The Older Mannequin

Southland Times, Issue 20834, 24 July 1929, Page 12

The Older Mannequin

(From Our Correspondent.) London. For some time past the leading lights in the dressmaking world have realized that the largest portion of their clientele require frocks that will look pleasing on themselves as well as on the mannequin. The return to a more natural and possibly a. little “older”—if one may dare breathe such a word! —figure represents better sellers for the astute dressmaker. Youth, after all, is so much easier to serve; for everything can look charming on the slim young things. Paris lias followed London in mannequin fashion. We shall see at certain coming dress shows charming older, possibly even stouter, mannequins demonstrating the mode of the season in the case of difficult frocks.

The attractive older woman, possessed of the necessary air of distinction, with a beautiful coiffure going white or grey, is now a factor as “vendeuse,” as well as mannequin. Age need no longer be a terror to those engaged in such luxury trades as clothes and complexions. The older woman of charm is really more valuable, for she can prove how art and science can preserve face and figure, and how attractively another portion of life can be presented-even when youth has passed. This season will witness many types and many revivals —some young, others older, .and requiring experience to demonstrate correctly the new trends. Dress, to be expressive, must in a measure reveal the meaning of the designer, who possibly has culled some delightful fantasy from a picturesque or historic period of costume. They are not easy to find, these tall, imposing, fairly slight, grey or white-haired women of distinction, whose complexions and figures are eloquent of the success of the modern craze for health and beauty. Such mannequins' are very valuable assets in any big dress display. The special periods and revivals in dress that London dress houses will shortly present to us are peculiarly suited to the more matured woman.

Another point of importance to dressmakers and milliners is that it is naturally the older women among their clientele who are able, and prepared, to spend adequate sums on their season’s wardrobe. They buy the more expensive models. The average older English woman is of stouter proportions, or at least her figure requires special studying in some way or other.

The newer curves, or rather a return to the best natural type of figure, are also a helpful factor in the present vogue, and one which certainly points to the necessity for the older mannequin.