MERRIE MONTH OF MAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20596, 21 June 1930, Page 30 (Supplement)

MERRIE MONTH OF MAY.

BLAZE OF . SUNSHINE.

THE " BITTER SWEET."

LADY OXFORD SETS A FAD.

[special to n.z. herald.—copsiught.] LONDON, May 9. Tho "merrio month of 'May " has arrived in a blazo of supshino, find with even ft, hint of warmer weather, women arc rushing into lighter clothes, hoping that fur and fur coats be forgotten for a while/ » .< : ' . , Soft woollen suits and dresfipSr-ciUierin plain materials or. in .tweeded fabricsare to bo seen everywhere, and to? the moment colours' are relacing 'the inevitable black. ■ ' . ■ ' 1 ' Almond green, rose pink, shadeß of blue, and many yellows—to name only a few of the dainty colourings that are adding their decoratio touch to the sunbathed streets. , ■ Hats are particularly rascinating, for the skull cap is ousted from favour, and brims, large and small, will once moro cast their alluring shadow over beautiful eyes, while flowers and feathers have returned to, grace the newest models designed for smart occasions ' One of the most striking features of many of the brimmed hata is the liking for an underlining of -fabric. A wide black hat will have a silk under-brim of white with black spots, and a clump of whito flowers at tho ba!.e of the crown atr the back or tho front. A moderate-seized cloche has a pale pink under-brim, with a cluster of pink flowers poised on the top of the low crown in front. At a recent hat party I saw tho model of the " Bitter-Sweet" hat now made famous by Lady Oxford. It was a low crowned hatj rather boat*shap0 f with soft loosely curley ostrich plumes on each side that curled down on to the neck. This designer was showing several very large hats in organdi, linen, straw, and crinoline—but these enormous hats are only for the very leisured few—and then only for special occasions. Undoubtedly the wider brimmed hat will' be more and more worn as the season advances. The caps that remain are soft, flexible affairs which look like shapeless masses of material in the hand, and depend a good deal on personal taste in the way of wearing them for their distincjersey wool is'fulled round the head with the fullness gathered towards tho back, where it finishes in a pert bow or a'cluster' of fabrio flowers, and a scarf of the same material usually accompanies these chic hats, which are . nsed for sports or smarter wear, according to tho fabric selected. ' The 44 poko bonnet" brim will be very popular this year, but it must have a shallow crown so that it shades —but does not hide—the face, and is worn off the brow. ' " Women have succumbed to the fascination of the cute little cape as a finish to their out-door frocks.: Who would have thought that this somewhat dowdy Victorian mode would have caught on as it has ? But these new capes are so smartly cut, just the right .length, and giving a modish set to the shoulders, that they are a huge ■ success. This also applies to the little cape coats —which are often no more than a bolero, with a cape and no sleeves —but again may be attached to a long coafc.^ I have sketched a coat which I saw on a smart Society woman at tho Private View of the Royal Academy. This coat has triple capes that suggested the coachman's capes of old, and was made in the fipe&' facd Olotb, and worn over a black satin- dress. The smart little ermine tie gives it a very " last minute " look, and tho droopy hat was of.fine white straw with a black velvet under-brim and velvet ribbon tied round the low crown.

It is tho small details on the new frocks which are so important. Draped necklines, swathed hips and belts, and the length of the sleeve, are the points which stamp a gown 1930. Last year, any frock that had sleeves had long ones. Short sleeves suggested [the Balloon sleeves of the 'nineties. )• jßut .here wo havo short sleeves once moro in iho foreground of fashion. Some ate very very -short, somo elbow length, ahd still;others- of three-quarter'length.