IN FASHION'S REALM

Otago Witness, Issue 3467, 24 August 1920, Page 49

IN FASHION'S REALM

WEEKLY UP-TO-DATE DRESS NOTES

Bt Marguerite.

The lura of spring is great, as always. One thing is certain enough—there is little that can be carried on from winter. The spring modes that have opened, whilst still providing the semblance of a link, declare for a revolutionary change all round. Millinery, of course, is always so, as how could the austere serve one moment with the buds bursting? And so the new millinery is light, airy, of silk, of straw, with transparent sections, with flowers and ribbons, with lace, and with all manner of pendants and other little tricks; and finally, with veils that go over the hat, that hang, from the brim edge, and that —wonders of wonders, also hang from the brim's inner one. As regards the adornment generally it will be great innings for flowers. And it will be similar one for laces and anything else that gives lightness and the touch of the hour. Again, it will be a considerable one for ribbons! —ribbons evolved surely in

fairy land, or at least by someone _ acquainted with it. But feathers, unless in a .modified form, in all the models I have seen so far are conspicuous largely for their absence. This, indeed, has been the trend for a long time. As regards frocks, youth will express itself in materials and designs together. Delicate fabrics of extraordinary beauty are seen, and the models show them made up into frocks with pleats, rufflings, _ ruchings,_ and ribbons to finish, such serving as_ girdles with streaming ends, which are often exquisitely wrought. The trend is towards a long blouse effect swathed about the waist, and as regards mere line somewhat suggestive of a "sweater" carelessly donned. These long blouse effects, then, merge with the skirt where they are not rendered contrastive by being of a differont material, and for the rest the necks are of all kinds—square, round, often extended with the band, and not so often with what we might call a collar. The long-waisted effect will, with the sleeve, hall mark many a blouse, and the reason why I say "with the sleeve" is because this is a mere to-elbow length with a frill to be as much even so, such frill being a simple flare, or a reverse, or in the usual "egg-boiler" style, half one way, half the other. But I cannot afford to show anything extreme in a picture, and so a selection that means all requirements for the simplest

of the simple—a nice design even bo, whether considered as the blouse of a frock or as a separate, the neck being one feature and the sleeve another. The blouse with a back and side seotion this beinjr from under the belt will allow or developments, as suppose we cascade the side to a knee depth and unite it with the apron effect provided by bringing. dswi&

the front of the blouse? But the bolero blouso is another thing, and for once has provided an addition to the skirt for which, so far, there is no adequate name. Thus, a straight bolero with generous frill falling to just over the waistband, and then, if you please, a peplum. over the skirt, and of it from the waist frilled, shaped, and suggesting a lower tier of the same garment. Add to such fancies the blouse with the crossed swathed fronts, frilled inset and frilled side, suggesting an underblouse; and blouse with a lace peplum, an idea which is likely to grow; and the blouse which looks like a shirt with a girdle and a dozen more arid you will still not have anything like the range. When it comes to skirts you may be as whimsical is ever art permits. Outstanding frills laid or. like flounces, who would have thought of suoh a thing? And in centre—that is, one Just above the k:.ee level, and the others, top and bottom, a few inches apart. But there are so many other quaintly pretty ideas that it does not do to be sure all at once. One thing is plain enough, the designers have tried to give a more or less sculptured effect to some of the draping—skirts which appear to have been caught up in _ the oddest way. the festooning folds taking a naturally beautiful course. When it comes to coat and skirt effects the talent to originate is tested to the uttermost. In every case it is for a longwaisted effect, and the coat is such only in name. Strictly speaking it is, I suppose, a tunic, but the variety of it is something astounding. It comes with long sleeves and short ones, according to how the blouse section is treated —to have a coat-like front or to suggest a blouse and nothing else. And the skirt of this part will be moderately to very long, complete or split in twain, from the waist down, at sides, and over a skirt as plain as possible. For a striking, as well as a pleasing, example take this. As vou see. it is a tunic of just the kind indicated, with a very charming collar and inset, and with a very short sleeve. And it is just as deep to the girdle as ever it is possible to get it,

and then it is divided in just the way mentioned. Incidentally the sash evidences its use in this selection pretty strongly, and the hat is worth a note —just the kind as it is, or with a transparent brim added. We shall see much in organdis, glossy taffetas, and filmy georgettes, in styles reminiscent of several periods, and above all of half a dozen countries, but for the broad expression East and West, which, in spite of Kipling, do meet —anyhow, in dress designs. W<e shall see much in the way of pleats, fine ones for choice, ruchings and in puffings, and in frills, and as regards embroideries and laces everything good from, the past supplemented by no end of thing from the magician'3 box that is labelled "the present." • Practically all shades are in vogue, everything in this way being a matter of choice for what will suit. And where colour is not so pronounced in the material itself as "a base" it will be in the pattern, respecting which the floral design proclaims spring and summer together. The blouse sectioned dress, sometimes actually so nad sometimes by suggestion, is going to be hall-marked everywhere. It is one, the blouso of which is an upper section to about the hip level, a sash pro-

viding the necessary suggestion indicated by this presentment of it. All things considered, it is quite a season's note with this peculiar adaptation of the peplum. idea and the flared sleeve to give it a finish} and notwithstanding that Russia is not > so much to everyone's fancy as in the pulsing

days of 1915 and 1916, candour compels me to say that it is more "Russian" as regards the derivation than anything else we have had for ever so many years. One thing we can say —that, although the new styles are so eminently different from those they have displaced, there is little to baffle the home dressmaker. We cannot expect to have it all our own way, and so If the designers have made radioal changes in the modes they have at least provided a range that permits of a good deal of copying. As regards pictures are always standards to suggest ideas, which are sometimes in one thing and sometimes in another, the seleotion permitting of a very wide choice. Thus the peplum shown with the picture just given may easily be imagined in lace, to hang over the skirt as freely as possible ; and then with the sash a little more trim, and no doubt the sleeve somewhat altered, there would be another design, and it happens to be one that is going to rule. But there are styles that cannot be treated in this happy-go-lucky fashion, and they cannot be omitted on that one account. For example, this is one of the very choicest of blouse styles, but it will not be easily made by an amateur. As a matter of should have liked the entire dress, and then. I could have shown a tunic scalloped in sympathy with the sleeve. The gathered to sdde blouse that resolves itself into a bow in the form given here is a very

delightful conception, the ends from the bow being as long as ever desired. _ And so wo move a further initial stage in the dress panorama now unfolding, with winter gone and Bpring in the ascendancy. This from Paris: —"Painted materials are being worn. Coats in velvet suitable for evening wear or for the races have ae trimming nainted designs. The colours are brilliant and rich. Painted chiffon is used for evening dresses, for blouses, and for linings."