UNIQUE FASHION PARADE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 287, 5 December 1933, Page 2

UNIQUE FASHION PARADE

Something now in charity functions took place in London last month when a display was give of Englishwomen’s fashions of the nineteenth century. A number of society girls acted as mannequins ami despite the ravages of moder sport they managed to carry off the small-waited, fully boned costumes without any alterations having to be made in them. Dr. Cunningham, who owned this collection of dresses, thought that the most beautiful frocks were, those of the forties and fifties of the last century. This was tho hey-day of shot fabrics. Shot effects were first introduced in ribbons, about 1820-30, and these wore hrnown as “mistake’* ribbons. When

tho vogo extended to fabrics, tho shot effects wore referred to as “rainbow.” “In early Victorian times,” said Dr. Cunningham, “primary colours of aniline dvo.s in the ’sixties released a perfect flood of colour upon the fashion world, and at tho beginning of the ’seventies the colour-cult became very complicated. Elaborate rules were drawn un. Lists were made of what the fashion exports called “warm colours” and “cold colours,” and you wore not allowed to place a “cold colour” against a “warm colour” without a modulating “neutral” in between them. It was all very complicated and as riijid as possible, [f you didn’t, know the colour rules, you simply weren’t a lady!”