London Fashion Notes

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 145, 16 December 1933, Page 19

London Fashion Notes

Specially Writton for "The Post."

LONDON, October 20. This week the Motor Show is drawing all the world to London, which, at the moment, is as crowded as at the height of the social season. Wending my way last evening to a house-warming and dress-parade, I found Berkeley Street impassable with luxurious cars as far, as the eye could see. I wondered what had happened to the "depression," or if they were just being given an airing by the salesmen I But no, every one bona fide owners and chauffeurs, so I concluded there wore many wealthy visitors within our gates. It has become the fashion in London to introduce new clothes ventures with odd parties—sometimes a bacon and egg supper, a fork luncheon, or a cocktail and snack-bar interlude about 5.30 p.m. As a form of advertisement this seems to bo a huge success, for they certainly draw the crowd and set the town talking. This now "Quick Servico" fashion house has been opened by "Jeff," the man milliner of the moment, who is now expanding from his picturesque attic rooms into a complete service for the busy woman who is passing through London. Here she can have a complete hair and beauty treatment on the top floor, choose a simple frock for any occasion on the second floor, indulge her fancy for many charming hats on the ground f^oor, and descend to the glorified kitchen for a snack-luncheon or tea, according to, the hour of the day, OLD-FASHIONED IN TWO WEEKS. Every novelty designed for women's wear or adornment will be secured in advance of other houses, and discarded at the end of two weeks as being novelties no longer. The dresses were charming, illustrating most successfully that simplicity is as alluring for youthful models as for tho older women. Twin suits shown in different colours had high scarfed neck jumpers of broken check woollen material over a plain coloured slim skirt. Belts, hats, and gloves matched the dark green or brown skirts, and the jumpers or short tunics just covered the hip bone —a youthful and. becoming length. Twin semi-evening dresses showed black and dull ros.e crepe dresses, anklelength, with plain surplice bodices, straight across the front of tho throat and wide, short sleeves edged with fur, in an unusual way, the fur "cuff"

coming from just over the top of the arm, hanging just below the elbow. The draped V-back tied in a soft sash at the back. White fur was used on the hlack crepe and brown on tho rose crepe. Another charming black crepe dress had the same plain-to-the-throat front s with full, soft puff-sleeves to the elbows. In the centre of tho back and on the puff sleeves was an embroidered medallion of bright red,crepe and gold thread. No other trimming marred the simple elegance of this dress, which was the sort one would love to wear to the last thread. That is the- secret of successful clothes—taking a salient fashion point, but keeping the whole effect simple. PKOVOCATIVE NEW HATS. The hats were in turn amusing, interesting, and vastly becoming. "Jeff" is clever—he always has a few models to make women talk about his hats — but he sees that his client's chosen models are becoming to her individualThe line he is stressing is a rather "off-the-face" model, different from any we have had recently. Rather like a deep trieorne that turns back against the crown, and in black with a steel pin thrust through the crown, and a careless veil of wide fine mesh fastened loosely round the face, it is as attractive as it is new. Another unusual trieorne, flat and lifted on to a fitting crown, reminded me of Tudor pictures. Also some of the velvet berets pushed well forward and worn with flat ostrich feather tufts. Several felt hats with "steel helmet" crowns and narrow, drooping brims, had the height of the crown accentuated by a gauged frill'of velvet rather'like a coxcomb. The glengarry cap in black velvet was shown with a tuft of black osprey jutting out at the back, and another in felt had a chin strap that buckled on the top of the crown. By which youwill see there is plenty of variety in this season's millinery modes, but they all need much more careful En-ranging and wearing than the pull-on felts and little caps we have worn for so long. There are plenty of simple felts, velour and velvet shapes in the shops, but even in these the general tendency is for higher and more varied crowns with moderate and quite small brims. RUTH SIBLEY.