1934-05-18 — Page 3

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Simplicity Of The Spring Styles

Never before has. there been such decided trend towards simplicity as there is in the spring styles. But it is a sophis-

These with sithen silk or wool. weaves are especially good for sports clothes, which must keep their trim shape through much

ticated simplicity, an imagina-hard and strenuous wear; but

tive simplicity. There is an ever increasing complexity in the technical creation of models, for altogether the "simplicity is an deceptive one No longer are symmetry and balance

strictly adhered to every skirt length is different, and the difference is accomplished in some,

Intricate

and different. It is seen at the normal at hip length, above the normal and almost directoire in "Inspiration. Every sleeve is

different, no two are alike. There. is the long close fitting sleeve. there is the early Victorian puffed sleeve, there is the balloon, the slashed sleeve.. the sleeve with Inset sections, the epaulette, the padded shoulder, and the sleeve- less dress.

Zose.

they also appear in exquisitely soft crinkle-crepes, suitable for evening the slim fitting

such airy even in gowns, and trifies as fine chiffon pleating Another new-comer is linen-and- tweed, à fascinating "fabric which is lighter in weight than Its name might lead you to expect, and which comes in soft pastel shades "such as cream, dusty pink, and haze-blue, as well as in attractive stripes. The alpaca that our mothers wore is once" again in fashion; and you will be extremely smart in a suit of navy alpaca dotted with white and a white blouse dotted, with navy. Linens form a most im- portant chapter of "the fabric story; their varieties of colour, appa- weave and pattern are That which we name

rently endless. The newest of all is a rather heavy natural Enen prated with bold checks. stripes and diagonals in black.

Flower-printed silks. crepes, Evening KoWNS welcome revival.

marcissi. with tulips. printed Jonquilsall the blooms of the and more spring-grow

wear a popular. It is chic to

with your blouse posyprinted

If your tailored linen sult; or blouse is plain, to let the flowers adorn your scarf and bag.

Called by another name would smell as sweet."

"

Evening Gown

But if we change the colour or the satin softness of the rose, or transmuted its perfume for, let us say, the salty tang of sea- weed, which is pleasant enough In its own way and place, that All of would not be as sweet: which is a parabolle way of say- ing that women are women, and always will be women," and they are best in evening gowns. How ever, I do not mean to maintain that all evening gowns -are all right anywhere on an occasion. We all know that gowns are

all evening not at all right on

A do" we not? every woman well known male writer once re- marked that an evening gown was either a glowing success or failure: And he was a total

Now there are very few right. rules to give about choosing evening gowns. They must appear to grow out of your own personality and your own con- ception of the spirit of the times that is to say. fashion. The main point is that you should be in "contrast with the surroun- cings, or else in harmony with them. Evening dresses are most- ly long and slim and simple, trained, and generally with some kind of drapery or fullness about the bodice, a sort of harness line rounds the armhole, reaching to the waist line at the back, being popular. Backs are very bare, fronts are very high skirts cling- ing to the knee, voluminous, be- low,

Explelting Femininity To The Full

- Frilled taffeta petticoats are being worn under lace and tulle evening dresses. These taffeta petticoats are another distlactive feature: many of them having a deep flounce of pleating which gives freedom without interfering Femininity with the svelt line.

the full. is being exploited to Everything combines to make a woman alluring and romantic. All kinds of devices are resorted to-posies of flowers, ostrich fea- ther boas, skilfully accentuated curves, heart-shaped decolletees. and a very interesting revival of pearls for trimmings and neck- fast laces. There is one firm, law. We must be straight and slim to a very low line, Nothing can disturb this edict, though that line passed there is no end to the happenings, and there is no manner of doubt but that the "flare" effects are rapidly gala- ing favour. One of the reasons of the popularity of the fare is that most of the new materials flare so well. Even tunics flare -perhaps ripple is a better des- cription at the.. hem, while of the frankly flared skirts measure, several yards at the hem. these usually of diaphanous fabrics. that only reveal their character as the wearer moves, The flare also is very happy in the realms. of mousseline frocks. The thajo- rity of these dance" frocks are wisps of things, but when don- ned they open like buds to show undreamed of curves, lines, scal- loped hems. The haré together with the sheath and the circular flounce, is very fashionable just now.

New Fabrics

A word about the new fabrics, and since you can no more make a'.smart frock without smart fabric than an omelette without Cags they fully deserve, the in- terest and approval they are re- ceiving. Among the most im- portant are new weaves of

Laster", yarn-very-clover com-. binations of fine elastic thread

more

The New Hats The of-the-face hat, by the way, has not displaced the for- ward. tilted model from favour. "Only the very young" said one fashion

other day. expert the wish to display the whole of the Older women prefer forehead. to conceal their brains--perhaps. because they have more!" How- ever, that may be. the fact re- .mains

that the over-the-eye slant is still smart and popular in these days of halo, the diadem: and the Jaunty Breton sailor. In the evening, the disdem "hat or head-dress certainly holds the field-ans its success is deserves. The favourite evening coiffure of the moment consists of a smooth plait circling the head." placed well back from the for- head; immediately behind and above the plait rises a diadem or halo of metal or stiffened lame." This may, perhaps, sound a little trying to wear in the troples but it is decidedly battering and has a romantic air which contrasts most charmingly with the cropp-,,- ed heads of not-so-long-aRO.

THE PETAL COLLAR

Fashions are very flower-like at the moment. Flower "snoods," floral patterned frocks and the sprays that decorate the backs of "evening gowns paint to the way in which fashion creators are getting Inspiration from the

garden.

The petal collar is new. Stand- ing up like an Elizabethan ruff, it is made of red and white ruch- ed silk, and completes a ruby- red gown of crinkled crepe.

ام

Short Skirts Coming

The skirt length prediction for spring and summer, 1934, accord- ing to Travis Banton, Paramount fashion designer, is short, Quite short! Almost back to the flap- per-short-agedi

We shall see what we shall see when spring rolls around. It seems too quick a jump from an- kle length to knee. But, then, where woman and her wayward fancy are concerned you never can tell

If it comes to pass that the girls. will be little girls again by spring, don't blame us for not tipping you off to the leg. and ankle trim- .ming need. Under those leng- thened skirts you may have got a bit careless and let the calf. thicken. If the short skirt predic- tion comes true, you may be sure that even better ankles will be demanded than in the last short skirt era. The reason? Well, wo- men have gone a long way in other beautifying directions since that apper era. Their hair, makeup, hands and allhouettes have been in the processing of poltahing and improving until they're pretty nearly perfection No less will be required of the an kle turn and the leg symmetry.

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, MAY 18,

1934.

THE EVENING FROCKS: A RETURN TO

The stately evening frock has come in again. It has to be ad- mitted that : owes its stateliness to the traing to the full length round the knees, even sometimes. to the bustle or its equivalent. It is not the stateliness of Queen Elizabeth, which also was based

FUSSINESS

ecration of itself can effect no- thing but confusion of the eye.

While waistbelts are all worn, there are many sheaths without them, the

line being indicated The simply by a pleat or two. sash which is worn sometimes encircles the waist but more

the back,

Some dresses give the

figure exactly the appearance of a boat, remaining slim and close almost to the feet. A Callot dress varies this by allowing the sheath. which, fits like a glove, to be finished with fringe from the knees, which

on absurdities of the ruff and ex-ofter has only the big bow at aggerated hip. Rather is it more statuesqué exacting of a definite type of willow figure. The chief outline is that of the sheath, elongated as far as i will go moulded to form a definite in- ward waist. The egg-boller waist fortunately is not here, but it is not far distant and there are" bodices to-day with a close fit and cut of shoulder which re- call the eightles vividly.

Like Gaul, evering frocks may be divided into three parts. The bodice mostly fits and then is often, though, not always, dis- simulated. It may have a fichu. It may have wide ruching down back, the the

big" V of the

run or

back may down definitely into a bustle line. This is not a real bustle. It is effected either by means of large, stiff bows which bounce away both from the waist and the back of the knees of the otherwise closely tting skirt, or the effect may be produced by means of a full train which starts from the waist and is "pulled in sharply about eighteen or twenty inches. from the waist, to go on flowing down to the floor and farther. Again, the bodice may have what looks neither more nor less than a flounce from the waist to the Tais depth of eighteen inches. also gives the suggestion of full- ness of the bustle.

The next part is the hip, which Even still remains close in.fit. where the bustle "element is pro- minent the skirt underneath it is"

a sheath at least to the knees. " While this close-fitting part, is arranged so that it may develop into a train or have a backward fing or concentrate on a swirl in front, it still retains its cipse look This makes all the greater the contrast with the third section, which blossoms into fullness of every kind.. A comparatively plain skirt will spread out into a train, beginning to do this from Some- the back of the knees. times a closely gathered frill with a conspicuous head will surround the knees, contrasting with the plainness above. The point is that the sheath must be kept in any case, that it is really a sheath from the waist to the knees, and that above and below it may have any complication.

Black Lace and Blue Ribbons In the Chanel model is shown the sheath adapted from "prin ciple to reality. Under the black lace, which this designer has the secret of using with elegance, bale-blue ribbon is run, giving an extra line round the hips and at the neck Here the bodice is slightly full, and the idea of lightrees lent by fullness is car- ried on at the short sleeves. The angularity of these corrects the flimsiness of the lace. From be- low the hip the fullness streams out. Herd the proportions are well maintained, and as dresses grow, on the whole; fussier, and as the struggle for something new grows more exacting, it is of interest to note how proportion, line, can do" everything, while de

Immediately

takes a dead straight line. This dress has no sleeves and no

shoulder straps. It is hung round the "neck from the central point of the bodice. Some evening frocks have high backs, though these may be split here, and there to show a W of back. Now and again a low back forms a mitre of which the lowest point almost touches the waist

The kimono sleeve efect dis- tinguishes the models of one or two designers. Here the skirt is the closest possible sheath. d- viding of low down into two seal talls, "The bodice has more or less kimono sleeves, tapering lo- to a point at the back, which necessitate a certain looseness of bodice above the belt. This gives a. becoming line, Wraps also have kimono aleeves, some of them heavily turned up with them terlal

There are wraps with a straight line across the collar bone which academic and becoming. are There are some which go back to the worst features of Edward- Black taneta ta fan fasstess.

arranged in three great flounces to make a cape which is tied on with a bow in front. Five years. hence it will seem to belong to the antimacassar age. Some of the smarter wraps are little bo- leros in front, have tälls behind. and huge kimono' sleeves. Many coats have academic hoods which show off the back of the neck to advantage. The cape is rite sometimes in two divisions which Ge- give the effect of sleeves. nerally

alt evening speaking wraps are rather fussier, though some of them have good lines. They are stili inseparable from the evening dress.

Coals In Spring

Many fashion prophets have been surprised to discover that the loose coat has retained an Important place in the Spring mode. So many of them had been shown by all the couturiers. "and worn by women in every part of the globe at it seemed they must be pushed into the style background to make way This for more novel offerings. seems to be a case where women themselves are responsible for a fashion. They found the loose coat comfortable, easy to wear, becoming to every one; that, in short, nothing will exactly take its place, so they refused to ab- andon it.

Of course something had to be done to rejuvenate the loose coat, so the couturiers changed its aspect considerably by sup- pressing the swagger, narrowing the shoulders and simplifying the sleeves. It now either falls per- fectly straight of flares smoothly from the armpits to the hem. without any folds.

The sleeves

are plain, sometimes gradually Haring from a widish armhole:- sometimes they are frankly simo-

no.

It is the smart thing nowadays for your coat to show your dress. The all enveloping topcoat bas been relegated to travel and stor- my-weather wear. Town coats

are variously, split, at the sleeves. back or the sides, to give glim- pses of the frocks. Sometimes they bately meet in front, giving the effect of a long tunic. Even the new dress coats are often cut to show some of the skirt near the hem.

and Mainbocher has more smarter variations of the loose' coat

than any other couturier. There is a distinguished one in white pique hanging nearly to the hem of a navy blue frock. There are numerous print dresses worn with full-length straight, open coats of dark wool. But the most stunning of all are the wool suits- with knee-length open coats, lin- ed with vivid silk to match the blouse:

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CLOTHES STAMP THE STARS

Clothes to match the per- sonalities is one of the important secrets of the glittering "stars of the screen-more important than most people realise. Few know, for instance, of the little trick of necklaces to choosing hats or match the colours of one's eyes- using real lace to accentuate the effect of femininity-or what the mere tilt of a hat brim may do to bring out individuality.

Screen stars are past mistresses at these devices and, because their personalities vary so many and odd are the means used to accent them.

Greta Garbo's plain tailored sults are well-known. She wears nothing else for street wear-a striking contrast to the long lines of the wonderful Adrian creations she wears when before the "ca-

mera. ̈

Myrna Loy, like Garbo, wears tailored suits and never looks like an actress in private life. On the screen her costumes are exo- tic-from "fitting gowns and filmy negligees. Joan

Crawford, glamourous Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer star, wears blue whenever she can. In every picture, she wears at least one blue costume. Off the screen she is "often seen in clothes of her favourite shade Blue, she says, is the colour that makes her happy.

The gardenia she always wears, and her blue dresses, are veritab- ly a part of her personality.

..Marion Davies wears fluffy materials and laces, which bring out her intensely feminine per-. sonality. A collar of Irish crochet or point lace is worn effectively with many of her costumes. She carefully chooses handkerchiefs to go with each different costume. Miss Dayles seldom wears a costu- me exactly as it comes from the hop, but always has it made over, and altered to more fittingly er- press her personality.

"Norma Shearer's" wardrobe: idiosyncracy is her craze for al- tering her hats. She takes a hat. ́and experiments with it, tiking it,

brim, changing its

wtil she achieves just the effect she wants.

but few Jean Harlow buys clothes, which are always of the best quality and choosen with re- markable taste. She often re- marks that he would rather have one really fine evening gown for a season than several cheap ones. The design of her clothes is always simple.

Jean Parker, on the other hand, Ulkes knock-about clothes, and loves nothing better than to roam about the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer She has studios in dungarees. her hair dressed in very tight- little rolls then goes home and combs them out into just the effect she wants.

bat used to be considered shock- Una Merkel, intensely feminine

ingly bad form to put your hands in your pockets, but that has now become one of the most fashion- ablé gestures. In the case of these new outfits it enables you nonchalantly to make "the most of your lining

This Spring, hip pockets fre- quently forsake the coat for the", dress; this encourages another attitude, namely, that of standing with your coat thrown back and your hands in the pockets of your skirt, a pose that is reminis cent of those sporting gentlemen who like to tuck their thumbs in their vast pockets,

wears fluffy collars to bring out this quality. She never wears Evans, on sport clothes Madge the other hand, is the "sports clothes girl" at the studio. She wears bright scarves and bright colours.

Alice Brady wears clothes so

naturally that one never thinks of her as "dressed up, though she is really one of the best dress-- ed women on the screen

Esther Ralston, another tinctly feminine Wears Teminine: times contrasted

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PARIS FASHIONS

Colours From Molyneux

Molyneux's

dresses

show. good deal of Chinese red, jade green. Chthese blue, birds'-egg blue, a dusty pink, white, and pale water green; all his figured crepes are bright. The Chinese at the and loose sleeve, long wrist, is for the morning. The shoulders of all dresses and coats Morning skirts seamless. are alim and between 12in, and 14in...from the ground; for the evening and the late afternoon they flare widely at the ankles..

either The neckline by day is open, with a little turned-back collar, or closed and turned back bý small pointed ends under the chin.

are

Printed crepe and printed glik dresses, such as Bianchini's new form of flamings, are cut ou simple, almost tailored lines. The skirt may have two rows of kalfe pleating about the hem; the bodice fits, the sleeves are long and loose at the wrists, and the neck is high but open in front. Again, the dress may be princess in line and the neck a shallow square: "The fashion for long. loose summer sleeves ad- mits of A sleeveless jacket or scarf wrap.

manner 2

an easy- Molyneux buttons fitting blouse down the trons and makes the skirt with deep box- pleats closely stitched to the knees from which the pleats are unconfined. In this striped or printed linen frock for the country is made; the" belt may be of heavy leather, or of organdie. "A... maize-yellow linen dress has a belt of taffetas tied to a sharp bow at the side. A plain black ankle-length georgette dress, with a full hem line, has pointed cape sleeves, and in open neckline to show a pink chiffon modesty, almost covered with a bunch of pink roses; the hat is of pink organza and wide-brimmed. A black linen skirt, a white organdie blouse, and a loose coat of heavy white, linen spotted with black are to be worn with a black straw hat, trimmed with white organdle. With an evening dress of Chinese red crepe, of whiche the hem is faced with jade green is worn a green taffetas cape.

The hem of a white crepe dress- is faced with Chinese red, and". on the shoulders is a bunch of Ted poppies. Over tight white crepe dress with a pointed train goes a loose coat. of widely check- ed blue and white taffetar

On the screen she goes. bitions and duży gayb..