A SUMMER WARDROBE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22878, 5 November 1937, Page 4

A SUMMER WARDROBE

BY BARBARA

REDINGOTE AS THE BASIS U CREPE OR CHIFFON FROCKS COJTON FOR EVENING WEAR

' LONDON. Oct. 18 Bj now yon will have one foot into summer' and be ready to contemplate warm weather clothes. Your spring shopping should bo over. If you are wise, you will havo acquired a lightweight wool frock with its accompanying boxv jacket, a wool dressmaker suit tailored flannel classic, and the dark wool redingote that is to form the basis of your summer wardrobe. Under it will go your printed silk afternoon frocks and your plain crepes. AVith it you will wear a straight or Breton 6ailor for town and a skull cap or toque for cocktails. You will be indulging in a feast of artificial flowers and your hats will have wispy veils blown about them. Your gloves and accessories will be as many-hued as a butterfly's wing, and butterflies and bows will be your favourite decorative motiis. In fact' aon ' will be all ready to pick the plums from overseas summer collections, to profit hy our experience and buy only the season's successes. Extremes to be Avoided You will know to avoid extremes of style—-over-bulky shoulders, » ar <r ( j tunics and over-fussy skirts and will concentrate on the smooth flowing lintys of to-day. You will be able in fact to adapt the autumn silhouette to summer materials. The daytime sheers that are being worn in London, Isew York and Paris now as summer-autumn gobetweiins will bo your first hot-weather frock>s< If Vou want to be practical as well as chic, von will have at least one plain black or navy crepe or chiffon. This can be worn all the summer through—on hot days with a widebrimmed hat to match trimmed perhaps with dark red roses, and on cold days under your redingote with your straight sailor or toque. The lines of this frock will be simple. Ike skirt ■will invariably be straight vita only slight fullness in the centre front; the bodice Mill steal the thunder, being shirred, draped or tucked. It may cross over and wrap round the waist, it may button down the front, or it may drop in folds across the shoulders to the elbow, but however it is cut, emphasis will be placed on the bust line. Its neck may be high or come to a low front, and the important thing to rejnember is that all interest should be concentrated between waist and throat. This is illustrated by the two models in my sketch. On the left you sec a white crepe • frock that, though simply cut, is right for dress-up occasions. This particular model won first -prize in the Grand Prix d'Elegance last month at the Paris Exhibition. The off-tlie-face hat with its dashing onesided sweep is trimmed with a cockade of royal blue. The other sketch shows an equally enchanting frock also very simple in cut and elegant in its effect. This model with its draped shoulder line, drawstring and appliqued belt, was made of pearl grey crepe. Both these frocks are specially suitable for grand occasions if you are not afrid of cleaners' bills. :t ' From the South of Franco comes news of ravishing beach iclothes and the most exciting fevening gowns of the summer, brunette caused a sensation - ipt the Casino in Monaco when she appeared in a sheath-fitting frock of clull-finish silk jersey in a peculiar shade of bright rose pink. From a square neck.line this frock clung snugly to the figure its far as the knees, where it broke into two wide horizontal bands of deepening rose. These bands were pulled toward /the front and draped upward to the waist. A much simpler and equally effective frock of a different variety was made from two colours of the same printed chiffon. The almost nonexistent bodice and the full waltzing skirt were made from blue and white chiffon, and round the bottom of the fikirt from the knees to the ankles went a band of the same print in pink and Jrhite. , i . S Cotton For-The Evening ,§ Cotton evening frocks have scored accumulating successes the summer "•through. One of the most enchanting *§ have seen was made from striped |inen —white, .pink and greeny-blue stripes of varying width emphasised by narrow black lines. On skirt and bodice "the stripes ran horizontally in pyramid effect from the wide hemline to tho ; ibust. Narrow shoulder straps propped lip the bodice A cotton evening coat livhich also served as beach wrap was ipade from blue and white striped linen, (teamed in chevroh effect both back and front. The sleeves were long and slender and only slightly squared at the aTioiilder. The bodice came high tip to the peck and just met all the way down the front, and at the waist it tied in a single bow. Whether worn over a white pique evening frock or a navy blue; silk jersey swim suit, the coat had 'a distinction which lifted it beyond Criticism. J Double purpose coats are a feature of Bummer collections. For instance I have just seen a beach coat-cum dressing gown made from a candle-wick bedspread. Cut in princess style the Oandle-wick trimming traced diamonds all over it. A cotton cord edged the Tieck and tied at tho throat, and the front edges were held together by clip, fastenings.