Longer Skirts in Paris

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 98, 16 July 1927, Page 20

Longer Skirts in Paris

Fashions Revealed at “Five O’clock” Parade MAKE-UP MARVELS Five o’clock tea at the Ritz is the place where you see the best-dressed women. Every little table is surrounded by people drinking tea or oranegade. Toast Melba, gougloff, which is really toasted brioche, and little cakes are consumed, and the blue smoke of cigarettes rises in curling spirals through the heated air. It is a babel of tongues, but the clothes are Parisian. Some are quite perfect from fashion’s point* of view. Others are not so good, or they are not well worn. French women are easily distinguished without listening to their voices. They nearly always wear

black and white with wonderful jewels. Middle-aged American women follow their lead. American and English girls choose light shades of beige and sand, grey, blue, red. The neat coat and skirt in navy blue or black with a light blouse and a red or grey fox shoulder fur is : as much at home at 5 o’clock tea as j an ensemble in crepe de chine and j fur or a black satin tailormade with a white satin blouse. Dainty Shoes What does look wrong is a sensible pair of walking shoes and woollen stockings. The feet must be daintily shod, however plain the dress and coat. Hats are almost always simple to a fault. Plain, close-fitting felt toques or cloches with twisty brims, simple straw and ribbon hats with pleated crowns, ribbon hats, satin toques, in black and in bright colours, nod and shake and gently sway like tree-tops in a wood. Under them are faces, most of them cleverly made up. English and American girls make up less than French and the South American women. A well-made-up woman is a marvellous work of art. You may dislike the fashion on principle, but it is difficult to deny the perfection of workmanship which beauty doctors achieve. When black and white are worn, the shoes and bag may be made of black and white calf skin. Flowers should match the dress and not form a contrast. They are made of muslin and chiffon. Gloves are exquisite with dainty silk embroidered gauntlets and back stitchings. Diamonds and pearls together, set with such perfection of workmanship that Uiey may not be imitated in false stones, are worn in amazing profusion. Gossamer Frocks Bracelets trim the edges of long, tight sleeves or clasp bare arms. Bars and brooches gleam on the front of the dress. Necklaces ripple about the neck and long earrings hang from pink ears. Skirts, when the dress is made in light chiffony material, are longer. They have uneven hems, crooked waistlines, long sleeves, Botticelli draperies, or petal flounces, and are tucked to distraction. Some are figured, some are plain, but all are light as gossamer. Plain black satin is used for coats and skirts and ensembles, with soft white georgette fronts, or beautiful lace may be used instead. Everything is luxuriously simple, soft, easy to wear, and graceful. Delicate pastel colours will be worn when the warmer weather comes and the fur that is now carried round the neck and shoulders will trim the hem of a summer coat.