CHRISTMAS FASHION

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 December 1950, Page 10

CHRISTMAS FASHION

By

Joan Erskino

Do you associate Christmas with Yule logs, falling snow and mistletoe? Or is it garden parties and moonlight bathing in the tropics for you? For the first time, designers have catered for all types of women on ail sorts of occasions, and there is more- variety in evening dresses than we have seen for many years. There are three quite distinct lines. Firs' there is the ever romantic fullskiited ball-dress, making the most of a tiny waist and good shoulders. Second comes the sheath dress, tapering from waist to ankle, and giving a smooth unbroken line. Third is the most difficult of all styles—the sheath that bursts into a swirl of flennees just below the knee, giving a “mermaid" silhouette. Here you must be honest with yourself. To wear a dress that fits like a glove to the knees before flowing out in fullness requires a svelte figure of reasonable height, with small hips. Otherwise the effect is ludicrous.

Mermaid Line.

The most beautiful dresses of the season were shown by the Rahvis sisters recently. Here, the mermaid line vies for popularity with the bal-let-length full-skirted type. A touch that was universally admired, and

would be simple to copy, Was the tulle coat that accompanied most of the tight dresses. Made in fine matching net, with long tight sleeves, it flowed backwards, giving a misty floating look to the outfit. “Spanish Mania” was the name given to a black dress that draped round the body like a second skin until it reached the knees, where it burst into a frou-frou of scarlet, green, blue and black net layers. Another, in this style, was brilliant scarlet, sparkling with jewel drops. The skirt was draped round t 0 the front where it fell into sash-like ends, with something of an Eastern look about it. Although I personally feel that lace and tulle are not well suited to arch other, many dresses are now seen with this mixture. Rahvis showed one that billowed out in graceful folds —the main part being in lace, and the frills round the bottom in tulle. It is an excellent idea for the home dressmaker who frequently finds herself with old pieces of lace salvaged from many years ago, and is at a loss to know how to fit them into a dress. If you are making your own dress, instead of attempting a very ambitious style, why not keep to the classic line, but use a really lavish fabric? Lately in London we have seen such original materials as tinsel lame (woven in fine check designs), gleaming metallic jersey, glittering brocade and worsted with a gold thread stripe. The current trend for cocktail dresses is a slim line, broken only by fine pleating, a neat bodice, scarcely any sleeves, and a high neck. Nothing is more effective than a dress of this type in an interesting material. Black and White. The two best colours are black and white. If you like neither, then new shades called banana crccri n r geranium red might, appeal. Pastel colours are not fashionable. If both black and white take your fancy, there is nothing more sophisticated than wearing a black pleated chiffon skirt over a rustling white taffeta petticoat, but wear it with an air ! Tiny jewelled caps that fit over very short, or long coiled hair, are an important accessory for cocktail parties. Long curling slender feathers high in the air, and sweeping on to one shoulder, are sometimes fixed in the hair with a jewelled clip. Real flowers in your hair are charming, pretty and fresh, but please remember that it gives a very youthful appearance and if you are striving for glamour, this is not the way to achieve it.

Perfume should be as carefully chosen as all your other accessories. Choose one that clings, and since Christmas is one time that you may be excused for succumbing to an appealing name, what about “Magic Hour,” “Nosegay,” “My Love,” “Heaven,” or our own favourite “Sweet Suggestion?’ Quite the most attractive perfume phials seen recently have a “touch valve” that prevents leakage. It is ortly necessary to stroke the Perfumair on the skin to release the scent.

But Christmas is not entirely composed of cocktail parties or balls. You will want something new to wear in the mornings and afternoons, and perhaps the latest London idea will suit. Velvet, in all colours, is being used for neat straight, jackets, cut exactly tike a school blazer, with huge smoked pearl buttons, large stitched pockets, and rolled revers. They look extremely attractive over straight tight skirts, are fashionable for cocktail and casual enough to go shopping in. It will be a season for velvet and tulle. We have seen tucked, pleated, gathered or ruffled tulle worn with a velvet bodice and velvet stole. Alternatively, slim velvet dresses have gained new elegance with the addi J

tion of a wide tulle stole. These are apt to float, and in order to cope with the situation gracefully, embroider the ends and weight them with a jewelled fringe. For a first grown-up winter, the safeast things to choose are full skirts and neat sweater-like tops. For cool evenings, black quilted satin skirts with velvet tops are pretty. Sweaters are not necessarily hot and sticky affairs. Lately we have seen very glamorous ones for evening made in silk jersey, chenille, or fine lawn, with knitted neck, cuffs and welt. One was made in two halves, each

with the one-shouldered look. When worn together, it simply looked like a sweater with- a deep V neck. New Vogue The new vogue for tunic dresses is something of a god-send. It is a simple matter to cut the bottom from an unfashionable skirt, make long sleeves, and wear the finished product over a tight slashed underskirt, or a full pleated one. Both are fashionable. This idea can be worked out in different ways. For a full-skirted brocade dress is graceful. For eveing, simply add a black underskirt. For an evening coat, buy a genuine Chinese mandarin jacket, or have one copied in a rich material. Women in this country are buying great lengths of fine nylon and having is embroidered or painted. They wear it like an Indian sari, one of the most becoming garments ever designed for a woman. Another style from the East is the short embroidered bolero, worn over a draped sarong-like skirt. Primarily, Christmas is a time to enjoy yourself, so don’t choose skirts that make sitting a physical effort. Make certain you have a strapless bra that fits perfectly, or a strapless dress will look completely wrong. Wash your hands in cologne for an added touch of fragrance, and for fun, attach a flower to your bare shoulder by using transparent adhesive tape.