WELL-DRESSED AUDIENCE AT OPERA HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 203, 25 May 1936, Page 4

WELL-DRESSED AUDIENCE AT OPERA HOUSE

Striking evening frocks and many beautiful wraps were in evidence at the Grand Opera House on Saturday night, when one of the best-dressed audiences seen in Wellington for a long time attended the first night of “The Shining Hour.” The night was very cold, but beautifully, fine, thus affording the womenfolk an opportunity of looking their best. The majority of the men present were in dinner suits. Saturday night might almost have been termed a “blue” night, for that colour predominated in the dresses ranging from the soft powder blue to ice and the more vivid royals and electrics. Varied indeed were the styles of the frocks worn, the present fashion giving much scope for originality. A few of the jewelled renaissance belts made their appearance, and there was an increasing number of huge artificial flowers worn at the neckline. Being a very chilly night, few pepple ventured out without a fur coat, an evening wrap or a cape. There were long opera cloaks with upstanding collars, and shorter cloaks, and three-quarter coats of handsome materials with attractive collars and made in various designs. Those who wore the very fashionable fur capes (especially the ones which are reminiscent of the coachman' type of many years ago, made with high, stiffened collars) were especially noticeable as they entered the theatre, and a quaint touch was added by some short white fur coats and capes. Particularly striking was one woman in a waist-length cape of thickly-ribbed white fur made with a rolled collar and long revers. One attractive young miss caused quite a st'r when she entered in her long opera cloak with a monk's hood, the latter being worn over her head until she took her seat, when she casually let it slip back.

It seemed a pity that more originality and individuality had not been displayed in regard to coiffures and head-dresses, for, with the exception of one or two, there were no outstanding results. One could not help noticing one very well-groomed head on which the hair was rather sleekly, with a single roll across the centre of the right side.

The dressing in “The Shining Hour” is very smart, Miss Elaine Hamill appearing in several beautiful frocks, the most, outstanding of which is a flamingo evening frock over which is worn a Chinese tunic of black with a flamingo pattern and edged with flamingo bands (a fashion that is an outcome of the recent Chinese art exhibition in London). She also appears in a glorious black georgette tea gown, made with flowing sleeves, on which are leaves of gold sequins, and a beautifully-cut dress of almond green marocain, made with very full sleeves and slightly trained.