"TIT THE CHINA MAIL, MONDAY, APRIL 3, 1961.
WOMANSENSE
lourney to
FASHION across the Atlantic ... once a one-way traffic
now,
each year, America’s influence on women's clothes spreads more surely all over the world. Why?
And what have the top couturiers of New York in store for us?
Page
Barbara
* From America: a million ideas
Barbara Griggs has made this Journey into a woman's World to find out.
Today you can start reading her report
...now let's start learning!
New York.
FIVE years ago what happened in
the fashion world this side of the Atlantic was of precious little moment to us in England. They had, we knew, invented the shirt- waister; they were jolly good at
their junk jewellery,
HOW TO SAY DRINKS ON THE TERRACE IN AMERICAN: Sydney Wragge's throwaway two- piece in heavy white silk printed in dull olive, with a tuck-in olive scarf bonus. The easy blazer top goes over a skirt you can step into-because it has an elasticised waist. English note: the girl wear- ing it is top London model, Sheila Lynch, now working in New York and booked solid, and her self a devotee of Wragge clothes.
ready-to-wear was dazz- lingly cheap, if not as well-made as ours.
-And friends who had buck made the trip came with mouth-watering ac- counts of gaiety, colour and glittering stores. day I believe we can longer afford not to know what's going on in the fashion business here.
To-
no
For 10 breathless days I've Americon been absorbing the incosage. I've talked to top designerst and leated through collections In their large olry salons;
I've
plunged into the Seventh Avenue ragirade jun- gle where 50 floors of aky- scropers are crammed with 300 Arms trading ideas for bread- and-butter.
And I've met the high-pow- Fred women who have more any in the economic life of their country than an English Cabin- el Minister.
I've emerged from it all with the clear-cut. conviction, that American fashion has lessons to tench us..
Inspiration
IT'S time
we
woman
started
Donald
AMERICAN CASUAL ELEGANCE: Brook's clear-cut two piece, idly sashed, in dazling silk-linen.
pect this Henson at top level.
American wholesale design.. has reached a moment of chal- lenge,
In the first place America has a dazzling new First Lady and although Jackie Kennedy has declared that "ambition to become a fashion lender is right af the bottom of my totem pole," she turned the spotlight on na- tive American dealga to a stimu- lating degree.
Américan designers are re- acting vigorously to the chal- lenge of a First Lady best- dresser who dresses native,in... tead of hopping off to Paris every six months (Just how vigorously is perhaps best fllus
Oleg trated by the fact that Cassini, her No. 1 designer, was in Washington recently to argue that American designers -oven whalesnic, as most of them are, should protect their designs from piracy by legal means. "If France can pro- teet its designers, we can, too."), Second: There is the begin- ning of a strong reaction against of Paris"those the tyranny bi-annual occasions when French
and showmanship
American Insecurity conte together with a resounding Wagnerian clash," as one designer put it.
And Oleg Cassini slated "lazy designers who run to Paris twice a year to copy madly."
At its clean, active unin~ hibited best, American design owes nothing to Paris and the most exciting clothes I've seen were nearly always pro- duced by designers who never set foot in a Paris Dolan - a own wholesale our
freely, and America is boosting its export business, • in
When English store-keepers thought and designers are travelling houses, might profitably ponder.
all the time.
AMERICAN PRESTIGE FABRIC OF THE MO MENT tailored into typical Americanism: Sleeveless long belted top in jet-black worn over a skirtful of pleats in ivory.
sniff of the Faubourg SL Honore about them.
Colourful
.
the little black far afield in search of ideas This designing han re- TIKE
a and merchandise, American cognisable generic quailty which dress with a big gay fashion is coming closer to us one can only label American cardigan of pink linen or clothes that are leggy, simple, learning: inspiration Already several American and casybuilt for girls on the the pink silk two-piece of for
aš who firms such
Mr Mort go. every
sleeveless waistcoat top tie-ups with British wants to dress for the life have
The most dressy evening over a straight skirt, with wholesale houses, and Ameri- she leads and not some Ideas travel
can
to us on a clothes are still garments you're its own knotted scarf of mythical gracious oxis- thousand winds..
into with a shrug. Sportswear red and pink silk. tence, a million ideas that could enrich British fashion and some aminous object lessons we need to about.
This is what I'm here to re-
Delicious
and fashions
on
we can
ex-
seen in years Florence, Paris or wherever
or gala dresses don't exist-the And the most covetable confused and clothes I've specles are -gally the colours are dazzling. SHALL report as well, Typitying this American werd designed by an Ameri- know therefore,
what Look are designers like Bonnie ean, Sydney Wragg, who resists Cashin, who uses suede and tho Paris influence to such an Americana are likely to
leather,
teamed with jersey- extent he doesn't even use their come our way next, what thick rug-weight mohair and fabrics. If he wants a slik print, port on; this jet age when New delicious seasoning of fads brillant British plaids to pro- he designs it himself and has it| York is sir hours distant; when
duce the must devastatingly printed for him right here.
He belleves that designs England is spending its dollars
simple country and leisure-Jov-
should have three main hori ing clothes.
zontal strokes at shoulder, hip For her summer collection and hem.
ever she
"To break her rat hard-wearing materials like more denim and mattress ticking.
Maurice Rentner is another famous American name. And young designer Bill Blass makes a once-a-year trip to Paris.
But the things I liked most
didn't in his collection
STORIES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS
Speaking Of Winter
-Chirpie Can't Understand Anyone Läking It—
By MAX TRELL
"Now you'd
both
the winter beller than the sum- mer. This fellow hates the sum- think," Bald mer. He loves the winter."
Knart
Horld and Sparrow, "that Chirple with the winter coming on, and shouted: the wind blowing, and the lake freezing, and the leaves falling of the trees, and the green Crass turning brown, and every- Chirpie. body's ears tingling, that nobody.
"Who is he?" "A friend
of
"And he said he knew a lot the zoo of other fellows up at who thought just the way he
did."
Chirple stopped to eat a few more crumbs, and Hanid sald: "Polar Bears have thick ever- cools, No wonder they don't mind the winter."
Chirple sald he asked Polar Bear what other friends mine," said meant.
"Who?" shouted Knarf and I mean nebody, would went Hanld again. la stay here."
Stopped coting
Lives in 200
and
Seals and Penguins
"He told me. But the Seals Hke the wintertime, too, and so do the Penguins. He told me He lives up the zco," said the Penguins were. Birds just
like zm."
Chirple stopped eating the bread crumbs long enough to Chirple.
shoot n
questioning look at Knart and Hand started to Knort and Hank, the Shadow think. Children with the Turned-About Names,
# "It can't be
Llun or
Tirer or an Elephant," gali
:
As usual, Chicple had come Hanid. They all like warm to the window sill for his break, weather." fast, And, as usual, he wasted ng time telling Knarf and Hand exactly what he thought about everything.
This morning the subject was the winter weather.
Docan't like it
No, It's none of them," said Chirpic. They hate the winter more than I da,
Knart du some deep thinking,
Knarf knows
17
"Penguins don't look Birds," said Hunid.
like
"Oh, they're Birds, all right," paid Chirple. I had a talk with them, too. They've got wings and linse little feathers. And they swim like Fish.
"I Joow who it is," said Knark to Chirpio Sparrow.
It gets, the better he likes it. He Uker It best of all when it's
flue, cold, brisk day."
uscu
up a design any than this," he says, "Is 10 have more clutter then t any 5ft. Bin. can stand"-so not waists or fussy collars.
His collection is in brilliant
blues, yellows, cloudy
whites 19 (the sun-colours America have currently mad about).
And a
JACOBY ... BRIDGE
THIS hand from Karpin's book
an-
is a real old-timer and has appeared in one form or oiler in every book on play and most bridge columns.
NORTH
10
904.
J063
+A12 +974
WEST
4801
Eive
463
EAST (D) 42 VAQ10087 10000343 KQJ
153
Alter East's opening heart bid South is certainly
Justifled
in bidding six spades. It looks
aa it a heart opening will
him 12 easy tricks.
When West opens
In
the four of hearts and the Ave and three all South's appear in duny visions of grandeur fo up
that four smoke. Obviously, spet was a singleton, and Weat Chirple Sparrow didn't know is going to trump the heart re- who it was, but Kmart ald.
What car, South do about it? "I he," sald Knart to hla elter a big fat folly Man Ho has ene chance. He
of hearts with pink cheeks and red nose drop his king the and long white beard? Does he Earl's nec.
always got into a sleigh
Thoy hato summor They said they hated summertime, too."
Karf asked: "Who else like the winter Then suddenly he exclaimed time besides the Polar Bear, the "I know who it is! It's the cats and the Penguins?” Polar Bear!""
Chirpio nodded.
"Now, take me," continued Chirple. "I have to stay hero. Tut I don't like . No, sir. All my friends have left for the
That's the fellow," he said. warm country. I really with I
told him about all the Birds could have gone with them."
Here Knort interrupted. He that were dying away to keep But Old P. asked Chirole what he was get in the sunshine. ting at. Did he mean that he Bear said even if he had wings knew someone who liked the he wouldn't fly to where it was winter: baller' than he liked the war. nummer?
Loves the winter
"He said he could hardly wait to stort for the winter wind blowing, for the how to alurt "That's just it, and Chirpis, failing, for the fieles to start "I do know someone who likes furming,
"The Reindeer Chirple.
"know someone
do,"
А
must
on
Christmas Eve with a big bag-CARD SENJEL♦
n his back?"
**Q-The bidding has bient -That's him!
North
Fast
West Bruth
1
FAS! IA Pass 2 "That's the one I mean," said || IN.T.
You, South, hold: Aksies VKZ,995
What do you to? A-Tass. Your partner's ons no-txяmp rebld has shown maxlum of 14 points. Fourteen zliis 10 is only 24 and your hand 13 naitable for no-trump play.
Bald Hanid:
Try as he would, Chirple who likes
could not guers the name of the the winter better than the sum bid, fat. lolly Mon with the mer." said Hand. She had all pink checks and the red noso at once begun to smile,
and the lung white beard whe
belter winter
then "Does he live up in the zoo?"" liked · anked Chirple.
Hankook her head.
Near North Peto
"Ho lives up near the North Pole," she said, "And the colder
ForAmer.
And Kanel and Hanid illiin't tah ilm, breaum they wRIE BUTO that if he thought long arough, he would certainly think of the big, fat, jolly Man's name,
SOUTHL AAKQJ107
• Nons RAKQJ10
East and West vulnerabl East South West Norths 17 CA Pu PAKE Pass
Opening Iced¬V5.
HOW TO BE CASUAL WITH CREPE :
American designer Bill Blass of Maurice Rentner tailors heavy silk
crepe into a tri-colour outfit - doop blue
cos
sleeve-
top over creamy white pleated skirt, brilliant red knotted. kerchief.
typical piece of Wragg no-non- sense is a three-piece of ochre tweed cardigan Jacicet, cloud- blue heavy linen skirt and loose lighter blue top with a scart neckline.
If America can produce, Chis sort of designing without any
Barbara Griggs
continues her
help from Paris, why shouldn't journey next week
we tru?
LADY
your
AQUARIUS
CHINA
LUCK
MAIL horoscope
get along with," and "you should not encourago too frequent meetings.
MONDAY, APRIL 2
(January 21- February 15): Avoid gly- ing too definite a time for the completion of an urgent be an job, па there may
last minute unavoidable delay,
PISCES (February 20-March 20): A person whom you greatly admire should' serve as a striking example of the
results which perseverance can bring.
very
ARIES (March 21-April 19): An experiment which seems worth while may be suggested to you. If it docs not involve.a great fuan- cial risk, it would be advis able to try it.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20); A secret wish of long stand- ing will be unexpectedly fulfilled, and will give you all the pleasure you anticipated.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21): Don't despair if you have to fit some additional work into your already tight schodule. It will prove quite easy once you get the lang of it.
|'|'CANCER (June 22-July 21): I the atmosphore in your rather vicinity Beems
absent charged,
yourself for a while and avoid in evitable arguments.
may
Now what is East. going to do? If East is a really, great player and lo particularly sharp this particular day ho Foton to himself that South just would not have bid six with two losers, in his hand and 297 that North's nine of spades and uce of diamonda representa nice bonus just in casa South held king-deucy of heart In East will lead a Utens becond heart and South will be
down just as cutely as it he hud not tried the deceptive play.
olhor On the
hand tha chances are that East will look ut hic nice mie king of diamonos | and strap it on the table where- upon South will be off to the
TODATA QUESTION -West-reopens with iwo clubs, North and East pass. What do;
Answer: Tynierrow
LEO
(July 22-August 21): A person born under Cancer will prove rather hard to
.
VIRGO (August 22- September 22): If your friends are not welcomed by your family, don't force the lasuc, but arrange to meet them away from home. LIBRA (September 23- October 22): Keep away from a social activity which does not have an immediate appeal. It will be easier to any no now than to try and find excuses later.. SCORPIO (October 23- November 21); A minor investment may get off to a disappointing start, but you will be able to recover your losses in a comparatively short time. SAGITTARIUS
(November 22-December 21): A shop- ping expedition with B neighbour will be very on- you should joyablo, and both manage to pick up 'some excellent bargains.. CAPRICORN (December 22- January 20): A fascinating. person will bo introduced into your circle of friends; don't lose your hand and in drop everybody clas favour of the nowcomer,
YOUR BIRTHDAY: If your birthday is this week, you will find a symbol of good fortune in a gift of a dresa- ing gown.···
Rupert and the Paper-fall-16
Edward catches up with Rupert, ・ smiles. "The Brst one came ovar "I kvist that car of yours,” he the slope, Looks there's the lake, mayi, "bay I'm too big and inu He disappeared that way,” They, beavy to get into ity: So 1 shought ton down the slợp." And me. I'd fin you in finding chiqil - here's where I helped to pull a car out of the water.*** *** Yes, the men you spoke about, Where dici they come from? Where did they -grass in mill modden down." go2** “I wish I knew, Rupert Edward. Where are the mass ? 24.
· ALL NIGHTS RESERYJO