Paris in the Mirror

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 31, 5 August 1933, Page 19

Paris in the Mirror

Written for "The Post" by Germaine.

" * PARIS, June 14. The Paris fashion houses have lost their heads, and gone quite "fin do siccle," judging by the dresses I saw this afternoon at the Concours d'Eleganee at the Grand Palais. It was one of the smartest collective dress-parades Of the Paris season. Wellknown stage beauties and others swept past a huge crowd of men and women, almost as sihartly dressed as themselves, in long, flowing skirts, bouffant sleeves, elbow-length lace gloves, little adjustable lace. parasols, and all the other things which delighted the hearts of our grandmothers. Some of tho dresses were very lovely, but the designers seemed to have lost > all imagination. One gown was even a new version of the 10th century conception of a Greek, draped dress, higliwaisted, with a band1 across it. Tlie greatest success seemed to be obtained by a pretty French mannequin

from a famous house in the Champs Elysees. She wore a black tulle dress trimmed with black Valenciennes lace, with short puffed sleeves, and a little fuched apron of Valenciennes lace. On her head was a tiny black velvet hat with a fluttering cockado of feathers. She wore black Valenciennes lace and kid gloves, and carried a little lace parasol. She looked as if she hac^ stepped out of an album. Black and white were the favourito tones and ; we had gone back to the days of barouches and Dalmatians. COLOURS AND MATERIALS. . Fashions spread before us this season all the colours and materials that women could desire. From cloque, which can stand alone, down to almost invisible chiffon, the materials are varied to suit all types a-nd all occasions. Colours tend to be flattering, and on the "ptetty^ order, but thore.are the old-fashioned reliables, black and dark blue right up in front of the list, and lusty reds, greens, and such colours, arel on the tap for women'who need them,

together with well-bred neutrals, such as grey and beige. ; - Womeu are choosing beauty-making shades for their dresses* There is a regular run-on blue frocks, particularly that loveliest of colours.'hyacinth-blue. "DON'T DRESS" EVENING THINGS. The "don't dress" evening dresses are much liked, and they.arei getting a lot of competition iTom,,.dresses' that can only bloom in a glittering evening atmosphere. Sleeves are ..worn Avitli this sort of evening gown which is nevertheless backless to. the wdistlinc. The decolletagc of this kind of dress covers up everything in front, but a bit of the shoulders. When these dresses are of wool or cotton, they are, however, daringly low'cut, and very long, to compensate for their day-time'fabric. With these daytime evening things, women wear hats of course. With, their formal drosses they have, taken to putting something in their hair,' and it isn 't unusual to sec a wreath of velvet flowers, diamond stars, or-something of this kind, worn with a most'formal costume. :■: . : • CONCERNING WAISTLINES AND SLEEVES: ■ Those dresses with long, Moyen" Age bodices, and a waistline at the hips, have been taken up by certain of the smartest Parisiennes, whereas others refuse to lower the waistline in their daytime clothes. Most of the smartest •women in Paris, however, insist on a personally-adjusted waistline, • placedi wherever it looks best on the individual anatomy. This usually turns out to be a waistline that looks normal, though it may.be somo. inches below or above. The.'■-.tremendous■■"'-'. number of differing sleeves- in summer styles aim to allow for success of treatment of shoulders and "arms by the individual woman. Big sleeves, fitted sleeves, peasant sleeves, and cape sleeves, are all in fashion, as are short- sleeves, long sleeves, clbow-and-th'rec-quarter.-length sleeves. Take your .choice of : the sleeves that make you look most attractive. Coats that arc loose,;.vie with coats that are fitted, and both arc smart. Suits with long jackets are as smart as those with .'short, and capes are worn with all kinds.of!dresses. THE ROMANCE OF THE . ... , -STOCKINGS.- . The whole romance of th'e:.stoeking--is an intriguing one,-and not the least of the attractive weaves is the fish-net of white, or black silk—an entirely unadorned quality, relying on its strong fine sewing silk wo.yen in hammockstitch, and. looking it's best with sheer lace evening drosses, when they are curved upward in the centre-front to reveal the ankles. Colours in stocking fabrics include dull tones, such as hazel and deep greybrown, but there is a strong probability that palest flesh and chalk-white stockings; will return now that their dullness has been assured. One of the greatest of tho dress-do* signers has been showing her most charming evening models worn with pale flesh tones and the simplest of oldfashioned Directoire satin slippers in black. Coloured shoes to match frocks are all the go, for Parisienucs have ■now"decided that this must "bo so.; There is a subtle indication in Paris', that, the.increasing, femininity, in fashions is bringing back pointed toes. Certain it is that the'never-varying length of evening skirts has forced shoe-de-signers to displace buckles from their usual position, and set.them upon tho point of the toe. This position of the buckle has prompted some designers to favour jewelled heels, so that when the wearer dances, a pleasing effect is produced. SHOES AND BAGS MATCH. Shoes and bags to match are seen everywhere. .Generally, two shades are used, a light, and a dark. In a red-and-black patent ensemble I saw the other day, the shoe's had red kid vamps and black quarters scolloped round those edges which wore super-imposed on'the red.: ; The:, bag was of red kid, covered with three wide strips of black patent. ':■.■■. -. For evening wear, as many as three different materials may be used in the designing of one shoe, a coloured fabric or kid being1 trimmed with both gold and silver kid, or a second colour, and .gold or. silver.