IN FASHION’S REALM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3519, 23 August 1921, Page 49

IN FASHION’S REALM.

WEEKLY UP-TO-DATE DRESS NOTES.

By

MARGUERIPR.

The most noteworthy thing in the new modes is, in my opinion, the long waist-, and the second most, notable thing the use of slit free panels, both as part of coats (of a kind) and as the feature with skirts when of a. frock. I have seen a hundred advance designs or more, and this has been brought home to me in all. Following as much a striking thing is the sleeve—it flares in almost every case, a short full length, a three-quarter length, an elbow length, and, with evening dress, a “cap” length. Then, taking accessories, the sash has arrived it a stage when it may fairly be considered part of the dress—an immense sash as a rule, deep enough to swathe round a low waist, and then to make an immense bow at the side or side front, with ends that hang to almost the hem of the skirt. At the same time the cord girdle is seen, and will continue to be—a-loseiy-plaited cord worn as low as in a dressing gown, with perhaps a single end resulting in an enormous ornament—tassel or some other fancy. Again fringes will be much used on the dresses permitting them, but not of the heathenism pattern of oilier days--trim, close fringes which will fee found very serviceable as a finish to short sleeves, and again as one to sashes. The two little sketches herewith convey some idea of what is before me, and rather aptly. Take the one on the left, and by continuing the lines down complete a dress. It is with a coat effect, as the lines of the 1 blouse ’ run into panels which hang over

I the skirt to three-quarters of its length. Here we get the long waist, the free and eaay fit-, the flared sleeve, and finally the sash —an immense one tied artistically, and with far larger ends, if desired. The other example i.s one where cut and finish are every tiling—a long waist again, girdle tins time, and a “cap” sleeve with fringe to finish I must not overlook embroideries in these present observations. We know what we bare had, anti so the bare question —are they to be amplified or modified? I should say, on the whole, the former, and because certain models 1 have seen were tremendously worked in this way. Taking coats where of coats and skirls —the tailored variety —the coats were embroidered to quite half of what was b low the belt, and then, being slit, up the sides; and the coats, where open to rite waist, were with an embroidered inset. But. one example was all embroidery from below the belt, with sprays rising above it to indicate the connection ; and in another case there was a very free use of beads. But. taking frocks everything was at the acme, and so the coats were quite eclipsed. One dress with a long waist and mmols ■' rci-t back had, through the latter, a hiatus at the sides--that is an exposure of tue unth >■- skui front thc_ waist to the hem. and it was all embroidery. Then two or three examples of the tunic kind were most elaborately wrought, the blouse being very freely worked on the lower part, and the tunic itself to a half depth, lower part, fairly smothered. Even a frock had ail Ibe lower part of the skirt worked in beads, a distinguishing feature with this selection being a .sash, the proportions of I which were truly immense. ! Embroideries in stitches of the ordinary j kind, machine and hand wrought, and in | heads, and again in both and with fringes, command attention in dresses with combination colour effects. 111 draped styles, in tailored, even when trim, and ir the “bouf-

fant”—for street, sports, afternoon, and evening And for materials, who shall attempt to eet them out when so many

names are employed, old anil new together? 1 was glancing at one little list, amt gave it up after noting the following:—Taffetas, crepes, erode de chine, georgette, satins, j Gant-on crepes, Morocco crepes, paulette cre-pcs, chiffons, tricotines, piqiietines, twills, j eto :-> etc. The smart overblouse* that are going to rule with so much grace will be lace-trimmed, beaded, embroiderd. and tuck-trimmed, and round and square necks wiil be equally in order. As a preliminary spring dress to convey many things at once, what- c-ould be batter Shan this a- dress which proclaim.-; the long waist that shows one of the possibilities with panels, as in this ease they are overlapped in, if X may say it, “scale” or “shingle” style, and that, to finish, has a very pretty neck, a very pretty sleeve, and, above all, a very pretty contour. And once more the sash declares itself as a pre-eminent accessory wide, long, and artistically tied. ] We shall see many box coats—little coats | hanging as freely as a. cape, and some of i them—and the best —having raised collars jat the back with a very pretty fold. And I have got to mention them with some | emphasis, because they may be fairly en- | crusted with embroidery—all the hen. as j ] a border, the back in a design suitable to j j the position, and the sleeves, and. gener- \ ally, perhaps at the inset rather than on j j the cuff. These charming free and easy I j coals —which 1 should like to call coatee.s — j i will, however, be challenged by another ! type of short coat -the one with a long i waist, a belt with a book-marker fold | and streamers and a flare. This flare will be ore of the season’s features, and may | be either plain to take wb-it natural folds if may. or in the form of broad pleats, | either box or over and tinders. The plain j ones providing the field, (here will be the embroidered design again—scrolls, turns, borders, motifs, etc. j Incidentally the scarf will not go out oi fashion, but, on the contrary, may conceivably prove 4t fad. It will in certain cases be a scarf of the mabvial with fringed ends, but observe —sometimes for | ornament and not actually for use. In a j word, it: may be carried over the arm, and ! where it is, then who would trouble about. I a sash when such together would amount j to painting the rainbow and gilding the ! lily? I saw one model in tailored style— | coat with a flare, and this slit at the sides ! and decorated, and a scarf to go with all, j repealing the embroide-y on ihe ends —a j little thing that seemed to my mind to - strike a. very acceptable as well as quite new note. Speaking of crepe satins, etc., 1 note | that someone says that they are used “for i suits, dresses, capes, blouse, evening gown ] in short, for practically everything, though one sees them most frequent.y m uuer- ; i noon costumes. They are usually plain 1 i materials in plain colours, though brocade I patterns a.nd designs are used occasionally j ! for the long body with a plain satin or I | crepe skirt, or for the waistcoat part of a | blouse with a handsome suit. For added j design and colour the up-to-date dressmaker i turns to hand-emlnoideiy or for a very ! elegant afternoon dress uses Chantilly lace j over taffeta or satin.” And the same I I authority goes on more generally in this: \ “Wool suits ate made for the most part I of tricotine, gabardine, soft twills, serge. I wool repp, and wool poplin. The classical | tailor-made and the sports type of suit | with straight linos and a narrow belt are J made of cheeks, stripes, plaids, oxford, I camel’s hair suiting, wool jersey, cheviot, [ and homespun. The silk suit is made- of ! crepe de chine, Canton crepe, crepe meteor, j satin, satin cashmere, shantung, faille, silk I eponge, taffeta, and pongee.” As regards spring millinery, what shall j be said beyond the fact that such as has i i been displayed in the choices: of the choice, J i and that such as i.s to follow will strike the ( highest note in this particular art ! Pro- j tiding an unusual feature there is the feather hat —something of French origin, | which, I may say, “got” London as seldom i before, and turned New York’s head. It

is not easy to draw feathers nicely in pen and ink, and it is decidedly hard to do so where the feathers are like fluff and clustered, w. h nothing else for a background. But such as the possibilities may be, here is one example—a. feather hat that Is all feathers, or at least so in effect. What do you think of it? The one apology I have to offer is that all i- fish that: reaches iny net in the way of fashion. But T cannot dismiss ihe feather millinery j in a line and with a single illustration, so 1 I present another model, and this time one that looks a little more logical. This because there is a hat in the “background,” the feather playing its part in the brim. 1 In the making of the block the front part j has been shorn, as the points of the feathers j come together like the tips of your fingers I with both hands. This model is emphati-

cally smart a very well shaped crown with a turned bum with whbh the feather trimming is united in artistic fashion, the same one side as the other. I can see plainly enough that, the inspiration for this was in the wreath —the kind vve see round the heads of “godesses. ’ ’ New Zealand’s emancipation from washboard slavery was brought about through, the scientific discovery of “No Rubbing 1 1 Laundry Help. One shilling packet does j seven weekly washings perfectly.-—North Otago Farmers’ 00-op., Ltd., Agents for < “No Rubbing.”