COMING FASHIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 365, 5 March 1932, Page 20 (Supplement)

COMING FASHIONS.

Clothes to Suit Wearer’s Personality. WOMEN'S WHIMS. (By A PARIS EXPERT.) Fashions this season have changec rom their age-old purpose of conform tg femininity to the beauty pattern o: he epoch. They are undergoing a per onality-huilding campaign. Frcncl dressmakers win make these styles say that personal ity in clothes is woman's defiance o the machine age They can’t get tin women who come t< them to be dresset to conform to standard pattern The women aren’i taking their fash ions in gross lots any more. They want clothes buih to the measure o their personality More than that they insist tliai these clothes adc to their own spec ial stock of person ality. even the mospractical garments Some of the . far-sighted " pessimist; claim that this bolt from the standarc fashion-fold is a eign of the fall of tin fashion empire. Be that as it may, tin new idea of chid is one that is persona to each woman, and not a standaix brand. It is similar to the masculim revolt against the Hercules idea in thei; clothes, as demonstrated by the aban doping of padded and pinched coats ant skin-tight trousers. Women, too, an accepting their own natural allotments in the way of figures, prizing this a* part of their personality, and playing it up, instead of trying to look like a lot of human sheep.

Basic Rules to Govern Your New Silhouette. It’s the women themselves, and not tho couturiers, who are responsible for the increasing variety of styles; they simply refuse to be crushed into the same general mould any longer, ami they reclaim the right, sartorially, to intensify their individual charms without being considered freaks. Anyhow, wherever the praise or the blame lies, the change is here, so I must come down to cases, aiul tell you about the new figures you may choose from this season. Fiust of all, let me lay down for you the invariable basic rules tliat must govern your new silhouette, and then we’ll pass on to variations. You must have broad shoulders taper-i ing down to an effect of slender waist; you may have Venus hips, emphasised; by swathed or fitted effects, or your: .skirt fullness may start high; longer ; skirts give a long-limbed (or, if you prefer, legged) line. Your wide shoulders are furnished to; you by the all-important sleeves that are widened at tlie top in some manner: or another. Real Leg-o’-mutton Sleeves. l\eal leg-o’-mutton sleeves are being shown by a number of creators. And, though it’s mean to say, “1 told you so, just refer, if you can still find them, to my articles in last April or May, and you’ll find I foresaw them, ballooning upon the horizon. But don’t be afraid that you’ll be forced into leg-o’-mutton sleeves. There are lots of other ways. Some couturiers use a square shouldered Raglan cuff on evening as well as daytime coats; many couturiers use tricky kimono cuffs, and other* make dropshoulder yokes. Dolman sleeves have come back strong. These are particularly logical for coats, as they give the necessary space to the puffed or ruffled sleeve of the frock below. Epaulettes are another amusing solution of the shoulder line. They are used by some dressmakers on tailored jackets, and they are also used to outline armholes of evening frocks. The Back Movement. The back movement is one of the important fashions of the season. The draped and tied-back skirts of ISBO in : spi ration are coining out in society this winter, lie-backs lead to the bustle, as wo all know,,and this type of frock has

a strong hold on the imagination of the Paris fashion-makers, and every season or so, one of them pops up with the 1880 line, which nobody has taken very seriously up to now. It is true that no more than a bow marks the spot where the bustle once puffed and billowed, and very often nothing at all is placed behind the waistline. The tie-back movement is achieved by fitting the skirt in front and letting it flare at the back. That’s the way it’s done in Paris, for daytime, and sometimes in the evening dreesea as well. All the slimming princess effect of this famous past fashion is achieved, together with the billowingout behind, and left by the wayside are the distortions of pinching and puffing that make such a dress undesirable in our modern epoch of clothe*? —comfort above everything. In short, the old fashion is made new. No other line that is to be found in this season’s fashion so sets off supple slenderness. Fashion Hints. The Paris air contributes to the creation of beauty, which in many cases takes the shape of original models and new colours. There seems to be a game of liidc-and-scek played by colours. They go at times into hiding, only to be revived a few short seasons later disguised as distinct novelties. There is no reason to offer why certain shades, popular one season, are discarded and distasteful the next. Green has survived ever eo many years, so has the tete de negre. And as to beige, this prime favourite of modern times, it has dislodged grey entirely. Bois de rose is in the asceudant, with Bordeaux and all shades of red. Cornfiowei r blue, in great disfavour for many seasons, has again become very popular. To be well dressed is to be suitably dressed, and it should be the aim and object of every woman, according to her means, to be turned out to the point of being in the picture, and a joy to behold. Jade is the fashionable precious stone to-dav. The ruby lias gone out of favour, for no apparent reason. On the other hand, onyx is being dyed to practically any shade. Sequins are very much to the fore again this season, and some tiny-fitting boleros made of sequins oh a net foundation, in black, white and pink,’ would look very well with almost any plain evening dress. Attractive little evening scarves of silk chiffon, cut to form little capes of three large petal-shaped sections, cover our backless evening frocks when we wish them covered, and look smart. The hair will be worn off the forehead, because this style makes a more effective frame to the face when it is well shaped. The ‘'roll” at the back of the neck, so difficult to keep in order, has disappeared, and a cluster of curls takes its place. The ears will also continue to be covered, or, at least, very little of them will be seen.

FOR THE SWEET COURSE. STUFFED PLUMS IN JELLY. Simmer lib of largo plums till tender, but do not break; drain carefully; when cool halve them and remove the stones, make an almond filling of lib ground almonds, Mb icing sugar and 1 beaten e So’ Divide and make into balls, press two halves of plums, one on each side; arrange in a glass dish. Sweeten the fruit syrup slightly, heat it and dissolve a raspberry packet of jelly in it; pour over the plums in the disli. Allow to cool and decorate with pistachio nuts or ehooued walnuts.