BATTLE OF STYLES

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1934, Page 14 (Supplement)

BATTLE OF STYLES

EMPIRE AND PRINCESS EFFECTIVE WAIST TRIMMINGS. ' DISTINCTIVE FLORAL TOUCHES. An amusing battle is going on between the designer who would like to see every woman adopting the princesse line for her evening frock, and the dressmaker who is anxious, since the princesse gown lias already had a vogue, to press the claims of the Empire style, writes the special London correspondent of the News. The woman who is looking for a frock in which to dance or dine finds both types attractive, but I have noticed that the possessor of a slender, well-pro-portioned figure and fair height usually decides upon the princesse model, which is small wonder, for the closely-fitting, graceful style with its long lines is very becoming to the woman ho can wear

it. . . , There are many other evening frock models from which to choose, of course, some of them borrowing the special features of either princesse or Empire and modifying them to suit differing types of figure, and descriptions of some of the newer ideas of the best dressmakers will probably be of interest just now. A style which would suit the fairhaired, petite woman who dances a good deal is that which has a swathed bodice caressing the figure and a skirt .draped gracefully over the hips and flowing out towards the hem. A gown of this type in one of the new collections was o. deep ink blue net, and on the line of the decolletage was arranged a flat bow of satin with wide ends. This matched a satin sash, and the two gave an extra note of distinction to the frock. Little epaulettes were made to cover the tops of the arms, and the rich colour of the gown was thrown into relief by narrow bands of slightly lighter pailletes, which began below the hips and were continued to the hem of the dress. Even narrower bands of the sequins were introduced on each tiny sleeve. Ink blue is a much more becoming colour than, perhaps, it may sound, and many women who feel that .navy which is so popular—is just a trifle dull fox them but who like a dark blue would probably find that this ink shade provides just the high lights for which they have been looking. IN EMPIRE STYLE. As I have, mentioned the Empire dance* gown I must describe for you one prettv interpretation of it which was shown recently in a famous collection. The particular feature of the present Empire style is that the dress is made without shoulder straps or any apparent means of holding the corsage in its place. The shoulders are quite bare, and the bodice “stays put” because between the material end the closely fitting lining there is a network of whalebone which stiffens the whole of the top of the garment and keeps it where it should be. It is not a style for every woman, but the possessor of sloping shoulders and pretty arms will find that she looks unusually attractive in it. . The frock I saw was made of rich ivory patin, the texture rather like that which was probably worn by Napoleon’s Josephine when she made the Empire style so popular. The corsage was cut square and rather low in front, and square again at the back, but the line here was not very low—half the back was covered. The waistline was in its natural place in. this instance. Usually, in an Empire dress, it is up under the arms. The high-waisted effect was given, however by what can best be described as a rounded “fan” of pleating. , This, made of satin similar to that used for the dress, was placed, in the centre of the corsage at the waistline, and allowed to reach to within an inch or twe of the decolletage. From there it taper ed off at either side so that under the arms it measured only an inch or two in width and consequently did not interfere unduly with the arm movements. The skirt was long and narrow, and bordered at the hem by a pleated flouncu six inches deep. The pleating at the waist seemed to me to be indicative of the trend towards floral and other decorative treatment to break the line of the long evening frock. On a mushroom pink satin dress, into which threads of silver were woven to give the impression of stripes, quite a bouquet of pink flowers, deeper in tint than the frock itself, was laid flat at the centre of the waistline with its encircling satin sash. The bouquet was probably six inches across and another, six inches from top to bottom, and sufficiently vivid to be the outstanding note of the gown. In nearly every model one sees this waist decoration; and not only in dance and’ dinner frocks, but in afternoon models, too. A sash sometimes supplies it,, either by its contrasting colour, by a particularly beautiful buckle through which it is pulled, or by,a full-petalled flower that is fastened to it at one side and matches a twin bloom on the shoulder. The newest sash, however, is made in one with a berthe, the latter draping the shoulders, its Jong ends twisted in front, crossed over and tied in a huge bow at the back. This arrangement looked very attractive on a wine red frock of the new and very fine woollen ■ crepe with a gold thread running through it. The berthe and sash were of dull-sur-faced gold lame, repeating the note of the tinsel thread in the dress material.