HER LADYSHIP

Southland Times, Issue 19184, 1 March 1924, Page 15

HER LADYSHIP

FROM THREE POINTS. LONDON. Just now, before the spring models have been shown, there is a certain latitude in fashions. The straight silhouette exists together with much fuller lines obtained by means of crossway flounces. Evening toilettes are surpassingly lovely. Wonderful is the evening gown that appears to be a delicate patchwork of silk and stones on velvet. A truly magnificent evening frock in cinnamon chiffon velvet was embroidered from hem to shoulder with tiny patches of brown, red, gold and black silk, stitched with thread to correspond and outlined with coloured stones. Ostrich feathers play an important part in evening modes. Wide hems of ostnch feathers trim gowns of satin which are otherwise without trimming. Bags, fans, shoe buckles, girdles, ornamental “trails” for evening use are made of these feathers. Period fashions seem for the time being to be in the background. A determined effort is in evidence to popularise the peacock’s feathers. Gigantic fans, as big when open as the peacock’s tail, are made of these colourful plumes. Smaller fans in feathers having a more common origin are painted to represent the real article. Gold is still most popular as a colour, and in metal cloths holds a unique place for evening toilette. All bright colours hold preference over black for evening year. A new interest centres upon side panels which are made to stand out from the dress they ornament by means of an interlining of stiffening material. An original side treatment shows a wing panel which starts well below the wearer’s knees and stands out stiffly. One wonders what the effect would be when an evening cloak is worn over this dress. Small pleatings are fashionable trimmings of day frocks. When caught down flatly they help to maintain the correct slim silhouette. Sleeves are closs fitting; the tight sleeve on day frocks seems to have generally itself. Skirts are definitely shorter. A notable feature of winter fashions is the absence of the muff, which seems altogether a “back number.” Fur gloves supply extra warmth in its place. PARIS. There is a vogue for dress embroideries. The old-fashioned Beauvais chain-stitch embroidery appears on all kinds of materials. Natural hand-woven linens are much used for embroidery. Rough linen, thickly embroidered with gold threads, is used for the eonage of a three-piece velvet costume. Tube wrap coats are stitched all over with waxed “shoe-string” braid. Even umbrellas and parasols for next year are ornamented with stitchery such as a flight of Japanese storks, ideographs, or quaint flower clusters in Beauvais work. Coatets of clipped mixabout in natural or

dyed colours are fashionable. A delightful model in dull turquoise blue had a black satin lining. Large and decorative brooches replace hat pins for the new small hats and toques. Very new is the sheath frock of supple, brilliantly coloured metal lame with a deep hem of rough camel-hair' cloth. A wrap coat is made of the same rough cloth, with the result that in the street the toilette represents Chilly Winter, and in a restaurant, when the wrap is thrown off, The Dansaut! The kimono coat in velvet or moire is having—as I predicted it would have—a huge success on the Riviera Hats made of toile de Jouy are worn with fur coats and capes. NEW YORK. In the world of New Fashion a passion for slimness prevails. In one of the smart-, est of the wholesale dressmaking establishments quite recently all the mannequins were as thin as a bean pole. From their long figures depended in perfect line the latest dresses and cloaks. In the street the smart New Yorker promenades or rides muffled in a super-abund-ance of furs with her face almost totally concealed from view by her hat and scarf veil. At night-time she resembles an Oriental. She was addicted last year to the earring; but this year it is the bracelet on which she lavishes all her care. She wears as many bracelets as she can afford or crowd on to one arm—generally the right arm; for the left arm is monopolised by her wristwatch. Sometimes she displays as many as a dozen bracelets, six in diamonds or crystals and six of coloured stones, worn alternately. Especially popular is the large bone or ivory armlet. Always the New Yorker tries to match her toilette with her jewels. She still adores the tight “choker” necklace of large beads introduced from Paris in the spring. These necklaces are made of pearl, amber, coloured glass, and wooden beads as big as moth balls. If the frock is long, straight, and simple there is worn with it a string of large wooden beads strung on wool with a large knot between each bead and reaching to the knees. The short fur coat is the garment of the season. It is hip length and very simply made. Anything from the manufactured fur cloth to sable and chinchilla is used to fashion it. A particularly smart and popular model is made of natural grey lamb. This is usually worn with a narrow black skirt and the tiny black “cloche” which seems to have taken a stranglehold on millinery. In even the most patriotic dressmaking establishments Paris models are displayed. The models are copied, but the originals are always exhibited to convince the customer how clever the copies are. Skirts are undoubtedly getting shorter and narrower. HER WEDDING DAY. HLNTS FOR THE BRIDE ELECT. On account of the length of the modern wedding dress sleeve, only the shortest of gloves are worn. In fact, when the pointed sleeve that falls over the hand is chosen, there is really no need for gloves at all. If a bride, wishing to depart from the strict path of fashion, decides to add short sleeves to her dress, then, of course, the gloves must be long enough to meet the hem of the sleeve.

Few jewels should be worn by a bride, the most that good taste permits being a pearl necklace or a corsage brooch, states a writer in an exchange. Many brides prefer to carry a prayerbook bound in white vellum or a handkerchief edged with wonderful lace, to the traditional bouquet of flours. French brides never carry a bouquet in church, this always being left outside in the carriage, or else merely being handed to the bride after the ceremony, so that she may lay it on the altar. Suede shoes are gradually ousting those of satin at weddings. Veils are of uncommon proportions, although the custom of draping half of them over the face as the bride walks up to the altar has completety died out. Nothing covers the face now. and only a narrow kind of frill obscures just the forehead in front. Often the veil is folded tightly across the i forehead, and held in place over each ear with a bunch of orange blossoms. At a recent society wedding the bride arranged her veil with a tiny bunch of flowers, but left one bud hanging in such a cleverly-ar-ranged way that it looked like a magnificent pearly earring. Real lace was appliqued round the edge of the veil, so as to produce a light and filmy as well as a rich effect. Another recent bride arranged her veil across the forehead like a nurse’s cap, a somewhat severe line, which suited, however, the plain type of frock she wore with it. Weddings in the United States have great charm and variety, partly owing to the fact that their laws permit marriages in private houses (a most attractive idea) and partly owing to several delightful customs they have. One of these (if one can call a lady a custom) is the matron of honour, who follows the bride and performs the function of the chief bridesmaid. So often the bride’s sister or her best friend may be already married, and is ruled out of court here from being her attendant. But in America any young matron may hold her friends’s bouquet and gloves during the ceremony. The idea is one worth copying, not’ only for sentiment’s sake, but because a single attendant causes Tar less expense and elaboration than a bevy of bridesmaids. There is only one present for the groom to give, and the matron may dress as she pleases, without having to fall into line with others. (It is so seldom that the bridesmaids’ gowns look equally well on them all). Fewer motors, too, are needed, when there is only a single attendant, and the matron of honour pairs off naturally with the best man—who, after all, is frequently married himself in America.