Paris Now "Wool-Conscious”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 15 April 1939, Page 12

Paris Now "Wool-Conscious”

Dainty, Charming Gowns

The recent unprecedented cold wave having made Frenchwomen “wool conscious,” the dressmakers have risen nobly to the demand for warmer clothing by launching new evening models in lightweight woollen materials, evening jackets with woollen or quilted linings, and dressy, woollen pull-overs for afternoon wear, says the Paris correspondent of the Christian Science Monitor. It is really amusing to see how the chic Frenchwoman has succumbed to the “call of the wool,” not only for frocks but for warm woollen “undies” as well. They have taken most kindly to undergarments of the finest wool, bewitchingly trimmed with ribbon and lace, and to thin, woollen "sous-bas” worn under their sheer silk stockings. High suede boots zipped up to the front are common in the Bois and on the Champs El^sees. Except for formal dinners, balls and

ceremonious functions, the evening costume of the smart Parisienne, at the moment, consists of a long frock of lightweight broad-cloth, fine, woollen jersey or crepe, long-sleeved and high at the neck and absolutely plain, save for the jewellery-necklace, bracelets, clips, earrings. etc.—which has become a most important item of both the day and the evening costume. Over this simple frock one may wear a trig jacket in a bright contrasting colour of velvet, faille, moire, broadcloth or duvetyn, or of gold, silver, or brocaded lame, or glittering sequins. Woollen housecoats have supplanted frilly negligees and tea-gowns, but the afternoon pull-over is a still more recent innovation. These pull-overs in cashmere. angora, or fine, hand-knitted wool, in lovely shades of violet, petunia, fuchsia, Regency pink or powder blue,

Beetroot Soup. One large beetroot (cooked). 1 quart stock, tiny piece of onion, 1 tablespoon flour. 1 tablespoon butter. Rub beetroot through a sieve, add stock, simmer gently a few minutes, strain, thicken with the flour and butter mixed smoothly, season, add a large tablespoon of cream directly soup is taken up. serve with small fried croutons of bread. Treacle Cake. This is a recipe for a treacle cake with good food value, and it is very appetising. Readers may not know that treacle is the syrup drained from cane sugar during the refining process, and,

dressed up by bands of satin ribbon, or bead or sequin embroidery, are quite suitable for the luncheon party, afternoon tea, or bridge. One which 1 saw in a fashionable teashop the other day, worn with a black tailored suit and a jaunty black hat, was of fuchsia with satin ribbons in deep plum and fuchsia extending around the waist, crossed at the front and tied in a bow high at one side. Another, worn with a long plumcoloured coat and skirt, was in Regency pink with two bands of turquoise embroidery around 4 he chest with flat little bows at the front.

Plain frocks of black jersey, duvetyn or lightweight broadcloth are also popular for afternoon wear, their sombreness set off by heavy gold or jewelled necklaces and bracelets. Grandmother’s jewellery of heavy gold, set with semiprecious stones —amethysts, topazes, garnets or aquamarines—is the last cry in “chic,” and happy is the woman who has inherited genuine Victorian ornaments. For the less fortunate, there are the specialty shops in the Faubourg St. Honore, where one will find exact replicas of these historic baubles. Here are side combs topped with gold balls, cameos, amber or coral, long, heavy gold chains l or little branches of coral and all sorts of interesting ear rings long pearl tassels, sprays of gold or jewelled flowers, a bunch of garnet grapes and so on. As for bracelets, these are of endless variety.

Cameos are in high favour. A big cameo brooch on a black velvet ribbon tied around the neck and a wide- gold bracelet# set with cameos give the finishing touch to the crinoline evening costume.

like the bran from wheat refining, is of definite value in the family diet. Cream 1 cup butter with 1 cup brown sugar, add 1 cup warmed treacle. Beat whites of 2 eggs and yolks of 3 and add. Sift 2-I cups flour with 1 teaspoon cinnamon. 2 teaspoon ginger and £ teaspoon baking soda. Add alternately with £ cup milk. Pour into three buttered sandwich tins and bake in moderate oven for 20 minutes. When cold, put together with caramel filling and top with icing. Apple Casserole. Prepare four cups of apple, cut in cubes, and the same quantity of cubed sweet potatoes. Put alternate layers of

Knitted suits, frocks, coats, and evening gowns have leaped into favour during the cold wave. Time was when a knitted garment was definitely for country wear only and not so very practical even for this. Skirts bagged, shoulders stretched, sleeves became elongated, and there was nothing to be done about it, but knitting has made great strides in the last two or three years and knitted garments, for both town and country, have a definite place in the wardrobe of the fashionable woman.

Besides the houses which are solely for knitted garments, several of the great dressmaking houses have a special department for this type of clothes. In the last collection of Madame Bruyere, for example, nearly one third of the models were knitted. Wool is not the only material used for these kpitted garments; linen, cotton, rayon, cellophane, and chenille are almost as general. These knitted garments are not easily recognisable as such. There are tailored coats and suits which only an expert can distinguish from tweed, evening gowns in fine woollen yarn with a rayon or cellophane thread interwoven which gives the appearance of silk crepe.

One of the latter which I saw at Lola Proussac’s charming little shop in the Faubourg St. flonore was in ruby-red wool and cellophane, long-sleeved and square-necked with a draped belt of the same knitting, its only decoration a big brooch of gold and rubies. Anny Blalt, the pioneer of de luxe knitting, is showing a youthful, two-piece dinner frock, all hand-knitted in pale mauve cotton and rayon.

One of the most attractive of the knitted blouses designed by Madame Bruyere. knitted in black chenille. This takes the form of an overblouse with a narrow collar of gold crochet and a belt of gold soutache braid and is worn with a black velvet skirt. Although designed for the afternoon, this is quite as appropriate worn with a long skirt for the evening costume and it may also serve as a jacket worn over the evening frock.