FREAKISH FASHIONS AT ASCOT

Evening Star, Issue 22454, 26 September 1936, Page 24

FREAKISH FASHIONS AT ASCOT

Ascot fashions, according to English reports, this year showed more individuality than ever, and sometimes bordered on the freakish. , As usual, there were the trailing skirts, the wide picture hats, and the magnificent furs, but the newer notes were frilly parasols and rainproofs, which could be folded up into an infinitesimal space. The latter were provision against the vagaries of English weather, and proved to be a standby, for between intervals of sunshine the rain came, and so did the rainproofs. They were rubber cloaks of brilliant colours, which could be folded to tho size of a pocket handkerchief when not in use, and also collapsible umbrellas which would fit into a pencil case. Because of those adequate but handy safeguards, most women braved .the weather and wore the silk organdies, the taffetas, and the bright florals which arc traditional to Ascot. Noticeably, the florals were large-pat-terned —that is, the floral motifs themselves were large, and very widely spaced. Fabrics showing this characteristic will be a common sight in ballrooms and at race meetings this spring. Wide-brimmed Hats. Furs were worn by many, and varied from capes little more than bolero length to huge silver foxes. ThosA who dispensed with furs mostly wore finger-length coats to match their frocks. Flowers, as trimmings, enjoyed a widespread popularity, both in the artificial and tho real forms. Corsage posies of huge artificial flowers were "worn, and flowers almost as largo trimmed some of the picture hats. A fine cellophane straw found favour for hats, but those women who had chosen floral-printed frocks mostly ■lined the brims of their hats with the material. .Ostrich feathers constituted another popular trimming. News had already arrived from Franco and America that “ sombrero ” hats of lightweight felt would be popular this spring, and Ascot has served to confirm the rumour. These hats are designed on the lines of a cowboy sombrero, with a tall crown. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the Ascot fashions was the popularity of sandals. These were mostly made of the same fabrics as the trocks, and were extremely flimsy. Some, indeed, were both toeless and heelless, offering little protection to the feet. It seems obvious that sandals will boom this spring, although many thought that by now the fahion would have died out rather than increased.