London Fashion Notes Specially Written for "The Post."

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 56, 3 September 1938, Page 19

London Fashion Notes Specially Written for "The Post."

LONDON, August 6,

The holiday atmosphere descended on London this week, and there are many who will say the town is dull and empty. But do not believe it. In August London just changes its surface population, but remains as full of life, romance, and adventure as at any other time of the year.

The greatest difference is in the outward appearance, for instead of immaculate town clothes, visitors from all over the world have their own ideas of comfort on a holiday and dress accordingly. *

Youths in bold, checked sports shirts and very brief shorts, thread their way through the traffic, often with the bicycles on which they have travelled so many miles and seem loath to be parted from. Girls in cotton frocks, hatless, stockingless, and wearing the newest thing in sandals with very thick soles, are to be seen in Bond Street and other fashion haunts. They are on holiday, and thoroughly enjoying London's holiday' mood. In the meantime, the exclusive fashion houses are busy preparing for the coming season, with one ear on Paris and the other listening for'the trend

small details directly Scottish in inspiration.

Glengarry caps and. tarn o'shanters, although very modern in outlook, are made of plaid materials- and trimmed with feathers and falling ribbons in the approved manner. Sports hats with tartan crowns, toques swathed with tartan scarves, and the wrap-over skirt fastened in place with a large silver safety-pin, after the manner of the kilt. The description "plaid" is very elastic in Paris, and many of the materials so named have no resemblance to the clan tartans of Scotland. But by arranging artistic shades in the same way as the plaid, the suggestion is kept.

Fur trimmings are, of course, conspicuous amongst the new models. Narrow bands of fur are being used to give original designs and there is a great liking for chevrons of lamb, sealskin, or any other short-haired fur to decorate the entire front of a coat.

I have sketched one of these new coats that has a moderate amount of fur because it shows the new line in its practical form and because the fur is detachable. This was made in olive green facecloth and trimmed with black seal, diagonally placed bands, buttoned down on to the doublebreasted buttons. >

Notice the fullness in the sleeve. This is on many new coats —the fitted body and the flaring hem. This coat is good for spring as without the fur, the top button left unfastened and turned back, you have the collarless coat that has been worn during our recent season.

CORSELET MODES

•A corselet of fur on a cloth coat is a practical way of keeping the middle of the body warm, on a coat that has only a tiny collar and turn-back cuffs of fur. This fashion is shown on evening models also, and it sounds quaint to imagine a corset outside a dress! They are usually discreetly hidden from view. When, however, the corset is made of white grosgrain silk

and worn over a fluttery frock of white tulle, the effect is charming. An- , other model shows it made of pale pink satin laced up the front over a crinoline gown of black tulle, per-! fectly lovely with a pink rose fasten-1 ed into the curls perched high on thej head. Talking of curls, I am constantly! asked, "Will the high curled hair! dressing last, and will it become very popular?" My impression gleaned from this last season is that the woman of today changes her hair style as she does her frock. With her sports clothes she likes to look simple and natural about the head, but she is liable to adopt any new style if she thinks it complements her evening gown or sets off a dressy hat. Antoine, of Paris and London, predicts all sorts of false cuife and other things to be worn for the evening coiffures, but I am very sceptical of Miss 1938 consenting to wear them. She may torture her own hair into every conceivable twist and curl, and wear every sort of decoration —flowers, feathers, jewels—but to risk losing a cluster pf curls on a crowded dance floor would not appeal. But hair styles are very individual and suiting one's own face is usually the successful way to look smart. I have seen the same frock worn by a woman whose hair was drawn down each side of her face—Madonna fashion—and finished in a small knot on her neck, and by another with hair brushed slick up at the back and masses of curls on the top of her head, the difference being that one had classic features .and the other a piquant tip-tilted nose. ; Py E. RUTH SIBLEY.