THEVAG ARIES OF FASHION.

Otaki Mail, 5 November 1923, Page 4

THEVAG ARIES OF FASHION.

There seems to be no limit to the pretty and distinguished touches that fashion elects to give to summer clothes. Yet most of the gowns are cut on the simplest of all possible patterns—in essence, the one-piece dress; but they adopt nil sorts of original trimmings that make them noteworthy and distinctive. l’evhaps embroidery, of all trimmings, is the most fashionable and open to variety of treatment. It is tucked into odd corners or flares out in conspicuous piaces, and sometimes it goes so far as to cover a whole gown or coat, i his seems to infer that the dress or the costume with allover embroidery must be a very expensive affair, for even a small trust'll of hand-embroidery, whether in silk, wool, or beads, mounts up tile cost of a dress enormously. Hut. as a matter of fact, this season’s embroidered suits and dresses need not necessarily cairv a very heavy outlay with them, since tire looms save the hands the trouble of embroidery, and turn out beautiful “embroidered’’ fabrics, not at all outrageous in price, that, if made up on a smart pattern, enable a woman to look as well dressed as if she were wearing real huud-cm-broiderv. The novelty for the summer is embroidered cotton-crepe, and all sorts of lively colours are mingled together for those who can wear them., while for others of quieter taste there are cool, delicious yellows, of lemon and timber bhades, worked upon white grounds, and vice versa. The lemon and white mixture is apparent also in stripped sponge-cloth, which is used very effectively as blouse-jackets with crossover fronts and deep hip bands—jackets that look very well over white skirts for Held wear. Striped sponge-cloth is also used a great deal for informal summer frocks, and is certain to be more and more seen ns the season advances. 11 is usually ninth! tip with the stripes running in twofold ways—perpendicular and horizontal —a favourite fashion being the use of horizontal stripes for panel effects, many of the new dresses of striped materials having panel-fronts, from neck to foot, showing horizontal stripes, while, for the rest, the stripes run up and down instead of across the figure. The differences in style of dress of to-day arc quite amazing, and the vargarivs of fashion are strikingly instanced in the long waisted. loose fitting dress that is typical of the prevailing mode. and the quaint little frilled frocks, reminiscent of early Victorian days, that also has a place, though not such a conspicuous one, in modes of the day, and favours the well defined waist. In hats, too. fashion shows extraordinary elasticity of style, for though the demure cloche hat, in one or another of its forms, dominates, the picture hat, large and undulating, is also among leading millinery fashions of the sen - son and may be as eccentric as you please. Take again the sleeve. The contrasts in sleeve fashions are as amusing ns they are extraordinary. From the plain, light sleeve to the flowing mediaeval one, from the short Magyar sleeve to that other one, with armhole to the waist, and end gathered up into a bracelet cuff —all are fashionable. Bracelets, by the way. are having quite a vogue again, owing to the fashion in short sleeves and in sleeveless frocks, with which bracelets of wide ribbon velvet, add a becoming touch to the arms. A softening touch is also given to sleeveless frocks by the addition of a peasant ’kerchief of lace or chiffon, draped round the neck and veiling the shoulders.

Another pretty neck finish is the ribbon kilting, put on in two or three rows, one above the other. Ribbon, indeed, is used in the most delightful wnys. sind in lavish and restrained fashion. Apparently it is never out of place, and some of the severest of tailored coats are surprisingly tied together at tli'e waist line, with large bows of ribbon or with ribbon ends, looped one over the other at the left side of the wrap. There are also charming little ribbon facings, that appear only on the underside of the short box "jacket or the longer coat, and offer pretty colour contrasts. The long waisted over blouse, designed as a possible part of a three-piece suit. is. ns often as not. of figured or embroidered silk. It is an item of the wardrobe that no woman can afford to be without, and for general purposes it is most useful in foulard. Some of the new over blouses are draped up at one side and tied with a big ribbon bow. and take an uneven line at the end. owing to the one-side drapery, while others hang even and are cut up into deep points at the hem. Both styles Lave their admirers.