WHEN FASHION TAKES THE FLOWERY WAY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 175, 11 August 1937, Page 8

WHEN FASHION TAKES THE FLOWERY WAY

This season flowers are in tlie fasliion news. Women: are wearing them in every possible way — as they were worn in Victorian times, in the first decades of tbis century, and in tbe modern manner as well (says an Englisli writer recently).' Flowers bave long been an important fcature of dress. Great-grandmotber knew liow to make tbe 'most of tbem ; wben sbe went out sbe wore tbem in lier bonnet; when. slie went to ber first ball she wore f estoons of rosebuds on ber voluminous wliito tarlaton skirts. Great-aunt Susan, being an old maid, bad to bave sometbing to occupy ber time, so sbe studied' tlie language of fiowers— wbat would bave been just a red, red rose to us meant true love to her. Her younger sister, great-aunt Eva, was gay and flighty — she wore flowers in ber bair, stuck tbem into ber bun at tbe back of ber head and tucked them inco ber curls at the side ; sbe would drop on© here and there, too, with a studied negligence. * When grandmother was young sbe bad ber picture taken clasping a iittle bouquet with a pie-crust friil round it ; it was really a dusty "property" belonging to the caniera. man, but it looked girlish and gave ber sometbing to gaze at ; sbe eyed it coyly and rather critically. . * Wben sbe grew to buxom ruiddleage sbe followed the vogue set by tbe ■ Princess of Wales — later Queen Alexandra — and ber sister, the Empress of Russia, both of wbom wore sentimental Palma violets against a dark backgroulid of rich sables. Grandmother, too, saw tbe era of the Burne-Jones maidens wbo beld . and steadfastiy gazed at a solitary white lily. Sbe did not, it is true, walk about imit'ating tbem in tbis, but tbey had consid^able influence on contemporary fasbions in flowers. Mother in ber youth wore the Edwardian Malmaison whicli, decked in

its little paper frill," proclaimed tbe advent of each London season witb unfailing regularity. Later came the development of tbe real flower buttonboles. From being a cere'monial ritual they became a decorative part of dress. Lilies of the valley, tied up with pink carnations and asparagus fern, still b.eloved of French girls, bave given place to a gardenia or two miniatur© lilies, anemonies, a posy of field blooms and tbe ever-popular orclnd. This montb of May women are wearing flower-laden bats, njodel bouquets on evening gowns, choice fresb blooms in their buttonboles and stray blossoins in their bair. In fact, the only thing they will not doi witb flowers is to encumber their hands witb superfluous posies. Tlfat, as a general rule, is tbo prerogative of the bride and her bridesmaids.