PARIS IN THE LOOKINGGLASS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 19, 23 January 1926, Page 15

PARIS IN THE LOOKINGGLASS

FASHIONS AND FANCIES.

(Written for "The Post" by "Germaine.")

PABIS, 25th November.

Such a brilliant sight! Beautiful women wearing gorgeous, frocks and magnificent jewels. It was the even-ing-7-or rather the night—of the gala organised by' the "Journal Comoedia," the interesting daily theatrical paper edited by M. do Camille de Bhynal, when all Paris and the theatrical stars of its firmament turned out in their most glorjous guise at the "Ermitage'' dcs Champa Elysees. The immense, hall, decorated and t painted in the most fantastic manner' by the well-known artist Domergue, was full to overflowing." Every table was taken ,by some well-known member of Paris society. Among the celebrities present to witness -the distribution of the prizes for the Championat dv Monde de Danse —for this was the object of the fete —was the Maharajah de Kapurtals, with his beautiful Spanish wife and. their handsome son, M. Yeil-Picard, -White Georges, etc., etc. ' M. Andre i de Fouqnieres, the avant-guerre well known danseur, and leader of cotil-

lons, gave away the prizes to the champion dancers. Catelan gave an interesting exhibition of dancing, and Faraboni received an enthusiastic reception. The first prize was won by Catelan, and among others to receive the gold medal were the Professor and Madame Valentin, "les danseurs a la mode.'' Great amusement was caused by a very stout gentleman who danced the '' Semba'' with a very slim partner with very much gusto. There were two fine orchestras, and the "jazz" band was all a "jazz" band should be. We ate a splendid supper, and drank champagne, and danced till the early hows of the morning. .It was very pleasant, very well done, quite one of the nicest entertainments seen In Paris for some time.

GOLD! GOLD! EVEBYWHEBE

EXCEPT IN OUB SAFES!

Evening gowns are displaying an even more extreme decolletage, and the spate between the slender shoulder straps tends to become larger. The whole, as a matter of iaet, tends more than ever to resemble an exaggerated girdle. The dictates of decorum are not always observed, and one might" say of many women, as Fathpr dc Bavignon said of the' fashionable women of his time: "They are clothed like Truth."

Happily, however, there are dresses of othe.r kinds. There is, for example, a marvellous dress of gold tulle, trimmed with gold ribbon*, which its designer, a couturier of the rue da la Paix, has enveloped in a beautiful coat striped in gold and trimmed with leopard. Gold! Gold I We find it everywhere, except in our safes.

There are still many pretty beaded dresses, and metal tissue is seen in all shades, in gold, in silver, in copper, in green, 4n blue, pink, geranium —lames are everywhere, and in every colour of the rainbow. .For evening, metal tissues will be the wear; for afternoon they will trim dresses in velvet in fulgurante satin and other soft satiny materials.

TO BE SLIM IS THE GREAT THING. .

The line is still straight, but there are draperies and all sorts of floating panels and godets, but nothing bulgy or clumsy. The flare is th« great mode of the day. You must be as slim as a pencil as far as the knees, and then the most graceful little flare ends your short little skirt in the prettiest way a Bkirt can possibly end. To be slim is the great thing. How buoy the diet doctors ought to be, and the corset-makers! Bright embroideries are very much worn. They are put on in masses. Gold embroideries and bTaid are used with a lavish hand too. Fur is ent up into all sorts of patterns. A cook could do no more fantastic things with pastry than a dressmaker does with fur. Little flat flounces of different lengths and widths are set about dresses and skirts in a hundred ways. . VELVET. Velvet, as I have often before said, is the "star" material of the season. Velvet dresses and suits are quite lovely. Black velvet with bright trimmings, lightly used, and some fur, *• H Pimm Wttk Mag TviaiiMMb

Coloured velvet, brown, red, sapphireblue, boige', champagne, rose-beige, ashes of roses, and green, trimmed with curious furs in uncommon colours, is a fashion that is very popular. Well done, nothing is better; a cheap imitation is one of the worst things to be thought of. FASHION MAXIMS. No sign of a "bustle" anywhere, so cheer up readers of fashion articles who have recently been so worried. The "jabot" has firmly established itself, and is assured of playing a large part in the new dress schemes. The "jabot" may be a mere trifling incident attached to the upper ■ part of the frock, yet, of whatever length and wherever posed, it contrives to add a distinctive note of arresting attention.

In clothes, as in everything else, one takes things for granted. We wear a thing because everybody does. We do not want to know why it is worn, but only how it is worn.

Sleeves, when they are worn at ali —and there.is a growing feeling for them in day dresses —are long. No sleeves or long sleeves may be accepted as a safe formula. It- takes two to change an outline, one to invent something new and, the other to wear it. One rather doubts whether the people who matter will consent to bury their slimness and what is left of their youth*, under frills and godets and things. In evening dresses below the knees anything may happen: A "flare," "godets," and acute "boll," or perhaps a deep " slash." A pretty fashion for evening dress is a narrow velvet or tinsled ribbon passed high about the throat, the very long ends tied under one ear in hanging loops to fall over the shoulders.