White as Fundamental of a Summer Frock.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16750, 3 June 1922, Page 15

White as Fundamental of a Summer Frock.

(By

ANNE RITTENHOUSE).

Exactly what to do with white as ihe fundamental of a summer frock is a nice problem for tho dressmakers. They realise that it cannot be left to itself. Tf that is done, the approaching schson will he as dull and lacking in variety as the past winter seasons, which were dedicated to black and nothing but black. It behoves the designers to quickly create an impression of stimulating novel tv for white and not permit tho

1 public to fall into the error of thinking that anything white will serve, with or without a colour addition. No one needed suggestion along this lino less than the men and women who govern tho clothes output. They wont to work in earnest the moment that February began. They experimented much. I'he result is a somewhat sensational white season. To start off with, there- is no intention of letting white jemain in pristine purity : it is placed in juxtaposition to startling colours. Paul Poiret stripes a white taffeta.’ with green, for instance. makes a. wide skirt of it, which he opens front and back over a pleated underskirt of white net. i Drecoil throws into the arena two white frocks, one of Roman crepe with a . long waisted. bodice, ba.ppily cut to a deep point in front to give variety, a gathered skirt cut in sharp jester’s point, a petticoat of heavy -white satin showing through the opening in front. The colour is given by the ornamental belt of bright green braid and stones and a liat of the same colour with a white crepe lining. Another gown that Drccoll intends to make sensational is also of white crepe, its skirt embroidered in medallions of red, blue and gold. Everywhere there are bright bindings of red silk. After all this the designer does not consider the work of coloration finished, for ho takes advantage of the almost overwhelming fashion for loose capes to place one of red silk as a background to the white frock, and then tops the whole with a small*red-hat. Poiret, continuing his predilection for gay awning stripes against a white foundation, uses scarlet in a succession of streaks down a white Kasha skirt, leaves it at ihat, and turns his attention to the jacket, which he makes of scarlet leather edged with a silk-like fur in pale beige, like the well-brushed hair of a pet Pekingese. Red and white slippers carry on the colour, and. just because be is Poiret, be puts a jockey s cap on a yachting costume —as he cah,s it-—and intends the whole thing for n con ntry week-end. LEATHER JACKETS ARRIVE. Poiret is not the only one to turn public* attention to short coats ol supple leather. It is the united effort of the French designers to substitute hide for cloth in jackets. Red is not the one gay colour chosen. Apple and inde green arc its sturdy rivals. Green runs well in the lead when white cloth skirts accompany the leather coat. Brown, is too suggestive of war and trenches, so it is denied a place, and black is rarely chosen, and then only by those who* feel undressed and ashamed if they are without this colour White leather jackets arc worn with green and with orange homespun or ! Kasha cloth skirts, and as a rule they . have a fanciful belt carrying on the j colour of the skirt to show that they are not an afterthought or a piece of | rainy-day apparel attached to a separ- | ate skirt. Possibly the success of the rire satin [ jackets that looked like animated j pieces of Chinese lacquered furniture, f the kind worn by the debutantes dim- j ing the winter, gave an impetus to tho . fashion for gay and supple- leather ones J that presented themselves as genuine ; novelties. Over here they have not j created oven, a* ripple in tho waters of fashion, but it is probable that France j will urge us to consider them seriously j as soon as the spring breaks. The objection usually made to these jackets concerns their weight, which the average woman thinks is a burden. This is true of the brown army coats, hut not of these modern garments, which have been made as light and flexible as cloth. They have quite an air. and relieve the monotony of tho plain tailored suit. Sometimes they are opened in front to show a waistcoat, a gilet, as the Flench call them ; again they are built in tho shape of a combing saeque, tied at the neck under a round collar, the two front edges hanging slightly apart, showing a soft blouse underneath. There are a iso leather jumpers that drop downward from the shoulders in a straight line to the hips, where there is a vide l>clr of tho same fabric that is tightly buckled in with metal. Possibly that extravagantly wide belt, introduced by the (allot Sisters at their last opening in August was the original inspiration for these jumpers. Mrs. Asquith wore one of these hip girders when -she lectured, and all ->f them are so broad they attract attention from the rest of the costume. Even if a .woman does not care for the entire jumper of leather, she might not frown upon one of the homespun, Kasha, or Roman crepe with this l'Jfnch leather belt as the end of it.