Frills, Fads and Foibles

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1058, 23 August 1930, Page 22

Frills, Fads and Foibles

Pink and Black is the Favourite Colour Combination of the Moment THE hat of the moment is a large one of black lacquered panama straw. The crown is shallow and well-fitting and the brim is turned up in front, swept down at the sides, and brought low on the nape of the neck. Such hats are mostly worn with slim, black crepe de chine or silk marocain frocks.

A frock of this type will have a touch of pink on it. Perhaps a neat fold of pale pink satin outlining the crossover front; perhaps a whole front of flesh-pink georgette in fine pleats. Prettiest and newest of all is tine soft rose-pink lace, used either as a vest, or as a roll collar. Anyway, there is the pink note on the black frock, and the black hat must have its complimentary touch, in the form of a band of pink satin round the crown, just showing beneath the narrow band of black grosgrain ribbon. By way of variety the straw can be cut in moon-shaped pieces, and the pink material put underneath. This treatment is particularly successful with the fine lace, since lace is a correct trimming for hats just now. Lace is "correct” on anything at present, as a matter of fact. Some designers are sewing deep lace flounces inside the hems of the fluffier gowns, to look like petticoats. The effect is delightfully quaint, and very feminine. SLIM WAISTS Isn’t it difficult to w-ear frocks with waists, if you are not like a straw? Only tall, slender women can stand the emphasised waistline. Those who are inclined to be short should admire it from a distance! DAINTY LING ERIK However, lingerie and corsets are doing much to help. For the really plunu> woman, the corset with a boned front and side lacings can scarcely be improved upon, especially if there are inset panels of strong silk clastic. Then there are the silk elastic corselets, which arc extremely graceful for the woman who Is not slender, but well shaped. These are excellent, because they seem to reduce tho curves by keeping them in place. With these corselets are sold specially designed brassieres of flue silk crochet lace. Cami-kuickers are now made with perfectly fitting hip yokes that do away with all superfluous material. The most popular fabric for lingerie is washing satin. Fqr a time we all loved artificial silk, but. much as we still like it for sports and everyday wear, we are swinging back to the more fluffy type of lingerie for afternoons and evenings. So here we are. either buying or sewing for ourselves the most delightful garments of satin, i triple ninon, flowered chiffon or flow- I ered voile. Soft, rather dark-toned I lace is added, and, coupled with ex- : quisite needlework, it makes quite in- i expensive voile sets look dainty and ; charming. Knickers edged with lace j a slip that acts as cache-corset and , chemise, a nightgown, and a coatee — these comprise a set. , Women are doing more and j more needlework for themselves, and the number of stitches put into these pretty garments would make our rather boastful grandmothers quite surprised. POPULARITY OF PINK Parisians are particularly fond of pink at the moment, declaring that it i is more becoming than any other col- ! our. Lovely boudoir wraps of thick suede crepe, in tones of pink from palest shell to dark rose, are made to slip into envelopes of the same material for travelling. The wraps are fashioned on coat lines, with sleeves that are not too wide, and finished only by simple cross bindings, so that straight cuffs of deep cream lace may be added at will. The collars are flat and turned back, so that they also may be finished off with lace. The plain flat envelope of material to match-the wrap has quite taken the place of the elaborate nightgown sachet, it is made of shantung, satin, or, when pyjamas of cool lawn are favoured, of lawn to match. This idea solves the problem of what to do with that odd piece of stuff left over from a-wrap or a pyjama suit. A large number of spring and summer day-frock models now being shown in the salons are sleeveless, but they have neat, round armholes, and 'those of the thinner fabrics are completed by long-sleeved coatees or boleros; or else by capes or deep berthes. Tailored dresses of woollen georgette, crepe de laiue, flecked gossamer tweed and similar materials, usually have neat sleeves finished with smart cuffs. One designer has made sleeveless tweed frocks, but he provides trim little bolero coats for wear with them, so there is no suggestion of incongruity. Some frocks have sleeves which reach almost to the elbows, but I think it is necessary to be very young to wear successfully a trying fashion like this. WITH SLEEVELESS GOWNS There are many pretty ways of remedying the omission of sleeves. Tiny frills, like epaulettes, may flounce over the arms; wide berthes may lend their own dainty neck finish and partly cover the arms at the same time. Waist-length capes are useful, too, and there are always the boleros and coatees. The capes are tied at the throat, or fastened with buttons. Buttons and buttonholes are used also to attach the cape to the dress, three buttons being placed on the latter—one in the centre back at the collar line, and one each side of the front—with corresponding buttonholes worked in the cape. Naturally, buttons to match must appear elsewhere on ihe frock, to make a complete and satisfactory scheme. Mother o’ pear! buttons are popular now, and there are some very lovely ones of chased silver and enamel which in themselves form perfect trimmings. Some of the coatee sleeves ars as j wide as kimonos; some are made tight to the elbows and finished with big flared frills falling to the wrists; some again are quite simple sleeves fluting into slight bell shapes below the elbows. WRISTLETS AND SHORT GLOVES A chiffon evening gown with a tiny cape falling over the shoulders may be accompanied by matching cuffs, shaped like gauntlets, which are tied

with scarf ends round the wrists. These wristlets are completed by short gloves of delicate kid or suede to tone. Short gloves are often worn with sleeveless dance dresses and. strangely enough, look quite charming. They are much more comfortable and cool than the long ones which seem to encase the arms too firmly, even though they be made of the softest suede or antelope. Gloves of lace and net are worn occasionally, but they are not very smart, for they quickly become crumpled and then the beauty of the lace is lost.