THE WARDROBE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21136, 19 March 1932, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE WARDROBE.

PATRIOTIC TO USE FLOWERS. AVOIDING IMPORTED GOODS. [special to n.z. herald.—copyright.] LONDON. Jan. 22. 1932. Now is the time to re-arrange one's wardrobe. With you ifc is for the autumn, with us it is for spring, but the process is very similar for either season. Although it is early to think seriously of wearing spring clothes, it is necessary to consider ways and means of brightening the garments we still have, and how we can renovate others to do further duty in the coming season. If you have a well-cut tweed suit or top coat, change the buttons and add a belt and you can give it a 1932 look at once. Gold, or metal buttons and belt buckles, in fact metal trimmings of all kinds, will be a feature of the earliest spring suits and coats. - A dull leather belt to tone with the coat, with metal buckle to match buttons, wil) give a coat or suit an entirely different appearance, and belts will be worn with everything. Then have several knitted woollen jumpers, for they seem to be worn on every possible occasion. The smartest jumpers are short to the waist line, with high or low necks, and with long or short sleeves, and some double-breasted. ' All sorts of colour schemes can be worked out: A dark jumper will have a light yoke and half sleeves of crochet work. A scarf and knitted cap to match each of several jumpers will bring a great variety into the clever girl's wardrobe who can knit and crochet well. The knitted cap simply refuses to be banished, and crops up in a new guise every season. This year some of them are made rather like the old fashioned " brewer's cap," only without the tassel at the end. These are pulled right or. to the head and the extra length folded and rolled back on the edge, to give a softened effect round the face. Placed at a jaunty angle, they are irresistible above a youthful face, or even over mature face, provided the expression is bright and sunny. Metal necklaces, in heavy gold or steel links or chromium-plated metal balls, to match the clasps of handbags, are already showing, and are the correct wear with knitted jumpers and woollen frocks. Whether it is the natural reaction from so much silk, artificial and otherwise, or whether the designers have our last summer's weather in mind, I cannot say, but wool is to be much smarter than silk this season, even in very delicate colours and light-weights, and for important dresses. We h ave all got to learn to mix our colours boldly. Grey flannel is to be smart for light spring suits, and the average woman will think she must have a white crepe de chine or lingerie blouse. But Jet her try the effect of an orange blouse and see how much more distinguished she will look, and all for the samo cost. Every shade of blue from palest sky to deepest royal blue will be worn in the coming season. Here, again, the conservative mind immediately thinks of touches 'of white. Rut while white is always an excellent foil to the deeper shades of blue it is entirely uninspired. I have just seen a new model in cornflower blue that had a scarf drapery consisting of wide striped piecps of coral, pale yellow and pale lime green, and the effect was marvellous. With it was 'Vvorn a necklace and bracelets of alternate coral and steel-plated balls to match the steel ballbuttons that fastened the high waisted double-breasted bodice. Scarves and scarf effects are more important than ever, but they are more carefully chosen as part of the dress scheme, and not just a casual one picked up in a shop to go with any dress. A popular mode is to twist three long narrow strijte of colour into a rope, leaving the ends free—the twisted part goes round the neck at the back and the ends hang loosely. The same twisted idea is used for the waist, with the ends as a sash. . Again, for evening, the twisted part will form one' shoulder strap, with the long loose ends draped across the back 'of the neck and over the other shoulder. But although we shall wear wool through our spring and summer the milliners have decided that our hats shall bloom this spring, and that straw plait shall definitely supersede the felts which have out-lived their "all-tlie-year-round" popularity. The newest straw models have a definite atmosphere of sunshine, and the brims have taken on a new turn, many being lifted at the l-a< k on bandeaux or turned up sharply against tho crown. These new back views are filled in with loops of ribbon or, better still, masses of small flowers crushed against the hair. Flowers will really be smart this season. Milliners have tried to popularise them for tho last two years, but women had become so wedded to a plain hat that they could not reconcile thefnselves to more than a ribbon bow or a diamond clip. Now it is also patriotic to use flowers, which English manufacturers produce. so exquisitely, and avoid the imported ribbons, so they aro adapting flowers to modern ideas and using them in just as severe a way as ribbon rosettes or tailored bows.