WAR-TIME MEASURE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 14, 12 October 1943, Page 8

WAR-TIME MEASURE

EXIT THE DANCE FROCK

NEW AUSTERITY FASHIONS

New Zealand women arc learning slowly to give up their evening frocks. Recent reports in the newspapers about dance hall rulings on evening dress for girls brings this frivolous subject into prominence. In Australia evening frocks proper were discarded long ago—though at first not without a few taffetalike sighs of regret. Somehow bare backs and arms and glittering phoney jewellery did not altogether "go" with men's service uniforms for da ncing and ballrooms became crowded with dinner frocks. These quickly gave way to women's uniforms as more and more girls and women Avent into the serAnces with orders to wear uniforms everywhere and for all occasions. The dwindling number of dinner gOAvns (modest floor length models Avith sleeves) disappeared with the drastic restrictions on clothing introduced ;so masterfully as a wartime necessity. The Department of War Organisation of Industry and the Department of Information had the biggest hands in this measure. Tlie en-, tire Commomvealth was flooded one morning with long reports on clothing restrictions. Feminine psychology did the rest. The evening frock Avas out for the duration. Women interpreted, the regulations to suit themselves within the. narrow limits of their newly acquired clothing coupons. It AA*as suddenly no longer done to Avear long frocks. There Avere neAA' fashions to folloAA\ Heather who so kindly judged the competitions, the singing of the National Anthem closed the meeting".