Fashions and Furbelows.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18643, 24 December 1928, Page 13

Fashions and Furbelows.

Notes by Special Contributors

COLLARS AND CUFFS. TOUCHES THAT COUNT. The “ simple little frock,” in navy, brown, grey or black crepe de chine, without which the Parisienne’s wardrobe is not considered complete, can be made to look like a different dress every day of the week with the aid of several dainty collar and cuff sets. It is not even necessary to go to a shop for these pretty trifles if you have time and patience to make them at home. Any one of the sets sketched here can be fashioned in an hour or two, and each in its turn will lend a certain “ air ” to your useful little frock. Parchment tinted crepe de chine is the best material to choose for the rather important collar, with cuffs en suite, which gives a truly Parisian touch to the black crepe de chine frock. The scalloped edges are. stitched with black silk and a tiny black dot is embroidered between each scallop. The vandyked set is in palest yellow organdi edged with spot net to tone; the Peter Pan set, in fine white lawn, is edged with embroidered lawn frills and finished with narrow ribbon velvet, while the more severe set on the table is carried out in bold black and white spotted crepe de chine. With very little practice, the amateur can speedily turn out an attractive and varied assortment of charming accessories that will enable her to obtain a fresh effect every day with but a single dress! G.P. ARTIFICIAL CURLS. Bunches of ringlets are in great demand chez M. le Coiffeur. The Frenchwoman . wears them low down on the left side of her neck. She purchases the number of curls required, rather than submit to the process of growing her own hair for half a year or more before it attains to “ perman-ent-curl ” length. Not only does she shrink from the tin sightliness of the in-between stage, but is well aware that by the time her own tresses have reached the required length the fashion mfiy reign no more.

SHOES IN PARIS. FOOTWEAR BECOMES MORE ELABORATE. Footwear, after a spell of simplicity in design, is becoming complicated again. Kid is extensively used for day wear. Many designs with a pump foundation are strapped across the instep with contrasting leather bands, which tie together with a neat cord. The heels are invariably to match. This was attractively demonstrated in a mastic coloured kid combined with navy. For smart morning wear, dyed reptile skin retains all its old popularity, and. if any change is remarkable, it is in the beautiful variety of dyes obtainable. French bottiniers have always been partial to the sandal shape, which has never achieved a similar amount of distinction in London as it has abroad, where women recognise that it makes a foot look smaller and altogether neater. Variations of the sandal shape are now being seen. Some pretty patent leather shoes were made with sandal straps of a linked effect of leather and gold kid.

DECORATIONS IN GOLD. A good deal of gold, either in the form of binding or of application, is seen on both day and evening shoes. Black suede is returning to favour. A pair of black suede shoes, made with small, domino-like insertions of white kid, were laced together in front and fastened with white cord laces weighted with ivory, acorns. Variations of the lace-up effect have by no means exhausted their attractions. . Exquisitely dyed suedes are shown for afternoon wear. Foremost amongst them is a deep cardinal red. It is decorated as often as not with touches of gold. Navy suede, with scrolls of a contrasting colour, is another smart design.