Fashion Hints for Islands Women

By Therese

CLOTHES for festive hours have all the poetry of motion. Floating, flying, rippling softly floorwards in drapes and cascades, there is beauty in every line.

Gracious and lovely, with a dignity all its own is the white satin evening gown endowed with all the charm of the golden age of Greece. Moulded with slim per fection, its graceful draperies fall softly to the floor, whispering glamorously of beauty concealed, yet subtly revealed.

A cape of fuchsia tulle over a gown of misty blue reaches ecstatic heights by the addition of a dusty pink flower tucked lovingly in its low decolletage. As a direct contrast to the billowing taffetas and floating tulles, the alluring mermaid gown of satin with trailing masses of tiny flowers from one shoulder to its hemline, moulds the figure to perfection.

Glamour and sophistication is in a long sleeved evening gown of lame, rich and supple, which swathes the body with in tricate folds and lends superb dignity to the fortunate wearer.

A black taffeta spotted with red, adds a halter collar to its draped bodice. Slim fitting, its skirt is knotted to fulness at

the back, billowing out to a mere sugges tion of a train.

All the glorious colours of the old masters, make a gay pageant of glory for gala occasions—enchanting blues, brilliant scarlets, and imperial purples.

In these magnificent colours velvet, rich and lovely, lends itself regally to the beautiful draperies, in which past and present are blended with superb artistry.

The soft sculptured folds of the Sari gown are exquisitely expressed in satin, which so admirably replaces velvet for tropical wear. The Sari may spring from the waist, fall softly to the hem of the skirt, or drape itself over the head with all the glamour of the East.

A frock of georgette, its shoulder draped with a scarf that is a clever con tinuation of a belt, ripples with the cas cade draperies of the skirt to the floor.

A lilac chiffon, with deeply draped arm holes and soft bodice caught with a lovely old amethyst brooch, has a jewelled belt and simple flowing skirt that expresses joyously, the beauty and charm of the ingenue. An evening coat of amethyst taffeta with wide sleeves trimmed with frayed ruching is a romantic accompani ment.

Old-fashioned jewellery and a neat flower in the hair gives a quaint air of demure Victorianism to the picture frock.

Utterly simple and infinitely useful are the casual clothes that form the basis of the discriminating woman’s wardrobe.

Accessories lift them to dizzy heights and offer so many variations that one frock becomes many in the twinkling of an eye.

An appealing little frock for festive afternoons is of floral crepe-de-chene, with softly guaged frill at the high neck line. The guaging is repeated in the full elbow-length sleeves. For formal after noon wear there is the gown with the soutache trimmed, elbow length raglan sleeve, its bodice tying with a cord at the neck line in contrasting colour, and its skirt softly gored.

A useful adjunct to the wardrobe is, the one-piece dress and jacket which has the appearance of a three-piece suit, because of its contrasting top. Much scope for colour contrasts is offered for the in genious-minded in this delightful idea.

Quaker collars on simple two-piece jacket suits with short full skirts have frog fastenings on the jackets to strike a military note, even in spectator sports clothes. Odd jackets figured for plain frocks and vice versa, are used for even ing wear as well as day time. Buttoned high to the neck, open to the waist, fitting or swagger, they are delightful.

The blouse and skirt idea is gaining in popularity. Many blouses, sober and frivolous, go with one well-cut skirt —-an excellent and economical fashion which extends to evening clothes, too.

Three peaks caught in whirls of rouleau trim the square neck of a frock, the bodice of which is fastened down the back with large buttons. Rouleau whirls trim the sash which tops a slim-fitting slightly flared skirt, A simple afternoon gown has a soft jabot caught at one shoulder and slipped through one of the very new raffia rope buckles at the V-neckline. Its sleeves are raglan set and two kick pleats make a bold bid for freedom of movement in the skirt.

Evening shoes copy the beautiful models from Spain, Italy, and Vienna.

For day wear there is the übiquitous court, the T-bar sandal, the Oxford, the flat-heeled brogue sport shoe, the square or round-toed shoe, made in suede or pin-grained leather, the sandal with slightly more toe than of yore, but almost heel-less and so on ad infinitum.

Gloves were never more beautiful. Soft gloves of kid and silk are worn for formal occasions and heavier hand-sewn gloves of washing leathers with tailored clothes.

Fashion dictates they must be either very short or very long and ruffled down the arm with a nonchalant air, the length depending entirely on the length of one’s dress sleeves.

Diversity is the keynote of the new millinery modes, and since winter is abroad many chapeaux come in military array to mark time with this note in day clothes. The horse-guards, the forage and the drummer-boy caps are all poached on to suit woman’s fickle whim. Then there are peasant caps, hats with square fronts like visors, and the plain, larger brimmed hats for the more practical minded. Whatever their style, however, they demand the perfect coiffure. For evening the locks may be caught in a jewelled Juliet cap, or bound With ribbon which ends on the top of the head with jaunty bow, or perches a little cluster of flowers flippantly over the brow.

Belts, fastening and trimmings are alive with interest. Belts come in gold and silver kid, bejewelled and plain, lame, metals, patents, plaited, and twisted rope dyed as one’s fancy decrees, coloured glass rings and a thousand and one other things all equally attractive.

Lightning fasteners oust buttons from their assured position, with laces follow ing closely behind in the race for recog nition. Frogs of brilliant braid make ideal fastenings.

Scarves and sashes gay the dullest toilette for both day and evening wear.

Bags are in skin, leather, wood, and fabric for day wear, while they are em broidered, feathered, brocaded, or jewelled for evening wear.