Dresses of the Week

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18578, 28 September 1928, Page 14

Dresses of the Week

W ritlen by

“STELLA”

As I have told you, we are to be much more womanly in our choice of attire this season, and are, if we wish to toe the line of Fashion, to wear our skirts slightly longer, and invariably with a broken hem-line. Lace will do all of these things for us, for all the newest patterns are made with edges which are deeply scalloped or vandyked, which help to give the effect of length without actually lengthening the line. There is so much to learn about lace; the names of the various kinds are not known to one woman in a million. A favourite lace just now is a fine guipre, and this is particularly suitable for combining with velvet; it is more even in texture., and slightly heavier in effect. Many new models in this lace are girdled with plaits of ring-velvet, and are passed through jewelled clasps, which are placed in the exact centre-front of the hipline. Again there are ring-velvet dresses, and some of georgette, with deep lace collars which look almost like coatees without sleeves. Then there is Bruges lace, very, very flimsy and fine, and very like Honiton and Limerick lace. It is usually made in narrower widths from three to eighteen inches wide. A good medium of about ten inches is really the prettiest, and is being allied to chiffon tremendously. Slightly gauged chiffon bodices, with petticoats of lace frills, with chiffon draperies, or chiffon petticoats with lace mounted upon them; either way looks absolutely lovely for the. “fluffy” type of girl, who is so “lucky” in her looks. It is easy to renovate an old plain dinner frock with a diamond of soft lace stretching, if you like, the full length of the dress, or a bit longer. Picoted right round, with two slots in the centre, attach one end to the shoulder ■with a brilliant brooch, pass a fancy belt through the slots at the waist, and allow the rest, to hang loosely. I read that we are to have flowered chiffon dresses again. I really believe ' that this lovely material, having at once found such a favourite place in our hearts, will not easily be replaced. This year many of the patterns will be small, little piquets of flowers, and they will be allied to plain chiffon and

taffeta; dresses will have deep hems, formed of wide tucks; and wide, sweeping cuffs, similarly treated, of the plain material; while, in every case, the bodice will be of these dainty pattern materials. For the matron who likes a filmy frock, black chiffon, with a flesh lining upon which have been attached gold lace—either in panels or bands—on skirt and bodice, so that they just show through the black overdress, would be her best choice.

After a surfeit of soft, loosely-woven fabrics like kasha, it is a welcome re* lief to return to the smooth, shiny surface of face cloth—a revival that has probably something to do with the season’s popular shade. A two-piece suit of face cloth will be found extraordinarily seasonable for wear all the year round. The weight is good for frock and coat, and the coat., it may be added, must be smartly tailored.

Satin was never so lovely a material as it is to-day. The satin gown is at the height of fashion. Black satin is the. first choice for the afternoon gown, white, ivory or palest beige for the evening dress. There is, too, a new reversible satin with its two sides in contrasting colours. This is very effective for draping, so that the inner side of a fold is seen when the wearer moves. The love of black and white has not driven all colour away by any means. Green in several shades, brown in all shades, Indian reds and some scarlet, and eve"ry shade of blue, these are worn.

Accessories to frocks, which are so fascinating to buy, often cost nearly as much as the frock itself. This year they are half the fun. Y T our collar and cuffs can be of ecru lingeries, and this saves at least two visits to the wash-tub, but nothing is smarter than the perfectly plain, turned-down collar of white linen that I saw on a gown of grey cloth the other day. Instead of cuffs, there was just a turn-back inch of the linen at the wrists of the I long, close-fitting sleeves. Very new, indeed, are the deep cuffs made of grosgrain ribbons in different shades which arc put on in layers, the cuffs sometimes extending from wrist to elbow’. Newer than bow and tie effects is

the jabot. These can be. worn with any type of dress or suit. Sometimes it is made of the frock material, or it may be of deep cream coloured lace. Curiously enough, it is much smarter when it appears alone, without a collar. Sometimes it springs from nowhere in the centre of the bodice, but it looks best coming from a plain oval or pointed neck, where it is usually secured by a brooch consisting of a large coloured stone. On a palest yellow chiffon dress I saw a lace jabot secured by a jade brooch. It looked most attractive.

The two-coloured scarf is smart and amusing. This is made of crepe dc chine, half of one colour and half of another. Most people are passing the ends of their scarves through a paste ring and leaving them to hang, or tying them in a bow. The wearing of flowers must be left to personal taste. It is hard to resist the gay buttonholes in the shops—the large bunches composed of little flowers are smarter than the single prim flower. A bunch of varnished cowslips looks well with a tailored suit of brownish beige tweed. Lace flowers arc introduced on crepe and chiffon frocks.

One of the loveliest summer frocks I’ve seen was of black net. This had a broad sash of black cire ribbon worn almost in the proper place and tucked into it in front was a handful of black, yellow and white flowers. Hats are very smart; some have brims, others are quite brimless. Everything is provided to suit the individual requirement. The new models are far more feminine, trimmed with flowers, a jewel or a tuft of feathers, and are infinitely becoming. A charming young girl, well known in amateur theatrical circles, looked very charming at a part}' given early in the week. Her frock was of navy blue crepe de chine, patterned in lemon in a small design, the bodice was made with long sleeves cut quite plain with a shaped yoke bound with lemon, and the skirt plain at the back had boxpleats across the front, and between each pleat was a panel of the lemon which showed as the skirt moved.