FASHION NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1928, Page 20

FASHION NOTES

THE NEW ATTIRE. FROM A PARISIENNE’S NOTEBOOK. (By Yvonne Rodier). The big social functions in the French capital at this timo of the year provide a fitting mise-en-seene for gay frocks and lovely fabrics, and remind us once gain how far we are indebted to the great textile renaissance. Specially beautiful are the new satins, their richly gleaming surfaces gaining sumptuousness of sheen in artificial light. Ball dresses and dinner dresses are lightly embroidered with diamante or coloured stones.

Red and pink are the prevailing festival hues. At a typical Parisian gathering one noted a frock of coral satin with full flared skirt and plain-topped corsage with shaped points, back and front, in coral bead embroidery, glitteringly outlined with circles of diamante. Then there is the softer and subtler charm of the inevitable blacK and silver alliance, more popular than ever with well-dressed Frenchwomen. One charming ball dress, for Instance, was of black chiffon, cut with piquantly irregular flounces, the edges prettily worked with silver thread, while a fichu finish to the bodice was caught with silver flowers.

White and silver is equally the mode for the younger Parisienne. Jeune fille frocks have their white immaeulateness ceintured with big sashes of vivid scarlet, or of shaded green moire. Other “young” colours finding favour in the City of Light are a brilliant cobalt blue and a no less brilliant apple green. These are not so crude as they sound, for the surfaces are so cleverly softened as to achieve brightness without blataney. It is notable that the jtune fille now evinces a decided preference for satin, taffetas, and faille, over the erstwhile all-popular fragile materials. Her favourite decorative motir is a silver flower shot with the chosen colour of her frock. Shawls offer some attractive variations of the old themes. Silver lame Is most effectively bordered with blacK chiffon. Gold tissu has an edge of lace harmoniously dyed en suite. Fringe is still a current vogue both for shawls and draperies. An evening wear craze of the moment is the feather jacket, a gay and intriguing little garment that is a notable contribution to the sartorial novelties or the day. It looks amazingly chic when worn with one of the picturesque, dip-at-the-back skirts. The little coat — which incidentally is sleeveless —curls up piquantly on the hips, and Is the Very quintessence of flutiery femininity. All manner of plumage is pressed into this dainty service of La Mode, from the long-fronded ostrich to the small, smooth feathers of the barnyard, fowl. Scintillating feather-colours are arranged closely one above the other exactly as on a bird’s buck. Linings are

of rich brocade or figured silk, and help the coat to fit closely to the figure. “Canine” collars are another novelty. They are used to finish off both daytime jumpers and evening frocks. In the case of jumpers, the dog-collar motif is enhanced by using soft suede for the neckband, with plain metal-buckle finish still further accentuating the theme. Ribbon, however, or a soft band of satin, is in more general demand, fastened on the riglit side with a buckle of a more feminine persuasion. In the ease of evening frocks, the collar consists usually of a gold or silver slave necklace to which the dress is suspended by a series of slots. As a rule there are four of these loops through which the collar is passed, and which serve as a novel kind of shoulder-strap. The material is gradually sloped off to a point at the shoulder.