MY LADY’S DRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23332, 26 October 1937, Page 16

MY LADY’S DRESS

A LETTER FROM LONDON 1 Dear Phillida,—By now you will have one foot into summer and be ready to contemplate warm-weather clothes. Your spring shopping should be over. If you are wise you will have acquired ,a light-weight wool frock with its accompanying boxy jacket, a wool dressmaker suit, or 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. With it you will wear a straight or Breton sailor 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 motifs decoratifs. In fact, you will be all ready to pick the plums from overseas summer collections, to profit by our experience and buy only the season's successes. You will know to avoid extremes ot style—over bulkv shoulders, flared tunics, and over-fussy skirts—and will concentrate on the smooth, flowing

lines of 10-day. You will, in fact, be able to adapt the autumn silhouette to summer materials. The daytime sheers that are being worn in London New York, and Paris now as summerautumn go-betweens will bo your first hot-weather frocks. If you want to be practical, as well as chic, you will have at least oneplain black or navy crepe or chiffon This can be worn all summer through —on hot days with a wide-brimmed hat to match perhaps with dark-red roses, and on cold days under youi redingote with your straight sailor or toque. The lines of this frock will be simple. The skirt will invariably be straight .with only slight fullness in the centre front; the bodice • will 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 remember is that all interest shuld be concentrated between waist and throat. This is illustrated by the two models in my sketch. On the loft you see a superb white crepe frock that, though simply cut, is right for dress-up occasions. This particular model won first prize in the Grand Prix d’Elegancc

last month at the Paris Exhibition. The off-the-face hat. with its dashing one-sided sweep is trimmed with a cockade of royal blue. The other sketch shows an equally enchanting frock, also very simple in cut and stunning in effect. This model, with its draped shoulder line, drawstring, and appliqued belt, was made of pearl-grey crepe. Both these frocks are unbeatable for grand occasions, if you are not afraid of cleaners’ bills. From the South of France comes news of ravishing beach clothes and the most exciting evening gowns of the summer. A lithe brunette caused a sensation at the Casino in Monaco when she appeared in a sheath-fitting frock of dull-flnish silk jersey in a peculiar shade of bright rose pink. From a square neckline this frock clung snugly to the figure as far as the knees, where it broke into two wide, horizontal bands of deepening rose. These bands were pulled towards the front and draped upwards 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 non-existent bodice and the full waltzing skirt were made from blue and white chiffon, and round the bottom of the skirt from the knees to the ankles went a band of the same print in pink and white Cotton evening frocks have scored accumulating successes the summer

through. One of the most enchanting 1 have seen was made from striped linen—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 the waist. Narrow shoulder straps propped up the bodice. A cotton evening coat which also served as beach wrap was made from blue and white striped linen seamed in chevron effect both back and front. The sleeves wore long and slender, and only slightly squared at the shoulder The bodice came high up to the neck, and just met all the way down the front: 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. Double-purpose coats are a feature of summer collections. For instance. I have just seen an enchanting beaqh coat cum dressing gown made from a candle-wick bedspread. Cut in princess style the candle-wick trimming traced diamonds all over it, A cotton cord edged the neck and tied at the throat, and the front edges were . S i fSS s by JOahUm September 10.