HER LADYSHIP

Southland Times, Issue 18963, 9 June 1923, Page 14 (Supplement)

HER LADYSHIP

FROM PARIS. A FEW FASHIONS DETAILS. PARIS, April 12. New and costly materials are covered with hand embroidery; so completely covered that they resemble magnificent brocades. Three-quarter length coats look well in these wonderful fabrics. A notable model was made oi soft black kid and embroidered all over in henna-red, dark blue, grey and white, and bright rose silks. The designs were intricate scrolls, running in straight lines. Very lovely • evening gowns are made of printed silk, portions of which have been worked over by hand; the printed designs, are accentuated by the addition of rich silks or tiny beads; when a specially brilliant effect is desired diamond sparks are introduced. All the newest lame fabrics look as though they had been passed through a bath impregnated with verdigris. The majority of the best Paris dressmakers are continuing to make skirts winch just clear the ankles and which fall in straight lines; this holds good for evening frocks as well as those intended for the street. Genuine Indian embroideries are in great demand, especially that curious beetle- wing-embroidery which is enriched with pale gold thread. I have seen motifs of this embroidery applied to black lace dresses, and also to irides-cent-green chiffon velvet—the latter in the guise of a superb evening wrap which was bordered with sable. The latest draped coat-dress is semitight made in one piece, of very supple cloth or heavy satin and caught in rather tightly over one hip. The top pouches at the waist-line back and front; the soft draperies are so cleverly caught in that the ankle outline is skimpy. A smart suit consists of a pleated rep skirt and a loose doeskin coatee, the latter very short, quite straight, and finished with a collar of “summer fur.” Some of these wonderful little doeskin coatees are nchly embroidered in raised silks; and I have seen models with stamped borders, the interstices of the stamped designs lightly flecked with metallic paints. Caaaquin blouses made of heavy crepe have plastron waistcoats of embroidered kid or suede. SPRING BRIDAL MODES. NOTES ON ENGLISH FASHIONS. "The length of a bridal gown is to the instep,’’ writes the fashion expert of The Gentlewoman, and continues thus: “Clothed in softest georgette or chiffon, and veiled from head to toe in mist-like tulle, the spring bride of this year will present an inspiring picture of visionary loveliness. White is to be the colour scheme, the vogue for gold and silver having passed, but shimmering beaded embroideries remain. Indeed, the wedding gown of the modern bride must be a very weighty affair, for most of the model dresses 1 have seen have been completely covered with a mass of either crystal or pearl embroideries.’’ A well-known costumier of Harrogate showed a very beautiful bridal gown at his display the other day, and I think it epitomises very successfully the correct line. The wedding gown of even the quite young bride should be long and reach to the instep. The best houses all show this length, though a few approve of the ankle length; but whatever attraction the short length skirt possesses for the ballroom or the tennis court, it is certainly a failure in a bridal procession. For the bridesmaids’ frocks, however, this is entirely another matter; they can be short or long, just as the style demands.

A London house showed a wedding gown cut with straight fines, showing a slight fullness in the front, but it is not often this

“Egyptian” touch is noted on bridal frocks. Others showed perfectly straight chemise frocks with not even the suspicion of a belt to break the long straight line. The gowns in both cases were covered with beads; the former in crystal’ and the latter in tiny seed pearls. A dress showed a scalloped hem and a long Court train of georgette, also covered with a marvellous design worked in pearls. The modern bride apparently cares little for superstition, for besides being herself covered with pearls, the bride was followed by attendants in applegreen taffeta crinoline frocks.

All shades of brown, ranging from chocolate to havana, and henna to cinnamon, were shown. There was a display of spring models at Harrogate last week. The many charming shades of this well-favoured colour bid well to outrival the various shades of green now displayed at every model house. I noted some really charming threepiece suits provided with jaunty short coats, which tied with a sash either at the front or side, and sometimes did not fasten at all. One of these was a white linen suit with short coat covered with woollen embroideries, and another a coat of fawn net. with a hand-embroidered all-over pattern of silken circles in various sizes, lined with chiffon and bound with golden metal braid and finished with a beaver fur collar. It was exquisite I Many of the coat frocks revealed long, simple lines adorned with daring metal embroideries, and once or twice I noted a mandarin jerkin. This quaint Chinese touch was quite bracing, but it would be a little difficult to wear. Evening fashions were wonderfully varied and delightfully picturesque. Solid motifs of bead work and gorgeous silk embroideries were tellingly used, while among this really wonderful collection of fashions were found represented models from every French house of note, many proring exceptionally bewitching.