Elegance in new season’s fashions

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32706, 8 September 1971, Page 6

Elegance in new season’s fashions

It is almost a cliche now, to say that an era of elegance has returned to fashion. But it is true, and the audience at Beath’s high-fashion spring and summer parade recently must have been counting their blessings.

The parade was one of the loveliest showing for a long time.

Today’s longer lengths lend themselves very nicely to feminine styles that flatter women. It was hard going to produce elegance for anyone past 35 when skirts were almost non-existant, but on Monday evening there was an abundance of timeless trou-ser-suits, ensembles, and evening wear. Perhaps the only regrettable aspect was the decision of manufacturers to play it safe as far as hemlines were concerned. Most of the -coats and dresses (once again there few suits; only rumours of their return to favour) were midknee, or just covering the, knee.

Three garments—shortsleeved dress with a straight, white skirt, and willow-green and rust patterned bodice; a white cropped jacket and midi-dress, the whitetrimmed bodice in bright violet; and a navy jacket and split-skirt dress, both with bands of white—looked all the more interesting for their added inches. All were one inch and a half to two inches below the knee.

Unexpectedly, it was the few pairs of shorts shown that provided the fashion excitement—unexpectedly, because this was a parade for

women who like their clothes fairly understated, and yet the hot-pants looked by no means out of place. For casual wear for the woman who has faultless . legs and a slender • figure, there was a delightful set of hot-pants and a gilt-buttoned, pointed waistcoat, in pumpkin gold suede, with a tan, long-sleeved blouse. And for the long-legged sophisticate, a change from trousers came with a pair of the new, kneelength shorts in a black and rust print with a matching coat, and black, belted tunic. Amidst all the confusion over hemlines, pants-suits are flourishing. Those shown in the parade demonstrated their acceptability for all ages, and the endless variety possible. Some stand-outs:— A boldly-patterned 1940 s car coat (returned very strongly in the recent Rome showing) in tan, black, and white, and silver-buttoned, with white trousers. A sleeve-less, belted, Vnecked midi-vest in a mosaic pattern of grape shades with toning trousers. Navy and white mingled in a jungle print for a safari Shirt and pants. A sleeveless, midi-coat in a red, tan, and blue design, worn over a longsleeved, red jump-suit. FABRICS Fabric struck an interesting note among the coSts and ensembles. Mosaic prints and tapestry clothes gave a depth and richness to several outfits. A classic, single-breasted coat in a mosaic print of sand, reds, and gold came with a beige, short-sleeevd Sheath dress. The print was repeated in the belt of the dress. A tapestry cloth ini rust and lime was fashioned into a waist-length jacket, worn over a little black dress. Elegant, Parisian - style ' dresses sometimes with their own coats—gained impact with contrastingly coloured, sometimes patterned, blouse-bodices. Most ensemble jackets were the button-to-the-neck, cropped-at-the-waist variety,, Which provided a pleasant proportion with the longer skirts. i Coat shapes were fitted at, the bodice, often waisted and ' belted, and flaring gently in the skirt. Pocket and stitching details were prevalent. , COLOURS Chocolate was predicted to make a return to the colour i charts. Black and white was ’ a top favourite —black looked > like becoming basic again—and there was plenty of bright, clear yellow, navy and '

White, purple, and' parma violet. For evening, and increasingly for dining, the ankle length was proposed, along with some very feminine ; trouser-suits. Just made for dramatic entrances was an empire gown) 1 the bodice black and the skirt white. The long, black cape-sleeves ' were slit to the shoulder to show the white lining. The handkerchief hem returned in a delicious black chiffon number. The black bra and wide pants of another stunning outfit were demurely covered with black Spanish lace, which formed a deep-cut, scalloped bodice and split midi-skirt. And, for those who like to show a little leg—but nicely —there was an elegant dress in artichoke green with a fitted, long-sleeved bodice and a billowing skirt left open to reveal neat, matching, little shorts. A feature of the parade was the appearance of Mrs Celia Knuckey, of Auckland, who designs the Emma Knuckey range. Mrs Knuckey modelled a selection of her spring summer range of understated suits, coats, and dresses notable for their fine finish and imported fabrics.