Dresses of the Week

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16749, 2 June 1922, Page 11

Dresses of the Week

Written by “ STELLA "

SOME NEW COATS. JERSEYS AND JUMPERS. Iho weather, after all, has only been bad in patches during the week. The roads havo been muddy, certainly, but there lias otherwise been a. pleasant thaw, which has taken the tingle out of our fingers and toes, and allowed us to walk abroad without a coat. It is always .another day of grace, before winter takes undisputed possession, and we know that for two grim months rain, sleet, slush, cold winds, snow and ice are to be our daily companions. It will be observed that I have left nothing out—any reference to the occasional breaks into glorious sunsinv weather which brightens our winter lot, would tend to spoil the effect. .So on to -our coats. The best shall come first. It was a perfect gem of a. coat. of nigger brown leather, light, soft and supple. It had cunning inset pockets on the slant. and a neat roll collar, high enough t-o tuck up about your ears. It was cut on smart looso lines; just a dream to slip into and button up »with the birr leather buttons, six of them down the front. But wait! That was not all. You turned it inside out and it became a waterproof raincoat—a tan gabardine lining proving to be nothing less than a Burberry. Its price was £2S, but then you had two coats .for your money, and you could not in decency grumble at a guinea or so. The new suede coats are also very smart and pretty, being made in a variety of colours mostly three-quarter length, and cut loose and wide. They are very light and pliable and in price range from about eight guineas up. which sounds reasonable enough. Three cciats especially attracted the eve. One made in bright rose pink, a. cheery colour for a- dull day, was lined with cinnamon biown. and was rather over the three-quarter length. The second was a rich tan and had an uncommon finish in an amethyst leather hem and deep cuffs, the suede collar being also edged with the same coloured leather. This was lined with amethyst glace eilk. tho colour just showing as the coat blew aside worn. The third 'coat was in the ever-becoming mole, the suede taking tho colour well, giving it depth and richness. The lining also was of mole satin. This was £7 16s.

A lovely 12 guinea coat was of some soft unerushable material, soft as down and ns warm, in colour a grey, black and yellow blurred check, and lined with

grey Liberty silk patterned in white. Just the thing to tuck into on a really ©old winter’s day- You felt that no cold co-uld penetrate its cosy folds.

A useful coat of cinnamon brown home-spun tweed* with a good squirrel collar, cost onlv seven guineas, which, when one thinks of the prices ruling two or three years ago, sounds almost trumpery. The velour coat, of course, still holds paramount sway, and two pretty examples were seen in High Street during the week. The wearer of one a tall, dark girl, had chosen nigger brown for her colour, the coat being made with the baggy underarm effect, which went well enough with her slim height, though its effect is disastrous on the shorter, stouter figure which is also constantly to be seen wearing it. She had brown leather shoes, and brown stockings, and in her little brown velvet toque was a bunch of tan and yellow winter berries. The second coat, worn by a pretty fair girl, was of tan pilot cloth (T had forgotten we wore discussing velours, never mind, we will get back to them in a moment), simply cut, and belted, and below it showed some inches of a warm browpt velvet skirt, a brown velvet hat also being worn. The two colours made a warm and pretty contrast. An unbelted coat in bright violet valours, was double-breasted, and fastened with a close row of violet buttons. Another in bottle green was cut in three-quarter length, and had bell sleeves. which looked rather draughty for winter, and a narrow belt. A hat of dark red leather was worn with it. Really smart looking costumes in home-spun tweed, with a, froize-like surface, are to be had for the modest sum of £-3. They are in all colours, and alternate in checks and stripes, though stripes are the more fashionable. They are also made in a particularly bright -shade of henna, more like warm, red melted brick dust, and would be quite a bright splash of colour on a rainy day. There are also jackets and skirts of velvet, in black a fid in dark colours, both in plain and in corduroy, which have a smart appearance. A very smart dress seen one afternoon was a beautiful quality navy gabardine. tho coat made long, rather like a Redingpte, and lined with chine Liberty silk. It wns 1 bordered down the front with grey lamb’s wool, the same trimming outlining the cuffs and the high waist pockets- A grey fur toque was worn with it, the whole effect being distinctly good. Very tempting is the variety of wrapscarves, with their chic little pockets.

which just hold a- tiny purse or haniscy» and their cosy warmth round arme and shoulders. On© was in crimson, bordered with white, and having a rich fringe of both colours. Another iu royal blue and* white;, a third and fmirth in tangerine aud in bottlegreen, always with a relieving l>order : while another was in white, with a .single green sxripe down the middle, ending at either end in a big diamond motif in many colours. A really pretty one was in stripes of mustard yellow and white, n happy oombination. Of jerseys and jumpers there certainly does seem to be an endles variety. and some of them are so lovely that, though they may l>e thin eps gossamer against the “ cauld hlaet.” it i* only feminine human nature to long to possess an I wear one. A group of crocheted cream silk darlings left on« distraught as to which of them to choose. One was in a pretty openwork pattern in rich cream, neck and sleeves bordered with an inch banc of black silk, the sides being slit up, and also edged with tlie black silk. Id could be slipped on in a moment, over any evening skirt, and then you were dressed for •:!inner or theatre. And there was a little bijou in white silk, with a trimming of rows of Irish cream silk buttons; and the third, again in cream, had sleeves and hem embellished with an elaborate crochet pattern.

There arc also jumpers iu inole, in jade green, in amethyst, in fuchsia, aud in .shrimp pink, with every combination of'stripes and bands in coivtrusting shades. Loose woollen coats are also to b» had. a useful on© at 8 guineas being made in a running check of blue, white and tan, and being a .suitable gamae-nt either for golf or walking, or to work about house or garden in. Pretty woollen slip-on jumpers, with crocheted borders to hem and cuffs, look warm and smart at the same time. They are to he had in many colours, and eosrfc only 2 guineas. Indeed. a pair of jumpers in fawn, on© with violet border to hem. neck and sleeves, and oue with rose pink, are to be bought foT 29s 6d—surely a reasonable sum. A suede jumper is a novelty, made in taxi, with fringed sleeves and hem, and having a girdle of interlaced leather rings. I think myself it looks host without any relieving colour, but it is to be obtained with inlets of red or blue below the neck. It would look well over a velvet skirt in a rather lighter shade. So many pretty garments are made for our use in winter that to be able to wear them is certainly' some coiafor short and rainy days.