HER LADYSHIP

Southland Times, Issue 19757, 3 February 1923, Page 14 (Supplement)

HER LADYSHIP

ENGLISH FASHIONS. STAGELAND AND BRIDESMAIDS. Some specially-beautiful frocks are mentioned by ‘The Tattler” as having attract ed attention at one of the theatres in Lon don. The writer says: "Notable exception> to the general rule are the three frocks worn by Miss Jose Collins, which represent the last words in the story of fashion. Throughout the play she assumes lo'-elv Cleopatra head-dresses of diamonds and pearls. In the first act she is seen in a pale coral-pink charmeuse dress, which is embroidered with silver and crystals, in which all the colours of the rainbow shine; it is cut quite straight, and supplemented with a cleverly introduced ‘IT shaped silvertissue vest, on which alights a superb diamond brooch. TURQUOISE BLUE AND SILVER. “No more lovely colour scheme could • have been created than the turquoise blue and silver of this clever actress's dress in 1 the second act. The upper portion consists | of a coat-of-mail corselet expressed in opalescent sequins, crystals, and silver beads, | accompanied by a plaque girdle of turquoise. , In the last scene she wears a still more radi- i ant dress. It is of silver tissue veiled with I net embroidered with silver and crystal j beads, hemmed with ermine tails; the train, j which springs from the shoulders, is of ■ silver zenana outlined with ermine. White ; silk bell-rope cords and tassels fall from ' the right shoulder. Her evening cloak is I of bright emerald-green chiffon velvet, col- i iared with black fox. and embroidered with 1 gold; it is lined with gold tissue. It is at- i tached to the arms by silken cords, so that J it never impedes the wearer’s movements. BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES. “The three elder daughters of the Countess of Alexandrowna (Miss Violet Marley, Miss Cecile Bishop, and Miss Holly Harben) all wear the same frocks which are very suitable for bridesmaids; the colour scheme is deep cafe-au-lait. The skirts are of silver lace mixed with cafe-au-lait chiffon, supplemented with velvet tunics of the same shade hemmed with swansdown, the magyar bodices being of chiffon trimmed with swansdown in like manner. Miss Amy Angarde, as Countess Alexandrowna, is seen in a wonderful dress of the crinoline persuasion. It is of silk of a peculiar olivegreen nuance, the full skirt being relieved with large blue and silver motifs, a stomacher of silver lace being an important feature of the corsage. NEW TAILOR-MADES. ‘The tailor-mades were of absorbing interest, especially one that was expressed in a new fabric known by the name of crocodile duvetyn; it is really duvetyn stamped to suggest the skin of a crocodile. The ikirt was straight and narrow, while the coat was arranged to reveal a waistcoat of embroidered lacquer-coloured suede. The blue gabardine suits were generously trimmed with braid, and so were the coat frocks of this material. There were several instances of the ‘detached’ collar—i.e., a dog collar of the same material as the dress; the decolletages seen in alliance with the »ame were generally boat-shape, and there was no attempt to cover up the neck. Quite long trains were features of many of the evening dresses; they were provided with ribbon bracelets so that they could be easily held up.” WHAT LONDON LIKES. PINK ROSES AND LACE BERTHAS. LONDON, December 10. London women are all wearing pink roses in their hair for theatre wear. It teems merely a theatre fad. At the opening night of a recent gay piece it appears Jhat every other woman chose a wreath ff roses "above her snowy brow.” They ✓ore small blossoms mostly, and in some instances were worn at the back of the head, defining the line from the nape of |he neck and across the ears. Bags grow more wondrous than ever. White plush sounds as novel as it looks, especially when trimmed with white fur. The clasps are lovely, and in some cases, where money is no object, one of gold or platinum, with the owner’s monogram in diamonds or birthday stones. Velvet bags ar? almost the rage, and the shades are most original—gas green, tomato red, jade blue, being some—and all have a touch of gold or silver to tone them with the frocks. Lace is everywhere. Dress designers teem to have just discovered that there is nothing more correct than a lace bertha with a plain morocain gown. The lace has to be quite good, and used with discretion, and if one likes still more lace, there is opportunity for its use on the smallest of autumn hats, as an all over trimming and draped ends. Gloves, the gauntletkind, must positively have novelty cuffs. Silver cloth scolloped sounds new. and is so, and black fur is newer still; black velvet mitred and studded with steel, is considered quite a charming way to finish a glove cuff, and to lace them across with fine cords and tassels is to be superlatively smart. The square train is challenging the tupremacy of the fish tail, and when the former is trimmed only on one side the last word has been said by Cheruit as to what’s what in matters pertaining to one’s evening gown. Huge sashes of gorgeous ribbon, quite wide, and tied just so in a big bunchy bow on the left hip. will transform a last year’s dinner frock into one belonging to the era due the moment after next. Hoban et Jeanne say so. and they ought to know, that is in regard to the sash and its vogue. The last year’s dress is the secret of the woman whose purse does not match her ambitions. Reversible evening coats are among the lovely things one may have jf one can afford them. Both sides are so good that it is heartburning as to choice, but the

frock beneath decides this all-important point: plain frock and elaborate coat; figured frock and the plain coat prevails. Velvet is used with patterned metal cloths aud heaps of lovely fringe.

HAIRDRESSING. THE NEWEST STYLES. The wise woman knows that she should dress her hair as it suits her best, and not as the fashion of the moment dictates <states the Sydney Morning Herald). But with the numerous styles that are in vogue just now it should he easy for everyone, no matter if her locks be lank or curly to adopt a coiffure that is fashionable. We are told that “Curls” are to be the vogue this year—not just wavy tresses that escape bondage on the neck and at the temples, but bunches of curls set an an angle that is most becoming to the particular wearer. These elaborate hair dregsings will be adopted for evening wear chiefly, as in the day time the coiffure is usually quite simple. For day time the only adornment allowed is a plain slide of horn, bone or shell. Jewelled combs or slides should be left for the evening. The favourite coiffure styles nf the moment are those of classical specially suited to the young girl, not necessarily the “flapper” age. A large number of the new styles are also designed for the benefit of the woman who has been “bobbed” and whose hair will not grow long again as quickly as its owner wishes. This is the reason for so many of the low “neck” coiffures which are seen. The most popular of these styles is that in which the hair is just rolled over at the ends close to the head; another style shows the hair brught low over the ears and the ends divided and twisted into circular arrangements along the top of the bare neck. Hair, to be fashionably dressed, should be neat, and with no flowing locks. The boudoir cap has become quite an indispensable part of the wardrobe, and is not only worn in bed, but between times of dressing, so that the hair should never be in a state of “wild disorder.”

The most elaborate head-dresses are being used for evening wear. There are combs of great height, made of precious materials, and richly jewelled. These are placed at whatever angle the owner desires, sometimes jutting out from the side of the coiffure, sometimes fixed with apparent perilousncss and the head pointing downward -it the back and also in the orthodox way straight and high, and upright at the back of the hair. Many of the newest of such ornaments are made of lace, embroidered silk, or beaded net to match the gown worn. Flowers, too, are favourite ornaments. A simple wreath arranged flat round the hair is a style that never dies out. The wreath may also be worn low on the forehead and finished with long ends of black and scarlet ribbons at the side. Some of the wreaths of this style have ribbons that reach to the end of the wearer’s gown. Wide jewelled bandeaux worn low on the forehead, and sometimes reaching only half-way round the head, are also much worn. A novel idea w*as shown in a [ shaped jewelled bandeau that fitted close I round the hair, while a double frill of petunia velvet stood up with quaint stiffness all the way round inside the bandeau. The ungrown “bobbed” locks have been responsible for the number of evening hats and decorative wigs that are being worn abroad, though we have not yet seen the latter. The newest wigs are not becoming, and savour too much of fancy dress. They are of twisted silk, and some have a bandeau or wreath attached, all ready for the pot as it were. Though these wigs have been worn by some of the leaders of fashion it is considered too ugly a style to become generally fashionable.