Paris in the Mirror

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 98, 27 April 1935, Page 19

Paris in the Mirror

Written for "The Post" by Gernwiiw.

PARIS, March 6. ■ For evening wear, picture frocks are still strong, crisp, dresses of stiff satin, moire, and changeable taffetas. Some are high-necked and long-sleeved. Quite a sensation was caused at a recent Paris fashion showing, by the appearance of hoops, "honest to good-ness-hoops," that hold out the bottom fullness. ' Other innovations where evening clothes are concerned, are the paillette jackets, and the draped openback decolletees. The evening also brings forth ,'the cone silhouette with front fullness, and up-lifted hem to show the ankle. A surprise of surprises is the short evening skirt. One seen, in pink satin, ended just below the knees in front, but had a trailing panel of the same material at the back, instead of a train. Paris- spems to have bid adieu to trains. Panels are admitted trailing on1 the. iloor behind, but these are mere wisps of material, and don't count. , Nearly all the evening dresses have the graceful sweep onto the floor that is so becoming to most women. Slits" are all over the place. Skirts are slit up, tunics are slit down, sleeves are slit across. These slits on evening skirts are often faced with'a contrasting colour to show a glimpse of gold or silver. Decolletees are of any and every kind. Shoulders are sometimes bare", and, the muffled chin look has been banished, togpthqr with cartwheel ruffles. The evening colours are interesting; Purple, mauve, prune, violet, '-pale 'green, gun-metal, and skyblue. • THE'MOST POPULAR DAY-TIME ■-~, .-. ...-.-; DRESS. ■■ ; - A -fashion detail which deserves to be noted is that of the late Victorian, round about'the sixties to the eighties. This is seen in the simple dress .buttonedfrom heck' tb'hem, sashed 'with white'cbilar and cuffs, and with a little coateeKto■ slip -on over' it. Belts are wide,;skirts; are as \ tight as ever.they can \b6.-;> ; Many dresses 'are collarless, mdriy,-tafce ; a; tunic or are slit. . . EJe'eply'viblistered : silks, crepe' de' chinesi, cottons,-and metal-jerseys,- are easily;-*jthe *:most popular' house-frock iriatefiails.> ■ Slijny satins., e^ uncrushable tmtislm:vel\?et ( leaa at night; but, tulle'-y*esses,. with huge bouffant skirts, look; well for the young and the jslender'and'afe adorable in all the pastel colourings.- , Many materials sparkle ■with, metal sequins, cellophane, and looking-glass beads; ';'■'■ A MILLINERY BATTLE. A millinery.battle is being waged in-Paris.- is choosing the hat that suits her best, and completes the, design of her costume, so nearly every imaginable size and shape is seen. The 'Tyrolean sports hat seems to; have .had its day, \ and has been replaced by the "Homburg," with its high-peaked crown and jaunty feather. Then there is-the toque that is definitely Russian, and this kind of hat looks well- worn with an afternoon threequarter Russian coat. Afternoon hats are often tricornes, or they are small and turn up on one side with a shallow crown, and nearly always are they trimmed with stiff, waxed, wide-meshed veils. The; beret is seen occasionally, but the large, floppy model has completely vanished from the millinery world. ■•'"'"'" ■ THE ROMANCE OF A WEDDING GOWN. ■ ■ | The choice of the fashion of her wedding gown by the bride for the important day may be cuided by its

suitability to her person rather than for its adherence to the mode of the mpment. -There is a marked trend towards getting away from the stereotyped satin rigidity of the bridal array of other days. Wedding-ring velvet may cling and wrap around you now, if you will, supplest satin, silver threaded net, or chiffon may be your choice. White is no longer inevitable. An enchanting gown worn by a wellknown French girl the other day, was in satin, Princess in line, in a greyish tone. The long sleeves were pearlembroidered to thi? elbow, with a high standing collar of pearl embroidery. The over-dress was also embroidered in pearls in a star design, - which grew larger towards, the end of the long oval train. Pearls twisted around the coiffure held the tulle veil. Over this grey satin gown a long, palest blue velvet sur-coat was worn, which ended in a sweeping train, and clasped the girl's s waist in Medieval fashion with a rhines«>nc buckle, of two large cabuchon crystals. This gown was built for romance, charm, and individuality. •Another weddipg-gowri was of palest cream transparent, velvet. The bodice was long and moulded, the skirt set on a rather -low line, rising in a point at the centre front. The skirt was edged1 all round with huge velvet roses laid flat, and forming a deep border. Petals held the veil over the ears, and trimmed the long tight sleeves falling over,the hands.