BACK TO SIMPLICITY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 521, 2 August 1932, Page 9

BACK TO SIMPLICITY.

Reversion to Old Styles at Ascot. | LONDON, June 16. What were the fashions like at Ascot? That is a question in which women all over the world are interested in every year. For what is worn at Royal Ascot is reflected later at smart race meetings thousands of miles away. Well this was a cotton-frock-and-gem-hat Ascot. Dozens of women wore cotton frocks with long skirts, and flower garlands round their necks that looked like real daisy chains, made of the material. Hundreds of women had fallen for the new boaters and gems, worn perched on one side of the hair. There were white-hatted women in all parts, states a writer.

Perhaps the best way of giving an idea of the extraordinary diversity of the modes and materials at the smartest dress parade of the season is to say that they suggest a review of fashion for the past fifty years. From Turkish towelling to old lace, checked duster gingham to embroidered Indian muslin, every possible kind of cotton material was represented. One Striking outfit worn by a young girl consisted of a frock of lollipop-striped cotton poplin with wide drummer boy shouldets, a light blue coat, and a black gem hat labelled across the front in gold lettering, “ Wise Mary.” There was a sprinkling of floral patterned materials, but their successful rival this year consisted of stripes. Many of the cottons were brilliantly printed in striped or “ dazzle ” patterns. Caped Coatees Popular. Nearly every woman in a long dress wore a cape or a tiny little caped coatee. A few wore feather boas, but, generally speaking, there was an absence of flowers and feathers, trailing chiffons, and picture hat effects, which has characterised Ascot fashions in former years. Only the mannequins and the debutantes wore freakish toilettes. One mannequin, for instance, turned up in a dress which was backless almost to the waist—but she must have regretted it at the end of the day, for the sun shone brilliantly. A couple of debutantes came along looking like a bride and bridesmaid, dressed in flowing frocks of white .and mauve organdie, with queer little flower-encircled plate

hats suspended precariously over one ear, and kept* on with bandeaux of flowers. Shoes were especially gay and colourful, the tendency being to match up frocks in pale pastel tonings with shoes of the same colour, but in a much brighter, deeper shade. One frock of faintish blush rose pink pique was accompanied by shoes of deep rose linen; a primrose yellow organdie had shoes of brilliant orange. Red, grey, mauve, blue and green were also plentiful. “ A smarter and better dressed Ascot

than any since the war—with no fancy dress fashions to speak of." That is the verdict of one Fleet Street woman journalist. She had seen more Royal Ascots than she cares to remember.