MY LADY'S DRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23577, 13 August 1938, Page 31

MY LADY'S DRESS

A LETTER FROM LONDON Dear Phillida,—The gay flower prints which have been such a prominent feature of this season's collections have burst into full bloom during this past week—the hottest of the summer. At Ascot every other woman displayed a frock made of one of these intensely bright prints, and at the opera the usual formal plain crepes and satins were liberally interspersed with them. Their colours are the gayest, and their designs the most original that T have ever seen. All shades of purple and petunia, raspberry and emerald were tops, and mustard, pale blue, and shocking pink running a close second. Then materials are different, too. Many of these floral frocks were made of lace—probably wool lace—and others of the flimiest of silk chiffons cut in tailored style. A great many of the prints had their patterns banded around them, like borders that repeat all the way up. These are manipulated like stripes, sometimes being cut on the cross and some-

times placed both horizontally and vertically on the same frock. Despite the heat of the sun. nearly every woman wore or carried a lightweight wool coat. Two of these I have drawn for you. The first displays its extreme simplicity of cut by the accent laid on waist and chest by appliqued scrolls of the material. Applique again features in the second coat, which has inset circles of black net disturbing its smooth black wool surface. Both these coats, you will observe, are of the edge-to-edge variety, and both feature slightly squared shoulders and straight skirts with very slight bodice fullness. The two hats I have sketched were of usual sailor types—one off the face and the other a jaunty Breton, its shallow crown topped by a stiffened bow of grosgrain ribbon. The Duchess of Kent triumphed eacn day with her hat fashions. Emulating Queen Alexandra, she wore tall, cloche-like toques twirled around with mounting ostrich feathers, each hat similar in shape, though not exactly the same as its predecessor. With her new coiffure —hair waved and piled high on her head—this hat fashion was the most becoming her Royal Highness has ever sponsored. There seemed to be no rule as to the width of brims, for every brimless toque a sweeping brimmed picture hat appeared. Flowers

were everywhere. Sometimes they fashioned a whole hat when it was brimless, and sometimes they covered the crown of a wide-brimmed sailor or dipping brimmed picture hat. Veils, also, there were in profusion on every type of hat, being cither matching or contrasting in colour. Again they stood like headlights on the front crown of a shovel-shaped straw. Applique work was featured a great deal, particularly when it was of contrasting colour to the frock or coat it decorated. One extremely striking ensemble of black crepe had scrolls like curled spears mounting from its slender hemline up one side to cover the entire bodice front A black hat worn with this outfit boasted similar curled scroll trimming. And fox furs contributed to the general elegance of the ensemble. Last night was the last of the Covent Garden season, and the performance of Die Meistersinger began promptly at 6.30. The day was extremely hot, and it was a strange sight to see men in white ties and tails, women elaborately coiffured and groomed hurrying to get to their seats before the overture began. Hair styles were perhaps the most conspicuous part of their dress-

ing. Nearly all were extremely formal and stylised, and with the older women present it was interesting to note how they had taken advantage of their grey heads by having them in a shade to tone with their costumes I saw a tall, slender woman wearing a full-length coat of purple taffeta over her blue faille dress, her white head rinsed with the same shade of blue and her only jewels an enormous ruby brooch and ring. Purple and petunia, so appropriate for this grand occasion, were chosen by a number of women—one enchaining chiffon frock combining both. A petunia sash was twisted in front between the breasts, continued scarf-like round the neck, and fell in two lone train ends to the floor behind. Besides the mort usual debutante white, which, by the way, is a splendid foil to the great red plush horse' shoe that is Covent Garden, one young girl wore a gipsy frock of white chiffon with swirling, shining ribbon stripes of emerald, gold, cherry, blue, raspberry, purple and lolly pink upon it. This strange, shimmering medley of colours were drawn in diagonal spreading lines on the spreading skirt pulled horizon-

tally round the waist, and then caught up to the shoulders. London, June 18

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