Paris in the Mirror

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 105, 6 May 1933, Page 9

Paris in the Mirror

t Writttd for "Th« fort" by Gtrnuint.

PARIS, March 12. Each season finds dressmakers eliminating more and more superfluous details in their models. It is the simplicity of. a dress that counts just now. So soon, as it depends for its eleganeo entirely upon cut, then, it is easy to distinguish the difference between an indifferent vand really first-class model. The skirts of the new models aro nearly, all flat'at the back, with any fullness or trimming concentrated upon the front. The! siinplo straight lino which is ,tho essence of true smartness, is adhered to. A number of tho afternoon models show detached paneloffects and crossed belts which, though they may look complicated in details, aro actually designed for simplicity of line. Very often tho lower waistline is seen while sleeves are definitely less elaborate and far more practical. It is considered bad taste in Paris •to wear sleeves at night, and most of the dresses are outfitted with little ■wraps having long and unusually voluminous sleeves, under which is a low-necked or moderately decolletee dress that is good for dancing in. Thero are, too, lots of dresses with the sleeves fixed and immovable therein, and these are being worn by mature women whose dancing days aro tempered' by bridge and whatnot. Tho question, of the tight skirt-tight to discomfort —is one that dressmakers must face this season. It is agreed that the slim tight skirt gives a beter lino to the figure when motionless, but when moving: the tightness is exaggerated, is far from graceful. The dressmaker who can give width to a skirt without destroying the slim line js the one who will be the most popular with her clients. ;, ■-.',. LENCTH OP SKIRTS. In Paris the. new_ afternoon length for skirts is TwlovTtho turn of the calf and' quito a bit longer than they ■were in the winter collections. Skirts apparently will chango very little unless some of the first-class fashion designers change .■ their mind at the last minute. However^ one. dressmaker has announced his intention of introducing a definitely long skirt for afternoon wear, but this is likely to interest Parisienhes~ far more than Eriglish- ■ women. ■ The length and breadth whore fashion is concerned is limited to these two variations. Modern fashion tries to ignore one dimension in a threedimensional world. It welcomes length, admits breadth in carefully calculated place, but does its utmost to banish thickness altogether. The designers ;have to do the best they can by ringing the changes on length and shortness, and width and narrowness. At this season of tho year, just before the summer collections, with their last ■thoughts on the present mode, and their first suggestions for the coming ones, it behoves a conscientious reporter to '.keep a sharp eye on the ups-and-downs and ins-and-outs of current models, for such things as vagaries in skirt-lengths, tho placing of waistlines, the accepted •types of sleeves, nnrt to sco what the neckline is doing. THE'NECKLINE. > / Xecklinos are certainly on the up and up; as skirts descend, necklines riso. A deeply cut' down day-time neck looks ■wrong already, particularly, of course, for the'earlier hours of the .day. Late afternoon frocks may still be slightly decolletee; they will look undoubtedly newer if they come up to the collarbone in front in some way. Much ingenuity is shown 'in these new high neckline. Bibs of another colour, for instance, are very successful, and a soft little chemisette ia white tied in.a bow. under the chin, Is popular among necklines. ' Many dressmakers arc finishing their iieeklines with littlo twisted collars of the fabric of the dress, usually of the siame, and a matching colonr. Crocheted Irish lace makes charming little chemisettes or guimpes, and these aro even seen sometimes, on evening gowns. These. different necklines have been planned also with an eye to the hat to be worn with them. There is no doubt that the dresses of the season owe much' of ; their new look to the high-neck treatment; at the same time the types are so diversified that it is not necessary to choose ono_ of'compromising severity if it is unbecoming to you. Jewellery and. scarves should be planned to take'these lines into consideration in both evening and day ensembles. If you,like choker effects iv jewellery you can indulge in this fancy just now. ,-....'..... . THE NEW HATS. In. this year of grace 1933,, it beholds you. to consider -the proportions and relationships ol.' your ensembles. The neckline may be said to determine the brimlino,* but it is equally true that

the brimlina determines the neckline. While hats —the new hats—mostly cover the forehead, it is pleasant to know that there is no absolutely arbitrary ruling on this. If you still want the rakish, slant, you can have it, the

modification being that the hat is more on tHe head at the present, its angle being an integral part of ..tho hat construction, rather than depending upqn your placing of it, as it used to ,be •in past seasons. Thero is fr new onesided movement well over the ear and leaving much of the hair exposod. This movement also means that tho lino at the back of.tho head is raised, showing still more hair and a chignon of soft curls if you happen to wear your hair a little long. There'is a new "tricorne," it is set straight above the brows, and the three pointed model has ousted, the bicorne. A noiv sailor has appeared upon-the market, and it has the ultimately correct horizontal dash for the new high necklines. The shoulders which go with such a hat should, be -wide to support the width of the brim. Another hat has a shallow crown, and a sloping brim which needs tho nonchalance of a little scarf to set off their gamine implications. The scarf to be worn with this, is looped over at ono side, spread wide, and held in place by one of colossal safety-pins which arc now so fashionable. PEARLS IN FAVOUR. There are. to be seen in Paris some wonderfully artistic necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and other pieces of costume-jewellery for both evening and sports wear. Brilliants--for evening wear have apparently quite lost their «hie, and pearls are fast returning to favour. It is fairly safe to say that pearls never lose their chic and charm, and there is little fear of a woman's taste being criticised if she keeps to pearls. Perhaps costume jewellery is not so important in general as it was last season. Choker collars in pearls that go well with the new high necklines arc. being largely worn oy those women whose necks are a little tired and worn. Then the Choker collar comes in fine. Rows and rows of pearls aro clasped tightly round necks that were. onc6 blooming soft and round. There are some new opaque crystal brooches and buckles. There are some coloured stone buckles and hexagonal crystal buckles. Thero are polished wood bucklos, and, of course, we have all hoard of the new copper jewellery, but I will tell you more about this in another letter. ;