PARIS IN THE LOOKINGGLASS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 107, 1 November 1924, Page 15

PARIS IN THE LOOKINGGLASS

FASHIONS AND FANCIES

(Written for "The P,ost" by "Germaiue.") PARIS, 3rd September,

Paris is filling up, and the countless shuttered shops are opening their devantures. But an epidemic of white labels bearing the word . "re-ouverture en Septembre," still remain in great quantities.' The owners of these commerces de luxe having done little or no business for months, have removed with their families to the country, where they are now doubtless strolling after rabbits or pheasants, or sitting rod in hand above some rippling stream. The boulevards and streets, though, are assuming a more normal aspect, and sun-burned, barearmed, almost bare-legged .women and girls are to be seen here, there, and everywhere. For the last week or so, zealous followers of fashion have been going to the dressmakers every afternoon to see what there is to be seen. They sit^ for two hours at a time, and watch the dresses pass by on girls of different types, whose business it is to show them. There is the tall, dignified young person, who wears draped robes and dresses her hair severely,' there is

the dainty, creature who flutters down the room like an autumn leaf in the wind, as she shows some lovely creation in tulle or waxed mousseline; "Carmen" is more Spanish than her clothes; there is the tailor-made girl—always so fascinating. " • THE' AUTUMN OPENINGS, As for the fashions themselves, the. skirts are growing shorter and shorter most of them, and those that are not—so skilfully designed with points and panels, that they seek to make you think they are quite long when actually they are short., There are lower backs and higher backs, so the amount of bareness is a responsibility thrown upon the wearer. There is the detachable train and the train that forms the. sash. There is the advance of the tea gown which, in disappearance of back, has overtaken the boldness of the evening frock. Some designers have produced some 18th century very full skirts, but, on the whole, the scheme is to.create the appearance of slenderaeM. . There is the tube silhouette, and flounces and tunics still hold their own. New materials are to be seen" at all the dressmakers, and tome of them promise to be exceedingly popular; eeafoam cloth embroidered in velvet designs' is as softly., billowy as ita delightful name, and in. addition to this charming innovation there are all the new heavy crepes, with crepe marocain heading the list. Soft rich velvet will hold sway from tea time to midnight. SMART NEW TAILLEURS. Last night I was present at the dressrehearsal of a well-known couturier, who specialises in smart little "tailleurs" with, a sports touch, and it is worth | noting that he makes a great point of little short jackets; with a fur collar of lapin or. lamb, and a band of fur around the bottom, and the same belt which has been worn for so many years, and which Pariaiennes absolutely refuse to give up. Shown also was the more classic tailorcostume, with/hip : length jacket fitted at the normal waistline,, and fastened with a single button. Tinted Persian lamb is extensively used in trimming these taiilours, and grey and beige tints are popular. But lamb takes other tints as well.. Green lamb appears on,a grey costume. • .'..-.'. FRINGES AND BEADS. . Fringe, long and short, silk and ch<>nille, and in some cases of the material itself, is the vogue for winter. , When there isn't fringe there are beads, for we never seem to get away from them. Sometimes there are" both. These things one cannot have too much of at present. And they provide material for very .tasteful trimmings. A dress much admired at Deauville this summer was made of white chiffon with black sprigs; Another graceful and original effect was obtained T>y means of black silk fringe, arranged in spirals. A dress of this kind —in white chiffon with black sprigs, I mean—was completed by a black felt hat with a very large black ehrysanthe■mum on the side. Felt, by the way, is with us again, and many are the charming chateaux now seen in the sliop windows, and especially effective are they when trimmed with autumn flowers. Flowers, moreover, are very popular just now, and big-taffetas roses running through every shade from, pale mauve-to brisht. pink .ire to the fijro. They uvt

sort of crepe, chiffon, and- taffetas dresses.

SOMETHING NEW.

The most amusing vogue at present is that of wearing black kid gloves with Jace wrists" in conjunction with a white or light-coloured dress. We have ■been wearing light gloves so long with our light dresses that we have almost forgotten that the fashion which did more for the woman with large hands was the fashion of the black glove. But to give the right effect, it should be the suede glove rather than the kid, for suede gloves make the hand look smaller, just as the suede or velvet shoe makes the foot, and those of ua whose extremeties are rather out of proportion in this respect would do well to remember this salient fact. It is the small things which make so vast a difference to our appearance, and the woman who has communed with herself before the glass, and accepted the fact that all those precautions are necessary to her i, §°; ne s,° far on the load to being well dressed that she has every. rMit to congratulate hersaJf warmly in advance. And really, when one comes to think- of it, there is nothing to prevent everyone ot us from being immaculately dressed H we only adopt well-made simplicity, which is so very fashionable a quality and^ camouflage" our bad points, so that even our dearest enemy manages to overlook them at times.