FLOWERS AND CHIFFONS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18203, 2 March 1929, Page 14

FLOWERS AND CHIFFONS.

“GERMAINE” WRITES OF EVENING GOWNS. With the advent of the festive winter dancing season, evening gowns take on an additional importance in the feminine eye. As catholic as the style is, the choice of material given us this year—satin, lace, morocain, velvet, taffetas, georgette, and every other kind of supple, rich, heavy, filmy, and crisp fabric, which has been manufactured, has been pressed into the service of these creations. A good deal of diamante embroidery is still to be found on many models, generally concentrated in one big motif, or in decorative effect over part of the gown. This method has been used in many striking and beautiful confections; for example, a model carried out in blue-green velvet shows a girdle of diamante, the two ends of which cross at the left side of the waist, and extend in to wing-like motifs up to the right shoulder ancl down the skirt, respectively. Some of the most popular lames this season are flowered and striped designs woven with a coloured pattern on a ground of gold or silver. For an evening frock, with a trimming of fur, the effect of this lame is remarkable, for it is almost as supple as velvet. Some are trimmed with the real article, but many with less expensive fur, such as bunny, or even the homely cat and the chinchilla rabbit for those who can. afford it! While most of the lame and satin wraps are cut on simple lines, those in velvet are usually draped in a moi*£ complicated manner, which display the richness and the material to wonderful advantage. As for trimmings, steel is appearing in place of silver on many frocks. Another new idea is the introduction of the very old-fashioned ruches, made of little frills of taffetas, whose raw edges have been fyinged by the simple process of pulling threads out of the material. Evening slippers continue to be gay, and are fashioned of crepe de chine and fairy-like tissues, as well as the more usual satin, brocade, and gold and silver kid. Most of the styles are much cut away, and, in fact, are a mere collection of straps which hold heel and toe together. But no matter the design or the material, those obeying fashion’s latest decree. must have jewelled heels. Some heels are set with just a tiny star twinkling here and there as the wearer moves, but many are heavily encrusted with precious stones, of all £izes and colour—synthetic stones, of course. Variety of Bags. There is an immense variety in evening bags. Some people wear brilliant feather creations which are anything but lovely. They call undue attention to what should be an unobtrusive necessity. For black dresses, ermine bags are rather chic, and with gold and silver metallic tissue frocks, a sable bag has a great air. As for fans, their name is legion. They were hardly worn at all last year. And this season fashionable women have one for every dress. Some are just a bundle of brilliant feathers on a stick, and they look nice enough when worn with a simple frock. Others are of lace with a lace "fall” which is very new. At the opera—rwhen there is one—one wears a gigantic fan; for dinner, it is the thing to have it quite small; and at dances, the one place where a fan is indispensable, it is chic to be seen without one. This last is, you will agree, a very curious phenomenon, but, of course, in the realm of fashion, we are accustomed fo find unusual things. Do not ask me why. An interesting note in artificial flowers for trails ancl sprays on evening dresses are the new trails of hyacinths in varied colour georgette. These are charming, and are made to match frocks. Huge georgette poppies are also being made and a number of hand-tinted satin flowers.

NO MORE OXFORD TROUSERS. Fashionable young men, saj’s an English paper/ have decreed that Oxford trousers must no longer be worn. The decision, apparently, was recent’y reached, and inquiries at Loudon clothiers showed that few, if any, are now being sold. “Young men have decided that bags of 24in. width are neither smart nor comfortable,” said the manager of one firm. “This is all to the good, for it means that our young men will be more neatly dress-