MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 April 1936, Page 9

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

❖ £ ? ITEMS OF INTEREST *

PARIS DRESS SHOWS. YIELD MANY NOVELTIES. (Bj r a Paris Fashion Export). Black and whit© has always appeared throughout Paris collections, but dress designers have never risen to such heights in planning new themes and details for the combination. The theme never palls,- but rather grips ou with renewed interest through variety of design and execution. Even Madame Bruyere surpasses a priority for schemes and seems to steal a march on herself. At least, that is how this collection struck me, since she is a past master at the art of featuring white for black, navy and grey. White Medici collar trends vary designs in peaks rising up and slanting slightly away from the base of high necklines. They are diminutive as are also Tudor ruffles -composed ot starched linen and fastened with baby ribbon width gros-grain bow ties ending in short streamers. These ribbon motifs are usually in black, though scarlet intervenes as well as powder blue. Other white collars on black frocks undulate vaguely and jut beyond the shoulder line, while plastrons in wide ovals with corsages buttoning on to them also look smart. One in white machine-stitched linen plasters down a deep flat V at the front and rounds away over the • back just beneath shoulder level. The V is gripped to the figure by a wide black waist-belt passing through two slottings set wide enough apart to make room for . a square mother-of-pearl buckle with an engraved Chinese motif. Before Bruyere enlarges on a Chinese influence she stresses a diminutive collar of Medici persuasion in white line pointing up from a shepherd's plaid closed jacket, with interest given to the tops of sleeves through a single perky peak on each pointing up in corresponding fashion. A Chinese silhouette is interpreted for modern day wear in a black skirt with white jumper top held to the figure by a wide black belt in front and allowed to hang loose at the back. Straight coolie trousers play a role for evening wear in all black or black and white. These are cocktail-cum-dinner styles, with pants finishing between lower mid-calf and ankle levels. They look elegant, and when black trousers appear beneath a knee-length white tunic —which, by the way, has a high swathed black waistband finished off by an obi bow at the back—a little cap is added. This is designed from waxed ostrich to simulate the manner in which Chinese women of cast used to dress their hair, and resembles - a lotus bloom turned upside down, with a bunch of curls arranged at its apex. Other gleanings come in mascot fobs of black composition spelling out in Chinese characters “an enduring spring” and so on to- “long life, riches and honour.” They look effective, and so do shortish black tassels hanging at one side from fairly high soutache braided belts on either white or black frocks.

Hats in this collection should have 'far-reaching results in mandarin shapes, squared like a biretta, with an effective curled roll on top; and a coolie shape that compromises between a “gob” sailor with high upstanding brim drawn down at each side and a pointed pagoda crown to a “Margot” type with forehead peak. The biretta is worn quite straight and back from the forehead. This likewise applies to the new “Margot” which might be executed in white linen for wear with black frocks or black picot for wear with white. Heim returns to broad, shoulders again, and with great effect,, through leg o’ mutton and Tudor sleeves, which rise in mild movements from tight-fitting forearms. He uses small patterned black and white printed fabrics for overcoats with plain black cellars. Styles in this collection are inspired by the sixte*enth century, with decorative motifs to neck lines of capes forming two metal hearts connected by a chain. These occur again on slack coatees worn with frocks that show squared shoulder strapped corsages beneath dainty white guimpes. White enamelled hooks and eyes for fastenings bring the only contrast in relief to black ■ tailored jackets. There is a neat tailored jacket in white linen which is worn closed, with a black skirt. It has a heart-shaped plastron which reaches to the chest beneath a high collar line and is embroidered with a Cupid shooting his dart in the foreground of foliage. This embroidery is in. black to go with daintily constructed “frog” fastenings down the centre front.

Other plastrons to black suits are composed entirely of flower heads to match flat toques shot forward from an elastic grip. Flowers appear again in multi-col-our at the fronts of waistbelts for six o’clock tailleurs. These are fulllength slfm-skirted jacket ensembles, with short-waisted corsages that are usually decollete, and look very charming capped by little flat velvet toques either swathed by the fabric in turban fashion or surrounded by a massed band of the flowers. Black and white with Chanel runs to a slender instep-level printed Chine summer afternoon frock for wear with a black cire satin tailored jacket. This competes with another style—also in black cire satin—but of tailored mid-calf skirt level and entirely of black. It is worn, with a high-necked white blouse. High necks are a prevailing note for daywear and add to youthful outlines in this collection. Jackets, too, change from the usual Chanel themes and include slack backs combined with semi-fitted classic tailored fronts. The execution is a clever adaptation on two distinct line movements. Shoulders are other items that show the changing tide, and are dropped through dresses as well as jackets' with slight gathering, giving ease of movement to corsages in the former and a gentle flow to slack coatees. Long sleeves are au attribute and add zest to the silhouettes. It is the first time that Chanel has veered from a classic sleeve into one with Tudor ruckings which she carries out on the bias between elbows and shoulders.

STRAIGHT BACK FOR BEAUTY. ■ (By Dr. Estelle Cole). Backless evening frocks are still in vogue. A recent study of oacks showed that the shape in the majority of cases was quite rounded. They lacked that flatness which is usually associated with youth. A rounded back is not only ageing but extremely unhygienic. It means that the shoulders are thrown foiward, and the chest, instead of being expanded is drawn in. This position cramps the lungs; they are unable to expand properly, there is an improper entry of air, which, in its turn predisposes one to coughs, colds and other affections of the chest. Illhealth and loss of, beauty will supervene, sooner or later. Talking to a Bright Young Person recently, my inquiry brought the answer that the flat chest was essential for slimness. Any tendency to a bust must be hidden, and this could be done by throwing the shoulders forward. The result was a stoop and round shoulders. Cramped lungs are unable to rid the system of effete material; imperfect oxidation means, in due course, dull eyes and a listless gait, neithei of which are assets to beauty. The beauty of a back should not be ignored. Anybody who has seen the Venus of Velasquez will appreciate how beautiful a back can be. The texture of the skin and the perfect contour of the body from neck to hip make one gasp. The Victorian lady had no such opportunities for physical culture as we have to-day. In their time the flat back was the boast of beauty. They’ set out to cultivate it by walking about the house for half an hour daily with a straight board across the back, which passed under the arms At the same time, the head was well raised. This threw out the chest in a normal way, flattened the back and maintained q,n erect carriage. Victorian schoolgirls were made to lie down on a hard-boarded flooi, quite pillowless, so as to remove any tendency to roundness. This is a simple remedy to-day towards health and beuaty. Place a rug on the floor and lie down flat on it for 20 minutes! Shut the eyes and take the opportunity to relax entirely! Renewed energy will be yours for the remainder of the day’s business or pleasure, and a flat back will be an aid to beauty in more ways than one. THE LATEST SHADES. TEA-DUST AND PETROL BLUE. spring and autumn bring regularly their register of new shades discovered and christened (states an ex change). . . ... Like the fairy stories in which knights ride forth to the corners ot the earth to bring back precious things for princesses, so the fabric designers go yearly in quest of exquisite hues to lay at the feet of women of fashion. They find inspiration in Nature, age-old pictures, in machinery, and in commodities of the market place. „ ... Those who went questing for this season are showing to an admiring world such shades as tea-dust, moonwhite, underglaze red, and petrol blue. , . No source is held too mundane to be the parent of some heavenly new shade. The petrol pump has given birth to petrol blue —a deep greenishblue colour jihich is at its best when used with Armoire fabric so that the colour retains the fluidity of its origin. Many of the new shades have a sister contrast. So petrol blue has pewter coloured trimmings in its smartest moments. Another blue and grey partnership which will make fashion history is lapis lazuli and oyster. . Most of the London designers this year have needed to go no further than the Chinese exhibition at the Royal Academy and it is there that moon-white and tea-dust have then origin. In lovely silks and bowls fashion designers have discovered endless tones of grey that will take the 1936 world by storm. The Chinese version of grey has a colour Qf serenity far removed from the drabness with which it is associated in Western Europe. The wonderful greys range from tea-dust—a dark brown with a grey tinge—to celadon, that is as much grey as green. In addition to moon-white, there are new additions to the off-white range in grey-white and warm-white, which are worn with ornaments in blueand green-white. Roasted rice is a gqlden-brown shade, new to fashion. Several other commodities have given their names to shades, such as seeded green, onion green, and peach bloom.