ASCOT FASHIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23082, 6 July 1938, Page 7

ASCOT FASHIONS

SHORT SKIRTS TOPULAR MANY COLOURFUL FROCKS TRIM TAILORED LINEN SUITS [I'KOM or It OWN correspondent] LONDON, Juno 18 In writing of the general effect of the dressing at Ascot, our London correspondent described it as having a go-ns-you-plcnsc air, while, 011 the whole, short skirts proved more usual than loiik ones. Some were of knee length and so skimpy that movement was neither easy nor graceful Hundreds of women in gaily printed linens looked as if they were out for a morning's shopping. Other skirts were longer and fuller —fine pleated, perhaps, of chiffon—hut they were still short. ]t was on Gold Cup day that the real garden party dress, crisp and bouffant, made its appearance, and the effect was much more pleasing and appropriate to the setting, though in contrast there wore some very trim ensembles of tailored white linen, and some very smart ones in black satin. For the long full drosses, simple in stylo, laco was used, also organdie or stiffened net. Youthful Millinery Queen Mary's niece, the young Duchess of Beaufort, wore a long dross of pale butter colour faille, with a very wide waistbelt of brown, and a picture hat of dark brown straw trimmed with ribbon.! to match her frock. Suitable millinery for the young girl included the poke bonnet shape, but lots of the "sweet seven teens" were practically hatlcss, preferring to wear a wreath of flowers or a plaiting of ribbon, leaving the crown of the head exposed to a very hot sun. Millincij, of course, has gone crazy., and so have so-called "shoes." } It is many years since women s gowns hare been so bright as they are to-day. Vividly contrasting colours are introduced into printed materials; brilliant shoes, gloves and handbags are favoured. Puce and onrigc, violet and emerald green, wine red and chartreuse green, puce and sage, pansy purple with harebell blue, and raisin with duck-egg blue, are among the colour mixtures favoured by smart women, Reds include wine and rhododendron. Ostrich Feathers The Duchess of Northumberland wore a light silk dress striped horizontally, with black, yellow, scarlet and green. The Duchess of Westminster was m printed silk in shades of purple, red and blue, with a navy hat trimmed to match. It is frequently in cases like these that ostrich feathers of the required shades are used on the hats. And ostrich feathers are coining into favour for many purposes, including capes and boas. Ladv Chesham wore purple orchids 011 the shoulder of her smart black frock, and had a silver kid waistbelt. An orchid mauve skull cap with floating ends was twjsted round her head, with a black sombrero felt hat above it, and the. orchid note was repeated again in her long gloves. Striped "lollypop" silks are still in, and chiffons have taken up this pattern. Veiling has not beet used for years to the extent that it now is, sometimes covering the face, but moro often being used as a trimming in large, crisp ethereal bows and loops. Some of it is bordered with balls of chenillo in all colours, and those dangle and form the trimming. Some largo bows of crisp veiling are pinned to the hair in the pretence of being hats. Thousands of yards must have gono to Ascot. Varied Footwear Footwear was varied, and, of course, colourful, but there were more shoes with the centre toe-gap than with an entire foot, and verv often the feet soerned to bo parcelled up in strands of coloured kid or suede. Some of the so-called shoes, with very high heels, are of so slight a nature that they aro hardly even sandals. Osteopaths and chiropodists should bo working overtime. The black-coated men —and they numbered many thousands each day—gave their surroundings a very dingy and unseasonable appearance. Cooler and more comfortable were those who were in suits of light grey with light grey top-hats. The Kinij was in grey, as were his brothers, also the Earl of Lonsdale, the Earl of Harewood, the Earl of Derby, the Aga Khan —indeed, all tho best-known patrons of the turf. A carnation buttonhole was usually favoured.