CLOTHES FOR THE SPRING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22225, 27 September 1935, Page 4

CLOTHES FOR THE SPRING

A PHANTASY OF COLOUR SOLVING A DRESS PROBLEM BY BARBARA Tho spring fashion season—always a little ahead of actual spring—has during tho last week burst upon Sydney in its full glory. Tho stores and fashion salons are all holding their spring parades and the shop windows are a riot of spring colours and spring clothes. Impossible flower-bedecked millinery preens itself in tho hat shops, frivolously punctured and strapped shoes are shown in tho shoo shops, while the silk shops and stores display gay floral prints and pastel linens with interesting surface texture. Exquisite lingerie, neckwear, and flowers, both artificial and real, make their appearance everywhere.

As for tho clothes—they are as refreshing, gay and youthful as spring itself. There are perfectly-tailored linens for both active and spectator sports —every garment with some tricky and individual detail of cut or trimming. There are frocks and suits of knitted linen yarn with unbelievable individuality of stitch. And there are sports frocks made of silk which allow perfect freedom of movement. Pastel shades of pink, blue, green and yellow —with a distinct preference for pink—are all important in tho sports group. Lilac occasionally makes an effective appearance and white is shown unrelieved and as a relief for other colours.

Navy blue is, as 1 have said before, tho darling of the spring mode and for street wear takes pride of place. But it is a youthful navy blue either by virtue of its cut —pleatings, shirrings and pin-tucks are all used —or by virtue of splashes of white piquo and enchanting lingerie touches. Here is the solution of the dress problem for the woman with a limited income—a navy blue dress with an infinite variety of neckwear, cuffs, etc., with which to ring the changes. Have your frock cut 011 simple lines high to the neck with short sleeves and a finger-tip jacket with back fullness and three-quarter sleoves tq wear over the top. A demure round white pique collar and a piquo bow on your belt, and without your coat you are dressed for morning. In tho afternoon you wear your coat and place beneath your chin a crisp curl of fine white linen. Later in the day you remove the curl and don instead a naive lei of white pique marguerites, which hugs your throat and presents a bewildering mixture of ingenuousness and chic so enchanting at the five o'clock party. It is not an exaggeration to say that if

you are clever with this frock you will practically need no other.

It is in the late afternoon also that tho flowered prints come into their own. They make incongruously tailored "shirtmakcr" frocks and suits, and charmingly feminine frocks which often have flowers of the prints cut out and appliquod on the sleeves, hemlines, pockets and necklines. There are flowered crepes, crepe de chines and taffeta—nearly all with dark grounds and breath-taking brightness of colour. Taijgta, too, makes a dramatic appearance in tho evening mode. At ono parade 1 saw an exquisite frock of seagreen taffeta shot with deep rose. A hugo bunch of violets was caught at the breast. The decollctage was very low both back and front and edged with an upstanding ruff of tho material. The bodice was then shirred tightly to the hips from where it hung to the ground in deep sculptured folds, which shimmered as tho mannequin walked. Tho waist was outlined with strands of the material joined to make a sash. Cbiffons —both plain, and floral and plain and floral nets—are tremendously important in the evening. Many of these are shirred or else arc worn with heavily shirred capes. They are all made with lavish use of the material and all have graceful flowing lines reminiscent of Botticelli and the Renaissance artists. Flowers in great profusion and in glorious glowing colours accent waistlines, are caught at the breast or else make magnificent Hawaiian leis. The same flowers are repeated with success in tho hair.

One enchanting American model frock I saw was an exquisite contradiction in materials. A white Swiss muslin coat very sheer and with infinitely fine allover embroidery was made with long full sleeves caught in at the cuff, a high neckline and turn-down collar finished with a tiny black silk bow and then cut 011 princess lines so that it was open down the front, fitting at tho waist and flaring at the hem-line. Under this coat was worn a very lowcut tightly-fitting black taffeta slip which gave tho wholo model an air of extreme sophistication. I saw it worn by a very chic blonde with a shining perfectly groomed head, and the effect was fascinating. As you will notice in my sketch tho butterfly is an increasingly important decorative motive. Sometimes white feather butterflies perch 011 the shoulder of plain black crepe evening gowns and sometimes they rest on a glove or a handbag. In this case therg are two in flight on the red leather*belt of a navy blue wool ,crepe and taffeta suit. The roll collar and top of the frock and

tho lining and rovers of -Ihe circular jacket arc of stiff navy taffeta w'th a tiny cross on it. The sleeves ot the frock are short and have a flared cutt lined with the taffeta. The other suit is fashioned of navy mariette and has a wliito pique bow at the high neckline. Glass buttons strapped with navy fasten the front of the bodice and shirred pockets and tight-fitting basque form an interesting self trimming. A hoop of shirring encircles > tho bottom 01 either sleeve. Either of these suits would prove a good investment for tho town girl and would bo constantly wearable throughout the summer.