MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 May 1925, Page 8

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

NEWS AND NOTES. The Watteau influence is already apparent in finely-pleated frocks worn with delicious little frilly coins opening down the front, and with a definite panier suggestion at the hips. Three thicknesses of chiffon, each of a delicate hue. melting into the other such as pale pink, powder blue, and the übiquitous mauve—materialise the newest Parisian blouse confections. ' ■ “Kashmere” is the name of a new woolly material that is very charming ; while a smart curled material, reminiscent' of astrakhan, rejoices m the name of “Frisotta” and is much • used as a trimming for sports': clothes. Most of the newest dance frocks < have fulness of some kind -on the - skirts. There are kilted flounces - and handkerchief panels and sash . ends that form side panels. The up- 1 per half of the., frock remains straight and semi-fitting, and it nearly always ] has wide shoulder pieces fitting well 1 round the arm. The one exception to < the straight-'bodice is the one with a ; cross-ove r effect,, a very wide loop and j sash end on one side, and a sash end forming a panel on the other. 1 — . . . ] In making an appeal for a revival . in England of needlework and some . of the, “home sciences,’’ a correspondent of the London ‘Daily Telegraph < says: —Things are very different m 1 the far places of our Empire, where wifehood -.and motherhood are still held in high esteem. We are told that from Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia, . thousands of beautiful examples of ( embroidered linen bed-spreads, child s ; frocks, bibs, smocks, samplers, night- . dress bags, towels, tea cloths, and j tabid napkins—have arrived for the i needlework contest to which I have referred. As far as the future, of , the race is concerned the idea appears : to me to be as valuable as a thou- < sand sermons. Could not our real ■ “home” women follow suit with a j competition for the encouragement of , the girls of their own neighbourhood! j , C Spanish women have a long journey , to go before tney can take their piace , among their emancipated sisters in , America, ’England and other enlightened countries, but tney liave started . on the journey. The municipal vote, 1 in a limited form, was recently ■ granted to women in Spain, and m ■ acquiring this they left French wo- i men< behind. A small, undenonnn- ■ ational group of women has been work- . ing there tor universal suffrage for ■ women for soihe fourteen or fifteen ; years. These women feel assured ] they will obtain their goal very soon ; now. They believe Spanish women are' wanting better conditions, and that they need only encouragement and more modern education to enable them to participate intelligently in politics. Spanish women are 1 naturally quick and intelligent, and ( when fully roused their influence 1 should be enormous. , It would seem that sports dress will . be more masculine than in times past. . The Parisian ’ designers have come to the conclusion that a trouser-skirt is more graceful than an ordinary sknt, j and, at any rate, should be tested on 2 the coyirt, Or the golf course (states a ( London writer in an exchange). In , repose the new sports dresses suggest j an ordinary short, pleated skirt, but, , in active play, it becomes obvious that the skirt is really full trousers. A ] high-collared sweater, with a belt at j the hips is worn above the skirt. Act- j ing upon the suggestion of the Pans- : ian designers, prizes were offered toLondon girls for a new sports dress. , The prize was won by a simple, onepiece frock, with short sleeves, and a j skirt which was open at the side, the ; only join being seven red buttons. ; During play the buttons are undone, and the skirt discarded, revealing a pair of short, full knickers. In this

design the dress was made oi a line creme cashmere. Several competitors favoured a frankly male costume, based on ordinary cricketing flannels, but worn with a silk' blouse. At the moment most sports women are playing Badminton, but there is a movement in favour of winter tennis—on hard courts. ‘ Night play is possible owing to powerful arc lights being placed on top of the wire netting beyond the outside service line. Several of these courts have been opened in the public parks, the charge being 2s 8d an hour, or about double the charge during daytime. “The proper place for the children to clean their teeth is at home,” said the headmaster (Mr W. A. Swmbourne) when asked by the chairman of the College Street School Committee Palmerston North, what was being done with regard l to the toothbrush drill at the school. The went on to say (reports the “Standard”) that in the districts where he liad been stationed he had instituted the drill, and had found that it was for the good of the pupils—parents became, interested —with the result that toothbrush drill became one oi the home practices. Teeth might be decayed, but their cleaning arrested it to an extent; and half the com plaints of children were directly caused by bad teeth. The drill at College Street, instituted by his predecessor. Mr D. W. Low, had been of advantage, though there was a certain disadvantage in having the utensils mixed, and since its. cessation periodical inspections had been made of the pupils’ mouths, his last examination revealing that on the whole, the teeth were in a very good condition. The whole thing was to get the children to clean their teeth. If they did not do it at home then, with the committee s assistance, he would introduce once again the toothbrush drill. “The whole trouble is the sweet shops,” stated the headmaster; “there are too manynear the school.”