PARIS IN THE MIRROR

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 129, 2 June 1928, Page 14

PARIS IN THE MIRROR

,- (Specially written for "The Post" by "Gcrmainc"). PAKIS, 4th April. The way in which Parisionnes make up to-day is really" too extraordinary. Some of tho women's faces up to dute are now a copy of a futurist picture. But French women seem to have, rouged and made up from time immemorial! The story goes that under Louis XIV. a courtier implored Ms wife in verse not^to use too much rouge, although rougo was tho fashion of the day. Being a dutiful wife she complied with her husband's request,-but by so doing she did not improve her appearance. Tho duke (yes, ho was a duke) was informed by tho Master of Coremonies that the Duchess, being now as yellow as a guinea, the Queen looked upon her refusal to rougo with disapproval, and, pious though she herself

was, she did not despise rouge. This placed the Duke in an awkward dilemma. Ho therefore proceeded to write another poem, to implore his lady to return to her n'rst love, and once more paint on her face tho blushes of youth., Of course, she complied, and there is a happy ending to the story. In the present year, 1928, ladies are allowed to wear as much,'or as little, rouge as they' choose —or none at all. Neither, are they limited to pink and white complexions. Some adopt ochre pWder, with a touch of purple rouge and carmine lips. In fact "rouge" can be longer be described as "rouge," since it runs into strange shades of purple, green, and orange. A humorist asks: What will St. Peter say on the Last Great Day, if Paricsicnnesarrive at the. gates of Paradise ■■so strangely coloured? Ono cannot forget the terrible story of the gentleman who painted himself gold' to go to t'ho opera ball, forget to put on his kilts, was turned out of Paradise and left to weep in the streets. BRIGHT SIDE OF BEING- WELL DRESSED. In Paris, perhaps, more than anywhere else, one sees the bright side of being gay, and light-hearted, welldressed, and nice to look at. A pretty Parisienne has a habit of wearing her clothes in such a provocative manner that sho stops any reasonable" conversation, and completely dominates the situation by simply being what she is, pjetty, well dressed, and very pleased with herself." .As a matter of fact, everyone of the new creations that one sees at the couturiercs this season seem more desirable than the last. ■ Whether it is a simple coat of black cloth lined and.belted with red leather, or a dinner frock, maile in a wonderful jade charmeusc, a mere slip of v not tiling .yet; hanging in miraculously graceful folds, they one and all fascinate and charm. This season, again, simplicity is the keynote of all models. Gorgeous materials, -simple lines, and a wonderful luxe (le detail in girdles, clasps, buttons, and, of ( course,. embroideries. THE PARISIAN EVENING GOWN. The'gestures of .the purely Parisian evening gown .arc-many. It may express or leave unexpressed; .all y the

wbrldly wisdom of the ages. It may discover new and daring revelations, or mock with veiled suggestions, or, again, it may sweep down the scene in the pure romanticism of bygone centuries. It is a paradoxical creatiou, often, most daring when most demure, r.nd sometimes amusing .when it endeavours, to bo "bold and bad." Studied "iii their effect to the minutest detail, there is not a line that does not belong to the living, moving creature," who so delightfully gives expression to the ideas which wore in the mind of the artist. Fragile pastel tints are liked for evening dresses, embroidered lightly in crystal or silver threads, in designs of flowers and fruits, monograms and mottos. SPIRAL LINES IN NEW MODE FANCIES. One would almost think in viewing some of this season's dresses that they were intended to be mounted by a spiral staircase. One thinks of the long climb up the Eiffel Tower when one looks at them. The spiral movement seems to have reached its cxtremest expression. Tailor suits iv particular are garnished with it, the garment being in other respects perfectly straight and ' tight-fitting. To explain, a s.uit of black cloth shows a J (lat flounce, which begins its long winding courso just above the hem iv front. The suit is of black cloth, with brown leather printed in a design of gold for collars and cuffs. And "iv this statement are contained' two important fashion items —one regarding tho use of leather once more as a trimming, and the other the popularity of .the colour combination of black with brown. We used to think the latter couldn't bo done, didn't we? Out where I used to live it was regarded as one of the unsanctioned combinations. Golden brown' silk stockings, I think, arc the most fashionable of any for. spring, and they ,are worn most often with black shoes.' CHAPEAUX. The first point in the modes of the day, with regard to chapeaux, is that they look not like hats for grown-up, real people, but for dolls, so tiny they are. And in form they, incline towards the helinct. Some of them have crowns, but the "point is that they mustn't have much of anything in the way of a brim, and they must pull tightly on a head that should strain every possibility to look small. For trimming, or rather "if trimming," one should strain every possibility to look small. For trimming, or rather "if trimming," one should say, because it is not necessary, it should hang off ono side. A black and white velvet Easter lily, for instance, falls from a white felt, hat. Cocoa brown felt forms have bows of a darker shading, but always hanging off the side. A black felt form has a bow of black and whito gros-grain ribbon, with a tiny little green edge showing round it. Molle Lotti, the pretty actress of llio "Capucincs" theatre,-'j^bes 'about in a headgear almost . infmitessimal, of black kid, with aigrettes all about it, and going every way (only principally down), -ond over t!lc ri Sllt; c;u- ---' NOT WHAT THEY ARE. Where trimmings are concerned, the idea seems to be to have them look like something .they are not.., Let ribbons look like..quills, and quills look like ribbons. And-.as for flowers, let them be of these samo: quills or rib^. bons, or what you will. And yet let me hasten to pen my customary exception that proves tho ■ rules. You will find the flower motif in- trimming repeated .many, many times. Even the little withered ones and tho leaves rusty round the edgo at the point, are worked into the clusters. But the idea is to produce merely conventional flowers, tulips to bo specific, two of them, as a rule, and very largej in dull orange and red, witli grey-green stems going round the crown of a hat, and suede leaves in green hanging over the edge at the side1, with the flowers.