MAINLY ABOUT HATS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 19, 23 January 1940, Page 12

MAINLY ABOUT HATS

FINAL DAY AT TRENTHAM

WHITE A SMART PREFERENCE

Thousands of enthusiastic racegoers flocked to Trentham yesterday for the final day of the Wellington Racing Club's Summer Meeting and spent the day in fitting celebration of Wellington's one hundredth birthday. The stands were packed, the lawns were packed, and every inch of shade was packed. To find a seat anywhere more than a little-ingenuity was often" needed, and the only way/ to keep really cool was to remain stationary. Needless to say, with the serious business of betting on hand there were not many people who felt like staying in one place all the day, and therefore complaints about the heat were heard on all" sides. The heat was''far more oppressive than on the two previous days of the. meeting, arid, what made matters worse, was the fact that the majority of the "people wore heavier clothing, the day having started off rather badly with overcast skies which seemed to promise further rain. However, the dulling effect of the weather on the appearance of the crowd was the opposite to the effect which the early morning coolness had1 on the course itself, for the gardens had been freshened and seemed even gayer than before. The flowers were glorious; not only those growing- in the setting of green lawns, but also those arranged in the various rooms in tjtie members' and public stands. Those in the stewards' luncheon room were a picture, especially those on the president's table, masses of deep redgladidli and maidenhair fern s being arranged in oblong "pool" . effects upon' the white table cloth. . Throughout the day the Port Nicholson Silver Band, under the conductorship of Mr. J. J;. Drew, supplied all that was needed in the way of bright music to give the final touch of carnival festivity to the meeting.-There were a great many soldiers abroad, and everyone felt glad-that they had been able to get leave in order to attend what will most likely be the last WelJingtpn race meeting before they leave New Zealand. Refreshments were in great demand, the luncheon and tea rooms being crowded all day. THE OFFICIAL LUNCHEON. Those invited to luncheon with the president, Mr. Eric Riddiford, and his wife in the stewards' luncheon room were Major-General J*. E. Duigan, Commander A. B. Fanshawe, Mr. G. H. Grigg (Canterbury), Mr. and Mrs. J. M. James (Masterton), Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Lowry (Hawke's Bay), Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Duncan (Hunterville), Mr. and Mrs. J. Bull and Miss Scott (Hunterville), Mr. and Mrs. G. M. Currie (Wanganui), Mr. F. Q. Hamilton (Nelson), Mrs! H. E. Horan and Miss Horan, Mr. G: H. ; Meadmore, Mr. Twoovey, Mr. A. T. Donnelly (Christchurch) , Dr. and Mrs. M. G. Louisson (Christchurch), Mr. H. A. Rhind (Christchurch), Mr. and Mrs. D. W. Westenra (Christchurch), Mr. W. A. White (Christchurch), Mr. and Mrs. G. D. Beatson (Hawke's Bay), Mrs._D. Kelly (Hastings), Mr. J. W. Card and Miss Card (Featherston). Seats were reserved at the Ministerial table for the Hon. D. G. Sullivan and Mrs. Sullivan, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason and Mrs. Mason, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong and Mrs. Armstrong, the Hon. R. Semple and Mrs. Semple, the Hon. W. E. Parry and Mrs. Parry, the Hon. P. C. Webb, the Hon. F. Jones and Mrs. Jones, the Hon. W. Lee Martin ' and Mrs. Lee Martin, the Hon. F. Langstone and Mrs. Langstone, and the Hon. Mark Fagan. ' WELL-DRESSED WOMEN. • Mrs. Eric Riddiford wore a navy blue coat finely braided about the bodice and a navy and white floral silk frock. Her navy blue tarn o' shanter toque had a large bow of navy blue petersham at one side. Although there were many hundreds of> well-dressed women at' the races there were, nevertheless, a number who were outstanding, some especially so on account of their hats. Mrs. Riddiford's sister, Mrs. Fosbery Handyside, wore' with a black ensemble a black felt toque which had a high peak at one side where a wing of emerald green feathers made a splash of dashing colour. Hats with big white bows in front were conspicuously smart. Mrs. Grace Gillon had on a white toque finished with one of these big frontal bows and a black eye veil. It was worn with a black frock, a triple row of pearls, and a large white, envelope bag. Mrs. Hubert Nathan, wife of one of the club officials, wore a cyclamen,' blue and grey frock, and "her small boater-shaped hat of shiny straw had a big butterfly bow of pique standing up against the crown in front. . . White draped turbans were also popular and very becoming. ' Among the wearers was-Mrs. Russell Young, who has just recently returned from England. Most of her hair was concealed beneath her's, which was, of coarse white fish net material, and Jaej; neat appearance rauss bass been

the envy oh such a'day of many whose locks were at the mercy of the wind. Her frock was of navy blue silk patterned with white shilling spots. Another who wore a white draped bandeau about her head' was Mrs. Jim Vogel, who was dressed in a navy blue redingote over a dove-grey frock. A white panama sailor hat trimmed with a band of navy grosgrain ribbon looked well on Mrs.- Malcolm Reid, another traveller who has . only recently returned from abroad. On the lapel of the navy blue light wool coat, which she \yore over a navy blue and white floral silk frock, she had pinned a'cluster of gardenias, and she carried a scarlet parasol which made a smart finish to her/ensemble.

Red allied with navy must be fashionable overseas this season as Miss June Luckie, who; has only been back in Wellington , about a week after spending two years in England, wore a narrow red belt with her navy blue ensemble. A very intriguing trimming of mus-tard-coloured ribbon to match her coat and frock ensemble was worn by Mrs. C. W. Tringham, wife of one of the vice-presidents of the club, on her large black straw hat. It was pleated rather in the form of a large cockade and was attached at one side of the upturned brim, the lower part lying against her hair. She completed her ensemble with a silver fox fur. - A particularly attractive hat was worn by Mrs. j. G. Crawford, wife of another of the club officials. She was dressed in a dusky

pink crepe ensemble, and heir hat pro? vided a delightful colour contrast. It was of duck egg blue bankok straw made with a peaked brim and slightly conical crown. It was swathed with 'ribbon diagonally striped in shades of green, blue* and vieux rose, which knotted at the back and ended in two short, stiff streamers. OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLES. Miss Doris Bray, the club's popular woman secretary, appeared < occasionally on the stands, and she looked very cool in a frock of white polka-dotted brown silk striped at wide intervals with lines of red dots. Her- small coffee brown boater felt had a narrow plaited band as trimming. Black, as usual, was very popular, and in many cases particularly smart. Miss Helen Whyte wore a very wellcut black wool crepe ensemble and her toque of black ring velvet had an unusual finish in the looped ends at, the back. Mrs. R. T. Peacock, in a shortsleeved black wool crepe frock finished with a tiny Peter Pan collar of white pique and with a black turban on her fair hair, looked very attractive.

Grey was another, colour which almost invariably was worn with cool and smart effect. There were several well-tailored grey flannel suits on the course, but one youthful wearer of this becoming colour, who looked particularly fresh and Immaculate, was dressed in a tailored summer suiting of silk crepe with a fine black pin stripe. Her white georgette blouse showed a laceedged frill about the neck and down the front. Her shoes were high-heeled white kid sandals. Her Scottish tarn. o' shanter hat and the high quill at the side and her handbag were all of white kid.

Cool footwear.must have meant a lot to the Icomfort of racegoers, and one girl who chose to wear red fiat-heeled beach sandals was too attractively and comfortably dressed to look out of place in-such footwear. She had on..a tailored frock of fawn silk linen fastening right down the front with scarlet buttons. Her red!straw hat was wide brimmed, and she carried slung from one shoulder in the carefree fashion of the moment a big red envelope bag. Altogether it was a day when there was greater variety in hats than in dresses as most people chose to wear either light-weight suits or plain silk frocks.

Macintoshes and gamps stacked in great piles in the women's rest rooms belied the seeming optimism of feminine racegoers, who, despite the overcast morning, appeared on the course' in summery fashions' r