METAL IN MATERIALS.

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19459, 26 December 1934, Page 12

METAL IN MATERIALS.

THRILLS OF NEW FABRICS. The fashion for metal in materials «ias seized the imagination of manufacturers, designers, and the whole world of dress. Silks are the most important of the materials showing the .sudden craze for metal, but it also has permcaled the woollens, though not tp any great extent, gold and silver being lightly woven in some of the more exotic coatings and dress materials, says an English writer. One of the biggest groups of metallised silks-is that of the oloques and metalassesj In some of these 'the metal appears woven like a fine tacking thread, giving an interesting gleam; in others it Is brought from the back of the material in a tiny knot, so that the silk appears sprinkled with star dust. The more important metalasses have the design raised on a lame ground. An amusing cloq-ue silk has a tiny "zip" design in gold thread woven on its raised surface, and there are new crepes and crepons crossed with lines end rnetal checks. A Strong Feature. Evening shades are a strong feature of Lhesd materials, though some of them are also in dark shades and black. 'Among the new evening shades is a lovely pale coral and a good reseda and French blue. Taffeta is very much under the influence of gold and silver, and all the more costly and rich taffetas are either woven with a brocade design in silver or gold—a floral posy or a single flower are favourite designs—or else have a metal check on a plain ground, or a metal line on a striped ground.

Marocain is also made in a heavy weight, with a gold line check, and this material is being used in dark colours for afternoon gowns by some c-f the big -designers. The gold lames are far more gorgeous than in previous years. There are eoat-of-mail lames ir silver on coloured ninon grounds; rich lames in “bow" designs % on heavy rom-aipes, backed with me'tal and lovelier than all are the moire lames, which are already being shown in regal evening gowns. The pure silks that are not woven with metal are overshadowed by the shower of gold and .silver materials; but many of them are beautiful, and some of the best are revivals of the rich silks of the ’nineties. 'Poul de sole Js -one of these revivals, and is seen in Old World designs hrocaded In satin.

An exotic .sillc is a very large check Jn multi-colours in poult and satin, with a white -satin stripe; one of the most striking of these checks is in a mixture of cyclamen, yellow, and turquoise, with an overstripe of white. This is one of the costliest silks of Lhe season, and retailers. are very reluctant to cut patterns, as the check cannot be shown on small cuttings. -Reversible striped satins are also being shown in odd mixtures, such as green on a black ground with a yellow revei'se, and red also on a black ground with a blue reverse.

New Designs In Velvet. \ The velvets are in new-designs. Uncrushable velvet, which has gone through practically every test of pulling, .stamping, and general had treatment, and has come out increased, is the big novelty of the year. The supply is -considerable, hut the demand is far in excess df it, iii spile of its high cost.. The finest quality is called sans peur, and it is this velvet that is being used by the model bouses. A new moire pique velvet is also being modelled, and there are some new faconne pannes in jewel colours. A fine metal thread is woven into a ring velvet called velour dc the, which has a dark tea-leaf-on Us light shades and a light, tea-leaf on its dark shades. A great -many burgundy shades arc being shown in velvet, and also a rich bottle-green, which is also found in some of the satin-hacked moires.