Evening star., 1934-04-29
Sleek Silhouette Offered by Knitted Fashions
BY BARBARA BELL.

SWING along campus walks OF
L loll in deck chairs on ocean
liners are part Of that vast
army which sponsors new and stim.
ulating Spring fashion, the knitted
costume.
Every woman's first choice for any
thing sporting, knitted fashions come
under the heading of "indispensables"
in the smart Spring and Summer
wardrobe. This is partly because Of
their adaptability to any occasion, and
partly because, in addition to the
vogue for hand-knit wear, such inter-
esting innovations have been intro
duced in the machine-made product
that good knits are now within the
reach of every budget.
The fact that they emerge from suit
cases and trunks without wrinkle
places them high on the list Of popu-
lar week end, cruise and motoring
clothes. Ranging from the regulation
sweaters, worn with tweeds, to the
laciest Of 5 o'clock frocks, they are all
things to all women. At one moment
they create an air Of rugged inde-
pendence; in the next they look
charmingly feminine and fragile.
Their sickness of silhouette is in per-
feet accord with fashion and fatters
the average figure. Universally ac-
cepted, they are destined to become as
classic as the Spring tailormade,
smart season after season, despite the
whims and vagaries of style.
Simplicity is the keynote of the
Springs knit offerings. One, two and
three piece styles are all important.
The one-piece dress is invariably
straight-line, with tubular skirt and
detail interest at shoulders or neck
line Capes are a new note, as are
openwork yoke treatments, scarf ef-
fects, sailor collars and sleeves which
push up above the elbow. Two-piece
types are exceedingly popular, the
skirt usually simple and Of heavier
knit than the blouse, to prevent its
losing its shape. Occasionally skirts
are bordered and, in dressier versions,
adopt godets. Blouses range from
strictly tailored shirtwaist styles Of the
same knit to lacy, openwork patterns
with ruf1y collars or rippling jabots.
Three-piece suits favor every variety
of Jacket, from the brief bolero to nm
ger-tip styles. sometimes belted, some
times straight loose or swagger.
A welcome attraction is the separate
knitted coat, perfect in weight for
Spring and Summer wear, inexpensive,
and much less subject to wrinkles
than its fabric companions. These are
featured in all lengths, from Molly
neux's Japanese coolie coat, which
reaches below the fingertips, to. three
quarters or even dress length. The
majority feature loose lines, smooth
raglan shoulders, plain wide sleeves
and interesting yoke and scarf treat
inents. These are a boon to the won-
an who spends much time in car, to
the commuter, the traveller, or the
country vacationist, for they are prac-
tically imperishable. Moreover, they
. are available in every important color.
from white through the dusty pastel
range to the clear. bright shades
Summer frockS
Yarns and knit patterns show as
tonishing diversity. The bouclets, or
looped yarns, are supplemented by
zephyr knits, chenilles and soft an
goras in very light weight. There are
pure silks, acetates and combinations
OF both with WOOL Cotton chenille in
knitted lace patterns is frequently fea-
tured. One sees much Of tobacco
twine, regulation string and colored
yarns. Stripes, diagonals, criss-cross,
checkerboard, tweed effects, block de-
signs and herringbone weaves have
tested the ingenuity of knit-fabric de-
Signers. often combinations Of pat
terms are found in one outfit, as, for
example, a corded weave skirt, an
openwork blouse and herringbone
jacket.
When is knit not knit? Some
times 1t takes a microscopic eye to
tell, for the new weaves are not above
deception. Heather mixture yarns fire.
quently create tweed effects that look
amazingly like the genuine article, and
feel like it, too. The weave is tweed,
the colors are real tweed colors-but
the fabric is knitted one.
Similarly there are prints" in the
market that every casual observer will
mistake for real ones. These subscribe
to tiny geometric patterns In dark or
bright colors and form an important
part of the seasons knit offerings.
Paisley designs are also simulated so
perfectly that the illusion is complete,
even at close range. Others look like
corduroy, and still others like linens,
the latter usually inspired by linen
and cotton chenilleS.
Showerproof bouclets are q recent
contribution which will appeal to the
woman who spends most of her wax
ing hours in knits. Rain will not
dampen their ardor, or put per-
manent sag in the skirt. These are
recommended for any climate Of sud-
den showers, as it eliminates the ex-
pense Of having the garment reshaped.
Knits take to naturals, this season.
This means the range Of non-colorS
from grocery store string. through
natural linen crash to grege and
beige. These require touch Of bright
color, and they find it in red clay,
sunny yellows, pale, dull rose, Tuscan
blue or bright coral. Smarter still are
the darker shades, particularly brown,
with these neutral tones. One i'm
portant French designer of knit wear,
in a recent fashion showing, had a
preponderance of bisque with brown
which was exceptionally effective.
Black, navy, rust or wine are also used
in this manner.
Pastels in lacy knits are recon-
mended as the thermometer rises.
Here, the choice lies among the yel-
lowy pinks, the real blond pinks, water
shades of blue and green, yellows from
a pale lemon cast to bright Oriental
shade, ashes Of roses and chartreuse.
Wine and clay offer striking combina-
tions with pastels. Wine with tyr
quoise is a very new merger.
There's no doubt Of the increasing
vogue of white, which has now ex-
tended to the knitted field. White
with French lilac, white with green,
white with navy, and. of course, white
with every shade of blue are being
promoted widely. One attractive, but
inexpensive model, seen lately. used
creamy white chenille knit in block
design, with touch Of dragon green
A.. 81,