London Fashion Notes

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 11, 14 January 1933, Page 7

London Fashion Notes

Specially Written for "The Post."

LONDON, 18th November. The, informal gaiety of London's "little" season—as the.gay weeks before Christmas are called—is filling the theatres and. restaurants and bringing a wave of prosperity to the shops. The pessimists who whispered that the theatre was dead are silenced by the successful first nights of so many new plays. Midnight film parties are one of the newest ways of raising money for charitable purposes. These usually take the form of a premier presentation of some specially talked about film, so the publicity pays the cost of the film and the charity benefits by an enormous fashionable audience at top prices, who wind up with supper and dancing on the stage. Films and fashions are linked very closely these days, and supply one of the reasons for the 'vastly better standard of dressing amongst the average women who have only a little to spend, and few chances of seeing good clothes well worn; . Film, fashions' are a complete season, and sometimes even more, ahead of fashion, and so by the time they are generally released the film fan can study\ the current fashions and copy those which,will-suit her own personality best. . I find most girls to-day, have a favourite film actress, not always a ''star," but usually one whom they imagine to be their own type,'so -when they see her in an attractive gown they know pretty well how they would look in a similar get-up. Of course, one has to make allowance for the fact' that film stars literally have their clothes sewn over their skin. The camera may not be able to lie, but it can, and does, make the most of every ounce of flesh! This week I have «een several Press shows of new films, and in one I saw a black velvet evening gown with white camellias on the hips, which was shown at an early collection of French models this season. Also, our own Joan Barry, in the "Borne Express," wears the last word in tailored fur trimmed jacket ensembles when she boards the train, -with an^.equally chic hat, copies of which are only just appearing in the shops. These new hats have a very shallow crown slightly ridged, and a small brim which curves down very subtly back and front. These are often worn with one of the newer veils which are of distinctly coarser mesh than those we have seen before. . Incidentally, the "tricorue" is predicted as a favourite for a little later on, and one of the loveliest I have seen was in very dark brown velvet, worn with a floating veil of finest lace-edged brown net. It was balanced on beautifully waved fair hair that ended in tight curls clustering round the ears and the nape of the neck. Velvets are everywhere, and in the mid-season showings dressmakers have made a special favourite of corduroy velvets for smart daytime frocks, as ■well as suits and coats. They have elaborated them by working the cords" of the material to form diagonal lines m the dresses in the same way as they used striped fabrics in the summer. One in wine red corduroy velvet had the skirt worked in this fashion up to the corselet belt, which fitted with deep points on to the bodice. This was madowith eapea sleeves and an upstanding collar, open in front but fastened at the base of the throat by one of the new clips; a second clip fastened the front of the skirt. These clips are British-made" and are equipped with metal eyelets, and are made in several metals and different colours. Fastenings of this sort give the modish touch to quite simple frocks. Another ensemble that was much adWired was a dark brown corduroy velvet three-quarter coat and skirt, and frith this was worn a long tunic blouse

of plain heavy caramel coloured crepe. This tunic was high in the neck and fastened with a scarf collar that tied in front showing brown facings and , the cross-over bodice tied round the waist at the back and was also faced. . with dark brown. : These long tunics are always smart, ' and they can entirely revolutionise a tired-looking ensemble which has done i duty for a whole season. Ostrich feather boas of long and : luxurious proportions are the smartest : evening accessory. But if you cannot i afford a really handsome boa they are I best left alone. Small, narrow ones i look what they usually are —resurrected i relics—and give an out-of-date look to : any dress. i Jjong, heavy earrings we fashionable i again, and although quite young girls r are wearing them I still feel they are . the ornaments of a mature woman, add- • '

ing dignity as well as decoration. On the younger generation I feel they merely add years. , However, in the "Alice in Wonderland" coiffure the young things have it all their own way. This is a hideous fashion of childhood revived in a^ very glorified form. I moan the all-round comb which pushed the hair straight off the forehead, and was the favourite method of training a fringe back. To-day these combs just rest lightly over the front of the head without disturbing the wave, and the hair at the back is a mass of curls which billow over the comb at the sides. It needs a smooth, youthful forehead to make this coiffure a success, but it has an unsophisticated charm on tho right person. A small detail which will add chic to a simple dress is achieved by adding a dark bow over a lieht one. i Many dark dresses have a white bow I at the back of the nock, or on the bodice, or at the waist; put a dark bow on top, and it gives it a "last word" air in a minute, and incidentally it saves time as the white one does not soil so easily. RUTH SIBLEY.