MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 March 1929, Page 4

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

ITEMS OF INTEREST

(Notes by

Marjorie)

THE SEASON’S PROGRESS. SOME NEW COLOURS. (By Diana Dane). Straight lines, diagonal lines, flares; draperies, frills, flounces—all are equally in the fashionable picture, but there is still very little superimposed trimming on the best models. The Princess line is successful, and especially to be commended to the older woman who possesses a good figure. An afternoon model of this genre has the moulded bodice and the upper part of the skirt cut in wide strips joined diagonally to give the slanting line while the lower half of the skirt is fashioned with a slight flare. Long sleeves made of narrow bias strips joined in spiral form have their own attraction, but the great charm o.f the frock lies in the exquisite cascade drapery which falls loosely from the left shoulder down the back, terminating in a point which just clears the ground. This drapery, lined with printed crepe de chine showing a design in various fuchsia tints on a soft parchment ground, lends an enviable “air” to a most distinctive model. The gown fabric is soft satin in a rich fuchsia purple shade.

Spot taffetas is ideal for the “little frocks” beloved of the modern girl. The dresses are cut very simply, one attractive example having square groups of gauging regulating the fullness of the skirt and the shirt-like bodice, the motif.being repeated at the wrists of the long sleeves. Watered silk taffetas, which appears in another good collection, is one of the most desirable of our ultra-modern fabrics. A dance frock, in which glorious rainbow colourings are harmoniously blended to create a blurred shadow effect, has a slim bodice cut in one with the curved shoulder straps a deeply rounded neckline, and a normal waistline. The waist is swathed with a broad sash of the material, finishing in a big bow on the left side. The ends of the bow form the modish side train, dipping in handkerchief points which just brush the ground. The very full skirt is cut into five vellum coloured spot net, vellum being the colour of the taffetas background.

Another notable creation is in vaguely patterned blonde satin, the blurred design suggesting trails of vivid orange foliage. Cascading low at the back, the skirt has pannier-like draperies at the sides and is finished with a broad sash of orange ring velvet.

Among the new colours recently introduced are: —Willow green, a very restful shade of a restful colour; much used for plainly tailored morning and afternoon frocks. Wine red, a very rich shade, delightful for softly-draped satin gowns. Blondine, a really sunny colour, invaluable for afternoon and evening frocks, especially in moire, taffetas and net.

Blue-mauve, soft, indefinite, and delightful; good for the debutante’s frilly dance frock.

Scotch-thistle grey, an off-white shade which is most successful in ring velvet, rich satin and similar sumptuous materials.

Vellum, an amiable colour which will be largely used this season by all the best dressmakers. It is a very becoming member of the neutral family, besides being excellent for day frocks and evening dresses, it is most desirable for such dainty accessories as collars, fichus, jabots, vests, scarves and cuffs.

HER MAJESTY’S TELEPHONE.

Although the Queen has a. telephone in her sitting-room, and it has been used a great deal of late, not many people know that nobody, not even the King, can ring Hex- Majesty up (states an exchange). There is no bell affixed to the instrument, and if a private call is received on the Palace switchboard for the Queen communication has to be established through a lady-in-waiting, who is in touch" with a ’phone in some other part of the Palace. The explanation of this is that. Her Majesty has no love for the telephone, and uses her own instrument only to talk to members of her family, or before his illness, to the King, if he were away from the Palace. His Majesty, on the other hand, regards the ’phone as a necessity, and uses the one in his study frequently when he is in his usual health. It used to be a great source of amusement to him to tease the Queen about his inability to ’phone to her.

A MARRIAGE MART.

COUNCILLOR’S 1,000 LETTERS. LLANDUDNO, January 12. Councillor William Williams, of Llandudno Town Council, told me today of some remarkable stories of marriage appeals which have reached him ever since his casual observations that there was an unusual number of bachelors in Llandudno and North Wales.

He has received nearly 1,000 letters from men and women in various parts of Great Britain and the Colonies seeking marriage offers, and this morning another batch of 25 reached him.

A Shropshire lady wrote that as her girl chum has just got married she is 'lonely, and would like to marry a good Colonial, while a girl from Kilbride, Scotland, specially wishes to marry an Englishman of some substance.

A Lancashire cotton spinner of 50 requires a wife with £lO,OOO to help to clear off mortgages, after which he is assured of an annual income of £1,500. Another appeal comes from a Stortford (Herts) widow of 58, who says: “I am living in my own cottage on a small income, and I should like a quiet respectable man, Navy pensioner for preference, of my own age, just for company’s sake.” WEDDING IN ROUMANIA. The little blue-domed church, with its dear mfniature gilt belfry, stood with its door invitingly open. The bells sent out their peals to the four winds of Roumania. A little crowd flashed by in blue and red garments and passed inside the church. “If that’s not a wedding!” said my friend, “we had better peep inside.” It was rather difficult, for the blue, red and white crowd had filled the little church, with its cream-painted' walls, almost to overflowing. By standing on tip-toes and craning our necks we caught a glimpse of the happy pair. She, very tiny under a heavy gilt crown; he, dark and very determined. The white-brocaded, white-bearded priest, who evidently thought that important things were best done in no hurry, pronounced the words syllable by syllable. It. was all over. The crowd pushed out. Uncrowned, beflowered and smiling, the pair followed. Their friends cheered them —not with confetti, but with nuts —until the bridegroom raised his hand. In time, too. for the peltingmight have spoiled the lady’s headgear. . Her dress was literally sewn all over with coins. Silver, copper and even gold, they ran in rows, here, there and everywhere. Strings of them hung round her neck. Someone near us whispered that it was a very rich wedding. Undoubtedly, judging by the treasury she carried on her own person! And the caps! Boys’ and young men’s caps in darkest crimson and scarlet; girls’ caps in still brighter tints of red. They said the bride had come to church wearing a red cap, too. At the door, her future mother-in-law had taken it off and put the veil on hei’ head. But red was the favourite colour, for she carried a huge sheaf of red flowers in her hands, and the wedding cart, clad in its Sunday harness glorified by feathers and ribbons, was painted the brightest vermilion.

We watched them disappear, to the accompaniment of more nuts, scarlet caps tossed into the air, and deafening shouts. —V.O.S.

LONGER SKIRTS

Fashion experts declare that the extreme short skirts are doomed. Even “talor-made” and winter frocks will be three and four inches below the knee, and even frocks are to have draperies and transparencies almost to the ground at the back and long side panels; but in front they will remain shorter; but not nearly so short as at present (states an English fashion writer). The higher waist line has already arrived. It has been steadily creeping higher and higher, until now it is almost normal. Some, fashion authorities assert that the out-line of 1880 is to be the modish style of the oncoming season, but mercifully we shall be spared the light corseting and whale boning and rows and rows of hooks endured by our grandmothers of that day.

A sure, safe remedy for coughs and colds —put a few drops of “NAZOL” on a piece of lump sugar and let it dissolve slowly in the mouth. Instant relief assured. 60 doses °or 1/6.*