OUR FASHIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 134, 27 August 1927, Page 20

OUR FASHIONS

BLACK SPORTS CLOTHES--THE SMALL HAT FOR EVERY HOUR—THE NEW LACED SHOES If I can’t sleep at night I don’t have to count sheep going through a gate, says a fashion correspondent. I just shut my eyes and imagine mannaquins going through a showroom, and then I drop off at once. I must have seen hundreds of new models glide or swoop or jerk past me (yes, the Charleston movement has reached the dress shows!) during the past fortnight, and I haven’t even tried to remember them all, but here are my chief impressions, up to date. There is a perfect craze for every shade of blue, particularly the darker ones. I have more than once seen twopiece suits striped (horizontally, of course, all the well-behaved stripes go that way now), in light and dark blue, which looked rather as if the wearer was going in an impartial frame of mind to the boat race. Blue is queen of the dark shades, as pink is of the light ones. Black for the Country Black —now don’t read this paragraph hastily, it’s important!—is so much in favour that it is being used even for sports and country clothes. Now that really is something new. Never before, in my memory, have black “woollies” been smart —in fact, I haven’t nearly

come round to liking them myself yet, and don’t know if I shall. I always feel that black looks hot, and sad, and dusty in the country, and is apt to be dull and heavy in anything but a silk material, but there it is—the great dressmakers are using it for sports models, and if you like to be first with new fashions, you know what to do. Of course, it is always combined with a colour. Unrelieved black in the spring sunshine would be too deadly. And it is in this combination that taste and skill are shown —or otherwise. My advice is, never combine black with a bright colour for daytime wear. The contrast is too sharp, and the effect is apt to be garish. (By artificial light, of course, it is quite a different story.) White, pale rose, grey and beige combine perfectly with black at any time. Gold on Sports Suits Gold is being used a great deal with black and other colours. I saw a narrow gold leather belt on a sports dress repeated exactly round the crown of the hat. I’ve noticed several of these tiny “hat-belts” lately put on over the ordinary ribbon hatband, to take up a note of gold somewhere else —round ear-rings, or a flexible circle round the neck, perhaps. They are exactly like the waistbelt, only, of course, narrower and smaller. The Small Hat Plats aro very small and mostly of felt, though I have seen many in imitation reptile skins which I think a hard and unbecoming fashion, and I cannot imagine it having very much success. The felts are exceedingly fine and soft, very light and comfortable to wear. There is a new straw this year, called baku, which I think will become a.favourite later on—it is soft and pliable and looks almost exactly like linen, only glossier and slightly coarser in weave. High crowns are still worn, but they are on the wane—round crowns. are coming back, and the newest of all fit the head very closely indeed. Coats for spring and summer afternoons are, as I’ve told you. very straight and slim, and, generally speaking, have not much fur on them — sometimes a little stand-up round collar, sometimes none at all. This week’s sketch shows you one of the very newest—a navy taffeta, trimmed with lines of fine braid to resemble tucks. It is worn over a sleeveless dress of blue, beige and black plaid silk, and lined to match the dress. Notice the bow collar, it’s very pretty and very new. The latest shoes to wear with afternoon frocks are beige satin •’Oxfords,” tied with ribbon through their four little eyelet holes. The stockings must match them exactly, don’t forget: