FASHION NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 237, 6 October 1928, Page 4 (Supplement)

FASHION NOTES.

: THE REAL PARIS. ' FLOUNCES POPULAR. .'• .:. • (By A PABISIAN EXPERT.) > Parisjis supposed to be. a very wicked City; but behindthe 'fuss; arid feathers of extreme fashion, behind the gambling, despite the erotic literature on the bookstalls, despite the light plays - in the little theatres, the suggestive posters on the' hordings, the' grossriess r . of certain spectacular revues; behind the vivid surface gaiety, behind, the hectic cabarete-de-nuit, behind the "dope" stories—the heart of Paris, the heart of France, : is wonderfully sound and pure.

The Englishman's home is his castle. The home is a fortress, and the drawbridgeis up all the time! It is almost: easier to break into a harem .'■'t •' ' ' •

than into a middle-class ]?renchnian ? s domestic life. And.there are millions of these homes. .Self-centred, if one likes, and perhaps rather dull,, but so restful "and 'pleasant a contrast to le monde ou l'on. s'amuse, where pleasure so quickly becomes an irksome round. Paris, at a glance, seems bo often to be a dumping ground for the not-wanted-in their-own-countries. These , strangers love Paris, because Paris is hospitable— in public life! .They can condole with a smile,! because they are so utterly indif.ferent to' what does not.-touch their

home-life. • Naturally, our, lees -' desir-r able visitors prefer, the smiling attitude to that of the raised eyebrows which meets ihem in their own country. And so they keep on keeping-on, and through them Paris remains; and probably always will-remain, the greatest pleasure city in the world. " . ■ ' Colour. This season, there is a lot of blue. By the • way, the Opera Ball was 'a . very "blue"' ball. Everything.' was in blue, from the electric lights on the staircases andballrooms, the flowers on the-women's dresses and the men's coats, to the beautiful ' ball dresses, in"' tiille,- lace and satin—all in blue; in fact, it was a blue ball and a blue evening. And now blue is the fashion, and we shall see a lot of it in the autumn. Then, there is much yellow ;to be. seen/ and orange, and an interesting "feature lies in the-blending of.'colouring..; For ins'tancs, ona, yellowcrepe de chine .you see ..a beige sweater with a beige hat. Or a creamy white dress has a brown- leather belt, brown -cravat."and'is ■ worn with'-brown shoes. ■ The Duchesse*de Noailles,was seen.the other, day-in'.the Bois, wearing a tworpiece suit- jumper, grey-angora jersey.":-■ Xady ■ -Mortimer Davis—the youngest;' of > the ; Dolly sisters—has a grey-Shantung tailor-suit,

plain grey, jacket, stitched skirt with i ullness. in front; and Mme. Jane Kenouardt was exceedingly smart one morning in a grey crepe de chine pleated ekirt, a loose heavy grey wool knitted jumper, and t a grey felt hat. .'.'-" , Jewels Simply Dazzling. : At a dinner dansant at the Ambassa? deurs the other evening the jewels were simply dazzling. An American millionairess was "wearing", emeralds—l never saw such a gorgeous set of these precious stones—they equalled those on the turban of the Eajah of Karputhala .when he's dressed up for State occasions! ; - The wife of a famous jeweller, who could wearevery night of the week a different parure of rubiesj sapphires, or diamonds, wore on her .pretty eky-blue georgette gown, neither a jewel nor even a bit of embroidery—nothing else than the thin red bow of the Legion d'Honour and the striped little string of the Croix-de-Guerre. . .!'.. /•■■ •■ ■' . '}:'■

The.new Paris, necklace, which proves the truth.of the. old.French saying that "everything that shines isn't a diamond," is immensely popular, and many are.the I women wearing' these cut glass,-rhine-

stones, and. mock diamond chains. They glister oh every" gown, and I shall thank fashion when thedraze dies away. THen, women are wearing several; coloured! necklaces. Ifor instance, a pearl necklace, an amber .'necklace, a jade necklace, a coral necklace, and; perhaps a lapislazuli one, : will bang around-the same fair throat. Soon everybody will get tired of. these: geiudy, m'ents, and then everybody '■ will • throw them into-the wastepaper basket." "', ■■:„■■' Flounces-Are'Back. ■'. • %■. Flounces,■ are coming back. more : and more.: I 'don't know if we are "quite ready to. wear. the new ruffled • skirts, ruffles, shirred and shirredj- on a wide circular skirt. ..But 1., like a red- lace dress, withfour lace flounces .on; the skirt I.saw the .other evening, and I love a. gown of stiff" "tortoise'shell" satin; with, three, large irregular ruffles, climbing up on one side to the hip, under a large flat bow.' Of course one still sees \a lot of black.gowns, for every fashionable 'woman has ',a 'few- black frocks, in her wardrobe... Jewels—and this is the kingdom .of jewels—lo.bk so pretty .on a black crefe" or dark, chiffon evening frock. , ':.'.,.' - v T ■