Dresses of the Week

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17009, 6 April 1923, Page 10

Dresses of the Week

Wt*un iu

"STELLA "

Autumn is already here and it is time we gave some thought to the newest fashions for outdoor wear. Thera is- little to surprise, for there is no radical change in women's attire; the fusiiions will be recognised as the normal evolution of those that have gout before. The one element of surprise will be the tendency to revert to 1875 and 1885 tendencies, and they will not be welcomed by the average thoughtful woman. This was an onpieturesque period of dress, with the exaggerated hipline, not distended or hoope-d-out sKirts, but drapery caught tightly round to grip the knee ami yet to give the appearance of great width to tile hips, with the full drapery back, as a reminder of the bustle. Should tliis style be followed it means the eight-fit ting bodice once more, and. ot course, a waist. But these inodes are not likely to be seen, except in isolated cases, this coming season- They have been favoured by one ot the. leading Parisian designers, but the others have not taken them up. Still, there are many disturbing elements in the new models. The flared skirt, the godet or rounded flounces, pleated skirts, with a flare ; the straight clinging corsage, or coat, all these are movements awky from the straight picture line, with its comfort and freedom. They all show a tendency to more fullness, and, naturally, more fabric about tJi<i legs, which means hampering movements and more weight to carry again. The more extreme models, it must l>c confessed, do not tend to . the beautiful. There is a certain tendency to a line. These are very prevalent, and hard, and often an angular, lino. It will be interesting ho see it' the women who count will be persuaded to accept them. The cape effects often redeem the finish of many of the evening as well as the day gowns. They vary in shape and length from the dimensions of a deep collar to a reallv long, full cape. But tile half length and the threequarter length are the most favoured. These appear to be made to hang only at the back from the shoulders, but many of them are contrived to fasten over round the throat, and so form a convenient little wrap. This style of cape drapery is always of soft, supple material, and must /not be confused with the genuine cape wrap ot heavy material intended for a real warm wrap. Certain points are quite settled and can bo spoken of with certainty. The skirts for walking dresses, and tailored seemingly si mule. are really ver> subtle and suit more than one type of face. This richness of material pervades nearly all dress at the moment. and as Mich is very favourable to the older woman. She should, for instance, always take advantage of depth of colour, and depth of colour is rarely to be found except in good except in good things. The reason older women arc apt to resign themselves even in these days to blacks and greys anil maures is that, losing some of their colouring, bright, as opposed to deep, colouring makes them look faded, while pale colours in pinks and blues are by a condition assigned to youth and. as such, are often made very beautiful rich’ stuffs which anybody can wear. Old-pink velvets, deep-toned oranges, beautiful old-white velvet*;, the black and white dresses which are only j. refuge of the destitute if they arc taken too literally, all these can be worn with advantage by women of any ago. And it is important not to have fixed habits——not to feel, for instance, that it is impossible to live without a. certain waist-line or a. certain collar or a certain hat angle. As people change, so the lines of their clothes should change, ns well as general cut and-, colour. Even from year to year different colours suit people, partly because they themselves are different, partly because stuffs change in tone and texture. Tt is a mistake, for instance, to make up one's mind that one can wear only soft materials such «s duvetyn or velvet- or clinging chitions and crepes.- It is proved quite clearly that some of the hard, shiny stuffs which are now being used look extremely smart on an older woman with a good deal of character in. her • face, or one who lias grown fat and so needs something plain and decisive as a loil. It is rather a safe principle to seek in clothes the characteristic most prominent in the person. It is parallel with dressing up to the colour o*' the eyes or hair or with enhancing ono shade of grey hv the addition of another.

costumes, will remain reasonably short so as to -won escape the wet and the heels in walking, which will be good new® to all busy women. But for all formal occasions, and dress gowns, ami for evening wear, skirts arc decidedly and definitely long. The ankle length is much favoured, but manv are made longer, and for evening dress particularly, many of the models show skirts that rest on the ground. Then the very long waist is condemned. The ridicule ol the French caricaturists has accomplished this. They showed women with abnormally elongated bodies and short legs, and a generally top-heavy appearance. It is still a long waist, but only a tow inches at most below the normal position. Some models from the leading houses in fact, show the normal waist line. There are others which show no waist at all—either a straight hanging gown, with no attempt at defining a figure, oi else draped to show swathing® or wrinkles round the body. It will be largely a matter oi' personal choice, and the wisc woman will choose tbo position that is most becoming to her. straight line prevails for street costumes, and even the. wraps show 1 his tendency, they are not so wrap like as they were last season, but fol low more the straight coat line, usually with large and important sleeves. Now these, are often full, and almost draped, and so relieve the severity of the line. Collars are larger again and very cosy. Nearly all wraps and most of the street costumes are trimmed with fur. if n is only a narrow band. The fringe of monkey fur often appears as quite a deep fringe. Rich linings of contrasting colour are quite a feature, not only oi wraps, but of many of the gowns. Peeps of them are seen when the flap of the wrap-over skirt blows back, or in the edge of the wide sleeve, where the front buttons over, or the collar opens. The new materials are very beautiful. There is a ribbed woollen fabric that has deservedly won favour ovei seas, and cannot fail to he popular. The duvetyns are lovely, their colourings perfect. All the variety of marocains, crepe remain, etc., appeal. Velours de loiue. trellame. velours lida, cheviotte de lain*?. pikaine. pepiaserge, are among the new fabrics th*' s -asol*. A smart two-piece costume was .11 brown. with an ac-ru stripe. The Russian coat was cut with natty handkerchief draperies at the side, and was vvmimed with a deep band of fur at th- hem. cuffs and the high collar. A little velvet hat in the same colour

with an ecru-toned heron feather coin* pleted the toilette. \\ orn by a recent young bride was a smart model frock in mole gabardine, finely tucked back and front, and light1> stitched with gold. Ihe cape-sleeves were very short and the low waist was defined by a wide sash of the material that iastened with several antique silver buttons. Her close-fitting hat ot mole panne velvet was sharply upturn ed and was swathed with white heron plumes. Over all she wore a magnificent coat of natural musquash with a deep collar of skunk. *. A sim Pl« little frock ol' mole gabardine was worn with one of the popular small capes to correspond. The froc.y was quite plainly cut, the onlv ornamentation being a wide band o't braid mg which extended from the hips to a hue well above the waist. A narrow patent leather belt finished with a smart buckle in front, and the capo with an edging of braid. th it nas worn a wide tricorn hat of black panne velvet, absolutely devoid ui trimming. F* or the afternoon function nothin* could have been smarter or more suit a de than a frock of plain and figured satm. lhc dross itself wa s of the figured material in blue and grev tone*, th(> rather long _bodice cn»f-H over to one side, irhere it fastened trith a fancy buckle. A slightly full panel of pJani blue satin hung at either side, and a wide band of the same material composed the cuffs and the tiny ristee. A simple crinoline hat vith a swathed band of sijk accompanied this frock. I hat very popular combination, velvet and fur, composed another little afternoon frock seen recently. Of dull blue velvet, the frock was made in extreme simplicity, wit-h a little fullness gathered on the hips. The souare neck and the wide cuffs were edged with rich brown fur. Picot edging was employed to trim a chic little frock of ivory georgette. A long V-shaped uauel almost covered the plain underdress from shoulder fo hem. It was loosely draned and picotedged. as was the V-shaped neck and wide band of blu*> and silver tissue caught in front with « dull silver clasp. One of the new ■ ostumes with the long coat and the high stand-up collar was trimmed with a band o? brilliant I embroidery nt each side ot the coat i hem and with lovelv sealskin collar and of henna, and was worn with a little black satin pull-on hat to match.