DEBUT OF NEW FASHION AT THE SPRING RACE MEETING IN HASTINGS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 38, 8 November 1937, Page 13

DEBUT OF NEW FASHION AT THE SPRING RACE MEETING IN HASTINGS

Tbe spring race meeting is tbe grentest fashion parade of tbe year provided that it i|s favoured with good weather. Such was tbe case on Saturday wben tbe Waipawa Oounty Racing Club beld its annual meeting at tbe Hastings racecourse and by wandsring around tbe lawn among tbe women patrona one cpuld gatber wbat trends in fashion tbey have adopted for the warmer months abead. November is one of the smartest months of fhe year in tbe fashion calepdar as it is then that women eome fortb in their new season 's clothes and wbat conld be a better occasion for tbe debut of tbese tban tbe spring lace meeting. Certainly on Saturday amy onlooker would bave been able to see many new and attractive fasbions^ Navy blue unquestionably still bolds sway as tbe favourite colour, tbougb ligbter sbades may yet be fasbionablo for mid-summer wear. Pcrfo.jvly plain navy blue jnatelagse or georgette ensembles were worn by many women and some cbose to relieve their suits witb a toucb of white or occasionally with red accessories. Navy blue aiid white flowered silks were also favouritea, usually for simply cut frock3, while navy silk with irregular stripes of white looked very smart. Several women cbose frocks witb a navy background patterned all over witb vivid field flowers and some with horizontal stripes of tiny massed flowers, tbe horizontal stripes being a pleasant cbange this season from the usual vertical stripes. Tbin silk frocks were in many cases worn under navy coats, wool lace being quite the mpst fasbionable material witb wool georgette taking -tsecond place, tbe coats being cut on rcdingote lines witb flared skirts caugbt togetber afc tbe waist in front, usually witbout collars and sometimes finished witb scalloping. Several navy suits witb sbort coats were also to be tseen, tbe most popular materials being cloques and lacquered satins. This season brings a very pleasant change in tbe blouses worn witb tbese suits and in many cases tbo more tailored type of blouse bas given place to tbe very becoming ones of a mucb more friJJy type and of softer material. Tbese new blouses arq also worn witb very tailored linen suifs wfiich . are still popular in quite a variety of shadest navy or brown, for the very smart, though pink, blue or natural colour are all attractive. One patron on Saturday cbose a shorfc white coat with a navy skirfc, both in linen, while another wore a white lineu coat witb sleeves full at tbe shoulder, over a navy frock. Blaek also Still remainp popular among the older folk who - reali.se that a black frock, suit or ensemble always bas1 a look of smartness. Tbougb the combination of navy blue and white predominated, two other com^ binations seen whicb looked very becoming were navy an.d a soffc dusky pink sbade and navy and honey-gold

tbougb in in 8 tane ea of tbese tbe navy was usually* a coat or just accessories. Hats were of tbe most varied and attractive sbapes and as tbe spring encourages tbe wearing pf smaller bats tban are necessary in summer time tbere were very few picture bats and tbe balo type stili appeared* to be tbe favourite. Oue patrog. cbose an absolutely crownless halo model in navy blue witb tiny whjte flowers across tbe frpnt. Beautifully curled bair showed from the back m the crown of tbe head and a ribbon arranged across the middle hung to form streamers at the back. Another model, a fairly large white uneven halo, had four squares cut from the crown to show the hair. Follow-me-l&d streamers trimpied many of the bats and the more daTing women ventured to try a modified form of the long back veil, so fashionable during the English summer, Tbese were usually a teoft draping of chiffon in one or two colours round the crown of the hat and falling almost to the waist at the back. This naturally reqyirps a larger type - of hat and may prove popular in the summer while the

follow-me-lad streamers look attractive on halo hats at this time of the year. As the sun was really quite bright and halo bats give little shade to the face some very gay sun-glasses made their appearance. One girl wore bright green glasses with paler green rim3; another wore black ones with white rims while a third chose grey glasses rimmed with vivid blue. Generally speaking the women 's easemlfies were most charming and summer promises to be a season of attractive fashions.