LONDON'S SOCIAL SEASON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20898, 13 June 1931, Page 6 (Supplement)

LONDON'S SOCIAL SEASON.

RECENT EUROPEAN EVENTS. PARK LANE ENVIRONMENT. TURKISH BATHS FOR WOMEN. [special TO N.Z. HERALD. COPYRIGHT.3 LONDON. April 24. London is already showing signs of the approaching social season -which in spite of difficult times promises to be a very interesting one. Fortunately the King is rapidly recovering his strength and the Royal brothers are returning from their successful Argentine trip, so with additions to the Royal circle made by recent European events, entertainments should be specially attractive. However much .we may deplore the changing face of London —and there are many of us who do regret the passing of beautiful old buildings—at least we can now boast a hotel that should satisfy the demands of even the most jaded millionaire tourist. " The Dorchester," in its exclusive Park Lane environment, combines all the dignity of a past generation with the luxury and convenience of the most modern hotel. Every taste seems to have been catered for and one can chose an Italian Renaissance suite, a Louis XVI. suite, or an ultra-modern one with vivid splashes of green and purple and silver. Women will approve the «pi"ky beige decoration of some of the public rooms, as a desirable background for almost any toilette, also the rose coloured illumination of the ballroom which casts a flattering glow over the dancers. It is the first hotel in London to introduce Turkish baths for women, and rooms for slimming and beauty treatment, while the Spanish sherry_bar proclaims it " up to the minute," for sherry is rapidly replacing cocktails in popular favour. So with three hundred bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, one feels it only needs a succession of comfort-seeking millionaires to make it the most attractive place in London. With everything running on such superlines, it was a happy thought of the English dressmakers to combine in giving an enormous dress show in another luxury hotel. This took the form of a special display of English Court and country clothes, and was a successful challenge to the dress designers of Paris. English country clothes are unrivalled throughout the world, and although they have travelled a long way from tho thick tweeds and heavy shoes of their ancestors they still combine that quality of cut and fitness with lighter fabrics that makes a woman feel part of her rural surroundings, instead of a towu mouso in masquerade. Checks and overchecked materials were extremely popular with all the designers for the practical types of country suits, and one I particularly liked showed nn ensemble of three-quarter coat and pleated skirt of black and white check that had a large fine ovor-chock in red. This was appropriately belted with a soft wido patent leather belt, and worn with a tuck-in shirt blouse of white shantung. Another very dashing model showed a black, white and red check raco suit, with a wido taffeta bo\£ scarf. A complete ensemble of Robin Ilood green was worn with black gloves, bag and belt. This black accentuation note appeared in several models, and with a long coat of grey, black and orange herring-bone tweed. Black gauntlet gloves, black hat, shoes and bag focussed attention on tho importanco of black accessories. Several sports suits showed the trousered skirt, very disguised, but still trousered. In most cases they looked to unobservant eyes like beautifully boxpleated skirts, and it needed action to demonstrate tho fact that the skirt really was divided. Several of the leather coats were unbelievably beautiful, and " leathercraft " showed a racing outfit in soft, rose-col-oured suede, consisting of coat, jerkin, juniper and top coat, small hat and even field glasses all made of this exquisitely dainty yet beautifully warm material. A tennis outfit consisted of soft white suede shorts with buttercup yellow sleeveless jumper and long wrap coat of matching yellow suede. The crazo for hand-knitted garments is increasing, and here we saw delicate garden party frocks with floral patterns, shaped and flared like fabric models. To-day I have seen a green tweed suit worn with a knitted scarf bag and cap in green, ' yellow and white. Also a brown and black suit with a black, yellow and orango scarf and cap, and black gloves, bag and shoes. These scarves are easy to make, being simply tho one purl one plain stitch, about eight inches across tho ends, narrower in the middle, and are just worn tied once with one end falling over tho other to about tho waist. The Court gowns of to-day are designed with an eye to double use, and tho white frocks doing duty as bridal gowns before tho curtsey at Court, and the coloured models making exquisite evening gowns, by just removing the Court train which is still usually attached to tho shoulders.