Dresses of the Week

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17181, 26 October 1923, Page 9

Dresses of the Week

W ritten bu

“STELLA "

The winter is behind us. Oh joy! Even stormy and cold days will not make us downhearted now, for it i% lovely to be once more into warm arid sunny days, even if the winds and dust do keep us busy with our combs and powder puffs. The weather this week lias been like champagne in the middle of the morning—sparkling and bracing, and slightly intoxicating. For all of a sudden, we have been transported from the cold weather last week to the warm days we have dreameot about for so many months. Surely this must last and we can venture , forth in our longed-for summer regalia. ) Let’s haul out our last year’s wardrobe and have a day of renovations. For to fall back upon Shakespeare, ever the downy couch for the lazy head. “’Tis true; 'tis pity, and pity j ’tis ’tis true” that many of our girls ■ are keener upon the choice of a jazz i than upon the choice of a frock. ! Although a jazz, as somebody gallantly says. banishes for art'ew hours the daily trials and worries,” at the same time we must realise that women’s dress is almost the only bright spot vouchsafed to man. So girls, be careful, and remembei that a frock should not be chosen for its engaging harmony or colourful contrast with hat or shoes, but should be selected with due regard for the form, face and figure of the wearer. One must rely largely on the bcau- . tiful fabrics for dress distinction this season. There are, to be sure, variations of style and quite a choice in trimmings, and if one is clever enough, ! little details may be worked out more i or less originally, to give a somewhat different trend to the general rule of fashions. Dame Fashion may find a great deal of inspiration in fabrics, and it is in these we must take a special delight. A well-known Christchurch lady who

resides in Yvorcester Street was wearing, at a recent “ afternoon,” a very becoming dress of hiege georgette, a series of circular flounces were used from waist to hem in apron suggestion, the blouse was cut in one with the girdle, and panel streamers formed two loops falling to the hem of the skirt. One outstanding frock worn at a ball during the week was an ambercoloured lace and crepe roniain made on simple lines—the waist being defined by a band made wide on the liips. Long straight pieces of lace about ten inches wide hung from the shoulders over the arm, forming loose sleeves. At a wedding, a well-known lady motorist forsook her warm coat and ventured forth in the sunshine wearing a truly mid-summer toilet. The model frock worn might be termed rather n tailored affair, as organdies go. It had a series of lengtli-wiso pleats, >n front, shaped into a panel, with two side panels embroidered in three or four shades of yellow. But the chief point of interest was the ruching that outlined the frock. These ruchings were closely quilled through the centre and applied in such a discriminating fashion that none of the long lines were cut. but, on the contrary, elongated in appearance. One pretty frock worn at a recent bridge party was a straight banging dress of a black satin, soft and softly shimmering—and just incidentally, there is a wondrous difference in blacks. It was scalloped at the bottom and outlined with a very tinyfringe that, narrow o.s it was. some-how-pointed the direction, giving “la ligne,” as the French put it, to the whole frock. The elongated waist-line is aimed at by all our girls about town, and fastenings may be front or back,

according to the fancy of the wearer. For hats---all the family of straws — especially the lacy weaves—are answering “ present ” to the new season’s rollcall. So too, are satin, and taffeta — the latter, a most insistent voguewhile crepe d© chine, georgette. and lace appear in the dressy models designed for afternoon wear. A newprinted straw is being used for sport wear, tho hack ground in most cases being of cream, or ecru, and the figures—floral or conventional—printed in bright colours. One notices at the various parties that crepe georgette is the material used when the frock is destined to be beaded. White is the colour greatly used, although one sees a good deal of powder-blue, mauve, yellow, and black. One noticeable dress, worn early this week, was of crepe georgette, cut on quite simple and straight lines. and showed a neck rounded out in a bateau line. Tho sleeves were in the shape of wings and were attached to theshoulders behind. A country visitor who has been to town shopping for the. races was seen wearing a becoming and useful frock, the sleeves and the bodice sides of printed silk and the circular skirt- of broadcloth. The panels of the front and back of the bodice were cut in one with the skirt ; the sides were slightly gathered and topped by a belt of the cloth bound with braid to match the panel sides. A narrow turn-down/col-lar of the printed silk, and the set-in sleeves had the wrist fullness confined in a turn back cuff of the fabric. To complete this charming toilet she wore a hat of black hatter’s plush, combined with Lyons velvet, the brim edge being embroidered with chenille, and two large cabochons of the same shade were placed on the side crown, which added smartness to a delightful toilet.