SMART FROCKING

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 155, 29 March 1937, Page 4

SMART FROCKING

First Night Audience at

Russian Ballet First nights, during the past year or two, have once again taken on the importance which characterised them in days now past, and have come to bo looked upon as something which calls for formal dress and the latest in the decrees of that mind-changing personage, Dame Fashion. Abroad, first nights have always been fashion parades, but iu New Zealand, until comparatively recently, they have lost their significance. However, for the first night of the Russian Ballet at the Grand Opera House on Saturday, the audience was particularly well dressed, which certainly gave to the performance a real •'first night” air—besides being a compliment to the dancers of the company. Being a holiday night, there were a number who did not dress and these looked decidedly out of place. The majority of the women present were in most attractive frocks, lace and velvet—the season’s most popular materials—being prime favourites. There were also many smart satins and taffetas. Especially noticeable were the many opera wraps and fur coats and capes, the last-named giving an air of extreme "chic” to their wearers. Prominent were the short white fur coats —which, by the way, are not quite so fashionable as they were last season—and most attractive were the longer white coats, some of them with novel sleeve effects, bows and tie scarves. A few leg-o-mutton sleeved taffeta coats stood out boldly in the stalls aud the circle, where it was noticed that the vogue for three ropes of pearls had found considerable favour. The fast-disappearing clips had given way to the now fashionable brooches, but it was hoticeable that, with only a few exceptions, hardly any women were wearing the large and very quaint earrings that one sees everywhere at night in Australia and abroad. It took but a very quick glance to see that pre-Easter visits to the hair specialists had been the order of the day, for there were many beautifully coiffured heads to give added smartness to their wearer’s frocks. As the dressing in the ballet is unusually colourful, it was fitting that that of the audience should be in keeping with the spirit of the occasion. Incidentally, it was pleasing to note that a verylarge number of the men present had forsaken their dinner suits in favour of' “tails.” which added considerably to the well-dressed appearance of the audience. FAREWELL COCKTAILS Mr. and Mrs. Ewen Cameron, Lower Hutt, who will leave. Wellington by the Awatea to-morrow for Sydney, where they will make their home, chose Easter Saturday as the occasion to bid farewell io a party of their many friends. Al 1 gathered in the lounge of the Midland Hotel, which had been tastefully decorated with masses of hydrangeas and asters in tones of blue. Mrs. Cameron received her guests in a smart cocktail ensemble of brocaded black maracliene, featuring the new swallow-tail effect, finished with a brilliant fob and a billowy white jabot. A variety of cocktails and the many savouries that add to their enjoyment were handed round by the hotel staff while the host and hostess took the opportunity of saying good-bye to all present.

The guests included: Dr. and Airs. Roger Bakewell, Air. and Mrs. H. A. Bown, Air. and Airs. George Bassant, Mr. and Airs. Fred Bradley, Air. and Airs. Josh. Birrell, Airs. C. R. Buhror, Mr. and Airs. William Burch, Air. Winton Brown, Air. and Airs. Al. O. Barnett. Air. and Airs. Stanley Craig, Aliss Duffie Davis, Lieutenant-Colonel and Airs. Gordon Forbes, Air. and Airs. Jack Francis. Air. and Airs. A. E. Grundy, Air. and Airs. A. W. Hawley, Air. and Airs, Basil Hartman, Air. and Airs. Harry Hardcastle, Air. J. Al. A. Hott, Air. Frank Johnson. Air. and Airs. W. Al. Luke, Air. and Airs. Frank Aiartin, Air. and Airs. Horace Aliller, MajorGeneral and Aladame B. S. Alerlin, Air. and Airs. T. G. Morgan, Air. and Airs. Byron Alills, Air. and Airs. Royden AlcDowell, Air. and Airs. Erreld Alartin, Airs. E. L. Pocock, Dr. and Airs. Webster Nash, Airs. James Payne, Mrs. Pinkard (Shanghai), Mrs. Howard Reid, Air. Dudley Reid, Air. Hilton Richards, Aliss Freda Rooks (China), Air. and Airs. Edgar Spidy, Aliss Irene Spidy, Air. and Mrs. Stevens, Air. and Airs. A. Tyndall, Mrs. Aldeth Thompson, Aliss Emily Urban, Mr. and Airs. Alead Walworth, Air. Leslie Guthrie (Invercargill).

BRIDGE AND MAH JONGG

Against the bright background of a glimpse of Napier Harbour, bridge and mah jongg were played on a recent afternoon at the home of Mrs. L. S. McClurg. The hostess had placed great bowls of dark carnations in the big drawing-room, with roses and dahlifls making gay corners in the two smaller rooms where mah jongg was played. Mrs. McClurg wore an attractive afternoon frock of navy blue, with tui touches of white at the throat; Miss Beth McClurg was in pale fawn with a figured coatee. Mrs. Meddins also helped to receive the guests. The party was another of' those organised to augment the Plunket funds, and was, as were the preceding ones, a complete success. Among the players were: Mrs. Hector Smith, Mrs. W. J. Geddis, Mrs. R. M. Chadwick, Mrs. Trevor Geddis, Mrs. D. Fitzgerald, Mrs. Harold Douglas, Mrs. L. Clarke, Mrs. A. C. Biggs, Mrs. L. Donovan, Mrs. E. Lawry, Mrs. A. Bee, Mrs. Leithead, Mrs. H. Benjamin, Mrs. J. Cornford, Mrs. L. C. Rolls, Mrs. T. B. Ferguson, Mrs. L. Stephenson, Mrs. B. Chisholm, Mrs. Alan Powdrell, Mrs. F. Cutfield, Mrs. H. Tonkin, Mrs. Clifton Geddis, Miss K. Geddis, Mrs. George Kelly, Miss O. Smith, Mrs. Somerset Smith, Mrs. W. Foster, Mrs. It Milburn, Mrs. Westerholme, Mrs. R. Worker, Mrs. 0. Rathbone, Mrs. J. La Roche, Mrs. C. W. Nash, Mrs. W. Kent, Mrs. G. B. Amyes, Mrs. P. Kelly, Mrs. W Bryant, Mrs. H. Chapman, Mrs. Tiffin, Miss Paisley, Miss Hunter,