Last Season's Frock.

How about that smooth woollen frock in your wardrobe? It was smart last winter, but this year, though the cut is right and the length is right it doesn't feel right. In fact, it bores you to put it on. Now is the time for the expenditure of a shilling or two and a little ingenuity. We will focus attention on the neckline. Perhaps the frock has a turn-down collar; a triangular scarf, or piece of patterned silk, may be arranged with one point at mid-front and the ends tying under the collar at the back. Or a wide, double bow in smart taffeta may tuck under the collar at the front and lend just that air of newness which you require. An “afternoon” finish is given by the addition of a deep “bib” in silk or satin, softly draped, and clipped to give the square effect at the neckline.

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Probably last year's “best” evening frock is not trained and consequently seems rather useless to you. But alter it slightly, and you will dance gaily in it. Add a short cape of rucked tulle in a pastel shade, to tone or contrast, and you will be charming. The covered shoulder-line may be attained by attaching bands or ruckings of material at the arm-hole edge of the shoulder, and continuing in a straight line about a foot down the front and back of the corsage.

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Long, trailing ends are a feature of the evening mode. They may be scarf ends, sash ends, or merely attached at the neck-line and floating decoratively but uselessly. Bear this fact in mind when refurbishing. By the way, some evening materials dye beautifully. A dyeing day and new accessories work wonders for clever young things with many engagements, some dress sense and little money.

Artificial flowers, big and beautiful, are blooming this winter. I first fell in love with white camellias on black velvet. One or more petalled beauties on the corsage or accenting the back decolletage are definitely smart.

If your wardrobe is graced by a black velvet, give it a present this winter. For formal dinner or bridge, kimono sleeves of gold lamé will add a fashionable gleam. Or, for the young thing, nothing could be more lovely than a deep silver collar with wide double revers. The deep collar is a quaint and very smart touch on one or two of the newest gowns. A well-cut black velvet may form the foundation for one of the new evening blouses in metallic fabrics which the fashion-books have spoken of for some time, but which have just recently appeared in our shops. And so smart they are, too.

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Evening shoes are in court or sandal styles. Many are dyed to match frocks. Silver kid is attractive and has the advantage of doing double, treble or quadruple duty according to the number of your frocks.

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Evening bags are in pouch or pochette shapes. Many in pastel shades are cleverly beaded. Diamante clips accent black bags. Most have handles for slipping over the arm, a very sensible idea for evening entertainments.

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Long evening gloves may be had in pastel tints as well as in the range of shades from white to coffee colour.

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The new evening slips are important, especially for the lady in lace. She will probably choose a sheath slip in satin beauté to wear under the gown which cascades so softly from slender shoulders to the back fullness of a short train.