PARIS IN THE MIRROR

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 138, 7 December 1929, Page 23

PARIS IN THE MIRROR

(Written for "The Post" by Germaiue.)

PARIS, 9th October.

The new woman has arrived in Paris with a vengeance. She was seen on the Boulevard yesterday astride a motor bicycle with a companion as modern as" herself, sitting behind on the pillion—and both provided Parisians with a great deal of amusement. For although they were dressed in a most masculine fashion, with breeches, sweaters, shirts, and highly coloured ties, completing their attire with overalls of. a shade which made most people shut their, eyes for a second, they had not .by any means forgotten that they wore after all, .women. So their eye. brows were plucked to a delicate thin line, their complexions were the nice golden brown of the women just returned from the seashore, their mouths

were perfect Cupid's bows, and their bare heads showed coiffures of black and red hair, which were a compliment to their hair dressers. ECCENTRICITIES OF FASHION. The few women who have already appeared in Paris wearing tho new long skirts have found themselves passing before a barage of very critical feminine eyes. Skirts, which descend nearly to the ankle, look strangely oldfashiqhed beside those which come just below the knee, and it will be interesting to see whether tho former meet with general approval. Long hair, too, is seen in Paris now more generally than it, used to be. This does not necessarily mean, however, that it is becoming popular, for. most of those who wear it seem to be the very,young girls.of between sixteen and eighteen, who have never worn long hair. But the bare legged vogue is spreading. Even in these somewhat chilly autumn days, one sees fashionably dressed women appearing without their stockings giving the impression that they have come_ out in a hurry and forgotten to finish their toilette. Fortunately the chilly days will most cer. tainly kill this somewhat unlovely mode. . ALL-THE-TIME COATS. Overcoats have become the most important part of a smart Parisian's outfit. A modern woman scarcely ever abandons,her coat. So for people with a moderate income, it is more important to have one or two smart coats, and to match a couple of dresses with them, than to choose many afternoon and evening gowns, of which several will never be seen by anybody. The great favourite of this winter season is the one with the uneven Blant. Fashion is resting for the moment on the crest of a one-sided wave. Even the new hats are wider one side, or dip more on one side" than the other. Now.the coats people wear when the cold days come have fallen under tho asymmetrical spell. Their droop is not so pronounced, of course, as in our evening and afternoon frocks, and itappears mostly in wraps for more for. mal occasions. Daytime coats'are strikingly smart, sometimes with narrow collars, and bandings of self material, sometimes with whole foxes used as collars. Furs are being used lavishly on coats this season. Collars are generous, and have a cosy look when fastened up to the chin. Cuffs move up and down the forearm. They may be quite narrow, reach to the elbow in a point, or resemble a small: muff on each forearm. Short jackets, a little longer than hip length, are being shown, and they -still be worn for early winter. They are heavily trimmed with fur, lynx for preference, although a good deal of astrakan is featured. Very light tweeds are 'used for frocks beneath long cloaks, or with jackets, in fact, they look more like jerseys than tweeds. . JEWELS TOR TRIMMING FUR COATS. Straight coata are very fashionable, and they are to be seen in cloth and in shaven fur. A daring dressmaker has designed a whole skirt and a jacket forming a tailor-made in skunk. When a coat is simple and straight, it is particularly smart to cut its collar in a scarf shape, and wear it twisted round the neck and thrown over the shoulders. The flowers usually worn with furs have been replaced this autumn, with jewels, and with winter dresses, jewellery is novel. Leather is used to make round beads in two colours to match the ensemble. Another notion is a heavy gold chain, while with one ensemble in a dark red, seen at an "Opening" the other day, the mannequin wore earrings and a necklet of wood to match, worked with ivory and metal. EVENING MODES. For evening wear, the hems of the gowns often descend to the ankles, not only at the sides, but all round, and

even the afternoon drosses come midway down the calf. The evening models, for the most part, follow the-Priucess line, although occasionally they are given a bolt near the normal waist. The decolletee at tire back is usually very low, so that the effect, with the long skirt, is very much grande dame. Many o£ the ovening dresses, asa matter of fact, are backless. The materials include a large number of faconne silks, supple velvets, printted moire, net, and lace. There is a new lace that, looks like moire, and is especially attractive, seen in green, ranging from a shade so deep that it looks almpst black, to a light sea. green, it is both original and charming. Dozens of yards of a new fine net, practically untearable, are used for a frock in nuances that range from beige at the corsage, to a light green, then to a darker green, and so on until a light shade is reached again at the hem. Evening.frocks this season are often banded with fur. A new trimming for "a hem is achieved when the mask of the fox is placed in the centre at the back. It is noticeable how many black tweed coats, richly trimmed with grey fur, are' placed over crepe de chine trocks, presumably for afternoon wear.