Dresses of the Week

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17699, 20 November 1925, Page 9

Dresses of the Week

Written by *

"STELLA"

Do women ever feci sufficiently thankful T wonder, for the enormous change that has come over summer clothes during the last fifty years? It: is impossible to imagine anything cooler than present-day .''summer frocks, and yet we probably grumble far more than our mother and our grandmothers did. Afodern summer frocks arc light and airy, of pretty, cool materials, free from linings and stiffening, boned collars and tight wrist and waist bands. Our also light, our stockings as thin as possible, and our shoes cool and easy. Can we iflSgine v/hat it can have felt like to wear cumbersome underclothes, black cashrtici c stockings and heavy shoes, dresses weighty in the skirt and tightly drawn n: at the waist, with much whale bone and buckram, on a hot summer's day? A\ e have, too, many additional means ot keeping cool, which quite compensate for the present-dav rush and bustle. If wc only knew what sort, of summer it was going to be then, getting our summer wardrobe together wouldn t be the difficult task it is.' As things arc, with some Arctic and some sweltering, and some “betwixt and between days, it, takes a great, deal more thought to be well dressed in the summer than it does in the winter, when one expects the worst,—and gets it! Every woman knows that a- consciousness of being suitably dressed for the job in hand, whatever it is, makes it all the easier to do—and suitablv dressed m the modem woman’s vocabulary also means becomingly dressed. It neither feels nor looks nice, nor is it hygienic, to wear old clothes for odd jobs, ivithout something over them; whilst as for the doing of these things about the house at which one is likely to be disturbed at any moment, a pretty, comfortable overall that can be slipped off quickly is an absolute essential to-day. There’s the right overall for the big woman, for the medium one, for the small woman, or the young girl, for the matron, and how it is to be grade and what it is to be made in just depends on the jobs in hand. An overall must wash well, of course, and it must be easy fitting, otherwise, the whole raison d ctre is gone, but it can be chosen ir. a style and colouring to suit the wearer with an eye, too, on the colour schemes of the house. The girl of the day is tremendously keen on tennis, so every season tennis kit looms larger in her wardrobe. Alodern tennis kit is essentially practical, but there’s no reason why it shouldn't be becoming, too. So long as she isn’t trammelled there’s no reason why the

tennis player shouldn’t dress in the clothes that suit her. Short sleeves, if they want to show their arms—long sleeves if they want to hide them, providing these arc long enough and well cut, with comfortable armholes; mannish styles, if mannish styles arc becoming to them; something feminine, if they are of the feminine type; a square or a round or a V-shaped neckline, which ever they look best in. Polo collars both for frocks and tennis shirts arc popular, and worn generally with lies of club colours, often drawn through slots in the front of the shirt. Y\ hether to have a “one-piece” or a “two-piccve” tennis frock—that is the question that is agitating tennis players at the moment. The chemise style, a la Aldlle Lenglen is not as favoured as it was. It is undoubtedly practical, but to most people not really becoming. Some players say that “one-piece” frocks lift with the arms, and do not, therefore, allow real freedom of movement; others, again, prefer to feel that, come what may, there, if no chance of bodice and skirt parting company. Not that, such a happening is in the least likely with the modern long jumper, pulled well down beyond the waist of the skirt. There’s a wealth of choice in tennis frock fabrics, crepe de chine, schappe, spun silk, artificial silk, shantung, tussore, linen (only it must be of the uncrushable sort), cotton crash, and innumerable others, wear well and wash well. Then, of course, there’s white flannel, best used for skirts only, wool stockinette and jersey Kasha, if something a little more weighty is required. Few players feel complete without a gay striped silk scarf, which, like a tie, is more interesting if it represents real colours rather than fanciful ones. And there are more hats seen on the courts than there used to be—bandeaux and bandana handkerchiefs aren't, you see, too good for the complexion—bxit, of course, they must be of the pull-on sort, soft and close-fit-ting, with tiny brims that turn up or down. Although white appeals and looks traditionally right, tbejgp is surely scope for a little colour being introduced on to the tennis courts. A tennis dress to my mind requires to be as carefully fashioned and finished as any other frock. Indeed, rather more so, if anything, in view of the fact that it spends half its existence in the wash tub. A charming tennis frock which is a change from the usual styles was worn by a fair girl whose marriage will take place early next year. The material used was a striped crepe de chine in

yellow and fawn, and the fullness at the sides was kept in place bv little, monogrammed patch pockets stitched over the gathers at each side; while the neck was of the very newest with its high turn-over collar and laced bodice. A narrow suede belt finished the waist and a hat of felt completed a most attractive toilette. Another distinctive tennis frock seen at Avonside recently was made in rose du Barri striped washing silk, made sleeveless with a long body and a gathered apron made with the stripes running across and finished at the hem with a broad band of white. A most attractive frcck worn in Christchurch recently by a well-known lady was made with a sleeveless tunic of tangerine wool marocain bordered with black and white bands and batik embroidery in black and white wool over .a skirt, finely kilted on either side. This was worn with a cape wrap of black satin marocain with a deep ruched collar and edged with fringe. Her small bat of black satin piped with white was trimmed with ospreys at the side. A visitor to, Christchurch from Hawke’s Bay was recently wearing a black rep tunic over a plain black skirt. The border of the tunic was embroidered in fuefle coloured silk, a width of the embroidery was inserted over the under arm seam, and from slots on either side appeared a vivid red crepe de chine sash with very large fuelle silk tassels. The sleeves were long and tight-fitting, and round the neck was a long, narrow red scarf fringed deeply at the ends. Worn with this was a black tricorne hat with tuft of cream fur on one side, and a handsome necklet of Alaskan fox. At dinner one night recently a tall brunette, who lives in Hastings, wore a striking frock of navy blue crepe de chine finely kilted from the neck to the waist line, where a flounce of navy radium lace fell over a satin skirt of navy, with two wide bands of deep red. The sleeves were formed of bands of the crepe dc chine. t Another gown worn by a visitor from the Hawke’s Bay district was of white crepe de chine with Persian embroidery inserted motifs. A smart /rock worn by another North Island visitor was of sandcoloured crepe de chine with a shirred flounce in front with a wide border of the Greek key pattern in black and brown, the wide sleeves being finished with the same border, and a finely kilted double jabot. This was worn with a brown brimmed hat, the crown entirely covered with pale pink rose leaves flecked with gold.