THE TAFETTA GOWN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18653, 23 August 1930, Page 11

THE TAFETTA GOWN

SOPHISTICATED SIMPLICITY. Once the taffeta evening gown was considered suitable only for the very young girl who had just made her debut. Now, taffeta is worn by women of all ages, and is once again one of the most favoured materials of the dancing season. No longer are taffeta dance frocks made in simple, bouffant, and girlish style. They follow the lines dictated by fashion, and the modern taffeta evening gown is just as sophisticated in its cut as those of satin or velvet.

The tightly moulded bodice and fullness below the hips is expressed in taffeta as in all other fabrics. The new cross-grain taffeta, which has a slightly corded surface, and the more familiar soft variety, are equally fashionable, and can both be obtained in plain colours, printed floral patterns, and the shot effects, which, together with the delightful rustle made by the silk when the wearer moves, are the chief charms of this pretty fabric. Now that large bustle bows, placed at the hips or at the back of the evening gown, are so fashionable, taffeta is well to the fore, for no other silk is so suited for the bustle bow. Again, the new long skirts look very well when made of taffeta, which stands out so well, and does not require any lining or stiffening to make it do so. Evening gowns of printed floral taffeta are replacing the printed chiffon frocks, which have been too popular to remain smart. Like the chiffon frocks, the new taffeta gowns are accompanied by little coats of the same material to form an ensemble. Taffeta is also an excellent material for ruffles and flounces, so here again it scores, for the mode demands this type of adornment on the evening frocks this season.

It is predicted that taffeta will be much worn for formal afternoon gowns when the weather becomes a little warmer. Navy, huntsman’s green, and black are the favoured colours, and the frocks will follow the fashionable line by having a high waistline, flares placed low in the skirt, and wide lingerie collars and cuffs to set off the darkness of the fabric.