London Fashion Notes

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 18, 21 July 1934, Page 19

London Fashion Notes

Specially Wrltttn far "Tht Pml"

LONDON, May 25.

; Yesterday was Empire Day N, ana a very.important flag day when some of. onr-smartest women worked hard for a scientific, medical research campaign, md incidentally acted as a definite pointer to fashions which are being favoured this^season.

, The vogue for • grey was well displayed 'by one woman in a sinartlytailore'd grey woollen suit, with a very pale over-check. This had a black velvet collar.'(quite a new, or, rather, revived, itpte),,and with a flat black sailor hat, black gauntlet gloves, and buckled black'shoes, presented a picture of smart I efficiency, .

, More feminine and fluffy was a. twopiece ensemble of pale grey dress and short 'jacket, with matching grey fox collar. A small greylat tilted over one eye, .'pale grey shoes, stockings," and gloves." . ,-Nayy blue with light touches in the ioi'm of hats^. blouses,'or collars or scarves was to be seen everywhere.

Several. ..white and light-coloured coats and jackets were worn with dark dresseij -showing how popular this particular notion has become.-

Larger hats, and some quite large, have-definitely caught the public fancy, aid oh, 'how becoming they are after an erst, of .small and difficult, shapes! Also, we".lave, returned whole-heartedly to straw 'hats for, the summer, and our erstwhile'favourite felt, which for several.1 year's served.as all round the calendar, is being reserved for winter months or sports wear.

Bough materials continue in fashionable interest more than those with a smooth surface.

Probably there are economic reasons for this as well as being merely a fad of .fashion. One does not need a great deal/of material for a dress of any rough fabric; gauging, pleating, and tucking are all unnecessary, and unsuitable, and-a beautiful fabric simply made •stands out among a lot of fussy models.-' ■ ,

"Another, good point, about rough staffs is. that they seem easier to imitate successfully and inexpensively.' :- **Tree bark" isa lovely new fabric, which I hope will soon be copied at a reasonable price for at the moment it is as expensive as it is beautiful. This material-is adull silk woven in sort of uneven ridges (hence its name) that you_can- pull put of its. concertina-like folds,, and-it immediately, springs back again. It cannot be ironed, and if it should^ get a crease .or two tho wrong way;a few,minutes in front of tho fire -. will restore it.

So. at".the moment the smart woman wears., rough woollen weaves in the country,-something less woolly but just as rough in London, and thick nobbly crepe, for" the most important evening party.. '

The lounge of the Bitz Hotel at aperitif time is perhaps one of the most fascinating spots in London. All the loveliest women in town lunch there at some time or another, and it has hsJ cornea social rendezvous. Again, I was interested to note how effective the dark- dress, and white accessory vogue is to women of all ages, Also, it was pleasant to observe how much "prettier" women look this season.

For some years it was more desirable for clothes to be interesting or amusing, with very often disastrous results. After all, one must be in the first: flush of youth to wear amusing elpthes that verge perilously near the eccentric. The sight of a middle-aged woman in. a rakish -little cap, very tijghfc skirt,: short jacket, and bold-pat-ternedscarf tied any old fashion round

her neck is more startling than attractive. , . ■. .

The dark, suit or-dress with white accessories, is a fashion which can be made .to look particularly youthful,'"or suitably, mature, and I admired a handsome woman in a black ensemble with a pleated white jabot, a cluster of gardenias in the front of-'her black hat, arid soft pull-on-white doeskin gloves. Equally, attractive was a very young girl in a perfectly plain rough black woollen dress with a wide belt of dull black leather. Bound -her neck-line, which was a deep TJ shape, she had. a bold niching of white muslin that was vastly becoming. A simple little white hat dipping over one eye, and white gloves with muslin gauntlets—youthful simplicity personified.

-Very wide belts, are much favoured this season, but indeed the variety in belts islonly exceeded by the- variety in ,-bags—theirnamoii legion.. Fortunately, both these accessories are now

obtainable at moderate prices for the average woman seems to possess a complete range; of bags to suit any other coloured accessory, she > may want to wear. .-,.:.-.. . ,

Besides the many wide- and narrowleather belts with quaint, metal fasteners, there are many types of plaited belts in string, ribbon,"and leather; two;coloured petersham belts and other webbings that look like furniture trimmings. ■ ■ . ■■ Soft ribbon sashes, long and short, are seen in velvet, crepe, satin, taffetas, and stiff faille silk. BUTH SIBLEY.