MY LADY’S DRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23707, 14 January 1939, Page 23

MY LADY’S DRESS

A LETTER FROM LONDON Dear Phillida.—lt all began in America, where little girls are sophisticated at eight, and where mothers and daughters go out together a great deal more than they do in this country There children began to emulate the clothes oi their mammas or clothesconscious mothers would wear dresses very like those of their daughters Now, however, a happy compromise has been reached and mothers and daughters wear dresses that are not exact replicas of each other, although they may seem to be so at a first glance. They have, in actual fact, just those little differences necessary to prevent the mother’s dress from seem ing childish and the daughter’s sophisticated. In my sketch you may see one oi these “ twin ” outfits. Here both dresses are made from navy blue taffetas with flounced skirts, each frill of which is outlined with cherry velvet ribbon. Both mother and daughter have collars

and cuffs of coffee-coloured lace, but the mother’s sleeves are short, while those of her daughter are wrist-length, and daughter wears a narrow sash of the cherry velvet ribbon round her waist. This would be the perfect thing to wear for both mother and daughter at the latter’s birthday party. Although most little English girls wear very simply styled coats with fitted bodices and skirts that flare in princess line, some young things this year have been seen in coats that very nearly resembled their mothers Notably I have seen a mother and daughter both dressed in blue velour coats, each with sophisticated muffs of black persian lamb! This pair were cut also with full skirts and tight bodices, but this time the skirts were gathered instead of being flared. Of course this idea can be carried too far, but if you are a young mother;, with a pretty young daughter vou will probably find it great fun. Dancing a the Berkeley Hotel last night I saw London s most beautiful young matron, although her daughter was, of course, not with i er—and even if she had been would certainly not have been old enough to dress like her mother. This was Mrs Charles

Sweeney, the former Miss Margaret Whigham, who a year or two ago was acclaimed the most beautiful debutante of her, or any subsequent, season. Last night she was wearing a sheathlike dress of black velvet, which was cut right off the shoulder and had a decorative fischu of coral lace continuing in two big bow ends cn either arm. Another verv striking dress was worn by a. tall, glamorous blonde. Made of snow-white tulle, it was sunray pleated all over, and then encrusted with diamante in star design. The bodice was very lo\ and fitted, the waist was marked by a belt of diamante. and the skirt swirled out as she danced. Over her head was a sarilike scart of the tulle, also encrusted with diamante. Still another extremely fascinating frock was fashioned from raspberry-coloured faille, and was cut with a slight bustle in the manner of the eighties.’ The heart-shaped bodice ' as cut low and the sleeve: stood up very high from the shoulder. This type of sleeve is becoming more and more popular, both for day and evening. Yesterday 1 saw the most enchanting afternoon dress of the season, again made from

faille, this time in a lovely amethyst shade. The fitted bodice fastened down the front with tiny crystal buttons. The skirt was gored to flare, and the sleeves were cut so that they stood upwards in two puffs from the shoulders. An exquisite finishing touch was a narrow frilling of matching lace round both the neck and sleeves. Already the circus at Olympia is making itself felt in the fashion field. Schiaparelli shows in her latest collection an array of Harlequin costumes that contrast with and reflect the circus atmosphere more subtly than her frankly clownish costumes of the spring. She puts multi-coloured diamond patches all over the sleeves of a long black velvet evening coat. Her hats have seductive mask-veils or are perhaps shaped like masks in their entirety. Another trick is to splash two vermilion lips on the brim of a black velvet beret or the lapel of a velvet jacket. Altogether, fashion has gone gay—gay in colour, <T) . in silhouette. December 12, 1938.