The Importance of Race-Frocks is an Important Thing Indeed!

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 242, 3 January 1928, Page 4

The Importance of Race-Frocks is an Important Thing Indeed!

More Colourful and Luxurious than Ever Were the Ellerslie Modes

In the Fashion Parade

Dame Fashion, with her whimsical imagination, created another host of charming clothes and accessories for Milady to wear to the races yesterday. Gay and variegated colours gave a bright and striking appearance to the lawns, which with their beautiful trees and beds of brilliantly-hued flowers, always make a picturesque setting for the dainty clothes that Ellerslie races inspire. Mastic and beige and grey were all popular shades, and their attractive softness did much to tone down the tremendous attack of blues that women seem to be having just now.

The silhouette, of course, remained as it was, on Boxing Day . . . fickle as Milady is, she does not change her line quite so quickly as that, and it was a pretty thing to watch, with its slightlyraised waistline, its ever-such-a-little bit longer skirt and its decided air of femininity. The uneven hemline was expressed again in numbers of the most attractive frocks, achieved in a variety of ways. Sometimes it dipped down at the back to almost touch the ground, though it never swept the lawn all round in the good old pre-war manner. Oh, dear, no; it was much more sophisticated than that, and when it did dip down at the back it flew up to alarmingly modest proportions in front, so modest as almost to be considered immodest by people who frown upon dimpled knees and things like that. Again, and in more practical ways, dresses took a longer and more dignified look upon themselves by pretty cascading falls of lace or pleated panels arranged at one side, or by a deft drapery of the frock itself to a point that was allowed to flutter downwards and nod its head towards the gay liittle flowers that star the lawns, or look for daisies or do whatever it chose, so long as it hung gracefully down.

Seldom, if ever, have women looked so altogether charming from the top of their daintily-hatted heads to the soles of their trimly-shod feet, that pattered up and down the grandstand stairs in shoes of gay colours and wonderful new materials, and there certainly never has been a season during which so many new shades have been seen as there are this particular summer-time. Black was an outstandingly smart feature of yesterday’s fashions, and the most effective models were in dull crepe satin or georgette made in a multitude of ways. Sometimes they were left transparent and unadorned, except for the wealth of jewellery that accompanied every frock. Again, they were to be seen in smart alliance with glistening white, or trimmed with a suggestion of scarlet or blue, and again flaunting embroideries of vivid beauty in Oriental designs. Reds were popular, too, and belied the tradition that red is a purely win-ter-time shade, for they looked decidedly smart and appropriate in all their varied nuances that ranged from vivid crimson to pale rose tones like the bloom of Milady's cheek. Incidentally, even that shade has changed, and quite a number of new com-plexion-pinks were to be seen. Natural pinks, box pinks and suntan rosiness, with here and there a hint of the new orange rouge that is very chic and blended well with some of the apricot and pale wallflower-toned frocks.

We must be modern, so our complexions must match our toilettes. Oh, yes, nearly everyone had “a smart frock with hat and complexion to tone.” Most of the women looked as though they had given infinite attention- to the details of their costuming ... so right in every way were they with their shoes that toned with their frocks, their hose and gloves that had joined colour-forces and appeared in the same tint always. As a final touch to the perfect costume, the smartest women added jewels, in a greater number than have been worn for several years. The necklace of pearls was still in favour, but it had many rivals. The long threestrand ones were still seen, but' chokers of pearls were no longer worn, being replaced either by a close-fitting thing of gold like a slave bangle grown up or by a snaky arrangement with glaring jewelled eyes. Crystal beads have become ever so fashionable, and with frocks that showed any crystal beading or rhinestone trimming they were exactly right. Among those present were: Mrs. Roy Wilson, who tied the ribbon on the graceful neck of Martarma after it romped home in the Derby and paid a good price to its fortunate backers, was wearing a simply-draped gown of satin carreau in a deep wineberry tone. Her shady hat of black sisal straw was trimmed with black velvet ribbon. Mrs. H. O. Nolan, the wife of the president of the Auckland Racing Club, wore a frock of rose-printed navy blue crepe de chine, banded with rose on the skirt, collars and cuffs, and inset with a picotedged georgette vest. With it she wore a black hat trimmed with corded ribbon. Lady Nolan was in a frock of black georgette trimmed with hemstitched bands and mounted on a foundation of white satin. An appliqued band of black and silver lace encircled the bodice beneath the georgette, and she wore a black hat with upstanding rouleaux of lace and a feather cluster. Lady Lockhart wore a gown of navv blue crepe faille with a patterning of beige spots. A heige vest of georgette had its colour repeated in a narrow collar, and with the frock was worn a black crinoline hat trimmed with flat rosecoloured flowers. Lady Stringer was wearing a frock of champagne-tinted georgette with a long rolled collar of fine pleating edged with a tracery of stitching in bronze and blue and gold which appeared again on the sleeves and skirt of her frock. Her hat was of black satin trimmed with upstanding rose-coloured ospreys. Mrs. W S. Spence wore a black crepe alonza coat over a frock of white satin fac°nn e and with it she had a close-fitting hat of black balibuntal trimmed with a cluster of ospreys. Mrs. Gage Williams wore a frock of »}**« srey crepe de chine, made in s!firt eleS w»,? ty i le ’ W ii th a box-pleated skirt. Her large hat of cherry red °i~£ w . as complemented by touches of red embroidery on her large under-arm bag and by long red earrings. Mrs. V. Riddiford (Wellington) was v, earing a .smoke-grey frock of chiffon at-

tractively trimmed with vandyked rows of glistening silver embroidery, which also outlined the coat of grey chiffon which accompanied her frock. A large pinK rose was charmingly arranged under the brim of her pale rose crinoline hat. Mrs. C. Macindoe chose a frock of deep delphinium-blue crepe alonza panelled with smocking and latticed embroidery on the bodice and around the skirt and finished with a Peter Pan collar of roseblush georgette. A shady blue hat was worn and trimmed with aitimters of rose and blue massed flowers. Mrs. Lowry (Hawke’s Bay) had a draped frock of viola-mauve crepe marocain caught at one side with a buckle of rhinestones and panelled with violet radium lace. Her hat of matching tone was trimmed with foliage and flowers in shades of the same colour. Mrs. R. Isaacs wore a flower-patterned frock of orange and Chinese blue crepe de chine, made on simple lines, and a long paradise plume trimmed her wide black hat. Mrs. Noel Adams (Wharekawa) wore a printed crepe de chine frock in tones of scarlet, white and black, .and a widebrimmed scarlet hat of crinoline straw trimmed with velvet ribbon bands. Mrs. W. S. Glenn (Rangitikei) wore a draped gown of Mandarin blue georgette finished with deep bands of tucking at the hem and sleeves. Her smart black hat believed that two brims were better than one, and had one each of tulle and straw. Mrs. Percy Upton was in an ensemble of periwinkle blue sedan cloth with a collar of ermine fur, and she wore a hat of blue crinoline to match. FEATHER BOAS AGAIN Mrs. Napier’s attractive frock was of black georgette with Chinese blue embroidery, and a charming finish was given to it by her soft feather boa of pastel blue and pink toning. She wore a simple black folded hat. . Mrs. P. Hanna had a coat of heavy Mechlin lace in an ecru tint over her frock , of ecru georgette and her matching Bangkok hat was trimmed across the back with a wide bow of velvet ribbon in a deeper shade. , .. , . Mrs. R. Allen wore a coat of black and beige figured georgette banded with beige over a finely-pleated beige chiffon frock hemmed and yoked with needle-run lace. Her fawn hat was trimmed with velvet and she wore a smart stone marten fU Mrs. H. Mowbray was in a frock of white georgette, fashioned on slender lines, and relieved with deft touches of green that appeared in a jewel at the waist-line and in another catching the neck-line.’ Her picture hat of green balibuntal was trimmed with a drooping feather cluster threaded through the brim. Mrs. W. Massey wore a frock of rose and black crepe morovia under a coat of black georgette, and with it she had a small black visca hat trimmed with an osprey plume. Mrs. H. R. Bloomfield was wearing an ensemble suit of Spanish raisin sedan cloth, with ruching of self-coloured ribbons, and her hat was of matching tone. Mrs. W. H. Parkes wore a black crepe de chine gown with white spotted design ■ and relieved with a pleated jabot of white ninon. Her wide black hat had a swathe of ecru lace around the crown, and was caught with a pink rose. Mrs. Wills McLaughlin wore a frock of cameo <bse toning under a Sahara-shaded coat of sedan cloth, and her hat of closefitting shape was of pink and blue marled colouring. Mrs. Savage wore a frock of black georgette panelled with lace,, with her hat of delphinium blue straw banded with flat feathers. Mrs. Eliot Davis was wearing an ensemble suit of powder blue georgette, on which appeared pretty motifs of net in beige, with rose embroidery. Her hat was of matching crinoline straw. Mrs. Cotter wore a draped frock of black visca trimmed with a long feather plume. Mrs. Dargaville was In a navy blue crepe de chine frock, with which she wore a smart navy blue hat. Mrs. D. Nathan’s frock of Naples blue crepe alonza was made on smart lines and worn with a close-fitting helmet hat. Mrs. Gunson was in a frock of navy

beige figured crepe de chine, and she wore a hat of white felt. . _ „ Mrs. J. M. Carpenter was wearing a frock of chiffon and lace in pale champagne toning with a shady hat to match. P Mrs. Wilson wore a frock of Pompeian rose crepe de chine with a hat of tne same tint. . _ Mrs. Marriner was wearing a black georgette ensemble suit made on straight lines and trimmed with black silk em “ broidery and a black hat that was trimmed with a drooping black plume. Mrs. Lawford was in a frock of ficelletinted lace and georgette worn with a hat of beige and black colouring. Mrs. W. Lloyd wore'a petunia crepe de chine frock and a hat of petunia tone trimmed with faille ribbon to match. Mrs. Stokes was in an ensemble of Mandarin blue patterned crepe elise, and with it she wore a hat of black Bangkok trimmed with a fiat blue and pink feathered bandeau. Mrs. Kinder wore a rose-pink georgette frock with latticed embroidery of blue on the skirt and bodice. Her pastel pink hat was trimmed with blue and pink velvet flowers. Mrs. Price was in an ensemble of black georgette with a deep ruched collar, and she wore a black hat with ribbon trimming. Mrs. Macintosh was in an ensemble of rose-blush georgette, and she wore a rose-coloured crinoline hat. Mrs. Athol Mills was wearing a frock of black crepe de chine with a deep embossed border of floral patterning. Her hat was of unrelieved black. Mrs. H. Cook wore a jade green and black frock of floral printed crepe de chine and a black hat. Mrs. Mervyn Reed was wearing a white • crepe de chine frock lightly embroidered with hyacinth blue and a hat of hyacinth blue straw. , , Mrs. de Salis chose a frock of black georgette inset with panels of fine black lace, and with it she wore a hat of black crinoline girdled with velvet. Mrs. Johns wore a frock of carnationpink mariette made on simple lines, with a hat of the same delicate shade. Mrs. Jack Hellaby chose a smart ensemble of fawn crepe alonza bordered with deep-brown embroidery, and with it she wore a fawn Bangkok hat trimmed with brown. , a . . Mrs. B. Noakes -was in a frock of beige georgette and lace, and her matching hat was swathed with brown velvet. Mrs. F. Wright wore a putty-coloured frock of chiffon and lace and a hat in harmonising shade. Mrs. O’Meara (Gisborne) wore a black georgette coat, over a frock of black georgette relieved with white and a black hat of sisal straw. Mrs. Boucher was in a pleated coat of Naples-blue sedan cloth lightly embroidered in gold. Her blue hat was trimmed with deeper-toned velvet. Mrs. G. Wynyard wore a rose-pleated frock of crepe de chine, with embroidered trimming and a crinoline hat trimmed with appliqued flowers. Mrs. Gaffney was wearing a jade green ensemble of georgette with a hat of balh buntal straw in the same tone. Mrs. Clutha Mackenzie wore a frock of rose and white patterned crepe faille, and her shady hat was of rose colouring. Mrs. G. Swabey wore a frock of georgette in a sweet-pea-pink shade. Panels of lace gave it distinction, and she wore a hat of matching tone. Mrs. Kissling was wearing a frock of black and beige satin crepe, and with it she had a black hat. Mrs. Bradley was in a cedar-brown frock of crepe de chine worn with a widebrimmed hat of the same tone. Mrs. Trevor Bloomfield’s frock of mariette was in geranium-pink toning and with it she wore a hat of beige crinoline straw to match the beige border that striped her skirt. Mrs. R. Rainger was in a black georgette ensemble panelled with ecru lace and girdled with rhinestones. Her black hat was trimmed with buttercup-yellow flowers. Mrs. C. J. Schnaeur wore a forget-me-not blue crepe faille frock with a black hat trimmed with an aigrette and a diamente buckle. Mrs. Milsom was in a frock of beige georgette and lace, and her beige hat was trimmed with orange and mole velvet flowers. Mrs. Norman Wade wore a coat of Mandarin blue embroidered georgette over her black georgette frock, and her hat was of blue and black tones. Mrs. E. H. Reid chose a frock of soft black lace and georgette, with banana yellow relief. Her yellow hat was banded with wide black velvet ribbons. Mrs. G. Gribbln was in a black crepe georgette ensemble with touches of gold, and she wore a black osprey-trimmed hat. Mrs. S. Willis wore a navy blue crepe elise frock trimmed with a hint of rose colour and a wide black hat. I Mrs. Chilwell was in a frock of white and almond-green crepe morovia worn with a white hat. Mrs. S. Upton wore a deeply fringed frock of ecru georgette trimmed with gold and a black hat relieved with a petunia flower. Mrs. Desmond Williams had woollen embroideries in gay colours on her frock of champagne georgette, and with It she wore a hat of almond-green toning. Mrs. Coleman was in a frock and coat of navy blue georgette and charmeuse worn with a wide navy blue hat. Mrs. Hume chose a frock and coat of amethyst chiffon, and with it she w'ore a close-fitting grey hat. Mrs. A. G. Quartley wore a black mirror crepe frock relieved with lacquer red and and black hat with red flower trimming. Mrs. Wake chose a dove-grey gown of charmeuse and georgette, and with it she wore a small gre* hat. Mrs. Poison was in a frock of mastic georgette panelled with nasturtium and black chenille, and her hat was of casquette shape in black velvet. Mrs. Hewitt was in a frock of beige lace and georgette, and her hat was of matching Bangkok straw. Mrs. Coralie Mackellar wore a sleeveless frock of white crepella with a shady white hat trimmed with an Oriental scarf airs. Wilkm was wearing a French grey georgette ensemble with effective eyelet embroidery and a matching hat. ,J} rs - ®"_ AUen wore a tiered frock of leaf green crepe de chine and a small fawn balibuntal hat.

airs. J. Farrell wore a jumper suit of white Milanese silk with relief of coloured er xr£? ia ?. ry T? :na a cherry red crinoline hat. .iit Kernot chose a corded black T tO /, w ,? ar , over her frock of putty hSt r fo et tont nd lace enseisble Mrs. J. Shackleford wore a ensemble of georgette and a lace and “J P'oture J 1 of lotus-toning. 3 a Mrs. Sutherland wore a frock of biscuit 1 MrS n o and a wide black hat. * . ' j* was in a fringed fropir of Mandarin blue croDB elise wSv.“ 4 of matching shade witn a hat frock girdled 6 wHh"T unie W ° re a beig!e laoe wafT' ?S£o? 1 -,- Rober t s Oh , s floral frock was /„e?? , Xt , A. mU^ r COI SS r t in «?. aSa reseda-green straw. hat was of etteTns^mbie^Xwdtoasma^bfac^khTt;

Mrs. Delph was ine patterned C £lth "rose ° f Mrs: y Marhham e wore an ense^ble cu Of sha C d k ed Sa hk n t ffimei with rose and blue b£l *r d f’ t tsjp<?s wore an ensemble of hyatr^ e c^aMoek a wo e re fl T ebe?ge”S«enivrrß T Ryan wore a frock of black georgette with a black hat trimmed with vari-coloured bands. iwhite-em-Mrs. C. Louisson was in a white em broidered gown of navy blue and wore a wide-brimmed navy blue hat to M^ atC ßen Gold water wore a white E? trimmed °with m Mrs 6 M b 'puitrig was in an ensemblesuit of navy blue and mastic georgette, with a hat of matching tones. - Mrs. C. Trevithick wore an ashes of rnses georgette frock, with . a a ® ep petalled band of matching taffeta and. a hat in the same shade Mrs Adams (Wanganui) wore a frock of navy blue and white figured crepe de Ch Mr e S W F h GaSaln k was*'wearing a mastic and black patterned frock of crepe de Jhine with black contrasts and a black h£ Mrs Clifton was wearing a. rose-beige ensemble of lace and georgette, with a hat of reseda green shade banded with Ve Mrs.' Hatrlck (Sydney) wore a navy blue mirror crepe gown panelled with ecru iSe, and her navy hat was trimmed W M h r 3 ?Abbottwor & e o anavy blue georgette frock with floral embroidery and a smart na Mrs bl J e^ a B. Hellaby was in a frock of eau de nil chiffon banded with gold thread embroidery. Her helmet hat of pale green feathers was complemented by a large flat feather shoulder posy. Mrs. Friedlander wore a coat of black georgette over a pastel rose chiffon frock and a hat of black balibuntal with feather tr Mr?. m Holder was wearing a pleated frock of deep wine-coloured crepe de chine and a wine hat to match. Mrs. Leys wore a fringed f r?ch -?+ Spanish raisin crepe marocain, with a hat of harmonising tone. . . Mrs. Flix Kelly was wearing a frock of cyclamen-pleated georgette, embroiderer with white daisies. Hr hat of cyclamen shade was trimmed with velvet ribbon. Mrs. Sommers wore a cherry-red and white figured frock of silk foulard with black facings and a hat of beige tone. Mrs. C. Owen chose a frock of biscuit georgette made with a tiered skirt and relieved with rose pink. Her hat ot matching tone was trimmed with flat georgette flowers. Mrs. C. Herman wore a frock of fawn georgette and lace under a coat to match and a hat of fawn and lotus-rose colour - 111 Mrs. F. Waller was in a black pleated crepe morovia gown with sleeves of Paristinted lace, and her black picture hat was relieved with amber. Mrs. Duncan Clerk’s frock of black georgette was trimmed with gold embroidery, and her black hat had an effective relief of gold and blue flowers. Mrs. Russell chose a frock of beige georgette and lace, and with it she had a wide hat of delphinium blue straw. Mrs. Stanley Cooper was in a frock of gold-embroidered black georgette worn with a black hat trimmed with rose feathers. Mrs. Horton chose a gown of black georgette embroidered around the skirt, with pastel blue flowers. With it she wore a wide black hat. Mrs. E. V. Sutherland wore a frock of French grey crepe marocain with a coat to match and a hat of almond green visca. Mrs. Sutton (Palmerston North) was in a beige lace and georgette frock, with a. coat to match, and she wore a hat of toning crinoline. Mrs. J. Shanly was wearing a beige georgette gown panelled with lace of a deeper shade, and her hat of matching crinoline straw had a brim of georgette and lace. Mrs. C. Phillips wore a navy blue crepe alonza bolero frock with an attractivelypleated skirt. Her hat was of matching shade. Mrs. Halligan wore a gown of black Spanish lace mounted on palest pink crepe satin, and a wide-brimmed black hat with velvet trimming. Mrs. Buchanan chose an ensemble of ficelle georgette and lace, and with it she wore a hat of black crinoline straw. Mrs. B. Keesing was in a frock of violet satin trimmed with round appliqued motifs and worn under a black georgette coat with a small black hat. Mrs. J. Grey wore a black georgette frock and coat trimmed with pillar-box-red embroidery, and her black satin hat was trimmed with ribbon. Mrs. Rae was wearing a duchess blue frock of crepe de chine and georgette, witn a hat of matching blue. Mrs. Goodfellow wore a black frock of satin crepe relieved with a panel of white and a wide-brimmed black hat trimmed with white flowers.

Mrs. Hargraves (Battley) was wearing i frock of Chinese blue crepe de chine in 1 floral design, and with it she had a hat >f black visca. Mrs. H. Rainger’s frock was of fawn md rose patterned navy blue crepe de mine, and she wore a black hat with it. . M fs. Christie was wearing a checked w * ne and fawn crepe de chine ivith a navy blue hat, trimmed with a leep wine ribbon. Mrs. T. Brett wore a fur-collared coat misty grey georgette over a lotus-pink

frock of chiffon. Her hat was of pink toning. . . . Mrs. H. P. Philcox was in a frc>ck of oyster georgette with heavy braiding in the same shade worn with a matching coat. A scarf of sage green georgette matched her green hat. Mrs. C. Dawson wore a black gown of chenille embossed georgette and a hat o e black velvet with osprey plumes. Mrs. R. Hannon (Cambridge) was in » frock of hydrangea blue and platinum mirror crepe with embroidered blue flowers, and wore a hat of matching tones. Mrs. F. Duval wore a frock of heavy and a deep cherry sash of charmeuse. Her and a dep cherry sasn of charmeuse. He-* upturned hat of black velvet was trimmed with ospreys. Mrs. H. E. Valle was in an ensemble o’ French grey georgette with pink and blue embroidery, and she wore a hat to tone. Mrs. J. Farquhar chose a coat and frock of mastic georgette and lace worn witt an ostrich feather boat of fawn toning and an osprey-trimmed hat of black. Mrs. Herriot wore a reseda green coat of sedan cloth over a biscuit-shaded crepo de chine frock. Her hat was of biscuit and pale rose toning. Mrs. A. Hale wore a navy blue crepe alonza frock with relief of canary-yellow pleated georgette and scarlet and gold embroidery. She accompanied it by a small fellow hat. Miss Buckland wore a black georgette ensemble embroidered in black with petal pink revers of chiffon, and with it a black hat trimmed with ribbon bows. Miss Cousins was in an ensemble of navy blue georgette, accompanied by a navy blue hat trimmed with rose-toned flowers. Miss T. Binney wore a frock of navv blue georgette and lace, and chose a hat of reseda green visca straw to complement it. Miss D. Farquhar was wearing a frock of rose du Barri georgette, with a deep panel of accordion pleating. Ospreys trimmed her black sisal straw hat. Miss Bruce Hay wore a buttercup-yel-low crepe de chine frock under her coat of platinum-grey silk marocain, and her fawn hat of pedal straw* was trimmed with bandings of almond green. Miss Solan’s frock of pale beige lace was prettily inset with lace in an ecru tone a.nd with it she w*ore a hat of powder blue. * Miss Murphy was in a suit of white embroidered mariette, and with it she wore a hat of iris-mauve shade. Miss Knight was in a frock of ac-cordion-pleated white crepe de chine worn with a hat of delphinium-blue tone*! Miss Rathbone’s frock was of leaf-green georgette inset with lace, and she wore a ribbon whlte straw trimmed with green Miss Benjamin was wearing a frock of amber georgette panelled w’ith lace and a pastel-rose hat of crinoline straw.