GRACE IS BECOMING

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 55, 6 March 1937, Page 19

GRACE IS BECOMING

After a period of more or less grotesque outlines when either .shoulders or hips must be accentuated beyond the natural, it will "be refreshing to enter upon a year of real grace. Ev,»ry indication for autumn is towards the carefully, "but discreetly, moulded figure. There are, thank goodness, to be no extremes for a while.

This is directly due, I think, to the sober English influence. It is a rare reversal of custom when Paris follows London in matters of dress, but occasion demands the compliment, and much good may come of it. For already I have seen the typical English garmenting, on a Parisienne. She is one of our-most intelligent social "dressers." It is much more than a .matter of guineas if a designer can persuade her to become his client—Madame represents the subtlety of advertising. Recently she crossed to London simply to, as she expressed it, "get the mood." She came back all English, from tip to toe. A quite baffling experiment, for none of us could believe. Her "sober" gowns, her "sensible" suits had discarded their nationality—for she was more inexpressibly chic than ever! ENGLISH v. FRENCH. Perhaps, then, when the Englishwoman sees the Frenchwoman-in her clothes, she will at last begin to wonder what it is, why it is—the "difference," in the "sameness." She will find, as always, that it is the woman herself. Sub-consciously, the. Parisienne never forgets her clothes. Then, it is her nature to be quick and deft in her movements. She walks rapidly, but With elegance. She holds her head well, and her shoulders as though little wings were about to spring from them. Her toilette, her coiffure, are always immaculate. When she applies her make-up, she is not detached, prc-occu-pied, the busy or the worried woman— she is the artist who" applies make-up. And, lastly, she takes the utmost care in the choice of her accessories. They must be right, and they must be good. In this matter, though she is by nature also the thriftiest of creatures, she considers that economy would be as stupid as extravagance. Truly, one has only to look at her, to observe in detail, to know that she is right. DISCRETION IN GOWNS. That is for suits. But for gowns the same discretion is needed. First, there is the material, the dull crystalline glimmer, the web-like texture, or the shine (if shine it must be) of softness. Colour,: with a quality of haze. Nothing harsh or possessing that crude metallic brilliancy. '-Text is the cut. Perhaps it is most important of all. The "Frenchwoman would perhaps weary or infuriate your English tailor, whereas her unrelenting fastidiousness is a compliment and delight to her own. Last comes ornament. One jewel —two—not more, but this can be as elaborate as you wish. It would appear at the moment as though the gown is to be but a setting for the enchanting shimmer of the jewelled spray, clips, medallions, or buckle. •

Two models in eire satin are typical of what shall be worn in the English indoors. Both are sleek in the extreme, yet are simple and unexagger-

ated. The more sophisticated is cut witli a curious seamed back-cape, which, by means of a top shoulder seam becomes the brief sleeve also. It is cut in a medium V at the back and falls to hang in softly rounded folds to well below hip length. In front the straight line of the decolletage is caught centrally by a dagger-like jewelled shaft that points to the waist, swathing the bodice tightly but softly. The skirt is excessively long, even in front, and is cut with a central back seam to flow in a narrow pointed train. The colour chosen by the designer was dull gold, but it was not difficult to imagine it every bit as successful in other colours —ice blue, nil green, cyclamen, or even the richness of wine or rust —and in other materials, such as crepe or velvet. .

The simpler one was enchanting'in its simplicity, and was for less formal and "cosier" occasions. It was in the

new shade of bronze, and was also of eire satin, though velvet leapt instantly to mind for the approaching cold days. The shoulder seam continued straight in front to fall in a~ natural fold across the throat. The back descended from wide on the shoulders to a deep V. The skirt was cut with seamless sides and a full-folded centre front caught at the waist by a luminous gold-jewelled star, to which also was brought the folds of the bodice and softly swathed waist. Sleeves were long and closely fitted, and the skirt flared into full folds from the knee.