AN OLDER WOMAN’S A.B.C.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21772, 11 October 1932, Page 15

AN OLDER WOMAN’S A.B.C.

Adaptations of the smartest are what you want, never “ old ladies’ dresses ” (says a writer in an exchange). If the neck-line, waist-line, and fit are adjusted, all is well. Be very sure to keep your mind and heart young, for unless the heart be gay all your smart dressing will be as naught. , . Colours for you include practically the whole rainbow. Don’t get the idea that only purple and black arc suitable. Dark blue or brown make welcome changes in the evening, and you can wear beautifully the soft, light colours now so smart. Distinction should be the keynote of your clothes, not le dernier cri. Avoid any exaggerations at all. Evening dresses usually look better on you if they have a little sleeve or jacket to cover the upper arm. That's one of your most vulnerable points. Also, see that the cut under the arm is high. Fit should be your greatest concern. Manage a well-fitted effect, but don’t look overstuffed. Bias-cut things are marvellous, and faggoting will make for fewer seams and make you look thinner, as well. Good workmanship and beautiful materials are most important for you. Hairlines change with other fashions. Yours should, too. Nothing could be more becoming to the older woman than this, hair simple, slightly waved, and brought back rather straight from the brow to a simple knot of curls. “ I can’t wear that," is a phrase you should avoid. Prejudices limit your possibilities. Be a good, spprt about trying something different sometimes. Jackets are your friends, for street, for sports, -for evening. You can wear any type except the bolero.

Keep your figure trim. Be willing to spend on your corsets, and, besides, take an exercise course. Lengthen your skirts only as far as the present fashions demand. Don’t think just because you have grandchildren you must step out of the fashion picture. Mirrors don’t He. Back-up to yours “'before you decide on a dress. People see you going as well as coming. Necklines are the most vital part of a dress for you. Get a becoming neck-line, and fit will take care of the rest of the dress. Cowl neck-lines are now rivalling the old surplice line, and they’re tremendously flattering. A scarf will often do the trick, too. Older women often have much more chic than younger ones. But it .takes wisdom to steer between the nerils of stark unbecomingness and fussiness. Prints of the small, neat variety with .dark backgrounds are good. But you can choose a big pattern if the colours are softly blended, not spotty. Quirks and whims of fashion are not for you. Heed the fundamentals of the season’s mode, and don’t go in for the fads that delight a debutante. Richness can well mark your evening •clothes.’ You have the dignity to carry it. Skirts, to look best on you, should have the fullness removed from the sides so they appear to hang straight. lip, your hat down on the right, up on the left. It will not only be smarter, it will be more becoming than one plumped straight on your head. And do have a hat with a brim this year. -!-Uniformity in older women Si clothes is depressingly prevalent. Don’t be lazy about your clothes, but choose something individual and flattering. Variety is the spice of life in your daughter s wardrobe; but not in yours. One really good dress is better for you than six shoddy substitutes. If you like some colour like dark rose-red or helitrope-blue, don t be afraid of wearing it again and again. Now, if ever, you have a personality to express. Or, if some dress has. especially becoming lines, have it copied instead or seeking a change. One good neckline will stand a dozen repetitions. White hair is one of your greatest assets. Never, never dye it. If you do. you’ll look older, not younger. X Y, / are the. indescribable somethings; the frequent manicures, occasional facials, and all the little finishing touches of good grooming,/which you must make an effort not to forget if you want to emerge truly chic. .