NO BARE BACKS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 788, 8 October 1929, Page 1

NO BARE BACKS

Beach Inspectors Will Use Discretion

MORE COLOUR. LIKEL'i

Colour will predominate on the beaches of North Shore this summer. Judging by the bathing costumes imported by Auckland firms for this season the pohutukawa, paled into insignificance amid a bewildering variety of colour, will hang its scarlet head in shame. But there will be no

Lido Ladies. A SUN representative who pursued this line of inquiry among city retailers found that, although they were prepared to give the womenfolk of Auckland as much colour as they wanted, the big houses were not prepared to invest much capital on backless bathing suits of the Lido design. Their attitude on the subject waS expressed by the manager of one of the establishments when he said that it was largely a question of what would he permitted. On the principal beaches which were under the control of local authorities he did not think that Lido mod,els, or Sunshihe Suits, as they were called In America, would he permitted. NO GOOD ON BACK PORCH

And if they could not be worn at Milford or Takapuna the girls would not buy them to wear on the back porch, he added. The Takapuna Borough Council, which keeps a paternal eye on Takapuna and Milford beaches, has not yet discussed the question of backless costumes. “So far the occasion has not yet arisen where action has had to he taken in regtrd to these costumes,” Mr. J. W. Williamson, Mayor of Takapuna, told a Sun representative. “The council’s regulations on the subject insist only on twopiece or Canadian costumes,” he said. “But the beach inspectc was empowered to use his ov discretion, as he had done at M ford and Takapuna last seasc when several persons were askei to leave the beach. On this ques tion I think we would be a little conservative,” added Mr. Williamson.

No, there will be no Lido Ladles at Milford this year, but, according to information whispered to The Sun man in a city store, backs are to be slightly lower this season. There appears to be an excellent reason for this. In the feminine -world where the little things count for so much, it appears that there is a strong prejudice against half-baked necks and shoulders, such as appear when the swimming girl dons an evening frock cut lower than her bathing suit. For this same reason shoulder straps on bathing suits are to be much narrower. The white strips that show up so prominently on tanned shoulders are to be eliminated as much as possible. FOR BEACH SHEIKS ALSO The Pressman was very impressed with the samples shown him. They were in almost every colour imaginable and some, the more expensive, were made of elastic to fit the form better. He was more impressed still when he was informed that some of them cost as much as 355. Beach sheiks are also being catered for with colours that, placed alongside, would make a barber’s pole look anaemic. One gathers also that berets and water-caps are to be the thing this summer. “Neat,” “natty” and “nobby,” they can be obtained in all hues and shapes. The young men of Milford will indeed present a brave sight this summer.