IN FASHION’S REALM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3868, 1 May 1928, Page 67

IN FASHION’S REALM.

UP-TO-DATE DRESS NOTES.

By

Marguerite.

/old song, when describing Cinderella’s Unusual footwear. With the present-day

(Special foe the Otago Witness.) The newest dress ornaments favoured in Paris are being made in glass, clear, coloured, and exquisitely fashioned. Pendants, buttonholes, earrings, and hat brooches are amongst the'~most popular pieces of the new glass jewellery. Cut crystal necklaces with semi-precious stones intermixed —jade, coral, and cornelian — are very charming, matching the colour scheme of the dress worn; while a necklace of crystal is simple for a very young girl when she goes “ partying.” Fobs made of tiny glass flowers, with a pin for fastening the ornament in the coat, are in great favour. The newest hat brooches are exquisite little ornaments of flat glass, representing delicately tinted pink roses, violets, carnations, and jasmine, the petals bo fragile looking that one thinks they will break off. Geometrical designs of crystal, or silver and crystal, and a crystal note interrogation, which is placed up straight in front, are all very fascinating hat ornaments. We have gone from silver to cut glass for our dressing table accessories, while on our dining tables cut glass has replaced the time-honoured silver cruet, table napkin riugs, salad bowls, and sweet dishes, etc. Much of our kitchen modern ware is also of fireproof glass. Glassmaking is a very ancient craft, since glass was known even in ancient Egypt. The art of glassmaking in England came to us from Venice. England’s earliest glassblower was a Venetian—Jacob Varezellini, —who was granted a patent that dated from 1575, and was to last for a quarter of a century. I read that a Frenchman has invented glass slippers, which, if they are wearable, will indeed be a novelty. “ She wore slippers of glass on her feet,” says the

gorgeous evening frocks they would look dazzling. But I am afraid, as 1 said with regard to the period dresses, they would require to be worn by quiet, graceful dancers. * «• * For the full-length evening frock here pictured I would choose soft peach georgette, trimmed in crystal and sequin embroidery. The georgette is brought from the back with novel effect across the front of the bodice and ruched at the waist line. The softness of the material looks very dainty finished this way, with a band of the embroidery glistening just above it. The hem line of the skirt shows the uneven vogue, and, trimmed with the embroidery, looks very pretty, as it flares and floats, as these thin fabrics do. A flower made of the material, with a few crystal beads in the centre, would be effective on the left shoulder, and -would complete the girlish effect. To make such a flower buy a quarter of a yard of georgette or chiffon, open it out, and with a sharp pair of scissors cut strips one inch wide on each side, divided by two inches of the material along the centre. Gather this on to a circle of the material. Being soft, the pieces will fall over like petals. These flowers look very chic, and are also charming on a little girl's party dress. The ballrooms this season will be an open field for Dame Fashion. Evening frocks display brilliant charm, but the wearer can please herself about the length of her skirt. There will be period dresses, which both the younger set and the older women will wear—dresses just below the knee, which some will still favour, and the draped skirt and uneven hem line, which, of course, most frocks show, though some which are fairly short in the front almost form trains at the back. Of course, we need not go to ridiculous extremes. The choice of skirt length has never been so varied, and the ingenious ways of applying fullness to the frocks give the dressmaker opportunities to'show her skill. With reference to the high and marked waist line, it should be worn only by the young girl, the suppleness of her figure being suitable. Worn by the older woman, it should be broken with a huge bow, so that she may appear graceful. * * * My second illustration is an afternoon frock in a dark shade of mushroom sedan cloth. This beautiful wool material with its soft satin finish shows to advantage in this model, with the long, straight front crossed over to the side, where it finishes with a ribbon tie of silk in the

same shade. The front is trimmed with grey fur. A shaped yoke from each hip goes round the back, and the material is flared at the sides. The sleeves are long and semi-tight fitting. A cocoacoloured material would look attractive, also trimmed with fox fur.

Tweeds are very fashionable this season, and for my third illustration I have chosen a tweed dress with a very novel front pleating The pleats are stitched down to just below the waist

line, and the pleating is continued a few inches above the waist, how high above depending on the wearer. The pleats are

stitched flatly down, so as to make as little bulk as possible, and finished with little flaps and a button trimming. I should choose a bright, contrasting coloured flat button, with the belt buckle in the same colour. The flaps give a smart finish. This hat illustrates the very latest prevailing style, with its fashionable little nose veil, or flirtatious ” veil, as Paris would call it. These veils certainly look very attractive, and whether they will become popular or not is hard to- say. As we are studying detail so much, however. there is hope for them. One reads that “ with the Parisian revival of the veil many picturesque feminine artifices of the past are returning, amongst them ‘ the beauty spot.’ These patches or circles of

black velvet aie worn immediately beneath the left eye and towards the side of the face.” I cannot see many women or girls going as far as this, however, though it needs only a few to start a fashion. The coquettish little helmet toque in question is of black velvet and ribbon, the ribbon being let in with slight easing. The hat is pulled well down on one side, on the other side the cut jet earring showing. It is another fashion of the moment to show one earring only. It is a very convenient fashion, as with the screw earrings somebody always seems to be losing one.