MY LADY'S DRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23108, 6 February 1937, Page 22

MY LADY'S DRESS

A LETTER'FROM SYDNEY

Dear "Phillida,"—Amid the whirl and excitement of the new season's openings, the thousand and one breathless distractions, it is often difficult to consider reasonably just what is right to buy. Perhaps you are one of the lucky ones who are planning a trip to England this year, or perhaps you are looking forward to a winter at home with plenty of days in town, plenty more on the golf course, and the thrill of an occasional country weekend. In either case you will not go wrong if you invest in one of the three-piece suits (topcoat, jacket, and skirt) which are a feature of every autumn collection. There are all sorts of new ideas this season which make them more interesting than ever. A great feature is made of contrasting bindings, often of leather, and of the play of one colour against another. Tweeds come in wonderful new shades with greater depth in them than ever before. "Drenched" is the word one English designer uses in describing them. Reds have a purplish cast, browns are subdued, and greens seem greyed with mist.

Both surfaces and colour mixtures are unusual. A melon pink tweed has raised flecks of green. A heavy tweed with Bordeaux and brown ground is

overchecked in egg-blue. Raised nubs of black and white distinguish a rich brown cloth. Plaids are gorgeous; wine shades are mixed with Oxford tan and black, red with two shades of grey. Multi-coloured mixtures in united tones are lovely. Take the multi-coloured swagger suit it my first sketch, for instance. It combines all that is new and desirable for sports, town and travel. The bindings are brown leather. The hip-length jacket is tightly fitted in contrast to the sporting top-coat which swings into a full back. Notice the comfortable patch pockets. A snuncoloured felt hat with a crevassed crown and a scarlet quill completes the ensemble. You'll find it an invaluable outfit as either the coat or suit can be worn separately, and, if you wish, a sweater can be substituted for the jacket. Slightly more formal is the other suit sketched. The fur-trimmed top-coat makes it correct for town and ideal for travelling—if you're air-minded, or if you are bent on seeing the country by car, you will relish the comfort of fur round the neck. The material is black tweed with a herringbone weave. Notice the neat dressmaker cut and stitching on the jacket, the ample swing back and copious sleeves of the coat. Black tweed again makes the skirt of an unusual and very lovely suit by Manbocher. Both the high-waisted. wide revered top-coat, which is devoid

of any fastening, and the short jacket with its tailored revers and square up-in-front cut are made from a subdued, misted pink tweed. A black velvet cravat and black antelope hat complete the outfit. | Wine red is used with brown for the \ jacket of a three-piece by Schiaparelh; the coat is bulky and trimmed, with plaited thongs of leather. The jacket, too, is edged with leather thongs and fastened by leather tasselled buttons. Antelope is the material chosen for an English three-piece that's grand for country wear. It's both rainproof and decorative. The suit, which has a straight skirt with a knife-pleat stitched and turned outwards at either side and a button-up the front belted jacket with four large patch pockets each with box pleat and buttoned flap. is a glorious dusty pink colour. Over the top goes a nut-brown swagger coat of three-quarter , length. The raglan sleeve seams, the turn-down collar, and patch pockets are all smartly glove- j stitched. A row of bone buttons fastens the front.

Navy blue wool makes another English three-piece smart for the traveller. The top-coat, which has a belted back with skirtv fullness, is overchecked in natural white lines, six inches apart. It has square shoulders, straight sleeves, a flat turn-back collar, and inverted tailored pockets. The suit that goes underneath is plain navy wool. The skirt is straight, with a folded pleat at one side. Buttons go

up the jacket front; the belt and tie are green suede. The check material makes a clever facing to the breast pockets, linking suit and top-coat. An important thing to remember when you travel is the desirability of economy of luggage space. If you work out your wardrobe necessities to a minimum and keep to your schedule you will save a great deal of money and energy. If you are going abroad this year, remember that England is cold even in the summer, and provide plenty of woollies. Of course, you will not want to buy many clothes before leaving, but here is a specimen list of what you should have. One three-piece tweed or wool suit for town, travel, and country. One blouse and sweater to wear with suit. One jersey or light-weight wool dress. One pair flannel slacks or jersey cullottes. Shirts, jumpers and cardigans ad lib. One summer suit for ports. Two summer frocks. Three evening frocks. One evening coat. One dinner dress or suit. One afternoon dress. Sp> -[aft Accessories to iZjQTIU^/^ go with each w outfit.