WOMEN'S WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 246, 17 October 1925, Page 26

WOMEN'S WORLD.

LONDON AS A FASHION CENTRE.

ENGLISH FASHIONS IN ENGLISH CLOTHS. The founding of the British model house in London will see the first real organised attempt on the part of England to assume the role of fashion dictator for woman's wear independent ot any other fashion house now in existence either at Home or on the Continent. It is well over a hundred years since she adopted a similar role ot leadership towards men's modes and styles, and the whole world is prepared to accept her discriminating judgment in that direction. On the other hand. up to the present time England has possessed no fashion house for women, and little or no encouragement to establish one, consequently, the English woman has been forced to depend directly or indirectly on foreign designs, and compelled either to adapt herself to foreign creations, or get some intelligent English dressmaker to anglicise them for her. For some reason or other the beauty of the English women, at once the spontaneous delight of every foreigner, and the inspiration of the poet Laureate, has failed to charm our dressmakers to independent sartorial enthusiasm. They have never founded a school of dress in which to extol her own "unaided" beauty, or woven colours or embroideries to offset her radiant complexion. This, perhaps, was all very well thirty years ago, but with postwar woman it is a different matter. Her personality is too strong to be

thus submerged, and she must be individually catered for. It is perhaps not generally realised by the public as a whole to what an insidious extent foreign fashions have permeated our British stores, wholesale houses and court dressmaking establishments throughout the whole of the United Kingdom. Rightly or wrongly, this bane has not been exposed to the British public, though in defence of the wholesaler and retailer I must state that this foreign importation ha 3 often been a policy forced upon them in spite of their better judgment. The cause does not concern us here, but the effect most emphatically does, as it has sponsored the belief that the English standard of merit was such that it could not be counted upon or even considered able at any time whatsoever to produce fashionable silks, cloths or materials for designing purposes. So persistently has this statement been reiterated, that English people were driven to believe the case was such in reality, until a fitting opportunity arose for personal penetration into the many mills where these commodities were manufactured, when it quickly became obvious what fabulous nonsense was being perpetrated. Another illuminating piece of intelligence such a visit divulged was that this discouragement dealt out to Bradford by her own people had forced her to sell her own goods to Britain through foreign markets!

Such injustice inspired but one solution: A British model house must be established in London where only British materials sliould be used to interpret British fashion. The task is immense, but with the co-operation of the British public, whose patriotic enthusiasm England has every right to •expect, and whose enthusiastic support. rf^iT 4 Wit \ tne «ventive aid of the cloth, silk, button and embroidery STe nU^ tUrerS ° £ Great Britain to help, the movers are confident of success

C J° irrsunsS: & j£* «r soap over the affected p_rft- llt " e sun and pour over it water __^ f " - he * little thin starch WetttnJ"^ 8 scorched spot with the water ajd L_£_? Sn 8 or^r^oL w L remo - the^ fabric. m the most de *cate

TIPS FROM A WAITRESS.

HOW TO BEHAVE IN RESTAURANTS. (By ALICE CARE TIBBFTS.) Don't, on entering a tea-room, take any of the vacant tables you can see; go right to the other end and choose a •■reserved." with tilted chairs. Reverse the chairs and sit down. This will bring the waitress to you ho; foot, am! will also give you an excellent opportunity to comment upon her impudence when she requests your patronage of another table. Don't, although you may Tool very hungry and have a lot to spend, give ail your order at once- Let her get well down th* room, and then call her back and explain that although you said "tea" you really meant "coffee." and that when you ordered a plate of cakes you meant only those filled with cream. Such trifles creat a pleasant atmosphere, and give the waitress needful exercise-

Don't dream of looking at the specified price of things marked on the menu: argue with the girl when she gives you your ticket. It solicits attention from the manager, and shows the girl that if she is a fool you are not.

Do, if you have time, carefully scrutinise the menu for anything that can possibly be given a French pronunciation ; it impresses your neighbours, and shows the waitress up when she brings you an ordinary omelette.

Do, whilst waiting to be served, put all your belongings on to the table. The waitress loves standing with a loaded tray—especially during "rush hours."

Do, when seeing spotless napery, give the children tea in a saucer, also a spoon, that they may play nicely while you discuss your domestic derangement with your best friend- The mess won't matter—you can cover much of it with the plates, etc., until you go. After tha well, the waitress is proverbially careleas; she will merely be blamed for upsetting the teapot.

Do, if only as an outward and visible sign that you cannot be idle, fiddle about with the table accessories, especially the cruet; then, when the top comes off and the whole contents of the pepper pot •become immersed in the gravy, you can protest indignantly to the manager and get a second serve or your money back.

Don't forget, before leaving, to confiscate all the loose paper doyleys "to take home to the children." They love them. so, the darlings! And, after all, you've paid for them, haven't you?