EVENING FROCKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23320, 13 April 1939, Page 4

EVENING FROCKS

CHANGED SILHOUETTE ORINOLINES AND BUSTLES SOME NOVEL ACCESSORIES BY BARBARA LONDON, March 20 A glance at the two frocks in my sketch this week shows tho immense versatility of to-day's, or rather tonight's, mode. Here is a billowing crinoline, four tiers of gathered chiffon suspended on a neatly fitting, sleeveless bodice, and next to it a frock that is as slender as a lily stem but for its voluminous sleeves! Always it seems there will be women to wear the slender slip-like frock and occasions to wear them. Paris shows them still, yet for us tho crinoline is mora indicative of the new fashion. Roughly, the coming silhouette may be said to be this —a slender, neatlyfitted waistline, above and below which curve gently rounded bust and hips. Rounded they must be, but that is all. Little boy figures may bo out, but tho gaiety girl is likewise out. To-day our figures are supple, girlish and curved.

Victorian Manner To return to the two frocks which I have selected for my sketches. Tho crinoline frock is by Patou and is fashioned from black chiffon and black velvet, very Victorian, feminino and elegant looking. A suspender strap of black velvet ribbon supports tho bodico with its gathered fullness in front. A superb bunch of white violets is tucked into the tightly stretched black velvet sash, which ties with two carelessly protruding ends. From this slend'er waistline tho skirt falls in four gathered tiers, each outlined with a band of black velvet ribbon. The frock on the left is perhaps a little less formal, although it is the kind of dress often worn to the opera or to an ambassadorial reception. Its sheath-like silhouetto is thrown into relief by the enormities that are its sleeves. A strong note of individuality is struck by a necklace of roughly-hewn, semi-precious stones, and a line of these same stones runs down one side of the frock. With this gown an osprey headdress may be worn, and the wearer can then faco anything. Stop press news from P.lris tells of the immense success of lingerie touches on both day and evening dresses. Guimpes, collars and cuffs, inset panels, hat-trims, and, above all, petticoats in snowy organdie, muslin, lace, and

eyelet-embroidered cottons and lawns | are all seen/ They are allied to tho strangest materials, to taffetas, for instance. and faille. Over, a tightlywaisted, slightly bustled black taffetas frock goes a boxy coat of icing-whito Irish lace, with huge leg-o'-mutton taffetas sleeves gathered into tight white lace cuffs. Another black faille frock shows a square yoke of white lace inset to a fitted bodice, below which balloons a gathered skirt. The peg-topped sleeves narrow at the wrist, where they button with tiny covered buttons. Covered buttons also fasten tho bodico back. Several designers show whole frocks of white lace. Usually it is of tho thickly incrusted variety, sometimes with its white icing design outlined with little white beads. This lace is lovely in crinolines —it stands out so stiffly—and it looks enchanting When fashioned into Queen Elizabeth sleeves. There is just a hint in the now collections of the perhaps coming importance of bustles. It will be amusing to see if they will follow the crinoline stylo as they did in the eighteen hundreds. So far wo have few actual bustles although quite a number of frocks have apron effects in front. Little ribbon bows of velvet or satin often fasten' skirt loops and are tied enchantingly at square necklines or on sleeves. They are in sharp colour contrast to tho frocks on which they appear, such as black velvet on white satin and cherry velvet on black satin.