickers tucked into boots, or to the ankle and bouffant—the very latest). The Sahara suit (close fitting, four pockets, tie belt). The long jacket (like a long sweater, over pleated or slightly flared skirt). The bolero (ultra short, with matching skirt, with shirt or pullover). Dresses are back in abundance. Feminine and soft, they are long-sleeved, close-fitting, supple, flat over the hips. Winning ways to wear: The shirt dress: mid-calf or below the knee, softened by pleats below the hips, buttoned through, opening like a coat. The sweater dress: in onetone or heathered jersey,

close, round-necked, sometimes slightly flared. The trench dress: with large, top-stitched collar and bow-tied belt, in jersey. The culotte dress: the culotte hidden by pleats, the top cut like a shirt. The printed dress: with a hood, sporty or dressy, always soft and feminine. The fluid, dressy dress: softened by piping, gathering, smocking, small pleating on the bias, almost misty and J often very low necked. ! Along with knickers, the! 1970 s will see women in gaucho pants (mid-calf, very wide or narrowed) and the now perfected jumpsuit, seamed to emphasise the waist. Superimpositions is the new word for the layered look, well done. The formula: the blouson and its matching cape; the sweater dress and its minuscule bolero. Forest tonings are the colours chosen for the new

styles. They include all the golds, browns and rusty shades. Purple, and variations of the shade to fuchsia, are favourites. The greens range from almond to moss, and the other colour in the collections is grey-blue. These colours are found in the heathery tweeds (hot favourites), woven jacquards,; soft broadcloths, flannels, and > crepes of all weights. To accommodate the fluid lines there is muslin, poplin, wool toile, and patterned jer-1 seys. Prints are popular, mostly in floral designs, with identi- i cal prints in different propor-. tions an usual combination. Identical designs and! weaves on different fabrics are the basis of the new coordinates.