IN FASHION’S REALM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3889, 25 September 1928, Page 64

IN FASHION’S REALM.

UP-TO-DATE DRESS NOTES. By Marguerite. (Special for the Otngo Witness.) One of fashion’s latest whims is the vogue for ribbon. Fancy ribbons are seen in silk embroidered in comely work and in gay Japanese and Persian designs. They are being used as trimmings, with the patterns cut out so as to form stencil effects. Others are wide panels of the two ribbons on chiffon or oyer tulle frocks. Wide floral patterned ribbons for sleeveles vests are used for ensembles, where the bright colours look delightful. Narrow ribbons are ruched on sunshades, and are in self colour or various colours that harmonise. Some beautiful handbags have narrow- ribbon plaited, which gives a very pleasing effect. Others have small loops of ribbon covering them all over. These bags have silver or gilt mounts. Narrow ribbons of georgette are appliqued on to wider ribbons with tinsel threads. Cire ribbon is used very much for millinery, and grosgrain and moire for belts and sashes. For lingerie there are dainty threads of ribbon in pale pastel shades,_and fashion says you can use yards of it. * .* * .— Silver and gold’ tinsel ribbon, with satin back, plain or coloured, is in demand for trousseaus. This is the latest fancy ribbon, and is just being displayed in the shops, threaded or tied in bows, the pink, blue, or lemon shades showing through. It will not, of course, wash or wear well, but for bridal clothes expense does not matter. Against the crepe de chine-and amidst the cobwebby laces the effect is charming, and that is all that is expected. Ribbons and laces give the feminine note to all the season’s apparel.

For my full-length illustration I am showing a very pretty frock in- eggshell colour crepe satin. The skirt - has a diagonal-shaped yoke cut up sharply to nothing under .the sash, and the satin skirt hangs fully from it. Large flowers are embroidered on the bodice and yoke in heavy satin stitch in a light bronze shade, the leaves and stems being in a pale green. The effect on -the paler

coloured satin is distinctive. The sash is of the satin, but 1 have sketched it in white to make it noticeable The neck

line is finished to correspond with the skirt yoke. Bronze hose and parchment shoes are worn. The hat is a bronze shade of straw with flowers in velvet appliqued on it. It is the ne.v shape, rolled up on one side and down on the other side round to the back. Flat feathers would look equally effective for trimming.

This illustrates a dress in thin summer wool fabric in prune shade. The skirt has a novel effect with the box pleats coming high up on to the bodice, the centre one finished with crystal buttons in a lighter tone of prune. The neck has a scarf collar in pale pink georgette, which is continued in the one-sided effect

and caught with buttons, the remainder forming a jabot. It gives a smart finish. The sleeves have an inset of the georgette edged with buttons. These crystal buttons are shot, so they give a chic finish to the frock. Dark shoes, and stockings and a hat of shiny straw complete the ensemble. * * * Velveteen three-quarter coats are popular. Velveteen in a summer colour makes a coat suitable for both evening and afternoon wear. Some women have the velveteen to match one of the colours of a printed chiffon or crepe de chine dress. Of course, black velvet always looks charming, and can be worn over any colour with a plain or printed lining and a small upstanding collar. A more expensive black satin or velvet coat could be collared in ermine. This ermine and black is very new, and will not be out of date as quickly as some other trimmings. * * * ’ Tulle evening frocks will be worn for summer dances. There is an enormous amount of work in making these frocks, especially when the tulle or net is embroidered in delicate tracery designs with beads and silver thread or gold, according to the shade of the frock. There is a good deal of geometrical work too in arranging the designs in embroidery on the curved or vandyked frills. Each layer has to have the points cut and embroidered in the correct dimensions. When they are finished these lovely dresses look as though they had been stitched with fairy fingers. They must take many hours to complete. But they look so soft and glistening with the beads, diamante, and metal threads! Some are pale leaf green, gold, mauve, blue, pink, and, of course, white, but the delicate colours look the best, I think.

This is illustrating one of the new shaped hats, showing, too, the combination of hat and scarf to match. The straw is black baku with an appliqued effect of blonde and white spots the same as the scarf. The shape is very smart, being broad brimmed, slightly lower from the centre front on one side and with the back sharply cut away to a narrow rim at the nape of the neck. All the broad-brimmed hats of this style are cut aw'ay to almost no brim at all at th* back. .. . -

Short little scarves are seen rolled and passed round the neck with short ends brought over the front of each shoulder. These are not long enough to fall over the shoulders, but the little ends stand out. From the length of the scarves these look as if they were square, and instead of being folded diagonally they are rolled on the straight with soft folds. The effect is pretty and youthful. * * -stHere are two charming sunshades. In describing the fashion for ribbon trimmings I am showing a square-shaped sunshade decorated with layers of narrow pleated ribbon. The model I saw was a light blonde silk figured with a deeper tone of spots and the ribbon a deeper tone again with a gold metal thread edging. It looked gorgeous, while the square shape was quaint and picturesque.

The other sunshade was printed silk, the edging a different colour. Round the top was a trail of hand-made georgette flowers in the same colour as the border. Both these sunshades would be suitable for elaborate frocks. All the summer sunshades are as rich-'and elegant as the rest of milady’s apparel. Some are covered with lovely ostrich feathers dyed in pale pastel shades, and look soft and fluffy. * * * With mushroom, cocoa, and tobacco shades of spring frocks chocolate-coloured walking shoes with lighter shades of trimmings and stockings of a strong brown are being worn. The bags match the shoes.