ASCOT

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 22, 26 July 1927, Page 9

ASCOT

PAGEANT OF COLOUR

WOMEN AND CLOTHES

THE ROYAL ENCLOSURE

(From "The Post's' Representative.)

LONDON, 18th June. Ascot has a charm all its own. It does not matter whether one attends on one day only or on all the four, the Bense of the pleasure derived is indisputable. A happy day there once a year inspires a hope for other similar experience next year and in the years to follow. It does not really signify whether one goes to study the good points of the' horses, or to make bets, or merely to witness a marvellous kaleidoscope of lovely frocks worn by innumerable eminent people, or to try and recognise in the flesh many who are known well enough because their portraits are often seen —every phase tends to one's interest and enjoyment. The setting of the" course amid park-like surroundings is delightful—choice flowera and beautiful trees are everywhere behind the stands, and there are spaeioua lawns back and front. Most important and interesting of all, especially to visitors from all over the world, is the gratification of seeing the Boyal procession coming from "Windsor to the course in semi-State. The lovely cream horses, gaily caparisoned and their red and gold habited postilions. In the first carriage come the King and Queen, with perhaps two of their sons; in six carriages behind are other members of the Boyal Family and members of their suites. The Royal procession, initiated in 1820 by King George IV., is in itself suflieient to attract the multitudes, not alone on the stand side of the course but those who picnic in great numbers «n the heath as well. Cheering from the crowds is enthusiastic and genuine, especially when at a given point tie leaders make for the public Bide, thus ensuring room for the curve approach through gates to the final destination.. A band amid the throng strikes up the National Anthem, and for the time tho bookie oalling his wares is silenced. The voluble man who offers to the circle surrounding him his tips in sealed packets, together with an ice-cream for twopence, has no prospective buyers when the approach of the Boyal pageant ia heralded. The drive must be nearly half a mile from the Windsor Park gate along tho green ribbon of the turf, and the spectacle 5s inspiring. The aristocracy, the men in "Tatts.," and the crowds everywhere shout themselves hoarse, and the roar of cheering reaches those at the end of the drive like tho rolling breakers of the sea. Each day of the four is attractive, but the second is moro important than the first, therefore is more dressy; the third, which is Gold Cup Day, is most important of all, and the clother are as a matter of course additionally alluring to be in keeping with the importance of the. occasion. Before noon on Thursday hundreds of private motor--1 cars discharged a record invasion of ! beautiful women and girls, and thousands more arrived by trains, leaving [London stations at frequent intervals jail the morning.

5 A COVETED VANTAGE. [J Probably there were morn New Zea--j landers in the Eoyal enclosure than 'lever before, and all of them will be

:l/. r j I proud to keep the white and,, gold badges which are the passport to this ..«-;! sanctity, situated beneath the box from •?/■•] which the King and Queen and their V^/ijParty view the races. Everyone has to oi'-jhave a badge on which his or her name i*»; is -written. One typo of badge admits A.'ijto thg paddock only; another one indi«">"lcatea the possession of a grandstand -jj'i^seat. Another distinguishes the Press rer.Jiipresentatives, who have a reserved .c.^jstand opposite the winning po-ts f^J."i and above the Eoyal enclosure, an exVy'ijcellent vantage point for the races and '■V-J,\iot the frocks. Arrangements at Ascot r j%'-|are admirable, and the badges are worth Y "']the price paid. One's only surprise is the course is used just for one /^meeting in the year. Of the numerous 'i^badges issued for Ascot none is more .'jj/^fcoveted than the white and gold. '^'.i-A The New Zealanders who applied for •■C'K'^adinission through the High Commisand were enabled to be present •>r,^throughout the meeting it they wished f^TjWere: Mrs. Lan Duncan, Miss A. Dun•Tj'V^can, Mrs. Egerton Reid, Miss Jane Reid, Marjory Gibson, Mr. and Mrs. J [/.'.jJB. Beid, Mrs. E. L. Riddiford, Mr. and jJsV^Mn. Vivian Riddifora, Mrs. Edward C^'i:Riddiford> Mr. and Mr 3. J. F. Stud-is-''pfibolme, Mrs. M. Craoroft Wilson, Mrs. fr'-pP- **• Dickinson, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mr. and Mrs. G. A. C. Elkington, 1- and Mrs- w- J- Blundell, Mr. B. ,^-^vpßliuulell, Miss 8. Barraud, Mrs. W. B. vVf^SPnlton, Mr.;and Mrs. Moss Davis, Miss 1* 7V;Blanche Davis, Lieut.-Colonel and Mrs. P-y^N. FitzHerbert, Miss Cicely FitzHer>vv?foert, Mrs. Strachan GoMingham, Miss 1* Pnarazyn, Mrs. A. H. Miles, Miss les > r- an<* Mrs. George M'Milij^'yl&n, Mr. ana Mrs. L. O. H. Tripp, Major ;.^*;*&A. de B. . Brandon, D.5.0., Mr. B E jjipj^eiller, Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Williams, r:^;.: M. n and Mrs r F. Findlay, Miss Shirt-;^->i«'cl}ffe) Mrs- and Misses Todd (3), Mr. Mrs. Eliot Davis, Mr. and Mrs. ■?j;-sLowry, Miss Lowry, Mrs. Chapman, ;.*f|v*Mr. and Mrs. J. ff. Cracroft Wilson. '?y>'y~d Those who frequent the paddock have v<£i;P erliaps the best opportunity of seeing 4*^£> tho notable.people, for in the intervals £s;*.~/,between the races they coino from the V-vi'i>nclosure to inspect the horses. Each WSSbadge bears a name, so people really 'vi^ aro Celled, .and it is easily possible Vv.' ( ''^or visitors to establish for certain the £:<£,jdcntity of people of note. Many, of rj&.^course, are known as a glance—the j'^-cpuke of Connaught, Lord Derby, the ;r-;,'?'£g& Khan, Lord Barnby, Lord Astor, '*-;?v£ IjOrd. Lonsdale, Lord Hay the Prime [££v;Minister sir George Bullough, General \> ;v.Sir A. J. Godley, and others too numer;J.VS^ DUS *o mention. £vi&j THE EOYAL PARTY. *?^i! a tno firs* day tne Queen was a "i.^tately figuro in a sweet-pea mauve hat, •ji'&yiVith a white velvet cloak with aner'j'",Amine collar. 0?$ Princess Mary looked very girlish in '&'lft snady pale-rose hat and a light frock; t ;»> v;7|[iady May Cambridge wore pale grey, her mother, Princess Alice, Coun.i~"i'*jtess of Athlone, was in cyclamen col- ■ *Jv-' pur. £.-?■• *J After lunch many people strolled in i':i i'<£ne paddock before the big race. The !^,ijPrinee of Wales,. looking -very' well, i- oTf> a white carnation in his buttonW'i^ ole- rince Henry was with Lord and r>^;jLady Stanley and Lord Blandford. Lord i'.ift^perby and the Hon. George Lambton '; v7*:\.Svere talking together, and close by ■vrVvsJord Lascelles chatted to Major Fea\^<^;lherstonhaugh. Ex-King Manuel of •^■^ .Portugal and ex-Queen Augusta were arrivals. The latter wore print-:',^-jskd. chiffon in tones of beige and pink .-^?And a fur-trimmed velvet coat to match. :V.^v<Princes3 Arthur of Connaught wore t '--.'r.|>rown and beige printed chiffon with a >;"; ?"amall golden brown hat. Lady Pat"i;, •>'■f'icia Ramsay had a picture hat with a of printed chiffon. The Duchess *:'j>f>m Roxburghe, who came with the Royal Virt{yai-ty from Windsor, wac in fuchsia liyiijpolourings and a hat to match. Lady '/^"fcranard wore beige chiffon with a £'i;3lounee of black lace. Others in the -■••>-|6oyal ox inelu3ed the Duke of Con."»,'i^ianght, Prince Arthur of Connaught, ■;*:V, JLord Lascelles, and Lord Churchill, ;;^;JMiBs Ursula Lawley, Lady Cynthia Col■^•■'sji I°> and Lady Anglesey. ' tlfi§ Boyal Hunt Cup day, as usual, at-?--'■>tSracted a larger attendanco than the "lipening dajr. The King wore a light

black overcoat with a white carnation in the buttonhole, and a black silk hat and a, dark tie. The Queen's coat, which quite covered the dress, was of brocaded tissue, in blue and purple, silver and gold, and pale pink. It was cut high to the throat, with a scarf-end over one shoulder fringed with fine pale pink and blue beads. A folded turbanshaped toque of silver tissue shone brilliantly in the "sunshine. The Prince of Wales was not present, but Prince Henry and Viscount Lascelles were with Their Majesties. Princess Mary was in becoming pale apple-green chiffon and creamy lace, with a long coat of thin cream-coloured cloth and a hat of white crinoline straw bound with pale green and trimmed with green flowers. Princess Alice Countesß of Athlone, was in a crepe de chine dress in the favourite fawn-pink tone, and a long coat with a bolster collar of russet georgette and crepe, and a hat of fawn-coloured and brown crinoline straw, finished with bands of velvet of the darker russet colour. Princess Arthur of Connaught, who was in the paddock with Prince Arthur, wore a fawn-coloured dress and hat and a long pale brown cloth coat. Lady Patricia Ramsay, who was watching the horses being got ready, for the bij race, wore a dress of black lace embroidered in parchment colour and gold, and a hat of palest cyclamen - pink j lace and straw. A blonde fox fur was worn, in which was fastened a large flower matching the hat. Lady May Cambridge wore a lonf white cloth coat with deep collar and cuffs of pure white Angora fur. Her hat of pale yellow crinoline straw was trimmed at one side with a cluster of roses shaded from yellow, to deep orange. On Gold Cup day the heat was intense and there were people in the Royal enclosure who were overcome by it. FASHIONS IN DRESS. Fashions were entertainingly varied, and many were the contrasts. For instance, some milliners had prepared hats of enormously wide brim dimensions as well as brimless caps that fitted the head like skull caps. The wide picture models were usually of crinoline or fine Bankok, simply banded with velvet and finished with a few large flowers on the brim and others underneath it as well— these flowers, so often of muslin, are delicate in texture, dainty in colour, and have no weight. The skull cap is trimmed with flat plumage, of which tufts drooping at each side form earpieces. Expensive as are tho shapes of Bankok, one may perhaps designate as the luxury hat of this summer the real hand-made Leghorn. Very few are worn, for they are the most exclusive. and, of course, far too expensive to be general. They are very attractive. Bankoks and crinolines are in numerous colourings, but no shades are more favoured than crimson, cherry red, beige, and light pink. One could not help being struck by the prevalence of red in all its hues— port wine, vermilion, cherry, crimson, hydrangea, coral, dark fuchsia. Not only_ for entire dresses, but for all the I details that go to complete an effective ensemble are all these tones prominent. Popular too, are all tones of orange, sea-green, cyclamen, and the pinky beiges. An effective ensemble is a frock of beige georgette, worn with shoes of jade, with a shady hat of jade, a necklace of jade and crystal, and a small pochette of shagreen. Feather boas are apparently returning. There were voluminous specimens at Ascot, brilliant in colour, and very full. They are worn close to tho throat, with ouo long end falling down the back; on a small wearer tho end may be so long that it requires picking up and carrying in the manner of_ the erstwhile train. One of bright crimson was conspicuous, but cffeclHe, worn with cream dress and toque; one of black and white had its full end of black; there was another of cyclamen .hue—to indicate merely a few. A sunshado of cream ostrich feathers was carried by a well-known woman, about fourteen broad, uncurled feathers being used. An effort is being made to roin-' troduce ostrich plumago and so give filip to a South African industry. Here and there ostrich feathers were on hats, but on very few.

A keen rival this year to velvet ribbon for hat trimming is Petersham. Milliners find that the flno-corded variety is more amenable in arrangement, especially on brims, for it can be made to set flat despite the widening curve of the shapo. Its effect is soft, and inconspicuous, and when several shades are arranged together tho result )3 gonerally very satisfactory. A ■ narrow Petersham band and bind, with a posy of flowers at one side, constitutes the sole trimming of many of tho exclusive Bankok and Leghorn shapes. Dresses wero for tho most part of diaphanous and dainty lace, in cream or colour, simple georgette, printed chif±on, ninon with gigantic floral designs, mnon and crepe de chine with small geometric pattern. Quite a number of the pale-coloured dresses were trimmed with summer fur dyed to match; others had trimmings of narrow lace and embroideries of all kinds. Others, again, had beads or iridescent shells. One particularly handsome gown was embroidered all over in a cockatoo design on croam satin, with a deep mauve border, and was entirely veiled with cream chiffon. iSiack Chantilly was the selection made for a specially attractive dress of lace, lhe transparent coat of georgette or lace, fur-edged, has been a very usual adounct to the smart dross this season, and at Ascot one saw many of these delicato "two-pieces." Long capes of chiffon, the chiffon often boing closely kilted, and a ruch being loft at the neck, were a novelty and a change from tho coat. Flowers made of subtly coloured felt woro seen on hats and as shoulder knots. Women had sleeves, many girls had no covering at all on their arms'.

Lovely pearls were general. Nearly overy lady had a shoulder posy. Everyone, of course, had silk stockings, sometimes of black, but more often of flesh tints. Black shoes thoro were, too, but those of the new colours, of beige and groy were mote general. Shoes get more and more trimmed, and the material unions are highly decorative.