Evening star., 1939-11-15


all ages aren't taking to them.
When you go into the local shops,
all that the stylists can talk about
are dinner clothes, and one look
at them gives you the reason why.
Young Girls Choose
"Covered-Up" Type.
In poking around, we first went
to the Junior shops in some of the
stores. Girls of debutante age, more
than any others, have definite ideas
on what they will and will not wear
and just try to persuade them
otherwise! Except for very, very
formal occasions, they're choosing
high-necked, long sleeved dinner
gowns, often of jersey, and the
"slinkier" the better. Not that these
clothes are inappropriate. but they're
reserving the full skirted nets and
chiffons with sequin covered bodices
for those times when they want to
look their demurest and most ro-
mantle. For instance, current rave
in one shop is an adaptation of
Schiaparelli's dinner suit with pastel
wool jacket and crepe dress. The
jacket may be blue wool, with Upper
closing and passementerie galore,
while the skirt is a pale pink crepe.
Many of the young girls are choos-
ing black, such as the wide skirted
MORE dress with long sleeved black
velvet bodice and low, square neck
line. These dresses are just suit
able enough to be "ingenue-ish"
and yet covered-up sufficiently to be
sophisticated. Crepes, velvets and
rayon taffetas are the favorites,
while the nets and chiffons, gen.
orally with covered shoulders, are
selected for strictly "white-tie"
Having found out that the young
girls favor built-up dresses, prefer
ably without jackets, We wandered
into the departments which cater to
their very youthful mothers and
aunts. Here we found the trend to-
ward jackets very strong. The
matron likes dresses that have jack
cts suitable for dinner wear which
may be removed to convert them
into formal gowns. Black is the
favorite, but it is done with what
one store terms glitter" That shop
shows black dinner gowns with jet
trimming in the form of little jack
cts made entirely of black sequins.
Tiny velvet or sequin jackets are
sold separately, too. However, in
spite of the perennial favorite black,
colors are being selected by many
mature women. They like the vint-
age shades and blues and there has
been a great call for red. Crepes,
velvets and satins are the favorites,
with a great fall in the popularity
of lace.
One store here features a gray net
skirt and short gray rayon faille
jacket, which is just the type of
thing young matrons are selecting.
Older Woman Clings
To Lace Dresses.
AS we wandered on into the de-
partments which cater to older
matrons, however, We found that
lace is still tops" Black, white,
vintage shades and blue are the
favorites with the larger and older
woman, who also likes jacket dresses
which are not too formal. Trim
ming, which is so important in all
evening clothes this year, is also
found in these clothes. Crepe
dresses have brilliant metallic trim
ming or rhinestones on the sleeves
and at the waistline of these slen-
derizing gowns cut on straight
lines. Lace and velvet are the pop
ular fabrics here, with some satins
and crepes being sold.
Generally, however. no matter
what your age you will want at
least one dress which is covered up.
1t may be in almost any fabric or
color, with or without a jacket, but
unless you're going to the most
ultra formal affair you'll be happier
and far more fashionable in a dress
that is not cut from here to there.
Watch the use of trimming in the
form of sequins, embroidery or jew
eled applications on both gowns and
wraps, and just remember that you
can't sparkle too much in this sea-
son of elegance.