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§ 3 § a om mma = > Te a Sart --_---- ---- - PGI WO ms "separable 'wander off into space, creating as Se B/7/A48Y of LAS S7COLY a wi Early Though it May Be, Fashions Are Definite-- There is Great Distinction of Line and Treatment. N spite of the fact that there is a real system about our fash- ions, evidenced in the iron rule of the ensemble theme, they are exceedingly hard to describe. Probably this is because our at- tention is wandering toward an- | other idea,q even while we 'are ex- pressing the one at hand. It is a bit difficult to decide which of the many shall be our choice, for every ' sepérate one possesses qualifications that make it desirable. " Soft materials and lovely colors are but the beginning of the new- est mode, and using them as in- companions designers they go. There is beauty, refine- ment, a seeming simplicity and no small amount of subtle sophistica- tion in the early spring themes that are, of course, best expressed at the moment in suits and coats and evening attire for the after- Lenten period, It js coat time. Which means that we are not, as yet, ready for the frock that has no need of a wrap. And to further the idea, we shall, in all proba- bility, have at, least a jacket for every dress that we select, for the jacket rules the ensemble quite as strictly as the ensemble rules the mode. Matching and contrasting little affairs, unlined, for the most | proportion of the ideas, part, are included in the'costumes that are offered for street, after- noon, even formal evening wear. A Few General Rules We must know, first of all, about skirt length, the silhouette, the waistline, and items of this sort. But we can give little time to them if we are to even mention a small | themes and vogues that are current in fashion. If they are incorrect, these details, the model is wrong, so we have to 'know definitely whether they have changed, and if they have, just what has resulted from the changes that have been inaugurated. Skirts are longer. This is not "perhaps," or "maybe" but really! Not, necessarily, the sports or town ensemble, that is inclined to sim- plicity and fine tailoring, but after- noon frocks and evening gowns. The former are from four to six inches longer, and the latter ex- tend well below that, to the ankles, many times. And the downward movement in the back. continues one of the featured lines of the general silhouette. So far as the silhouette is con- cerned, there is the merest sugges- tion of molding, carried well below the hipline, and even lower in back--a part of the dropping line. There is a tendency to lift the waistline a bit, not much, but per- TE NEW D T seems to have taken the place of the tailored theme, and it is, perhaps a modification of it--a feminizing, so to speak, of a masculine idea. Perhaps the thought sprung from the new ten- dency to elegance of detail, for that is what designers are stress- ing, and a certain meticulous something is applied to those de- tails. One writer has spoken of it as the sort of thing you associate with an exclusive dressmaker. Hence, 'we imagine, the term "dressmaker" frock or coat. And the idea is being carried further-- THE PICTURES (1) We know this particular type as the town ensemble. It uses printed crepe, in an effective color combination of white and dregs-of-wine, for the frock, and covert cloth for the seven- Fine pleating and a scarf, knotted in a ring, are interesting details of the dress. (2) Typical of the approved mode in evening apparel. sheer lace is used for the entire garment, dipping in a train in back and rising to an abbreviated hemline in front. There Is a line of silver ribbon at the waistline, and rhinestone banding outlines the decolletage and dips to meet the train. (3) Subtlety of color marks this model as unusual. The fabric is crepe in an indefinite print in red and black, and the blouse of black satin. The idea expressed in the finely pleated skirt is repeated in the cu.iar of the coat and the ruffle that edges it. One of many clever jacket themes. eighths length coat. (4) Faille silk is combined with shows its approval of the s in a skirt arrangement. purple, is pffectively appliqued silk, which kes the rf as a detail, repeating the theme he printed pattern, red, blue and kirt, as well, the idea of softness, expressed in suits, coats, blouses and dresses, applied to the newest footwear. It shows in dainty colors and a gra- ciousness of line that is, to use a word little associated with shoes, delicate. So we have every reason to expect that a new term has been added to our rapidly growing fash- ion vocabulary. Certain style themes remain in- delibly associated with certain periods In our fashion history, Whenever there is a war, then we have modes of the utmost sim- pldcity, and when peace returns we Soft, This dal ial. a printed against the navy blue of the (5) 'A novelty wool and wayon fabric is here used. Hght weight, and lends #self to pleating, seaming and other details of construction with charm. costume is an interesting one, material. The color is the favorite chartreuse. (8) Synthetic fabrics seek new worlds to conquer. ensemble, made up of hat and scarf, rayon ratine is the choice. It is, too. a clever combination of colors, the effect an ombre in cocoa, shading to faint pink and cream. Scarfs and hats have an affinity for each other. it is very This version of the jacket for: it is made wholly of one In this minor The CASTER MODE- By BARBARA WINSLOW ceptibly. Afternoon apparel is more formal than it has ever been, and df one views the mode in the light of .the themes of a decade ago; the comparison proves the giant strides that have been made. Certain Featured Themes First of all, the ensemble, and as a part of this, the jacket suit or dress. Tt is somewhat difficult to define the lines that divide the suit from the frock, especially when the material is light of weight, as silk or crepe. For near- ly every model has a jacket, and it may match, or it may be made of a contrasting fabric. It is no exaggeration to say that the suit is the most important style feature in this newest mode. Suits of tweed, covert or fine wool are made with jackets or with longer coats, as taste, and the fig- ure, dictate. And as a result of their popularity, we have the shirt- waist back in fashion again, 'al- though we know It now as the shirtwaist blouse. In the wide range of wool materials there are many that are smart, but none smarter, or,as smart, as the beauti- Nm RESSMAKER IDEA show our happiness by elaborating our frocks. Our own country con- tributes quite as much to general fashions, as any other, although we think of Paris, and then, in turn, of chic. With this decade we shall associate certain things, It is, first of all, the era of bobbed hair, which had its begin- nings a full ten years ago, and has influenced far more than the coiffure. It has revolutionized the millinery mode, and done more to promote simplicity than any other one thing. It is an era of feminine themes, restrained elaboration, for- mality and great beauty of fabrics and colors. And during this period the dressmaker, costume has come into being, As a result we have soft fabrics, beautifully tailered, made into coats and dresses that are finished with exquisite attention to detall, and so planned that they are a unit in themselves, as, for instance, an ensemble in two pieces, both gar- ments capable of separate use. De- talls of pleats, tucks, scarfs, jabots, capes--ingenious devices all, make intricate . the seemingly simple frock, and this wizardry becomes the dressmaker frock. Did You HAT ermine, snowy white, is spring's most popular fur? It appears on many of the esmart- est coats, and is most desirable in the black and white s¢heme that is the color vogue of the moment. It is used for collars and sleeve trim- mings on both separate coats and ensemble coats. THAT eggshell is the newest color to come into prominence for under-fur-coat wear? It is an ex- quisite, subtle tone, ivery luxurious, and has attained Its' sudden popu- larity because it goes so well with the sun-tanned skin. It will be SR i 7 RE ep------ 1 ful tweeds that dare to go through | the entire day 'for town wear. | ("oats are all things to all people, | meaning that they are plain or| elaborate, furred or furless, heavy | or light of weight as the case may | be. There are coats of silk and| of fine wool; there are coats with | elaborate furs and coats that have | no collar at all, even of fabric; | and there are coats that are | straight line and simple or not | unlike a frock in their elabora- ons. And every coat is a poten- tial background for a suit. | in the little dress will. fit into smart under the fur newer spring wrap. may well be a print, and rather gay in color--a touch of spring! There are some interesting separate the wardrobe and coat or Such a dress be black in combination with the newest green--chartreuse. If you have color, and have found the strong blues becoming, you will. probably become addicted to this newest combination, cannot wear it! The woman who is a bit inclined to a' sallow skin | | should avoid it with rigid care. A | frock of printed silk, in two shades] | of green against a navy back- ground, is worn with.a coat of| solid blue, and the hat and acces- | sories keep to the same color scheme. For Afternoon In Town Another frock fashion of im- portance at the moment is the flat crepe dress, presumably in a solid | color, although there are many | figured crepes. These models, whether they be plain or printed, stress all of the new details that make the mode so interesting. There are a very great many scarf treatments, and they are not confined to dresses and coats, but appear on the newest blouses that are planned for wear with the suit. Then there are cape effects and bertha collars, many clever bow treatments, pleats and flares, and as summer advances, there are more and more sleeveless dresses planned for wear under the jacket or coat that matches the dress. And there is a.return of thesshort sleeve, so. long missing from the mode, which comes down about half way between shoulder and elbow. One feels that it will not be long before the long sleeve will be one of three sleeve fashions. Know -- featured in spring models of frocks and blouses. THAT the blouse, newly returned to us under the influence of the jacket and skirt vogue, is of the couturiere type? This means that they possess all the refinement of detail that is to be found in a dress, for it must be in keeping with the spirit of our feminine fashions. THAT hand - wrought, metal jewelry is one of the costume varia- tions of the moment? Silver and copper are the metals most used, the latter considered ultra smart with the sun-tanned skin. Two Frock Possibilities | Probably we are all interested | that | the color | combinations, among them blue or | for it] is unusual, effective, and everyvne Sp | Gleanings, Here | and There | ROBABLY, there is fiothing smarter, at the moment, than black and white. A jacket suit of fine silk crepe, with a tuckin or slipover blouse of white, worn' with a hat In the same color effect, may have black shoes polka-dotted In white---they are very smart. Black is very smart with chartreuse, or with a bright blue, sp it will be seen that a jacket suit or one with a long coat will be an economy, if black is the chosen color. The tri-color is back again, but it ls now the name of an idea, rather than the original combination of red, white and blue, They are making dressmaker scarfs in tri- color and one sees two shades of red or of blue, with black; a pale '| yellow and two shades of green-- one of them sure to be chartreuse; two shades of purple and gray, or if you like the idea better, the tri- color may be tri-shade, featuring three tones of a color. There is a handkerchief for every frock, nowadays, and. the wrong handkerchief is as much out of place on a costume as the wrong shoes. It will be a bit of luxury, no matter to what type it belongs, beginning with the bit of embroid- ered linen--it may be lace-trimmed, following through the afternoon group of chiffon, subtle of color and a bit larger, to the really large | evening detail that is trimmed with \ lace. Monograms are smart. | Have you a really old brooch, or necklace, or earrings? If so, you have a very smart piece of costume Jewelery, for they are reviving the old-fashioned things. It may be of metal, or it may be coral beads, or branched coral, or it may be set with garnets or other semi-precious stones, but it will be correct for spring 1929. Pearls are back again, and they are interesting in the sun- tan tones. Necklaces, brooches and bracelets lead in popularity. They are telling us now that we must dress in such a way that we will be in harmony with the type of suit that our escorts wear. There is a frock for the business suit, one for the dinner coat, and yet an- other for the full dress suit. And after all, why not? If we feel out of place in the wrong type of gown, why should we not seek to wear | the thing that belongs to the same type-group of the man's suit? i Formality means propriety, too. NEW AND CL = ALLIANCES T is quite true; as many claim, 'that accessories -are more im- portant than 'frocks or suits. It is equally true that it were bet- ter to economize on the number of frocks than on the number of ac- cessories.' «A careful attention to the relation of the latter to the former will result in individuality, and a semblance of variety that cannot be achieved at as small a cost in any other way. Novelties aid that variety. We recognize the vogue of sun- tan, as a color and for the com- plexion. It may be acquired, in the latter instance, by exposure to the sun, by treatment carried out 'with special lamps and by cos- metics. Then we have sun-tan ac- cessories, planned to match the hue of the, skin, or to accent fit, Hosiery, the exact shade of the complexion, 'would be an example of this idea, and there is a still further influence on color, : Someone discovered copper as a complementary color for this new- est shade. As a result we have the new metal earrings, bracelets and necklaces made of this metal, and worn.with the complexion that has been tanned to a copper hue. And Fifth Avenue shops are showing handbags in bright colors. mounted in copper, or trimmed with this metal, This is an example of orig- inal alliances of unexpected things. " We are growing more elaborate with every passing day, and the business of providing accessories for every type of costume is con- stantly growing. They have brought out wooden beads and are using them to make bracelets for wear with 'sports 'dresses -- sleeveless ones, of course. The gay colors are barbaric in their effect, and look charming against a sun- tanned arm. Or they be made into a necklace in the same general type. A word about,.a; mew alliance, formed by the, hat, will interest. Have you ever thought to match your necklace to your chapeau? Well, it's being done, and the neck- laces are of beads in color, twined into a rope with strands of jet, the hat matching the beads. Thus --a red and green necklace will adcompany a hat of red felt or straw. The hat and scarf duo. not a new note, becomes new when the scarf is part. of the hat. "Probably the most interesting news that comes to us, at the be- ginning of a season, is that which deals with color combination and contrast. New shades replace the old, and a frock is dated by its particular hue as of a certain sea- son, or year. But the use of un- usual colors in combination imme- diately attracts our attention, for it frequently happens that such. a combining makes it possible for us to wear a shade hitherto shunned. Beginning with white, we follow through the various shades of this so-called color, by way of the beiges, grays, tans and the lke to brown, red, green, blue and black. It is considered smart to ally a strong color with a neutral, or, perhaps, three neutrals, as gray, white and black, always effective and arresting, 'Brown and gray in combination are different, tan and green are not as usual as many combinations, and. beige, brown, eggshell 'and chartreuse were re- cently sponsored, This color, chartreuse, is lovely with black, and a smart black crepe costume used it for a vestee arrangement on the jackeét blouse. Blue or mauve with eggshell will be seen, and there are clever uses of two shades of lavender and gray in flat crepe frocks. Tweeds make much of the new colors, in contrast to the rather drab tones of this fapric in days past. Yellow with black and blue with gray--re- strained pastels, are smart. Fabric. combinations intrigue. Linen and -cotton with silk, and rayon weaves with everything.. The tiny wraps that are much featured for evening wear permit one's im- agination to run riot, and a frock of plain chiffon may have a little jacket in printed chiffon, or it may have a little' cape of taffeta or moire. A mauve frock would have a coat of mauve and yellow and black, or a cape of a deeper shade of the same colot range. 3 The New Hosiery E have a new color, and, as (©: happens, a new neutral, which is always acceptable, The sun-tan vogue is responsi= ble for this color, that:takes its name from the vogue, and is noted in daytime and evening stockings, both. Gray is, probably, thé only color with which, it is net good, although many dislike 'it for eve- ning wear, preferring a more subtle hue that will harmonize and blend, rather than contrast with the frock. Again we see the black stocking, which is, however, so sheer that it gives the effect of 'a dark gray,: and many find that gunmetal serves, their purpose better. In any event, it must be sheer. Net stockings are striving for recognition and meeting with somé success, forthe sheer net hose is a better value than chiffon, wearing better. Clocks are offered, again, and one of the newest novelties is a clock that spirals. It may be of interest that shops, concentrating on the idea of har- monious accessories, are offering suggestions in all of the smaller details for types, as the blonde, the bruneette and so forth. And an- other idea is to foster the wearing of one shade all through the day and evening--making the differ- ence apparent in weight--a service weight for morning wear, a sheerer | weave for afternoon, and an ex- tremely sheer chiffon for evening. The very smartest of the new ' coats, offered for spring and summer, are black... They are; trimming them, when they are for- mal, with black Galyak fur, ermine or beige, and there are scarf collar or collarless models, many of them unlined.