FROCKS AND FASHIONS IN LONDON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3842, 1 November 1927, Page 67

FROCKS AND FASHIONS IN LONDON.

By a Ladt Correspondent.

(.Special fob the Otago Witness.) After so disastrous a summer, whereof you could count the hot days on your' fingers, we were all ready for the autumn fashions weeks before usual, and waiting interestedly to criticise, albeit obediiently, what the great designers have been evolving for us during those days when we should have been sun bathing and enjoying diapha- "is frocks. The majority of the great designers are specialists. True, they show allround collections, but there is an individual note which predominates, and which one associates alway.j wi a their names. Regarding this an amusing tale is going round just now concerning two famous dress geniuses who met at a dinner party. Said madame to monsieur: “ Your'"chiffon gowns are the most marvellous of all; I wish I could make them so well; but you cannot touch me for crepe de chine frocks.” Monsieur invited madame to his collection, and later visited hers; the compliments of both were long and well founded. That was a year ago. To-day monsieur’s chiffon gowns are negligible, but his crepe de chine frocks each a masterpiece. Madame scarcely remembers the possibilities of crepe de chine, but her chiffon gowns have brought her fame’ the world over. There is nothing like being put on your mettle for calling for the latest talents. INBRED TALENT. There are some specialists, however, whose talent is inbred and so much a part of themselves as to defy competition. England and sports clothe- for example. Other great fashion centres have awakened to the charm of-the trim simplicity good sports clothes, and have made this the keynote of to-day’s mode; but for the people who really play games, ride, walk, fish, and gc out in all weathers in every climate nobody in the world can- touch England for making their clothes. Newly returned from the Paris openings, where, by the way, they show quantities of tweeds in neutral blues, browns, greys, beiges, green's, and reddish shades, I went into Burberry’s to inspect their new autumn models, and, looking at them, I thought: “ Well, none can beat London for real sports clothes.” Apart from the cut of the clothes and their design (which incurs so much practical thought and sporting knowledge in the pivot shoulder, the placing of a pocket, of a pleat, of a seam), the material itself—light, warm, weather resisting —breathes of the moors, the greyblue mountains, the gc-ld and greer valleys in their lovely colourings. The-e is something of all Ireland in those coats of Connemara tweed —grey and greenish, beige and fawn with a fleck of red or of cobalt, of green or bracken brown appearing here and there in the soft fabric. Belted and plain, straight or with pointe yokes and slotted seams, these tweed coats arc welcome additions to oui- wardrobes in all sea: ons, for as comfy as they are smart, they belong to that category of clothes which we rank amongst our friends.

NEW FABRICS FOR AUTUMN COATS.

One very striking coat in these Haymarket showrooms was of Saxony wool in honey brown, with a broad slurred check of rust and black merging softly into its closely-woven, beautifully light ■warm texture. The lines oi this wrap were straight and plain, as a check coat should be, and a big beaver coller gave a pleasingly harmonious finishing touch.

W». 1 and silk interwoven was - a most effective combination, and the colourings in which this fabric was employed are ideal for autumn and winter wear. The mulberry red trimmed with inset strip bands of face doth (also used to line the coat), and having either beaver or coney chinchilla collar, was a good example, which showed this material to excellent advantage. Little ray strips of the face cloth were inserted and radiated from below the collar line between the shoulders —after the manner we are employi g tucks on jumpers—and gave a charming distinction to the coat, which could be obtained either belted or plain. WOMAN’S PHILOSOPHY OF CLOTHES. Most men consider" women’s philosophy of very odd and wholly illogieai, but since we arrive at good results who are they to judg- our methods simply because they'fail to understand them j A man laughs if he hears of a woman buying a gown to make a fitting background for an ornament she prizes, or if he sees her endeavouring to choose patterns for a gown to match some singularly becoming hat, instead of following the conventional method and selecting a main item before buying accessories. Yet this way is just as sound. Good clothes should have a keynote of character, and if a buckle instead of a robe de style be the foundation what does it matter if the completed toilette be pleasing? Now “ would advise anyone considering, a trifle undecidedly, the colour scheme and generally planning. of her autumn wardrobe to go out and buy a new hat—a hat she will love wearing, a good hat, which is becoming alike to her head and her personality. The most hard-headed wiseajcres have admitted that there are greater tonic propertie: for the female of the species in a new hat than in any array of medicine bottles, tiiough the reason .for this truth

escapes definition. Let her then -earch for a hat after her own heart, and then, with the renewed interest and enthusiasm for making the best of herself that this has given her, deal with the matter of the rest of her wardrobe. It is immaterial if the hat she chooses be red, blue, green, or golden brown, she must choose some neutral rote for the main part of her wardrobe—navy, grey, beige, brown, or black—and then the hat, however vivid, may be worn'with any of these, and with a buttonhole and a bag to match voila—it ceases to be an extravagance. On such an occasion—for that matter on any occasion—if she goes to Mada e Albert, in Maddox street, she will have chosen wisely, for here, in a long widewindowed salon, are hats for every type of face and for all occasions. In the autumn collection which now is being shown the hats arrayed in all sizes are as full of personality, and as different as a crowd of people at a reception. There are models for the dowager, charming ideas for the debutante, and inspirations for the femme du monde. There are felts, b velours, satins, velvets, felt and velvet in alliance, duvetyn and corded ribbon; there are close-fitting turbans and helmets, narrow-brimmed slashed felts, larger picture hats and others imposingly trimmed with “ paradise ” and osprey to give a lovely sweeping'line to models of beautifully proportioned line. TONICS AND INSPIRATIONS. I saw one charming little close hat there of black felt with a brim turning off the face, apres Napoleon, and having a cleverly folded bow of thick soft black satin at one side towards the back; another, a Reboux model, was of geranium red velvet moulded rather as a turban, and having a band of the velvet slotted through to end in a choux at one side. Reboux was represented also by a velour model in warmy berry red; fashioned like the helmet of an eighteenth century French soldier it fitted the head, giving a slight peak to the brimline, and rising to a widening crown completed with a trim narrow bow of its own material in the centre front. The excellence of line and simple distinction of the hat made it ideal for wear with the tailored suit which has returned so successfully to favour.

FELT IN TURBANS AND CORONETS. Honey-coloured felt was used for an extremely pretty little model built on the lines of an airman’s helmet; perfectly cut, it was softened by a narrowpointed folded back brim, and ear pieces of stitched velvet to match. Lemonnier, who is difficult to beat for turban or coronet felts, had made a black model for Madame Albert, which was a hat to be remembered. Of sooty black felt, it widened In coronet form from a closely fitting edge, and was completed. simply but perfectly with a narrow strip buckletype ornament of black and silver arabesques.

Lightweight velours are important features of this autumn's modes, and Madame Albert is showing them to excellent advantage in a wide variety of shapes and colourings. A very successful example was a close fitting airman’s helmet-shaped hat of pearl grey, slit and slashed with crepe de chine to match, and having the most becoming earpieces tabbed with metal edging. At the nape of the neck the slashing of the felt was repeated to give a note of originality and distinctive charm.

LIKE THE POOR—ALWAYS WITH US. The beret in some form or another is always • with us, and here it was of smooth black felt trimmed with groups of soft little feathers in pink beige, and again in black with deep scylla blue feathers almost covering the crown. One Maria Guy hat was trimmed with tufts of corded ribbon, the semi-circular sweep of the brim being echoed in the line of the fine mask-veil of the variety the lovely eighteenth century ladies of Venice brought to fame in Fashion’s history. This mask-veil is yet another important millinery note, and possibly presages the return of the fine veil.

All hats , were so good “ ’twere invidious to particularise,” but everything from a green hat “ of a (Find of felt and bravely worn,” to a -ande-dame creation of black satin and plumage, was stamped jvith that quality of line which marks apart the master milliner. THOSE TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT TRIFLES.

Often it is the small accessories which afford a woman so much enjoyment in her clothes, and which, well chosen, give the hall-mark of distinction to her toilet—just tha.t finishing touch which is so in keeping with the whole idea that it accentuates the merit of each part whilst linking the harmony of all. The new season’s collections show fidelity to the simple excellence of line which is so united to the. woman of today, and whilst a thousand and one variations are shown us, the sports type prevails—-except in the evening, where the robe de style, ankle-length behind and graduating to a shorter skirt in front (often the hem being edged with deep net or lace) carries all before it. Because of both these whims of fashion quantities of ornaments are included amongst the very necessary possessions of every follower of fashion. For the day time there are cabonchon links and two-endeff. pin brooches, buckles square, oblong, or - circular pieces of finely set paste,-paste. flowers, and so on to relieve, the simplicity of a gown at throat or

shoulder. For the evening, this type of jewellery is perfectly in keeping with the picture frock, and long brooches, beautiful cabonchon buckles surrounded with paste, pearl negligees tasselled and finished with onyx and diamante are the order of the hour.

In London, I think Selfridge’s fancy jewellery department shows an amazingly wide variety of these ornaments. One finds here the new necklace, latest bracelet, brooch, or buttonhole, designed by the great dressmakers, and simple or lahprate, dazzling or modest, they answer every requirement of this department of the mode. I saw there to-day some charming strip bracelets of worked oxidised silver set with cabonchon rock amethyst r or with rose quartz or cornelian, which were very effective; others of strips of wide, flat, flexible gold with necklets to match r decreed by Philippe et Gaston, were shown with a very good square brooch and ear-rings to match,, making a most useful set altogether. Narrow and wide paste bracelets and brooches in beautiful designs, ami either plain or set with sapphire, emerald, topaz, or ruby paste, are displayed in varied array, whilst another very popular bracelet for wearing over the tight mitten sleeve of the moment is of six strands of tubular flexible gold chain united by a strip snap of chased gold. BECOMING NECKLETS. An unusual necklet, exceedingly becoming to the woman with a rather long neck, was a design of paste bars with expanding links at the back. The bars were prettily designed, and brooches for the shoulder, or buckles for-the narrow waist-belt which decorates so many evening gowns, may be obtained to go with them. “ Coat of mail ” strips of gold or silver, or of pattern allying the two, are shown here for wearing with day or evening gowns, and they look particularly ■well on the close-fitting plain sleeve of a dark crepe de chene or marocain afternoon frock, especially if the note is echoed in necklet or brooch. AN INFINITY OF NEW HAT ORNAMENTS.

Hat ornaments are legion, and to choose the examples which attracted me most there were greyhounds finely worked in paste; the Prince of Wales’ feathers either to decorate a hat or a gown; thistle sprays and roses, clematis, or lilies in tiny fine paste. " For the buttonhole are delicately tinted orchids of glass, or roses in soft slfades of rose du Barry or sunset, and the flowers differently moulded are shown also as pendants, worn on long slim chains. Flexible gold adders, lizards, and alligators with je—elled eyes give an amusing relief for a plain hat, and double pins in paste pearls, or semi-precious stones arc to be found in bewildering variety. PEARLS PERSIST IN DAY AND EVENING MODES. Pearls happily are still with us—every dressmaker in Paris shows them, and chokers with some coloured centre stone, or of seed pearls roped and separated here and there by a big pearl, quarrel with long negligee ropes for first place in favour. Selfridge’s sho- also an excellent collection of coloured pearls in two and three row necklaces. The shades of grey, of green, and of peach which they have secured are unusually good, especially when finished with an oblong or square paste snap. There is a fascination about + hese things which makes the great dress genius’ affection for them easily understood.