NEW COLOURS AND STYLES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 61, 9 September 1937, Page 19

NEW COLOURS AND STYLES

(By Bai LONDON, August 14. Slender skirts, boxy jackets, raglan sleeves, deceptive high-low necklines, fancy jerseys, belt buckles that do tilings, and the imaginative use of silver kid, white and natural pigskin, leather and contrasting • bindings— these are highlights of the new Matita models I saw today. Nearly all of them were lightweight woollens —designed for autumn here (or winter under a fur coat)—but actually just the sort of thing you will be wanting for early spring. The jerseys were, I think, the most interesting. They came in all kinds of novelty weaves from boucle diagonal stripes to new shaded colours. A frock that was beige at the neck and gently darkened to a brown hemline was cut with slender two-piece skirt, slight fullness where the bodice joined ii at the waist and where the sleeves' joined ths bodice. The neck came to a low "V" in front and folded over in a roll collar at the back. A

-brown leather belt had a stitched scrolled piece in the middle front and a double thonged piece that went round the back. The scroll design was again: v.the motif of. the black wool frock in my sketch. Two heavy scrolls of white pigskin ■ held the magyar sleeves in soft folds at the shoulder line and so gave them additional shape. These sleeves are the new length, midwayv;between elbow and wrist. My other* sketch shows again a black wool. This time interest was centred on heck and belt. Into the low "V" neckline fitted a piece of silver kid^with punched edge. The belt'had' a heaVt-s^hapcd buckle-and an intriguing arroyir "of silver kid which pierced it through.-the m;ddlo. This frock was double-stiVched. at; all its, seams'and was fastened at the side with'a black zipper. ■ ■• Clay buttons in; colour dis-tinguished-an-ensemble of mushroom wool, and plaid;tweed. Under a swinging patch-pocketed top coat of spongy tweedrin/gay red, green, brown, and natural tweed went a mushroom, wool frock buttoned "down the centre-front of the bodice.and the side of the skirt with.large clay buttons. A green cravat folded into the lowish neckline and green bindings buttoned collar and pocket flaps. , Perfect for the older woman \vas a black boucle jersey with an interesting neckline. Pieces of plain jersey were looped " about a flexible silver cord which encircled the neck'and tied in front to fall in two long chain tassels below the waist. SleevJes were slightly: wide at the shoulder, and the skirt slender ..and straight.

PECULIAR BELT BUCKLES

trbara.) Shirring at the neckline and above the waist was featured on several frocks, while high waistlines and yoke seaming were other details. Contrasting neck-pieces and cuffs combined with bindings to give colour contrast. Grey with blue, blue with grege, mushroom pink with yellow green were outstanding combinations. Mahogany, a new red-brown, made delicious contrast with chartreuse green in a suit and top-coat ensemble which had a square beret to go with it. The mahogany suit jacket was stitched round the side fronts, which only just met to fasten with, invisible -clips underneath. The coat was waisted with flaring skirt and was ma,dc from herringbone plaid tweed in green and mahogany. A chartreuse cravat tucked in at the neck and a felt flower of the same colour perched on one side of the reverless" coat. Berets and folded toques made of the suit or frock material were a ( feature of the collection. An ex-

tremeiy attractive-suit in'heather mixture angora was made without collar or revers. The little fitted jacket just met in front and was bound all round with two narrow lines of green and mushroom-pink wool. Six pocket slits—three on either side—bound in the same manner provided sole decoration on the jacket front. With this went a jauntily-peaked cap that rose, to two heights from a low back crown. It fell over one eye in front and was laced together with narrow cords to match the jacket bindings. Nearly all trimming interest on both suits and frocks is centred between shoulders and waistline. Incrustations of leather or contrasting materials give emphasis to a fitted, corselet diaphram, and pleats, ..tucks, and ruchings make the bust-line high and noticeable. Pockets, as often as not, are placed right on the waistline and are marked either by contrasting bindings or contrasting flaps. All seams, tucks, and trimmings .tend to underline the prevalent princess silhouette, so that skirts are almost without exception left plain and straight. When they are gored it is in the front only and then fullness is not' allowed to escape above the knee. Pleats recognise the same principals. Drapmgs on afternoon frocks are horizontal and usually pulled to the back-when they are held in .place, by the zipper which replaces side plackets. A new suit coat is fitted to finger-tip length and buttoned right down the front. It is both collar less and reverless and the waist is emphasised by an inset belt of contrasting material.