Dresses of the Week

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16938, 12 January 1923, Page 10

Dresses of the Week

Written bu

" STEJJLA "

Many girls are wearing skirts of ratine, pique, or linen, with jumper blouses of organdi, voile, or silk, and this combination is a very economical one. The skirts, especially if of some neutral or medium-dark colour, will last clean for quite a long time, and the blouses may be of the same colour, or—which is more frequently the case—of v bite, with a touch of hand-embroidery in the toning shade. Sometimes the skirts are made of a chocked or striped ratine—usually in a h igo design, and with the pattern in black or some dark shade on a light ground. Blouses to be worn with these 1 should be of the same tone as the groundwork of the skirt, with a touch of the dark colour at neck and sleeve edges if desired. More often they will be quite selfcoloured, and a necklace of beads or a ribbon with a pendant strung on it will take the place of the applied colour ami form the necessary connecting link between blouse and skirt. All the frocks are to he much longer and .1 mu told that autumn will see us wearing them at least ankle-length, though still not very wide. Some of the newest jumpers are of knitted artificial silk, with borders, collars and cuffs of brushed wool. It seems early to even speak of wool but there is no reason why those girls (particularly when oil holiday) who knit or crochet their own jumpers, should not apply this finish, instead of the more ordinary one of silk, and he up-to-date and ready for the winter when it comes. Brushed wool will have a great vogue here next season, and one of the r.ewost ideas is for whole coats or flocks to be knitted in alternate strips o r purl and plain ; the plain stitching bimshed and the purl left to form the contrast. Hats are worn very large, and nearly nit of them have soft, undulating brims. They are worn without veils, ns a rule, the long, flowing veil having quite gone out of fashion. If any veiling at all is used, it in swathed round the lia-t-. and the -light lacy edge allowed to fall over the brim to a- depth of about two inches—just enough to soften the hard line of the straw or satin. It is a very good idea, when the hat brim is straight, but where it droops or varies in outline the brim is better left alone. Coque feathers are the most fashionable form of trimming, and are seen on many of the new hats, as well as forming collars and bands

of trimming for evening coats and wraps. Some of the smartest hats show big bows of taffetas or moire ribbon placed a'; the back and standing well out 011 either side, so that they are seen from the front. Another simple trimming for a tagel hat is a swathe of selfcoloured cire ribbon, with a touch of gold thread along its edges, round the crown and a rather small bow and ends at one side, which droop slightly over the brim. Still another everyday wear hat may be of tagel or pedal straw, or of on© oi the soft chenille or plaited straws, and have or its adornment a row of foncy coloured satin straw bound round the edge of the brim, ond one or two Lauds of it round the crown, these latter finishing off under a rather large rosette of the same straw placed either at the side or back of the c-rown. A world-famous singer, who visited us during the week, wore a gorgeous gown at her first concert. It was of gold tissue, ankle length, the overdress of white and gold brocaded satin being arranged in pointed skirt panels, each finished with a gold tassel. The graceful pointed train of brocade which liur.g from the shoulders, was lined with gold tissue weighted witli a heavier go’ 1 tassel. The narrow girdle was formed by two strands of gold beads, and ropes oV beads hung from the shoulders to the hem of the skirt, while shorter strands fell from the* shoulders an l wore caught at the wrists. In her hair was a circlet of tiny gold rosebuds. narrow in front and clustering thickly over each ear Another lady member of her party wore a charming frock of pale bin» and silver shot taffetas. It had a long full skirt trimmed with many small tabs of peacock blue ribbon and finished at the hem with narrow silver lace. The upper part of the corsage was composed of silver tissue and was finished with a quaint flat posy of pink icsebuds, surrounded by a frill of silver lace. A recent bride, well-known in musical circles, wore a lovely wedding gown of palest pink georgette. It fell in straight lines from shoulder to hem, with no sleeves. The neck was picotedged and a girdle of silver tissue flowers defined the low waist and adorned each shoulder. The train wa.-» of silver tissue lined with pinkgeorgette. and she wore a white tulle veil, which was caught with a band of

silver leaves. Her bouquet was of j palest pink roses and carnations, inter- | spersed with maidenhair fern, j Her chief bridesmaid wore a pretty frock with corsage of amethyst and gold brocaded satin, and a petailed skirt of gold and shaded amethyst wi h a girdle of autumn-tinted flowers. Her veil, which was drawn into a quaint fan-shape at the back of the head, wa<* of amethyst tulle, with a band cf mauve and gold grapes. She carried 0 bouquet of mauve scabious and pi me sweet peas with maidenhair fern. Some charming frocks were worn by the lady members of the theatrical company which has just left Christchurch, fr. one play a tall, handsome woman, who plays the adventuress, appeared : n a magnificent evening gown of soft mauve tissue, beautifully draped to show the silver lining in the train, deeply embroidered at the hem with green sequins and with a large bow of green tulle finishing the low-cut back of the corsage with long flowing ends. Another of her frocks was a pretty aternoon gown of white silk tricoletto 1 with slashed sleeves of black georgette. The corsage was embroidered in a conventional design in black, and black velvet was introduced as art edging. The ingenue of the play, a pretty, fair-haired girl, ivore three charming little frocks. The first was of delicate Alice blue heavily-patterned lace over satin, with a cerise touch supplied by the rose at the waist. The second was of champagne georgette, the skirt banded with four narrow bands of fluffv chiffon velvet in rich jade green. A loose seqnined front and back panel extending below the frock terminated in crystal bugle fringe. A girlish little rose-pink frock was of radium silk, severely plain save for a quaint bouffant effect far below the waist. Mole fur was extremely popular with one little lady in the company, to judge by the frocks she displayed in tiie final play. Her initial entry was made in a beautiful mole wrap that covered her completely. The long cape collar extended to the waist and the sleeves were practically a minus quanity. When she removed this she was seen to he wearing an extremely smart green coat and skirt, the coat high collared and banded with fur like the long, loose panels. One of her smartest frocks was a modern model in sapphire blue georgette, beautifully worked in chalk beads, and a brown cire hat with a touch of apricot and two side streamers of wide cire ribbon*