Damsels Defy Dior, Distend Dresses For Dates

Dior and the new short look were damned by the ladies this fall, as the clothes-conscious 'Cliffite decided under pressure that she really did look better with her skirts beneath her-knee. For very formal dates, she even moved them down an inch. Said one out-of-town authority, "They want their dates to be conservative every way but morally."

The girls discovered that men honestly detcsted the Radcliffe white shirt and dirty sneakers attire, and continued to wear them to classes in quiet contempt. For weekend wear, however, they conformed to the dictates of Male and Fashion, for fortunately neither had changed much.

The classic suit is back as an indispensable part of the college wardrobe. It looks as it has for years--straight skirt, sometimes slit, fitted jacket. Tweeds, small checks and dark colors are still prominent. For the game, for church or Sunday afternoon walks in the country, it takes wear and tear and still does not reveal whether or not the wearer has spent the afternoon wrestling at Dunster.

Sweaters appear with every outfit this fall. At opposite poles in fashion are the bulky sweater and the baby sweater. the first recalls the never-missed "sloppy jo" of 1946; the baby sweater resembles swaddling clothes and is often trimmed with a halo of angora or a collar of flowered ribbon. Many are made with low-rounded necks. Especially popular is the scoop neck with the bite-size scallop.

"Perhaps the most popular item in the 'Cliffe wardrobe is the wool dress. While Vassar and Wellesley appear in black satin and taffeta, the Radcliffe girl generally finds that she spends a more comfortable day in a dressy wool. This also enables her to spend it without girdle. Wools are softly flared, with long, batwing, or pushable sleeves.

Fur for trim garnishes wool or its jersey substitute. Used for cuffs, collars or buttons, camel color with mink trim leads the field, with rabbit hair, angora and black fox following. Most of these are detachable and can be switched from outfit to outfit. Such an outfit is considered just as chic as a favorite black taffeta or velvet.

Fur coats have never been a social necessity in Cambridge; rather the girls have taken to chinchilla, cashmere and the omni-present camel's hair polo coat. The belted model has been replaced by the classic flare, and no one can tell anymore how much the wearer weighs.

Men this year are shorter, so shoes are lower. The very high heel is frequently replaced by the capezio-type heel, about an inch shorter in height but just as narrow. Kid with a French accent as well as black suede are dressiest. Toes are semi-pointed to make large feet look smaller.

Radcliffe's rejection of the Dior lift has put the fashion-conscious young lady on a par with college women in the east. Her insistence on comfort over submission has also won her the hearts of eastern college males. When weekends are cold, every stout-hearted man would like to have his date sensibly rather than sexily dressed. That way they both have no worries.