London Fashion Notes

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 144, 14 December 1935, Page 23

London Fashion Notes

Specially Written for "The Post.";

.' • ' ■"'■ LONDON,-October: 18 I Our hard-worked JEtpyal Family,, are back in London, and already their list of engagements shows that this Jubilee year is likely to set up a record for public and private entertaining. The Prince of Wales opened the Motor Show yesterday. This always heralds the start of the "little season," and brings straggling holiday-makers back to town. Apparently the show is: bigger, brighter, and better than ever, and certainly the crowded state of London this week proves what a strong magnet the show is to provkicial and Continental visitors. The future Duchess of Gloucester, will assume her'duties as sixth lady of the land with a regal manner that may surprise many who only visualise her as a charming Scotch girl of gentle ! birth. Few people realise the care with which this bride has prepared for her exacting rote-or'the-many things she Has had to consider when choosing her trousseau. Each coat and hat has to be viewed with an eye to what will look best for; the public platform, the city ceremonial, opening an exhibition, or touring a hospital, for members of the Royal Family are. highly expert in this

; difficult art of dressing for public life. j Although the actual design of the J wedding, gown will not be made public until a few days before the wedding, :we know it %vill be a lovely off-white shade of a new material called Crepe- ' lage, the colour having been specially tested in Westminster Abbey on a dull day so that the beauty of the gown shall not be lost. Lady Alice has divided her favours and several well-known London dressmaking houses are sharing the honours of her trousseau. At one of these I was .told that the new shades inspired by jthe Highlands, which will be a craze this season, have made a strong appeal to the bride.elect. She has chosen a '; misty mauve pink, suggestive of a 'heather-clad slope, bracken brov/n with flecks of green and beige, and a lovely

duck-egg>b']u.e/..aU :^b'f,]which.;cohsist of coat and ,*ocfc;.ensem^les.v^f.!^i; p r. , Of one of .■th;.eseiliiha^e;?-sketched- the dress; it was "* simple, AtSut exquisitely chic, and was made in the heather-pink, with a check in the i'dress fabric, but with a coat in the same colour of a plain material. ':,, You will notice the style given by working the. check on the cross for the bodice and straight for,the skirt. Again, the frilled neckline is repeated at the front of the belt, the fullness being stitched down and then released to give the fashionable front fullness to the skirt. Also the big sleeves, to give the importance to the upper part of the silhouette. ; . The plain material coat : in the same colour had a wide turn-over collar in a darker stitched velvet to match the waistband of the dress. Every week somenew notion appears to. bring variety to' the neckline. -This is surely one of the most important points to study when choosing a new style, for not all the fashions are becoming, and it is a very, crucial testing spot, being so near the face. Actually, the neckline is still fastened high, but not necessarily so severely as it was a few months ago. The stiff little stand-up collar has a rival in one that stands up,'but in soft folds round the throat. . ■ The Byronic collar that roll's high at the back but low in the front with two soft long points spreading across the front, is very becoming, whether made in the same material as the dress or in white or contrasting fabric. Pie frill ruches, draped lines that tie at the back, square necklines frilled and plain, are only a few ways of finishing the neck of the dress. Shirring is often used to give great style. I have just seen two new models, both had plain raglan sleeves, one with a deep-front yoke shirred and a shirred roll collar just caught down in the front with a brilliant clip. The second had the hip band and shaped front and turn-over collar shirred, with the wide raglan sleeves and back as the only plain part of the bodice. This type of design is excellent for the ■ afternoon: frock. ■ So long have we gone from morning to evening in the same garment that the designers have rebelled and every collection shows' a great many frocks that are distinctly dressy for formal functions, but which are quite unsuitable for evening. Beautiful materials, cut a little [longer as to skirt, but with simple lines ;ahd decorative sleeves and neckline,' the latter usually quite high. Lace is favoured for these afternoon gowns, tout only as a trimming. The entire yoke, or perhaps the lower half of a full sleeve, a graceful jabfft or a frill down one side of a draped bodice. Pie frills of tinted lace round th"c edge of a square neckline on a dress of black or dark-colour-ed crepe or satin, and another frill round the waist if you are slim enough to accentuate that much discussed line. Several afternoon dresses show a slim, slightly draped tunic on the skirt, and the bodice will follow the same line, being draped to one shoulder. Sleeves that are full at the shoulder and continue in very full puffs to halfway between elbow and wrist are a distinctive new note on many of the more elaborate models.

E. RUTH SIBLEY.