WOMEN'S WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 224, 20 September 1924, Page 22

WOMEN'S WORLD.

WORDS OF WISDOM.

(By ROSALINE RIGDEN.) CLOTHES AND TEE MAN. Being fired with an earnest desire to assist those members of her own sex who have not the time to think of and discuss the burning questions of the day, the writer was overwhelmed by the sudden realisation of the ingenious economy of New Zealand women in the matter of clothes. Of course, we all know that from the time Eve first made herself a garment, the material for which she did not buy at a bargain sale, Adam and all his descendants have raised protesting hands and voices in horror at our extravagance, and have vowed that we will ruin them. But this only serves to show that they have not considered the matter from a fair and reasonable standpoint. I suppose it is because the question affects man in his most vulnerable spot, the pocket. Of course, we have no evidence that Eve supplied the first man's first garment with a pocket, and that oversight on her paTt may account for the blindness of man in this direction. Of the extravagance or the economy of women of other countries this writer knows little, and that little only from hearsay; but of all that concerns" the women of New Zealand either in dress, manners, or morals, or any other ability or disability, she knows both from observation and experience all there is to be known. She states, therefore, without reservation or equivocation, that the women of New Zealand are extremely and ingeniously economical in the matter of dress. We hear, from time to time, of wealthy English or American women who spend fabulous sums upon dress,

CLOTHES AND TEE MAN. Being fired with an earnest desire to assist those members of her own ccx who have not the time to think of and discuss the burning questions of the day, the writer was overwhelmed by the sudden realisation of the ingenious economy of New Zealand women in the matter of clothes. Of course, we all know that from the time Eve first made herself a garment, the material for which she did not buy at a bargain sale, Adam and all his descendants have raised protesting hands and voices in horror at our extravagance, and have vowed that we will ruin them. But this only serves to show that they have not considered the matter from a fair and reasonable standpoint. I suppose it is because the question affects man in his most vulnerable spot, the pocket. Of course, ■we have no evidence that Eve supplied the first man's first garment with a pocket, and that oversight on her paTt may account for the blindness of man in this direction. Of the extravagance or the economy of women of other countries this writer knows little, and that little only from hearsay; but of all that concerns'* the women of New Zealand either in dress, manners, or morals, or any other ability or disability, she knows both from observation and experience all there is to be known. She states, therefore, without reservation or equivocation, that the women of New Zealand are extremely and ingeniously economical in the matter of dress. We hear, from time to time, of wealthy English or American women who spend fabulous sums upon dress,

but these scarcely concern us. To begin with, they are either titled women with a large rent roll, or popular actresses, or multi-millionairesses, -who are so bored with their own company, that it is only by the expenditure of extravagant sums upon their own personal adornment that they can be, for a short •pace, interested in anything at all. For this they are to be pitied. Then again, it must be remembered that some women can draw attention to themselves only by flamboyant and bizarre clothing. They have no personality or appearance, no charm of style, conversation or figure, and thus they are forced to attire themselves in a startling manner, for, if they did not, they would go unnoticed all their days. This, when we are sitting in judgment upon them, is a point to be remembered. But here, in New Zealand, this sort of thing is seldom seen; our women have no need to dress ostentatiously. So long as they are tastefully clad, they can hold their own, and here we arrive at the question of their, ingenious economy. A large percentage of the women of New Zealand make their own clothes, that is, they buy the material and a paper pattern, and cut, fit and etitch their garments themselves, thus effecting a saving of pounds annually. There are few dressmakers who charge less than two or three guineas for making a dress; and the New Zealand woman argues thus: "I have a certain •mount to spend upon dress; if I have them made out I can have only six dresses a year, but if I make them myself I can have eighteen." So she sets to work and does it. Economy is often carried still farther, for there is euch a thing as re-making clothes. Fashions sometimes change with disconcerting -rapidity. We have probably received news in the papers from the arbiters of fashion in London, Paris and >ew York that this season skirts are tobe long, dresses untrimmed, and fitting tight to the figure; snaky sort of •toMEee, you know, like vampires wear on the screen. Well, we have made our •lressee according to directions in a snaky style... But before we have worn them long enough to become used to them, the cry goes forth that now made with a tunic or a cape of and colour, and .WUare short and full. What do we cW* 1° Ugh OUr '"drobe, and ctarta ulselect ™* darted. Here.we find. frocks ..velvet or .atin. evening ctoSf

These we take down from the hanger, carefully unpick them, cat tunics or capes from them, and apply one to our frock that needs a tunic or a cape to be fashionable. That is how we keep in fashion at little expense. Now let us regard the New Zealand male from a clothes' standpoint. His outfit may consist of several suits: swallow-tail evening dress, dinner suit, and several others. Now I have nothing to say against our New Zealand men. As a rule, they are manly, energetic, and interesting; but in the matter of dress they, in common with men all over the world, are extravagant. In this way: when a man finds that he needs another suit, he goes to his tailor, is shewn some coatings and pantings, chooses a material that seems to enhance his beauty, and agrees to have a suit made of it, the cost being from ten to twelve guineas. He is measured, and arranges a date to hare a fit. I am now speaking in tailor's, not in doctor's terms. The suit is sent home and he -wears it. So far that seems all right. But, may I be permitted to suggest that, had he bought the material and made the suit himself, he could have had it at β-third the cost. It is more in sorrow than in anger that I point this out. Where do we ever find, even in the lowest walks of life, a man even thinking of making his own clothes? A most remarkable thing, they think of everything else but that, and on six suits they could effect a saving sufficient to pay a deposit on a home. No wonder that we women have to live in rented houses when bur men carry on in this grossly extravagant manner: Now 1 come to think of it, I have never even seen a paper pattern on sale for a man's suit! Have any of my readers? But it is certain that now the suggestion is made the men of New Zealand will welcome it, and get busy; for in all movements of progress and economy New Zealand leads the way.

With the saving of money thus effected, people in really ordinary circumstances could very soon possess a little home and a motor car. Suppose a man who made his own suits found that the sleeves of one were shabby, he could easily replace them with sleeves from soother, and the life of the first suit would consequently he doubled, not redoubled; you need an exceptionally strong hand for that. If men made their own suits there would also he more scope for their artistic fancies, and a man would not have to be, as it were, under the thumb of his tailor. If he fancied a grey suit with relieving touches of black—for these black touches .are really very 'smart—he couid have it. He would not he compelled to ask his tailor's permission. Think of the beauty, the unique charm of a pearl grey suit, with the lapels, the buttons, the top of the pockets, and the trouser hems, of black! There are many other artistic combinations which will immediately occur to the man of original taste. And the writer here states that she takes no credit to herself for extraordinary intelligence in the making of this suggestion that men should make their own clothes. The idea was conceived by womanly intuition, nothing higher than that. As man possesses only intelligence, he cannot be expected to experience the brilliant brain waves which occasionally, through intuition, occur to the feminine mind. And this is one of them, which is given to man freely, and with the best intentions. When it first struck mc, I mentioned it to Tod, and he, for once, was stricken speechless at the brilliant originality of the idea. But I am always very tactful with Tod. That is how I manage him so well; we are regarded as the happiest couple yet married. So I gave him ample time to think it over. Then I said: "Tod, when are you gqing to make your spring suit?" He replied: "Md you ever hear of those ladies who in a railway station waiting : room were expecting a great notability to arrive? Being bored to sobs with the long wait, a few in one corner decided to have a competition in making ugly faces. A judge was appointed, and the fun began. After some fearsome contortions, they straightened out their features once more, and said to the judge: "Now, who -won?" He pointed to one lady and •aid: "This is the winner; she beat you aU easily.". "Oh,i said the.lady, designated, "tat i -naa playing!" ■