FANCY DRESS BALL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10298, 5 June 1919, Page 6

FANCY DRESS BALL

*•• — ■ GAY SCENE AT TOWN HALL. Once more the Town Hall took on a gay appearance last night, when .Miss iJdiiaso and a committee of young people held a'fancv dress dance. Tho deoorations were light but veTy pretty and gay■ooking. A circle of flags hung from the centre, smaller flags were draped to the sides, and across the hall ran strings of balloons and coloured rriper i-ibbons. These ribbons were nun across the stage, which was banked with greenerv and autumn-tinted birch, while the trellis work dividing the supper enclosure was entwined with paper Sowers, mostly pink and yellow. Under this gay colouring the fancy tresses of the girls made a grayer showing still. There was much tl-u .timing thu dresses, in Spanish ladies, gypsies tricolour dresses, and others, and tnis mad< cho scene very brilliant. But there were other dresses of softer colouring, the usual conglomeration of peasants of all nationalities, folk of fairy story or nursery rhyme, old English' dresses of the pannier or crinoline period, and Eastern ladies, vivandiers. as well as more fanciful costumes. An original dress was worn by Miss Staples, representing a birdcage of grey, with pink ribbons from the flat hat lo the hem of the skirt, ivhere two little food boxes in frold were fastened. A beautiful Russian Frock was of dull pink and blue velvet, and an aeroplane Vras represented by silver planes on a blue ground. Good luck had the mystical figures in black on a white dress. Miss Dora Pope, as o star, wore a pointed silver overdress and a wired star shaped headdress, each point tipped with a tiny electric light; Miss Hawkins made a'- charming earlv Victorian in white frock and' print sash, long pantalettes and sandaJs, a poke bonnet and tiny parasol; Mrs C .Brown was another, all white lace frills and a dainty lace cap; Miss Ward was a stnkiiisr Dlchess of Devonshire .m wJnto, with largo black velvet hat | with white feather; Miss Mantell was gipsy, in red, yellow and black; Miss B. Lane as a Spanish lady wore black and rose pink, with a black lace mantilla; Miss Geddes wore a Japanese K-imona of dull blue worked in pinks: Miss S. Duthie was'Moonlight, in soft blue, with silver stars; Miss M Fulton wore bright green and silver patterned scarves as an Eastern woman, with a sott face veil; Miss J. McKenzie made an effective Indian squaw, and her sister was in gipsy costume; Miss M. Myers wore a scarlet poppv dress, with green petals and bodice; Miss E Myers was a Futurist Pierrot, in larjre chequers and black skullcap. Pierrots were numerous, and their attendant Pierrettes, some being in black and white. Miss Turnbull had an effective dress with black and white check bordering; Miss D. Montgomery chose an effective Eastern dress of black and silver, draped with cerise chiffon soarves; Miss Grace wore a panniered dress of deep blue; Miss Morice yas also in panniers of rose-patterned black satin, with white kerchief and dainty lace cap; Miss Cornish was the only Grecian-clad lady in the room, -carried out in pale blue, with key-patterned bordering of silver; Miss ICeesing wore an effective tricolour dress, with velvet bodice and vivandiore hat; Miss Doris Coull wore a pretty Empire dress of floral voile, and carried a tiny posy of roses; Miss Turton was a striking pierrette, in black and orange frills; Miss M. Smith, as '"/%? , of !'- >e ,J - ,tltt er." had a short Mack f rlUe 4 skirt, overdress of white petnli. j l ls with rose s. and quainttshaped hat; Miss Jean Smith was in a 'Voguo'Mike costume of many-coloured draperies, and high coloured feathers in her hair; Miss D. Russell wore a pretty country girl costume of blue, and a wide hat with flowers; Miss Gladvs Russell was a blue-clad "Gretchen"; Miss- Matthews, a moonlight costume, all pale blue and crystal; Miss Millais was also in much crystal ■' trimmed white, with a littlo cap to match; Miss Elastorfield wore a Dutch costume in pale blue, with winged lace cap. Four prizes were given for the ladies' costumes and two for tho gentlemen, which wero presented by tho chaperons. The ladies' prizes were a bag, silver photo frame, shoe-horn and buttonhook, and thimble; and tho gentlemen's, a silver matchbox and leather cigarette-case. Theao wero won by Miss Phyllis Ward, in a dainty early Victorian costume of white net crinolined skirt with rosebuds and pale pink satin bodice; Miss Joan Tully, who represented carnival, in b!ack dress with many coloured devices, black hat with silver, a mask, and a perfect sheaf of balloons; Miss Meadowcroft, as a lampshado, wearing yellow silk, fringed with crystal, her head-dress edged with tho fringe and topped with a tiney electric light; and Miss Hall-Thompson, who wore a Tunisian lady's dross, of white harem trousers, sash of green and silver, and beaded bolero and a silver headdress, high in front, with veil of blue and silver silk. The gentlemen's prizewinners were Mr King, as a pierrot in blue nnd yollow, and Mr Wheeler us a cowboy.

An effective interlude was tho dancing of Mr Tresize and Mrs Malcolm, wtio gave an Oriental Tango with Mr Butler, who beat time on a strange-looking In their gorgeous dresses the dancers gyrated under the limelight, with very wonderful effect. Mr Tresize wore a dress which had won tho prize at the Milan Carnival in 1012. It was of handmade brocade in green and gold, and a long cloak which he doffed was of dull red. -His turban of silver cloth was surmounted by a single peacock feather. Mrs Malcolm wore harem trousers of daop blue, and a wired overskirt of silver, her bodice and head-dress being with silver and coloured beads. Later Mr Tresize gave an exhibition of the jazz with Miss Doris Coull. Several foxtrots figured on tho programme, and nearly all those present joined in. The musio supplied by Cowley's orchestra add'd not a little to the enjoyment of the dance.