DRESS CONVENTIONS BROKEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21520, 17 June 1933, Page 6 (Supplement)

DRESS CONVENTIONS BROKEN

UNUSUAL .EVENING FROCKS GINGHAM AND ORGANDIE [special to n*.z. herald —copyright] LOXDON', May 12 If clothes are the outward and visible sign of our attitude toward life, then the coming season should be most unusual and exciting. All dress conventions seem to bo broken, and the queerest materials rub shoulders with conventional silks and satins at the smartest restaurants and dance clubs. Imagine a brown and white shepherd's plaid dress worn in the evening ! This was long and cut on conventional clinging lines, with a low-cut bodice and small square-cut coatee to_ match. Another was a gingham dress in black and white duster check, with huge pufr sleeves of white organdie, and many frills of white organdie inside the hem of the skirt. . Organdie and muslin are being pressed into service for every type of outfit. One of the prettiest afternoon gowns seen recently was worn by a hostess at a tea and sherry party. This gown was a simple affair of black crepe-de-chine with very short sleeves and a square-cut neck. An enormous frilling of crisp white organdie muslin outlined the.neck and edged the short sleeves, and the result was amazingly effective and yet you could get this result quite cheaply. Importance of Sleeves White spot muslin makes some adorable evening dresses, and recently I saw two made for twin sisters. They had baby puff sieeves, high-waists tied with pale pink sashes and five frills on the bottom of the skirts. Nearly every evening dress has sleeves or cape-like drapery covering the arm tops. These sleeves are so iiseful for altering a last season's evening outfit and immediately giving it an up-to-the-minute appearance. There are several ways of doing this. P'irst, if you cannot match the material, get a distinct contrast that is smart and add a twist round the waist to form a sash or sash-belt with small bow. Cream lace sleeves with a black dress are- smart and becoming. Or large white organdie frills round the armholes. These can stand as high as you like, for it is chic to be important about the shoulders. A double-capelet over each arm of a contrasting material, or colour, with straps coming from the backs of the shoulders, crossing, and taken round the .waist and tied in front is another simple, way of changing the look of a frock. Turbans and " Bonnets " At this particular tea party I saw some of the newest millinery being worn. Onp sophisticated golden head was crowned by a baby bonnet of pale pink straw with a quiltiug of white net set round the face! Several of the newest hats come higher at the back than the front, and one of this sort was a turban of white straw with a short white veil; also a navy-blue ribbon hat draped high at the back and quite low over the left eye, where it was fastened with a small white lacquered bird. One very pretty woman in a round black straw hat wore one of the new stiffened veils that stand out from the face. She also wore a " duster " check black and white scarf round her neck tied with a big bow in front, and a long collar less black wool coat fastened with chromium cartridge buttons. % That picture of chic simplicity is typical of the best dressing this season. One very smart day. suit seen "this week was a dress of dark leaf green woollen material, worn under a three-quarter length loose-fitting coat of green and black check, a small green hat trimmed with a striped green, black and white ribbon, and loose pull-on white gloves.