PARIS IN THE MIRROR

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 99, 28 April 1928, Page 15

PARIS IN THE MIRROR

. (Written for "The Post" by "Germaine.") PAULS, Ist March. Mimosa has come to us from the Kivicra, golden feathery, Huffy blosnohin, and the flower-markets are guy with gorgeous heaps of this sweetfiiuolling llower. People carry armfuls through tlio streets, and there is no prettier sight, than to see a girl with her arms full ol! the fragrant (dossoms. Parisians use mimosa for table decoralions, and it brings the message of spring to tho drawing-room*. Winter is on tho wane, and tho soft footfalls of spring aro already heard iv the Hois, mid farther out in the surroundings of Paris, Verwiilles, JAjntnineblonu, the 'l^orofc do Marly. Kurly models of the now floral sunshades are being shown. When closed, they resemblo a largo hunch of flowers. One wan made ot jparma violols, nml another of rose-col-oured cyclamen. \Vhou opened, the purasol-proper is composed of flowers placed together, with a double border of leaves round tho edge. Tho stocks hang down from fivo or six inches round tho edge. A floral sunshade —they <iro of course small, as is the vogue just now, makes an ideal finishing touch to a fiiinimer-like toilette. And summer is not so very far off, is it? AUDACIOUS HATS. With splendid audacity, tho Parisian luilllrier is using tho longest of tlio tailfeathers of. the pheasant to adorn some hats, sotting the plumes low on tho left sido of the hat, and pointing down to tho wearer's waist, which they nearly roach. Better than this, embarrassing plumage, however, aro decorated pigertn feathers, chosen from tho shortest ■wing feathers, and painted very ingeniously in vivid and contrasting colours. Thus a feather will . -bo partly orange, and partly green or bluo and green, nml tho feather, thus treated, is set amid sonic of tho Jlufl'y strands of marabout in white, or brown, or grey, making a very, attractive trimming for a, spring hut,' Another device, is to mako with velvet, .small vent coqucH, exactly imitilting tho shell-shaped cake which Parisians call a Madeleine, and these are set flat, round tho crown, of the new lioll-slinpod felt hat, that is to say the ''cloche" which turns up in front n llttlo bit, CLEOPATKA IN A TOQUE. ■ Liko Cleopatra, come to life again, is tho wearer of the new toquo which n I'ar.isian milliner has just launched into tho world of fashion. It suits tho slim woman with chiselled features, and fit' ting close to tho head with a whimsical oxtontiOn which drops over the ears, the .toque recalls the Egyptian beauties associated with the mural decorations of tho time, of the Pharaohs. A juniper, barred in black and gloaming gold, and Known discreetly from the open front cf her clonk, accentuated tho regal of-

J'ont of the Egyptian t'oqfie, \vofii )|r ono i'air.l'arisienno. A. certain boldness in colour-lino, and contrast, seems to Ijo i'lVVOiinvd for tlio cOlninjLf season, mid tlio skirt of ono charming frock recently soon, wfw striped iii wide burs of nlterButo black satin, ami old gold. THE VAORANT HANDKERCHIEF. ■ Tlio feminine handkerchief was over ■ vagrant. J.t will stray on cvory conceivable opportunity, and tlio little truants in laco and cambric where- wonioii lire wont to assemble, may be counted by tlio dozen. ]jot it bo said, however, Unit the handkerchief is not ivholly to blame (Jircmiitttimf.es. over which it has. had no control, .have contributed to its vagrant propensities. 'Far Ihft handkerchief has never had v Hi.tl.tlnr] home. it, has never been given the opportunity to acquire homing habits, and tlio respectability of a householder. 'In the prehistoric pant ■(.lioro was a, time whoa it inhabited a pocket, but the feminine pocket of that poriod, was ■voluminous, and accommodated dozens of odds and ends, and stood to Iho handkerchief, more as a common, lodging-hoiiitc, Hum a home. Of the. liandkeiv.hjefu' vicissitudes wince that epoch there is not spneo to write. The fact lias simply to bo recorded, that it has recently left Iho vanity-bag for another shelter, and now lodges Cor n time in the V. shaped opening of the dress, or in a. cull' of a coat, or in a. dainty rocoptaclu strapped to tho wrist. As to where- it will next flit- —who enn say. JADE IN FAVOUR. Jade is immensely popular this sea(toii. It is being used, not only for pendants and necklaces, but for watch Ij'rar.olots. Thn In test idea. is to have a thick bracelet of finely (,'ra.duated pieces of j'.'ide, with a tiny watch sunk Jll to the Jargf.il; piece, 'ft seems curious thill, while Western nations f^ivo ilialliouds the llrst ]ilni'.(! amongst precious atones, in China, jade is regarded as Ilio most b: .'Mil il'ul of jt'Wids, lijiecluifliH (if their wnrl; u'liich have Kiirvived eeni.iirieH are 111 tr.*i<-I«'H of <■;;f| ifinil <• crafts)na.ii:diip. Tlicri! seenieil to be an object

from a Mandarin's cloak-hook hi beautiful pinky jade, to a spirit-goug for n Buddhists' temple. HINTS. The time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted time, especially iC well spent in the study of haute couture. Appearances are deceitful, especially nowadays, wlicti every woman looks uh if she were whiil. «lie prubnbly isn't. . A new spirit hns been put. into our evening gowns. Wo were getting tired of tlio conventional evening gown, ""d felt-that a departure from tlio former was necessary. In making the spirit ol! youth predominate, wo iiavo tried to adopt the character of evening attire, to modern nctiv.e life. In our 1928 silhouette, wo consider tlio waistline, as tho chief factor in its creation. That is why we in Paris, arc making a special .study of Iho waistline. Like the sculptor modelling a statue, wo have carefully viewed it from every angle, front, back, profile. .. The result is harmony. Our waistline, moving or slntic,will lie nn undulating curve, from which the .skirt will fa.ll with cany grace. Tlio waistline is ;it present elusive, iv material, and has above all the slenderising quality which we consider essential to modern fashion. ■ When designing an evening gown try to get into it, that "indefinable something," combining snap, sparkle, mid a. charm/ that gives character and nlhllT. How win a woman enjoy dancing, if she is' encased in n tight shoalli that, restricts her every movement'? Jt simply can't bo done. Tlio nerve strain caused by tho mere iuwnrd anxiety us to whether tho side seam has cracked at the hem, is exhausting. She knows sho does not look her best, and when a woman knows that .sho is done for.