Adornment is “Barbaric”

Southland Times, Issue 21578, 16 December 1931, Page 12

Adornment is “Barbaric”

Whatever happens, woman, lovely woman, must be smart, and the means she employs matter not the slightest. At' the moment, with the return to the demureness of the bowler hat, and feminity of voiles and organdies, she has displayed a decided flair for the barbaric in her jewellery—just to be contrary. No sign of sweet simplicity here, necks, arms, and ears must be adorned, aud even the longdepised and hidden elaborate jewelled pieces belonging to the last century are coming into their own again. The changing fashion in women's wear brings a corresponding chapge in jewellery considered so essential to provide that touch of colour as a complement to the day and evening gowns.

Having gone “barbaric” in her jewellery, Milady has decided that there shall be no limit to size or weight. Shape and colour, too, have run riot, hence beads, bangles, rings, and earrings need conform to no set styles, but they must be bizarre to be smart. The simplest of suits or frocks are “made” with the addition of just the right necklace or article of adornment, but it must be sufficiently colourful to provide either a striking contrast or to emphasize harmony.

Realizing and encouraging the trend of women’s fashions in jewellery, designers have gone for inspiration as far as possible to primitive sources, working up through the centuries to the Victorian era.

The lets, popularized by the Hawaiians, is worn by the smartest lasses in the ballroom to-day, made of either real or artificial flowers, and also evening and day wear, when fashioned of tiny coloured beads, and glass flowers, but always gay in colour. The scarf necklace looks very smart in black and white beads, with a huge black medallion, which acts as the clasp, and must be worn at the side. Coloured wooden rondeaus, in four or five rows attached to a few large coloured wooden beads, are favourites in the necklace world to-day, as are thick ropes of beads, or metal, knotted to represent cables. Earrings are antique in design, and gay, while bangles have obviously been inspired by the styles popular with European peasantry.

Heavy gold or silver and quaintly-chaste bracelets—the wider the better—reminiscent of Southern Italy, are the last word to-day, but the quaintly-cut bangles, made of coloured wooden beads, are also in the running not to mention grandma’s favourite —jet.