Couture comes into its own again

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33033, 28 September 1972, Page 6

Couture comes into its own again

(By

LEONE STEWART)

Couture has come into its own again. After the fancy-dress fashions of the last few years, it is a welcome return.. The very young continue to go their own way, but, as the New Zealand Wool Board’s report of the autumn-winter Paris collections shows, couturiers have stopped following.

The French and Italian designers, with the Americans who have always excelled in sportswear, have gone back to creating clothes women can wear in comfort and with grace. Impressions of the collec-

tions presented in Christchurch recently by Miss Bobbi Menzies showed the influence of the 1940 s and 19505. However, the look is now fluid, more body-con-scious than past decades. There is little of the card-

board-cut image of the past. It may not have looked new or exciting to women who knew their fashion 20 and 30 years ago, but with a few uneasy exceptions, it looked very wearable.

It is a chic, but basically relaxed approach well suited to New Zealand women. There were lots of jackets to wear with skirts (very often pleated, otherwise flared) and pants; full, swinging coats, and feminine fit-and-flare, chemise, or shirt dresses to wear beneath them; and every sort of suit from the very classic, sometimes belted, tailored number to the new, soft, sweater suit. Toppers — aptly named jackets of varying lengths designed to top almost any garment — were among the chief talking points of the collections. The Paris report says they can be worn all the year round, over a suit, dress, pants, or even an evening dress, which makes them ideal items for Christchurch weather. 1940 s INFLUENCE

Here, the influence of the 1940 s is strong. The shortest toppers finished at the waist, many had the coming, threequarter sleeve (worn with long, knitted gloves), and plenty of fur trim. From cropped to almost kneelength, the toppers had collar and armhole emphasis in common. The longer jackets were generally full at the back. Last season saw the emergence of a fuller line in coats, now dominant — tent coats with full, swinging backs, A-line duster coats, coats with niched waists, coats sleeveless or with cap sleeves, all intelligently cut and showing the deeper, often dolman sleeve. Cuffs were prominent, and pockets too.

St Laurent, who led the way into ready-to-wear, disregarded the almost universal on-the-knee length and dropped his cossack coat (shaped to the waist and with a full, flaring skirt) in bright red wool with leather trim, to the calf. Ungaro, whom Miss Menzies saw as one of the more youthful, adventurous designers, showed some midi-length models, and put turbans with everything. “Length is no longer an issue,” she said.

Three-quarter and seveneighths length coats put in an appearance at several houses. Showing several inches of skirt or dress —not trousers —they are predicted to be a line to follow.

In Paris, pants were confined to sports wear, but not the sloppy sweater and shapeless slacks set. The complete sports wear look,

says the Paris report, is epitomised in St Laurent’s “new, ritzy sporty look,” of badger-trimmed suede topper over lean, taupe flannel pants, a beige wool turtleneck and grey pearls, and worn with a violet, knitted cap. Pants were almost always cuffed, and Courrege showed trousers gathered at the waistband.

Evening clothes at the collections were definitely dressed up, with plenty of decollete, lots of ruffles, and soft, feminine colours, along with the little black dress. Melton was the fabric couturiers used most, followed by crepe, flannel (grey flannel is back for men and women), and jersey. Squares, stripes, houndstooth check, plaid, and Prince of Wales check were the top patterns.

The colours were winter white, black, pillar-box red, and brown. Miss Menzies noted the presence of pastels, and the brightening of classic grey (the couture colour), chocolate, and camel with clear, bright colours.