NEW PINAFORE FROCKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21698, 13 January 1934, Page 6 (Supplement)

NEW PINAFORE FROCKS

SMART VARIATIONS FASHIONABLE CONTRASTS [special to n.z. herald —copyright] LONDON, Dec. 1 When selecting new frocks you will find one model 'that gives invaluable service for many different occasions—this is the "pinafore" frock. The original pinafore frocks of long ago used to be merely straps added to the belt of a skirt and worn "braces fashion. This year, however, a great deal of ingenuity has been used to evolve the type of frock which can be worn over several different tops, and so bring a wealth of change into an otherwise limited wardrobe. As you will see by accompanying sketches, this style looks equally smart if the dress is dark with a light under-blouse or a light dress allied to a dark top. For summer wear one of the very light-weight woollens is an excellent medium; and the top may be of patterned fabric, or a silk crepe that contrasts in colour or design, or both. Later in the season a dark woollen dress with the under-blouse of white organdie looks particularly dainty, with white hat and gloves. For afternoon wear the dress may be of crepe and the top of lace, ( brown crepe with deep beige lace being one most effective combination, or black crepe with the under-blouse made of white satin or pale pink crepe. Made of tweed with tops of checked plaid or striped gingham, or strong white pique, such frocks give great satisfaction for morning and country wear. Later in the summer these dresses are very useful made in dark, linen and pique materials, with white blouses, which are easy to wash and keep fresh, and do not need a great deal of adjusting, like renewing the old light yokes and collars of the ordinary dress.

Lastly, they are an excellent suggestion for renovation. If you have a simple dress of which you are tired, cut out the sleeves, leaving deep armholes and a deep V-back and front, and wear over a new coloured top, and you have a delightful change which will be unrecognisable as last year's frock. In choosing colour contrasts for these dresses you can add much smartness to a simple model. If the dress is black, make the top of pale pink or egg-shell blue, and use brown with stone-colour, pale, lime-green, or pale coral red. With grey, beige or grey-beige, choose a sudden dark contrast, such as winered, golden-brown, or a deep sapphireblue. The material may be as thin as you please, but these dark accents with a light dress constitute the chic of this year's summer clothes. These suggestions can also be applied to summer suits, which, if worn a dark blouse, hare a smart distinction that gives them a very 1934 look. Sleeves for these dresses may be long or short, but sleeves there must be — both in blouses for suits and in tops for pinafore dresses. Materials that show a bold design are smarter for these pinafore dresses than floral crepes, because there should be a suggestion of tailored trimness in their design. But never put two designs together. If the top is patterned the dress must be plain, and vice versa. All plaid dresses are extremely smart this season, and worn with a large crisp bow of white organdie beneath the chin and deep gauntlet cuffs of organdie. look fresh and dainty in any material. Spots are bolder and more widely spaced, and whole dresses of spotted fabric will have a deep belt to match the spots and no other trimming. Striped designs are to be found in every type of fabric, and range from materials suitable for morning frocks to beautiful silks and crepes for the evening. Stripes need careful cutting, and the design that points the stripes down the front like a. herring bone, gives a very slimming effect.