ALL WOMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20982, 19 September 1931, Page 6 (Supplement)

ALL WOMEN.

THE HAPPY STATE. CHIFFONS AND FRILLS. [special to n.z. herald.—copyright.] LONDON. July 31. All women yearn to look well dressed, but unfortunately not all achieve this happy stale —and it is not always a question of money, as too many women are apt to imagine. Dressing, like any other business, needs brains if good results are to be achieved, and the woman who earns the reputation of being chic is the woman who chooses her clothes more because they suit her personality than because they happen to bo fashionable. With the wealth of variety in tho present mode you should consider which stylo is most suited to your type before embarking 011 the pleasant business of buying your summer wardrobe. Airy chiffons and trailing frills are delightful on the right people, and even then only when worn at a suitable function. But the simply-made gown of exquisite cut and colouring will look well on any occasion. If you are tall and angular, do not choose a chiffon frock. J. he etheieal quality of this fabric is too revealing for any but the women with rounded proportions. One of the many new crepes which are soft but not transparent is much more effective in concealing hollows and angles. Again, if you aro very tall, always wear a waist belt with the bodice slightly pouched; and a double-frilled skirt either pleated or flared is an excellent way of adding grace to unusual height. The very short woman, on the other hand, should aim at keeping an unbroken lino from neck to hem whenever possible, for this gives the illusion of height. The large woman should choose dark colours, small patterns, dull surfaces, for materials. Easy-fitting frocks with the simplest lines, straight sleeves and fairly long skirts. With the new fashions in summer frocks crowding into our shops you will probably find it hard to resist some of the extravagant models which aro offered as the " latest creation." This is just where brains are needed in the delightful task of clothes buying. First, consider your face, figure and fortune, and then, most important of all, the life you lead. If your life does not run on garden-party lines —well, gardenparty frocks are not only unsuitable, they aro extremely bad taste. nt '. the woman who shops in the morning in an elaborate chiffon dress will look conspicuous and, no matter how expensive the frock, badly dressed. Simplicity stands out this season in any crowd of over-elaborate gowns. Time and again one unconsciously admires the woman who has remained faithful to long clean lines, well-matched accessories, moderate-sized hats and medium-length skirts. One of the best-dressed women in the London social world is Lady Louis Mountbatten. Yet she wears almost severely plain frocks and suits in the daytime. Her tailored suits remain a very practical length; her summer frocks are of the demurely simple type thatThave small, ex-quisitely-fine collars and cuffs, and she wears a great deal of black, navy blue and all white. In choosing the materials for your summer wardrobe pay much attention to the lovely light-weight woollen fabrics, which are often more successful for both your summed and our own. They are a; - - soft and drapable as silk, but supply that touch of cosiness so very welcome on a damp summer day. Crepe romain is made in exquisite colourings, and a wonderful material for summer cardigan suit with a sleeveless blouse of chiffon, lawn or broderie Anglaise. Macclesfield Silks. Shantung, Macclesfield silks and crepe de chines are all considered smart fabrics this season, and much more practical than the very airy chiffons or voiles which tempt one when the weather is really hot. These are days of economic difficulties when the dress budget must be carefully edited, and unless you can afford to have frocks for all kinds of weather you are safer and smarter with frocks that will not look out of place on a dull day, and yet have an air of summer gaiety about them in the sunshine. The same advice applies to summer milinery. The new largo hats are most beguiling and it is hard to resist having just one for sunny days. Fortunately, there are many types of large straw hats which are not expensive, and the more plainly they are trimmed the better. For sleeveless linen, gingham or jersey frocks, a coarse straw hat in a plain colour or oatmeal straw, with a tigntlyswathed band round the crown, is always attractive. For more elaborate occasions, the widebrimmed hat may have a close band of flowers round the crown, a single large bloom or one large flower made of lace perched halfway up the front of the crown. The smartest patterned fabrics aro those with small designs, like spots or fine checks, etc., or the exact reverse, namely—a large pattern, widely spaced. To-day, I saw an extremely smart dress in black crepe, with large pink roses so widely spaced that the skirt only had about eight or nine flowers, all told. With this was worn one of the short black coats that come as far as the waist, where it fastened with a buckle in front. The wide-brimmed, black hat had a tight bandeau of pink roses under the brim in front, which threw the hat off tho face. As I have mentioned before, practically every summer frock has its coat. A very clever girl of my acquaintance invested in four short coats of varying patterns. One in white just came to the waist; a second, in red, was closo fitting, with one-button fastening, long sleeves and .a tiny basque. A third coat was a short-caped coat of fino black woollen; and a fourth was a short blazer-like coat in navy blue flannel. All her summer frocks can be worn with either of these coats, and as they are all inexpensive she has a wonderfully-varied outfit at a small cost.