Uanitas Uanitatum

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 5, Issue 1, 1 July 1926, Page 15

Uanitas Uanitatum

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiHMiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiii Forecasts for Spring indicate that we have to expect: — More feminine fashions. Skirts just the littlest bit longer. Flares not quite so pronounced. Pleating on almost everything. Collars and higher neck lines. It certainly seems a bad time to foretell Spring fashions when everyone is shivering, but nevertheless the Home and Paris modes —which we usually follow fairly closely—show marked features and styles that are certainly most alluring. Paris, for instance, is reviving olive-green, which is rather a subtle shade to go with present-day complexions —or as they are made-up. Another colour with a pretty name is "solcil-d'or"—a new shade of brown of a warm, golden shade. And. of course, there is quite a penchant for pastel colouring. Quite a new class of garment, which is very suitable for between seasons, is a chic little velvet coat of the smoking-jacket variety, over soft dress material or even lightweight tailored frocks. The coat may be short or three-quarter length, flared or straight. Such a garment would be especially useful in the evenings, when the convential and airy frocks are rather to-to. Stockinette Suits At Home there is a great vogue for stockinette suits and dresses. Some are trimmed with galon, some with leather or linen. Most of the skirts in jumper suits are pleated at the front at any rate. Fullness is introduced unobtrusively in most garments. When there is side full-

ncss it is rather towards the back than the front of the dress. Collars and higher necks are a marked feature in the smartest modes. Hardly anything more than the throat is shown with outdoor frocks. Many collars fasten right up to the neck, the Eton collar being a special favourite. A scarf tie-up is often seen as a means of softening a plain neck-line. The Practical Jumper ' I v he most useful and decorative *- garment which fashion has to give us is the jumper suit. It is a democratic affair common to all, and simple though it must always be, it never looks ordinary. The newest jumper suits from Paris appear to be all jumper and no skirt, the latter of plisse material looking almost like a ruffle at the hem. Usually with a jumper and pleated skirt there is a long coat to match. Charming colour alliances are secured. A beige suit of stockinette is trimmed with two bands of crepc-de-Chine, one brown and one red. A jumper suit with a skirt of striped material has a plain top and

an inlet vest, collar and cuffs of the striped fabric. Plaid and plain can produce the same results and give a big opportunity for colour. Kasha or stockinette jumper suits are trimmed with embroidered galon, leather, gold and silver kid in bright contrast. All pastel shades are favoured, giving the suit a dainty, fragile look which is a charming deception. Tweed jumper suits continue to be worn, making as they do such suitable companions to masculine plus fours. It is a certain fact that soft tieup collars with fichus and flowing ends are to be a feature on both jumper suits and other dresses. The "Discreet Line The much-discussed waist-line continues to be a vexed question, but the indications point to a tendency to return to the more normal position. The short skirt provides the opportunity, but it has to be rather gradually and cleverly done, so do not be in too much of a hurry to push your belt-line higher. Tailored costumes show the figure in just that sleek and beau-

!!!!l!!!l!!lll!illllll!l!ll!i:i!lll!lllllllll[l!l!!!ll!lll!l!IM!llli;il!lll>l>!:i»l>!lli!ll!!!i;il!>l!illllllll!llllll tiful way that is always attractive. Many costume coats are cut on practically riding-coat lines, fitting the figure most attractively beneath the arm to the waist, thus calling attention to femininity. Tailored skirts are for the most part full chiefly when in movement, the fullness being secured by inverted pleats. A few of the latest arc cut with the slight "kick" at the hem, and do not require pleats. This skirt is usually topped by a straight coat. A stylish innovation in tailored costumes is to provide an ornamental border. ; I me flare is to give way to pfeats, -"- and where formerly a godet curved outwards it is now to be turned in to form an inverted pleat cut to taper to a point. This gives a smart relief to the hem. The plisse is the very latest feature Dame Fashion has evolved. Boldly-patterned materials are finely pleated, breaking up the design in an uncommon way. Large box-pleats are being adopted, and bid to become a pleasing change. If you are going in for a new cardigan, and you wish to be in the fashion, it should be quite simple and masculine in style, but the strap round the neck and down the fronts should be heavily stitched— is the newest idea. Hats are to be a little larger, brims and crowns. The brims have more becoming lines, and every crown is either dented or draped. The little hard hat has apparently had its day.

What T'aris S a )' s — Judging from the latest creations as seen at the leading fashion salons one must conclude that godets, flares, gores—call them what you like —have had their day. This does not mean that they are to be quite abandoned, but there is a' tendency to return to the "tube" outline. Pleatings and kiltings are to be the vogue rather than the umbrella skirt, which had a tendency to give extra width and less height. This was not desirable unless one happened to be extra tall and slim. The much-discussed waistline is decidedly higher and often emphasized by a belt and blouse effect. Still, it is below the normal line, and will probably remain there for some time to come. Sleeves are generally worn long. The rather tight, banded sleeve is left to the morning dress, .but the latest idea for afternoon and semievening dresses is a rather tight sleeve extending well to the forearm, where it flares out, balloonshaped, by the addition of a wide embroidered or pleated' cuff, which is caught together again in a narrow wristband. Other models show large gauntlet cuffs. The ensemble idea is still prevalent, but in a modified form. It is now composed of a printed or two-coloured frock, over which is worn a slim, straight coat, finished off with a military collar or with two scarf ends, and lined with the

same material as the dress. The latest idea is to pick out for the colour of your coat one of the darker shades in the printed material. We are told that an' old fashion is to be revived. Taffetas are to come in again. One chic model by a famous Parisienne house is of the blackberry, trimmed with light green taffetas. The skirt was straight, with the fullness brought well to the front, and trimmed with a high band of a criss-cross pattern in the same material. This served the double purpose of trimming the ' frock and also of weighing the silk down, as taffeta is always inclined to stand out. Jumper suits are enjoying great popularity. They are expressed in a wonderous variety of styles and every possible medium from Kasha to velvet and even lame. tMore Feminine U^otes ' I v he "masculine" woman is now ■*■ regarded as an anomaly, and indeed seems, according to advance modes, to strike quite a discordant note. Paris is displaying an eagerness to return to a more feminine style, and is now wondering whether a shorn head is appropriate to the newest modes in flimsy evening wear, and in some cases they are resorting to artificial tresses. Extreme simplicity is to be abandoned. We are shown all sorts of refinement in cut, new trimmings,

insets, appliques; and, better still, all the pretty pastel shades are being worn. Wherever women gather together now you find the prettiest collection of flower-like tints, which somehow makes everything look gay and happy. Although the winter brought with it the great novelty of godets and widened skirts, these were not unanimously adopted by the Parisienne. She wisely refrained from being transformed from a tube to a just as ridiculous inverted flower, and this season width will be derived more from pleatings than from godets, which the wise woman will only use with much discretion. '* D ottiers de luxe" are a most *-* extravagant vogue. Footwear in blue and red and green kid are in great demand, while many of them are even ornamented with hand-painted motifs on the sides. Lizard, crocodile and antelope are used as trimmings. Imitation jewellery is execeedingly popular, and long strings of pearls loosely tied at the waistline is quite a chic adornment: while shades of blue, pink, yellow and grey paste and beads are very attractive, especially when associated with ear-rings and brooches to match. Hats are ornamented with large gilt buckles and motifs, in paste and blue, red and jade enamel.

Hosiery zAdvice "XTThat need I pay.'' man woVVmcn are asking, ''to get good hosiery?" "Why do I have to buy so many pairss" "Is hosiery flimsier, poorer than formerly?" The answers are not so difficult as they seem. There are a few simple guides which everyone should know and follow, hut for the present we will take but one, that is the guide to "full fashioned." The genuine "full fashioned" hosiery is hosiery which is knit to conform to the shape of the leg. In it the seam is a real seam, and extends from the top of the stocking right to the toe tip. Imitation "full fashioned" has a fake seam) which is merely up the back. There is no seam on the bottom of the foot. It is the old style tubular hosiery. That is to say, when knit, it is as wide at the ankle as at the calf of the leg, but is steamed into shape. After the first wash the shape is lost and the only means of procuring fit around the ankle is to pull the hose tight on the leg. This is one of the chief causes of quick wearing. The genuine "full fashioned" hosiery, being knit to conform to the shape of the leg, keeps its shape. This means a clinging to the ankle as closely as to the calf. The chief guarantee in getting "full fashioned" hosiery is the label of the manufacturer. For instance, when you buy "Kayser" hosiery you are guaranteed the genuine "full fashioned."