MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 June 1928, Page 8

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

ITEMS OF INTEREST

(Notes by

Marjorie)

NEW LONDON FASHION. hiring houses for dances. Hiring a house for a few hours in the West End of London for a hall or wedding reception is likely to be the fashion in the coming season for many hostesses from abroad or the provinvces, says the “Daily Mail.” A catering expert recently explained that the woman who wants her daughter’s coming-out dance to have a personal touch, instead of being one of several that may be held on the same evening at an hotel, takes the house furnished and staffed, and the charge includes a supply of champagne, supper and a band. There are houses available for such a purpose in some of the most fashionable residential quarters in London. A hostess can arrange a wedding reception for about 200 guests in one of these houses for 10s a head. For about £lOO there would be provided: Champagne and other refreshments, palms and flowers, butler, footmen and waiters, cloak rooms with staff, a. ball-room with band, rooms for display of presents—and a detective. PRISONER’S MARRIAGE.

A curious ceremony took place in Turin, Italy, a few weeks ago, when a prisoner, named Guiseppe Grana, was married before starting his sentence of four years’ imprisonment for theft. Grana was engaged to a shop girl, aged 23, who appeared, neatly dressed, accompanied by two girl friends. She had not seen her lover for a whole year as during that time he was awaiting trial. The Podesta of Turin, Count Brozzolo, personally officiated, and went to the prison with two clerks from the Town Hall, who carried the marriage register. The podesta put on his tricolour sash, as if he were officiating in the Town Hall. Three warders acted as witnesses, and the governor of the prison acted as best man. The bridegroom was allowed to put on a dark suit, instead of the prison garb, and looked well. He simply shook hands with the bride, as if he had seen her only the evening before. Count Bozzolo made a little speech suitable to the occasion, wishing both great happiness in their future married life, which is somewhat distant, as the bridegroom still has three years to serve.

OVERSEA NOTES. Miss Marjorie Maxse, has been appointed to the post of deputy principal agent of the Conservative Party in England. This post is a new one, created in recognition of the valuable work done by women in the organisation of this party.

Who is the most beautiful woman in English society? Society itself decided this the other day at a party. The guests were asked to record their votes and Viscountess Curzon emerged top of the poll. Lady Diana Duff Cooper was a good second. Others who stood high included the Countess of Brecknock, Lady Warrender, Viscountess Maidstone, Viscountess Massereene, and Ferrard, and Miss Kitty Kinloch.

One of Britain’s greatest scholars Miss Jane Ellen Harrison, died on

April .16. She was a Fellow of Newnham College. Cambridge, and later a, staff lecturer. She wrote several books on Greek art and religion. She was at the head of the second class in the Classical Tripos, 1879—the highest place taken hitherto by either of the women’s colleges. She was also an hon. L.L.D. of Aberdeen, Hon. D.Litt. of Durham, a vice-president of (he Hellenic Society, a correspondingmember of the Institute of Archives, Berlin, and one of the first women borough magistrates at Cambridge.

The Legislature of British Columbia recently made British Parliamentary history by conducting its proceedings under the direction of a woman. Mr Speaker Buckham asked Mrs Ellen Smith, member for Vancouver, to replace him when he left, (he chain her for a short, rest, and in filling the Speaker’s chair, Mrs Smith was the first woman to exercise such a. function in a British Parliament. Mrs Ralph Smith, M.L.A. was elected to the British Columbia Legislature on Hie death of her husband, who was a member. She, however, was elected on an independent ticket, while her husband was a Liberal. She was asked to be the Speaker two years ago, but declined.

FROM ANCIENT TIMES. | THE ROMANCE OF SILK. Wrought, silk was brought from Persia to Greece 325 B.C. In Rome in the time of Tiberius a. curious law was passed by the Senate. It prohibited the use of plate of gold, and forbade men “to debase themselves by wearing silk, fit only for women.” In ancient times, silk was of the same value as gold, weight for weight., and was thought, to grow in the same manner as cottfm, on trees (says a writer in the “Horshaw Sign Post”). Silkworms were not brought to Europe from India until the sixth century. It is on record that Charlemagne, in A.D. 780, made Offa, King of Mercia, a, magnificent present of two silken vests. Roger, who was King of Sicily in 1146, did much to encourage the Sicilians to produce silk, so that they not only bred silkworms, but spun and wove the silk. Gradually the manufacture of silk spread into Italy and Spain, also into the South of France ,but it was left to Henry IV. (of France) to plant mulberry trees and order the production of silk throughout the kingdom. Silk was not manufactureci in England until 1604, although there is some account of the beautiful silk mantles worn by some noble ladies at a grand ball held at Kenilworth in 1286. The clergy were permitted to wear silk as early as 1534. A great advance in silk manufactures was made by the French refugees, who came to London in IGSs/aml settled at Spitafields, and from then the silk manufacture has gone steadily onwards.

A FASHFON RESUME. Here are some ‘potted impressions’ of the season’s clothes, gained during visits to various dress shows of importance on both sides of the Channel:

The capo suit, which is rapidly taking the place of the übiquitous threepiece, comprises' frock and cape of very light-weight fabric. Instead of the eternal .jumper and skirt, alliance, we find here an extremely simple, norma 1-waisted bodice allied to a

straight skirt which has, however, godets arranged in front to give the modish ‘forward’ sweep. The cape is plain, semi-circular and hip length; the border collar is made of embroidery similar to that which decorates the neck of the hodice and outlines the waist.

For the matron is a charmingly graceful house gown in supple crepe. The jabot of self material, which falls from the short V neckline, reaches to the hem of the skirt, widening gradually until it appears as a super-im-posed ‘flare’ from the knees downwards. On a. black dress this jabot is lined with white satin —an engaging expression of the black-and-white mode.

, A tailored tussore toilette shows a very plain bodice, with long sleeves ‘ and a high neck over which is turned an immaculate embroidered muslin collar. The bodice huttons down the front, the buttons continuing in a straight line to the lower edge of the slim hip yoke of the skirt. Below the yoke the skirt is arranged in a series of flat pleats—in front only, the back and sides being slightly gathered into the yoke. Zig-zag lines of metal thread stitching give a corselet effect to a practical frock of jersey cloth. These lines are worked all round the bodice and reach from bust to waist, where a metal-buckled belt defines the normal line. The skirt is- cut in circular style and flows out most becomingly from the hips. A semi-evening frock, composed entirely of wide moire ribbon joined horizontally with fancy stitching, has long ribbon sleeves, a slightly pouched bodice and a gathered skirt. Tn the realm of evening frocks, lace still holds its own, its most serious rival being lovely, fragile, hand-paint-ed chiffon. I am assured that a really clever woman can decorate her own white or pastel tinted gown in this extremely artistic manner, for the simplest motifs give the best results. Tiny posies, or fairly large single blooms are painted at irregular intervals on the skirt, the motif being sparsely repeated on the bodice. The floral theme is completed with a shower of beautifully made silken blossoms falling from one side of the waistline.

Among the unpainted chiffon mod- - els, the one I like best is expressed ’ in Spring green. Here a simple sleeve- , less bodice is allied to a skirt that is - a mass of uneven floating flares. - Swathed tightly from the hip-line halfway up the bodice is a broad sash of the same green chiffon, lending a i wonderfully slim line and finishing - in a gigantic bow on the right side. —Diana Dane. ROYAL UMBRELLAS. A London writer states: “The women members of the Royal Family are ' very faithful to the umbrella, tradition. 'Fhe Duchess of York has not learned to carry one, but the Queen always does, and Princess Mary and her Royal aunts all have favourite umbrellas. The one the Queen uses most has a beautiful straight handle of pale and very clear amber. It broadens slightly towards the top, and I hoard Her Majesty explaining to some, body that it was a shape which was most comfortable to carry. The Duchess, instead of an umbrella, clutches a handleless bag tightly in one hand, always conveying the impression that it contained something very precious.” THE DUCHESS’S HATS. The Duchess of York has stopped wearing the charming little “brushes” of feather and bunches of ribbon which used to fall from the brim of her hat on to her right shoulder, states an English exchange. People who had never seen her before often < recognised her at. functions by this 1 characteristic hat. trimming, which I she has worn for a year or two now. < In future they will have to be on the 1 look-out for a helmet hat. or one < which has the brim folded back off her face. A vogue for blue which the < Duchess has followed for some months ' has given place to bioge and brown < for daytime wear, and at night her 1 favourite colour lately has been pink, • in varying shades. 1 f: