THE FEMININE TOUCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21396, 20 October 1934, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE FEMININE TOUCH

AFTERNOON FROCKS RETURN RUFFLES AND DRAPERIES [special to n.z. herald —copyright] LONDON, Sept. 14 Not so very long ago women were content to wear a suit and jumper from breakfast until dinner-time. With the coming of longer skirts and feminine frills that is considered very un-smart, and the afternoon dress is definitely one of the fashions of the present season which has received a great deal of attention from the designers. •The material may vary according to individual choice and occasion, from soft, fine woollens to crepes, silks and soft georgette materials. The length of an afternoon gown varies, but should never be shorter than ten inches from the ground. In the case of a hostess, she may wear it ankle length, but the guest who arrives on foot usually prefers a shorter gown. Watch Your Skirt One important point to be watched in a gown of this description is the fit of the skirt. This season skirts are so straight and narrow that unless ticular care is given to cut and fit they easily become too tight, and the inevitable result is to be constantly pulling down one's dress in the vain

endeavour to avoid an ungraceful display of leg. As one sits a good deal more than one stands in an afternoon dress, be sure to try out this point before deciding on a new model. If you choose a slit skirt —and there are many of this type —wear a pleated petticoat or under-frill tacked in the hem, for slim slit skirts can be embarrassing when the wearers are seated on a low lounge. Touches of Organdi

White organdi notes on black or dark dresses continue to be exceedingly smart, and I have sketched a new model that shows how these ruffled effects may be used to convert a plain dress into a dainty afternoon affair. The short sleeves, bow at the neck, and ruffles showing through the split hem and trimming; the bodice would transform any little black crepe dress. Combining lace and crepe, or lace and georgette, will add importance to a simply-cut frock, and in my second sketch you see a slim skirt with an over-blouse that ends in an apron-like basque. The bodice is cut with Magyar shoulders with insets of lace, and the lower half of the sleeves has shaped lace inserts, and only reaches halfway between the elbow and the wrist —a feature of so many of this season's sleeves. The lace may match the georgette, but it is quite smart to add cream lace to black or brown or dark green. Colour Combinations

Pale yellow with green is one of the smart colour combinations this season for tailored styles. A very new model, made in soft Angora in postilion green (bottle green shade), was worn with a cravat scarf of chamois leather, the edges turned over once and stitched with brown to match the stitchings on chamois leather gloves that were pulled well over the coat sleeves. > A green woollen dress was provided with a short jacket of pale yellow, belted with green, and a yellow felt hat; while a third ensemble of short cape and skirt in green tweed was worn with a jerkin blouse of pale yellow, with four patch pockets buttoned with green to match the wide leather belt. In every case the colour combination was most effective. Sand yellow is a rather different shade, which is considered very smart with black. A wide sand yellow hat worn with a plain black tailor-made is one of the successes of the moment. Sometimes the hat has a band of black leather buckled round the crown, with the buckle directly in front like a waist belt.