PARIS IN THE MIRROR

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 147, 23 June 1928, Page 14

PARIS IN THE MIRROR

(Specially written for "The Post" by "Gerniaine.") ■PARIS, 25th April. The. sunj-.liko a repentant prodigal, yesterday made an attempt .to come back. . .Needless to say, it was welcomed bji Parisians, who are never hard on prodigals.- There was warm sunshine, »and there was a sky of the deepest blue... And so,far as tho popular open-air resorts were concerned,> one might have thought, from the array of summer-clothes, that th« prodigal's past. had been forgotten, and hi,s return; hailed , with unalloyed, delight.' It, w,as only at■ "Longer-lamps that' tlio; prodigal-learned, the truth. \For last Sunday .at Longchamps. there was the usual;.animation—hundreds of motor-cars arriving in a continual stream, crowds of'gay people, tlio colour and. the .flutter of tho jockeys' tunics. And-the prodigal beamed on it all,. plumed himself that all his misdeeds had been forgotten. . ""'r-THEi^BUFF.'... .' ... In the Pesage, and on the grand stand fashion had assembled. Tho prodigal flung light on them, as much as to say, '"You 'sep I've come back, of course your're glad to see me." Fair women looked up from little felt or velvet hats, with down-sweeping brims. The prodigal shuddered. Women,, walked by in cloth coats, trimmed discreetly with fur. Tho prodigal sighed. Women glanced haughtily from the screen of stiff fur.collars standing high around the neck. The'prodigal grasped the trufh.. He had come, back too late! Beauty had lost faith in him! Cloth chilled the prodigal, and after his behaviour- last summer, ho really deserved the snub he got. „ CHANGE IN THE FASHIONS. It has been obvious for some time that more feminity in dress was im-

minent, but ..the-question was, how it could be introduced'?-. Well, the secrets of-.;,.t1i0.'. fashions are secrets' no longer, aud to-clay, one may sco more or lcss,\whajytlie smart, world lias ;iecepted, diid.-jwhat.-they have rejected from thov'eai'ly presentations.^ , Tho efforts -of'tho dross designers to relogato the', sports'costume to its .proper place, "has been of no avail. Women utterly refuse to :put it aside in such a cavalier manner,, and it is soon in .the afternoon-in the .smartest places. . For instance, at .'-tea time at the various s^marf thes^daiisarits,' it would not be saying/too .-much'to assert, that .nine women out of ten,' wear sports suits. And this, after tho,endeavours, of the Haute Couture,, to ''introduce, more, habille attire!.:^'"lt must' be very dis-' heartening.- \'..\Bnt their .day will;.doubtless ..come,-. for: although nowadays women, are not,likely,-quickly to foresako a fashion, which has' been popular ao long as has this one, the frocks which the.dr&ssmakcrs.have created for afternoon wear, cannot long bo disregarded —they, are .far. too charming. THE SPORTS SUIT TO STAY. In tho meantime, tho sports suit stays with us, and, secretly, one hopes that, its sojourn be a lone one, depito all one's assertions to the contrary. For

how comfortable it is,. and how bocoming, especially noivj .is one famous dressmaker has reminded us, "it has reached that state of perfection which ono^ cannot hope to improve." It is fashionable for tho coat to be short, and it is usually of plain material, often . lined ■ with striped silk to match, and stripes on the sweater. The. skirt may be pleated all round, or the pleats may bo placed in groups, and the shade of-the. hat must match exactly the main colour of tho suit. But do not let us forget the soarf, which is a most important detail, "as it has been for many seasons past. This usually has a pattern, a kind of Cubist affair, and is worn loosely tied round tho throat,.with the ends left to hang. THE FELT HAT FASHION. The Paris milliners are launching 'felt hats which are likely to have a great success, in severe black, pale grey, and white. Tho new felts are being trimmed with bunches of largo roses or. other flowers, or with immense bunches —no other word describes them '. —of ribbons. Set above the ear on the right-side of the hat, low on the face, and. even, under the brim, the flowers give a very .-pretty effect. It is so long since artificial flowers have been used by milliners, that the new fashion strikes a new and effective note. ;. Nothing is. tolerated on tho felt hat, except the bunches of ribbons or roses. Neither a feather nor a buckle breaks, the severity of line. The summer felt is of very line quality, and highly finished." It shows a rounded/ rather low crown, and narrow brim slightly rolled above tho face. Of those eccentricities, of which' I have already spoken in my articles, those hats cut away, hacked I might almost say, fastidious women will have none of them. . ' • ■' THE NEW SILK HANDKERCHIEFS. Tho new silk handkerchiefs are irresistible in colouring, but they are only handkerchiefs in name, as they arc put on hats and round tho neck, -and are also used in the form of a waistband: round the hips. This is rather, a pity, they are so pretty, that a woman who feels like crying, could derive consolation merely by looking at,-them. But fashion like fortune, is v, wheel that goes on turning. To have been, is a reason to be again." as Madame do Girardin wrote. And this handkerchief fashion is a case in point. . They- are n,ow being "worn" again, after -having- been neglected for a long time. , FASHION HINTS. Sashes-tied at one'side, giving a pompadour effect, and having the ends falling below the skirt • kjcins, is a now means of elongating tho skirt. Another method, which is very becoming and helpful to full figures, is the, use of fringe, which is brought with a left-to-right movement; crossing from shoulder to hip, and then from the right■ liip to the hem of the skirt on tho left side. Bodices remain long, but a more truly feminine note.has. crept into the skirt, whose lines are nearly all now, softtened considerably., ... ~- ... , Bold patch pockets', again, appear on golfing skirts. ..'■ .;, ' ' .;