AN AMERICAN LETTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17170, 13 October 1923, Page 4

AN AMERICAN LETTER.

THE SUBJECT OF CLOTHES Washington. T'.S.A. August 25. 1923. My Dear Stella.—How are you in the Antipodes? Here am I au exile in a big city in America, and my thoughts constantly straying to Cathedral Square. I wonder if it still looks the same? Does the old shelter shed si ill exist? Have you a new Post Office yet? and can you still meander about letting the traffic take care of itself? Here you daren’t let your mind styay or your feet either. You need eves in the back of your head as well as in fiont. and even after waiting until the “traffic cop" gives the ' signal “Safe for pedestrians." you do not know you are safe until you reach the side walk. We never sav footpath here. I still persist in saying tram instead of “street car." but ‘■side-w.alk " lias come easily to me. All this persiflage is leading the way to a subject which you -will? I know, he interested m-f-Olothes. Am I right? Are you lying awake at nights thinking out your dress for Carnival Week ? i have been “ window shopping" very hard on your behalf, and pass on mv gleanings to you. Kipling said that ‘the colonel’s lady and Judy O Grady" were sifters under their skin. Well, over their skin American women and Christchurch women don’t look so very different, and what suits one would suit the other. A bit mixed this metaphor. but you will know what 1 mean. 1 wish you could have been with me in V. Street. There is what is called “the flapper’s parade" in the late afternoons, and it is quite a treat to watch it. F., Street . T might mention is the Cashel Street- of Washington ; it is the home of the “dry goods’ stores." not drapers’ shops, if you please. Tn F. Street one sees and is seen. The windows are worth studying—window dressing has reached a high mark. The tlatest fashion is to * dress French dolls up in the latest styles—this attracts the eye. and is thoroughly artistic. Some of the most exclusive shops —“exclusive" is a word much used here —show one dress only in a window—one beautiful dress with a suitable background. Perhaps a vase of lovely roses stands in one corner, ha.t. gloves, handbag and other accessories may be lying on a table, but the dress is the thing. An interesting feature of the styles this summer has been the conspicuous absence of sleeves. Personally. J couldn’t bring myself to go out of doors minus sleeves, but many women here don’t seem to mind. What to our minds would he an evening frock, here might be a dav frock. With the mercury between 90 degrees and 100 degrees, this is not so stupid as it at first appears. The ultra fashionable have been sleeveless, have bad tightfitting waists and long, elaboratelytrimmed skirts trailing on the ground. It- is not these I would advise you to copy. The majority of the women do not go to extremes. They content themselves with ankle length skirts and elbow sleeves, and now the sleeves are going to he made longer—long even unto the wrist. T advise only the owner of young and pretty arms to wear sleeveless dresses. T can remember several Canterbury' debutantes of two or three years ago who could, with impunity. have dared sleeveless frocks, hut only a few. It is nothing short of a crime in America to be out-of-date. To depart from the dictates of fashion causes more interest than a movie actress’s love affairs. Sometimes I have a little laugh up my sleeve at these Americans. What is worn in America sooner or later will be worn in New Zealand, and why not let Cathedral Square lead the way ? Early in the summer Egyptian patterned /goods ruled the waves. Poor old King Tutankhamen would surely have turned in his tomb if he could have seen what happened. All sorts and conditions of goods were on the market with Egyptian designs printed tlieron. Now and again, when the material was rich in sheen and colouring, these Egyptian dresses were lovely, but when cheap prints and cottons in “King Tut" patterns began to be worn by “coloured ladies," women of discriminating taste left off wearing them. (Perhaps you do not know that one-third of t-be population of Washington is negro.) hi the wardrobe of the fashionable lady in this year of grace, 1923, there is almost sure to be a quaint fro<yfc inspired by an admirer of the era of crinolines. It is mightily becoming to a youthful wearer. A very charming crepe, and tan coloured crepe de chine. The bodice was close fitting, cut low it the centre front, revealing a tiny vest of cream lace, embroidered in gold. Then there was a flounced sleeve outlining the arm-hole, the final touch of distinction on the bodice being rows.of tiny pearl buttons fastening down the front. The foundation skirt was of the Canton crepe. anil over this fell a bouffant overdress of lace. This would be most charming carried out in almost a'ny material, and in almost any colour. In taffetas it would Vinv fril?/ of Valenciennes lace are often the sole trimming on house and street frocks, on material ranging from gingham to the very finest silk. Skirts have not been worn much in America for several years, hut this summer they ‘returned to favour for sports wear and for dressy occasions. For sports wear, they are usually plain, and a muslin blouse with long sleeves is worn, the new note being the sleeveless sweaters. These are easy to make, and suit most people. The prettiest skirts are those of two colours. They are pleated, and often a straight, loosefitting jacket is worn with these. A revival of a fashion several years back. The sleeveless jumper would be very suitable for Christchurch on days when you are not sure which way the wind will blow. Would you like to know what colours are most worn? Various shades of yellow, lemon, buttercup and orange, greens, including jade and emerald, and a red known in the States as gooseberry, hut. in New Zealand as tomato. Remember the- pillar-box red that was popular m Christchurch a few seasons back 0 Well, it was being worn here when I first arrived, and T referred to it as pillar-box red. My friend inquired why I had called it that ? I started to explain its appropriateness, but she informed me that it wouldn’t go over here —the pillar boxes are dark green.

I saw the prettiest frock on a blonde. (You will notice that 1 am .picking

up a few* Americanisms, but T have not adopted either their pronunciation or their spelling—-yet.) it was yellow* organdie with frills of lace on neck and sleeves, and a. circular skirt with graduated bands of cream insertion on the skirt. A pale yellow hat in a floppy shade, trimmed with a wide scarf of cream I arc enveloping the crown, worn bv the same girl, was most alluring. These dresses 1 have described are beautiful, but perhaps you would like me to telL you of more useful dresses for every day. One of the simplest, and at the same time, one of the mostcharming dresses I "have seen this summer was of black and white spotted muslin. The dress had a black background, the spots being white. White organdy collar, cuffs, vest, and sash finished this off. Black and white is worn a good deal here in summer. It saves laundry bills—quite a consideration when almost everyone sends out practically everything. There is little space for washing in the tiny two and three-roomed apartments where so many people live. Even millionaires live in apartments here, six or seven-roomed apartments, costing anything from £SOO to £I.OOO a month. Some day. Stella, T will write and tell you of some of my shopping experiences when .1 first came here, what with dollars and cents in place of pounds, shillings and pence, and unfamiliar idioms, l was somewhat at a loss.—Sincerely yours, COLUMBIA.