WOMAN’S WORLD IN LONDON

Evening Star, Issue 19559, 18 May 1927, Page 12

WOMAN’S WORLD IN LONDON

A DRAWING ROOAI AT HOLYROOD [Written by Cynthia, for the ‘ Evening Star.’] Scottish people are delighted that the Queen has definitely fixed to hold a drawing room ranking with tho importance of a Court at Buckingham Palace at beautiful, historic Holyrood Palace this summer Both the King and Queen intended to go .into residence there last year, but the coal and general strike altogether prevented a visit. The Queen has been tq Holyrood several times when in Scotland, and has made great improvements in the interior, and personally seen to it that tho magnificent old furniture is arranged specially to suit the wonderful sotting to bo obtained there. Scottish families are making the greatest preparations for the event, and many are purposely altering their presentations from London to Edinburgh. It will’not be a night Court, but an afternoon one, and garden party dress will be worn. Ascot attire will bo cle rigeur, and for this, no doubt, many will bo thankful. Afternoon dress of this sort can be so fascinating, and also it will be looked upon as far more suitable ; for if there are any mothers or relatives remembering those terribly trying and uncomfortable days of Queen Victoria, who insisted that her ladies, debutantes and others, should wear full evening dress in the afternoon, they will agree that even a goddess couldn’t look nice under such circumstances. 1 am always sorry for the peeresses who attend the opening of Parliament, but one must not forget that the chamber is a blaze of artificial light during the time tho King and Queen are there, so it is not ouite so bad The trying time for complexions is going and coming. With regard to the Holvrood Court, everything in connection with it has given unbounded satisfaction to tin dwellers in thh “ Bonnie Land o’ Cakes.” LAZY MUSIC LOVERS. I have just been to the last of the symphony concerts at the famous Queen’s Hall, where Sir Henry Wood’s orchestra has been listened to with the utmost delight for years. Yet, despite this, the concerts do not pay. However. even if it is true what Sir Henry Wood says, that “ musical people in London are too lazy to go out, and want music to bo brought to their armchairs,” there was a wonderful ovation when tho last note had been played. Every man and woman in the audience rose and cheered Sir Henry to tho echo. This enthusiasm lasted ten minutes, and the groat conductor had to return six or seven times to bow his acknowledgments. There is, however, no programme for tho future of the magnificent Queen’s Hall Oniostra, the most celebrated in London, and it is expected it will have to be disbanded. It is, I know, quite true that anywhere else such a thing would bo unheard of, but how can the British public possibly go on supporting such luxuries as a beauti-fully-equipped orchestra, with all the industrial troubles and losses of the past year? We are still crippled by the war, with fifty millions going yearly to America. What can a nation do when everything is being done to ruin it? Money is not got out of a post, and with thousands it comes to necessaries first, and after that there’s very little left for luxuries We should be more selfish _ over these islands, and prevent the align from coming and taking from us what should be m tho pockets of Englishmen and women. Until wo realise England for the English or Britain for the British, so long shall we find ourselves hard up for a great deal we should love fq" have. DRESS AT THE COURTS. Already dress for the Buckingham Palace Courts is beginning to be a serious question. Every intending guest receives a printed leaflet stating what must be worn at these State functions. I was shown one yesterday, and I noticed there is no reference this year to short skirts, or sleeveless, backless gowns. The Queen’s taste is, however, very widely known, and unless it be by Americans, who do not care to study Court regulations (being Republicans) great care is taken to have skirts below tho knees, and some semblance of a sleeve, with no extravagantly low-cut bodices. There is, of course, a great change in regulation Court dress. At one time it was imperative to wear white silk stockings and white satin shoes; now it is immaterial. Also the four-yard train is a thing of the past, and only 18in must trail beyond tho heel. I suppose there was a regal sort of dignity about the old Court dress and train, but the latter was a desperate thing for young girls to manage. To-day things ore more sensible and accommodating, but in the past, comfort or making things easy, was the last thing thought of, and if you wanted to attend an official function it was simply a nightmare before the event, and grace and deportment had to be literally perfect, and practised under professors till you passed an examination. Long sheets were attached to the shoulders of every debutante, and she had to learn how to back out from the Presence, bowing the whole time, after her presentation, and managing voluminous train at the same time. That is all done away with by the considerate arrangements made by King George and Queen Mary. After the presentation and curtsey the ladies pass on, and walk straight out to make way for others following on. There are so many more presentations to-day that there would never be time if each debutante had to take some minutes in making her exit, together with tho lady who presented her. COURT BALLS.

As the season returns each spring, the burning question arises as to whether modern dancing will be permitted at the State balls or not? We are being asked, “ Will the Charleston be allowed?” Knowing the Prince of Wales finds it almost impossible to dance an evening through, without breaking off into the flat Charleston, we wonder what will be the decision of the King and Queen. So far the fox trot and waltz only figure on the programmes. Queen Mary never took to the former, yet occasionally dances it, more often than not as a waltz. At one of the State balls there were two tangos last season, I think, but they were not remarkably popular, and most of the guests watched those who danced it.

Tho list of private dances and balls will be enormous this season. Biggei than everl And already the society papers are full of news concerning them. After Easter (hero will bo hall a dozen a night 1 Time was when hostesses worried no end to get an evening, when no other dances were taking place, but now the invitations are out a good month before tho event, and they have to take their chance. Besides, people go on from one to another far more than of yore, and three different dances a night is nothing to attend during a season. This year the more charming and older _ fashion of dances in private houses is being revived and hailed with the greatest pleasure by those invited, for this more intimate form of entertaining is far and away more enjoyable. _ We come hack to the old order of things sooner or laterl Personally I don’t think any sort of entertaining can compare with this, and some of the most famous entertainments London has ever seen have been bold in private houses. No one. for instance, will ever forget the wonderful balls a,t Devonshire House, always attended by King Edward and Queen Alexandra long before they came to tho throne. Tho Duchess of Devonshire gave a Derby night ball just as regularly as the King gave \and sDll gives) a Derby night dinner at Buckingham Palace. I near the uig dinners given lately by King George and Queen Mary have been most enjoyable affairs. (July the other night fifty guests were invited, and the table was a lovely mass of tulips of mixed shading and pencil blossom. With tho gold pale and tender lights, can you imagine anything more beautiful? RED HATS.

If you want to know what is the height of fashion as far as color is concerned it is red. At the Grand Military Steeplechase at Sundown Park red was predominant. Rea'ly you might have thought from the distance all women were wearing uniform, but on closer inspection one saw they were red hats of every shape and kind, and red dresses accompanied them more often than not. Red trimmings or facings can simply do no wrong, so don’t believe if you read in fashion papers, as 1 did, that red is demode; there is no color so fashionable. CHARMING WAISTCOATS. This summer will see the apotheosis of the waistcoat for women. Not only does it accompany almost every tailormade, but it appears in more feminine guise on their frocks and evening dresses. Buttons are of paste, jewels, pJam pearl studs, and, newest_ of all, carved tortoiseshell The fob is little seen in waistcoats this year, but ’ts place is sometimes taken by a touch oi embroidery simulating a seal. The waistcoat for golf, in patchwork leather, is something quite new, and is carried out in a medley of the brightest possible colors. Where the afternoon frock or coat is concerned velvet, brocade, satin, or lame are being pressed into waistcoat service. THE PIRATES OF MAYFAIR. Is there anything we cam aoep nowadays? Nobody wants jewels, lor they are sure to be stolon, and one bos to Keep a good watch on motor cats and money. Well, that has ilways had a chain and padlock, but now the modistes who give dress parades find it not all honey cither, for there are pirates everywhere. At one time it_ was the small dressmaker who filched ideas and nroceeded to make inexpensive imitations of all the prettiest spring models: now it is the amateur dressmaker the dress parades have to fear. So clever have they become that many go oft' straightaway and sketch the dress at homo and copy it. In France it is all very different; the modistes there adopt very stern measures for protecting new ideas, and fashion designers are well looked after, the law making it an offence punishable with tines and imprisonment if a model is directly copied by another dressmaker. They naturally have to bo very sure 'about it, but I read only the other day of a dressmaker who was fined £l4O I for copying the models belonging to another firm. Still, I cannot see that there is any reason why dresses exhibited in shop windows for the public to gaze upon should not be copied if anyone has the talent to do so. I imagine it is the exclusive models shown in private that are guarded so closely. NET/ COCKTAILS. The cocktail habit still persists, and though doctors deplore its injurious effects there are people who cannot sit down to a meal without taking one first of all. Originality is the keynote, but personally I don’t think they are worth wasting one’s time over. 1 was induced to taste a new variety at the Berkeley the other night, and did so not because I like cocktails, but from the point of view of knowledge, as I thought I ought to know what a “ classic ” cocktail tasted like. For the benefit of lovers of this class of refreshment, it was composed of peach brandy, gin, and contreau, with frosted vanilla icing outside I I admit it v as rather wonderful. Another, called “ High Note,” was bright green, but was only composed of creme d© menthe, gin, and vermouth —quite harmless, as they go. INSTEAD OF BRIDESMAIDS I was passing the Oratory on my way, in fact, to a wedding at Holy Trinity, Brompton, which, strangely enough, is next to the great Cathoric church. Outside the latter were four beautifully-dressed heralds,- in silken trunk hose, blazing quartorings on their tunics, and jaunty little Henry VIII. caps and feathers. All were

children, and they were awaiting r bride who had chosen them instead o bridesmaids. They made a striking picture. It is quite tho fashion not for brides to choose something uncoin mon in the way of attendants, and heard of a bride who had six little boy in pink coats and hunting kit to cs fort her at her wedding! CAVIARE LOVERS.

Lenders who are devoted to caviai aro delighted to find that this onci expensive luxury is now much cheaper I never forget the famous novel is Ouicla describing it as “ livers of dis eased geese ” in one of her books. Thi has always put me off it 1 Anyway, people do lovo it, and, ii stead of being a millionaire’s repasi there aro restaurants in London where for a four or fire-shilling dinner the. 1 will include caviare as an alternative hors d’ceuvres. I never remember that even in the palmiest pre-war days. This caviare generally conies from the fresh sturgeon. It is extremely de'icious, but not considered tho finest in Russia. Russians like—or, rather, they used to in Imperial days—tho eggs of the beluga, which aro fairly large and greyish in color. Then there is a Caspian fish which supplies another excellent caviare. It will thus be seen that the newest kinds of this delicacy can ho produced irom fish as well as liver. Tho one-time Russian specialty was very expensive, and made from a carefully-guarded secret, so I am told. Perhaps this was the particular brand referred to by Omdnl THE FENDER TIARA.

Tho Duchess of York has plenty of individuality, and amongst many things she has revived is the “ Fender Tiara.” It gives height to her small stature, and was a great vogue in Victorian days before _ the jewelled bandeau made such a bid for popularity. ' The Duchess’s favorite shape is nearly an all-round tiara, like a crown. It is studded with large stones, and encircles her head. _ Then other revivals are the massive jewelled bracelets our great-grandmothers wore. Lady Louis Monntbatten is responsible for this, but the revival < of beautiful old lace on evening frocks is a fashion set by Her Majesty the Queen. It is extraordinary how fashions catch on, and I was told on the best authority tho other day that Lady Grove, whoso death took place the other day at her beautiful Wiltshire country home, Sedge Hill Manor, was one of the first women in England to adopt tho now-universal fashion of the collarless neck. Women wore, well into the present century, the uncomfortable unhygienic high collars that belong to tho era of' trailing skirts, wasp waists, and other dress monstrosities. In her day she was regarded as one of the most brilliant of controversialists and an ardent advocate of women’s rights. Few women, however, know that they owe their freedom from starched and whaleboned collars partly to her support of tho then daring nocollar regime. BUSY MRS BALDWIN.

Few realise the daily routine of the Prime Minister’s wife and all her duties at No. 10 Downing street. It seems quite unnatural, and very old fashioned, to have breakfast at 8 o’clock in the electric light these days, yet this is the rule in the Premier’s household. Only a woman of extraordinary vitality could keep going as Mrs Baldwin does. The morning is a round of committee meetings and arrangement of social functions, afternoon engagements take her to the provinces. as well ns town; and there are after-dinner engagements. Mrs Ba'iwin is mistress nf her own house, and personally gives r.er orders, osovillj when it is a home day. The servant problem is unknown to Mrs Baldwin. She has a flair

"or choosing the right people Her cook-housekeeper is nn artist at nnking rakes, ns nil' London _ knows. Veil. when the housekeeper is dis■lissod. in comes the A big. leavy post lias to ho attend k. to -al! bids of applications oour in ..aih.fciid here are lots of societies which claim her help and that she is personally nterested in—which means more than nst giving her name. But there me tenoraliy a few restful non r.ts beore dinner. , It may be a guest ‘ r she has to dress for a great polit c-al 'arty. This is spent in her iwn boudoir villi its bluc-grecn walls_ and cosy eats: her© the Prime Minister slid his laughter often join in _ for a (onhe'en'ial chat. But “on with the dance,” •nd it is only a short respite. The •vening’s business, gaieties, and engagements have to be gone t!’"'Ugh 'utore the wife of England's Prime Minister seeks her couch.