Chat from Paris

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 1, 1 July 1939, Page 21

Chat from Paris

BEFORE-DINNER WEAR

(By- Margret Manet.)

If you are fortunate enough to wrest from the turmoil of the day the hour, or*better, the two or three hours that precede dressing-for-dinner, you will feel the need of a garment that is sympathetic, friendly, and becoming. Many women have solved the problem with the long-to-floor culottes, which are usually chosen in black and are of wool crepe or one of the many mattsurfaced silks that abound this season. These are cut on definite lines, and either fit- thethigh and flow in straight flaring panels to very wide hems, <jr are. cut circular-wise, to hang with graceful and increasing fullness. Occasionally they, are- tailored to hang straight witfi a back and front effect of inverted box-pleating. In every case the darker colours, black, navy, grape, or plum, are chosen. THE LINGERIE BLOUSE. Accompanying, one finds a ravishing assortment of tea-blouses. These are excessively dainty and feminine— diaphanous, transparent, and bedecked with multitudinous tuckings, edgings, lacings, or even the finest of handworkings. One such blouse is of French georgette with a high-to-neck

tie-bow neckline. Ruching, seven rows deep, runs from shoulder point to shoulder point to form a yoke and centrally, to the waist to form a vest. Each seventh row is edged with weblike frilly lace, gathered as fully as is possible. Sleeves are worn well above the elbow, with fullness puffed in at J;he shoulder and controlled again by means of many tiny perpendicular tuckings to an arm fitting. In another such lingerie Jblouse, again in georgette, two-inch wide lace froths, jabot-wise, in four opposing rows from the high, lace-collared! neckline, to the waist. Fullness isj achieved by perpendicular tuckings at the shoulder. Sleeves are full and gathered into a narrow lace band, the silhouette being broken by a two-row arrangement of lace down either arm in "repetition of the front effect. Many gathers are folded into a round yoke of lastex shirring," flatly frilled round the neck with a fringe of tiny crochet bobbles. Tones of cyclamen arid the softer blues dominate this field of interest almost entirely. TEA ALTERNATIVE. Alternatively, of course, there is the tea gown, built with just the right degree of elegance and ease that suggest the leisured hour. Some of these models show charming originality. Many have, however, followed the Edwardian lead and present a silhouette with all the dignity and grace that made our mothers and grandmothers irresistible. Selecting carefully, I found two-out-standing, different yet typical, at a recent show. One was built of crispest Surah silk with the narrowest of satin fancy stripes running check-wise. The back of the bodice fitted closely to the figure and low on the waist where the skirt, at the back, flared to fullness in the manner of the* bustle and fell to a slight and pointed train. A certain amount of flared fullness also existed in front where the hemline touches the ground crisply and the waistline was not accented. A zip fastening extended up the; bodice front from a loosely-tied ribbon bow to a round, high and collarless neckline while on either side a dainty muslin frill fell in the manner of a jabot. Sleeves were inset with fullness and were high and pointed but shaped to fit to elbow. Every line spoke of Edwardian ease and the leisured hour. > Sketched for you is an alternative design in soft crepe. The sleeve fullness is reversed with magyar shoulders. The fullness of the crossover bodice is gathered in to stiffened shoulder revers that contribute a delightful elegance to the garment. This model is in. lily green but it would look equally effective in lilac, in, black, or the softer blues.

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