MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 May 1931, Page 3

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

ITEMS PE INTEREST

(Notes

Hy

Marjorie)

(VIEW’S DRESS REFORM.

TRADE JOURNAL’S COMMENT. LONDON, April 24. Ridiculing the dress of reformers who propose making at a West End bait a massed attack oh men’s absurd ctoflies, the Tailor and Cutter draws attention to the timidity of the reformers theffiselves. “The Dean of St. Paul’s, Dr W. R. Inge, is only seen iii breeches and close-fitting gaiters, which are inimical to the ideals of the reformers,” says the Journal. “Dr Dearmer, Canon of Westminster, who is a member of the Ball Committee, has never appeared publicly in shorts. Dr Saleeby the erigeriist, is an appalling example of pusillanimity. Even when playing teifriis on the Riviera he shirked shorts and sandals and wore orthodox trousers. . The reformers two years Ago upheld women as examples, but women have lengthened their skirts and let down the cause. What dress reformers hailed as freedom was fashidii.” Cdffimentfng on Dr Jordan’s statement that the movement is in its infancy, the Tailor and Cutter adds, “there is certainly a nursery air about it.” 1 LONDON STORE FAILS. LONDON, April 23. Sir William McLintock, the noted accountant and actuary, has been appointed receiver and manager of a great women’s fashion Store, Gamage’s (.West End), Ltd., which was opened last September at a cost of £1,000,000. Barclay’s Bank applied to the,'Chancery Division for such an appointment. 1

MORE TEA DRINKING. RESULT of social changes. Nearly five cups of tea a day afe drunk per head of the population ih the United Kingdom, states the ial Economic Cotaffifttee ift their Tria Report publirified recently. “Tie British Effipffe,” says the report, “hris become the triri garden arid the tea shop of the world.” The annual consumption of tea ih the United Kingdom now exceeds 420 million lli. In the last 20 years the, consumption of tea per head has risen front 6.401 b in 1911 to 9.20 lb in 1929. The spread of the habit of taking an early morning crip of . tea, the mid-ffioriring cub' of tea amofig domestic servants, shoppers, and business women, the eafly afteihbon cup of tea in offices, arid an increase of tea drinking among manual labourers are social changes of recent years to' which the Report attributes some of the increase.

Australia comes next to the United Kingdom with a consumption of 8.151 b per annum per head of the population, as against the United Kingdom’s 9.2 lb. New Zealand and the Irish Free State are bracketed third with 7.9 lb. Then comes Newfoundland 5.4.6 lb; Canada 4.1 lb; Holland 3.1 lb; and Morocco 2.31 lb. The U.S.A, is the largest, bulk importer after the- United Kingdom tfitli 88.8 million lb., as rigainst the United -Kliigdom’s 421.3 triillion lb., but- this oirly gives a U.S.A. edliriumjrtfo.it per head of 0.75 lb. U.S.A. Is a land of eoffrie drinkers and with' a j>ostilatfoii three times as large aS that of the United Kingdom, tea consumption' is less than a quarter. Russia comes next with 64.7 million lb., including brick tea, and a per head annual consumption of 0.60 lb. The need for developing new. world markets, if the tea gardens of the Empire are to continue working at full capacity is stressed. The importance of maintaining and improving the quality of Empire-grown teas so that they may hold their own in competition, the desirability of taking steps to enable consumers to identify Empire blends, and the need for producers to study apd keep in touch with changes in public taste are other points discussed in the Report.

THE AMERICAN WAY. A FACE LIFTING OPERATION Women anxious to regain their lost youth crowded by hundreds into a Pennsylvania hotel recently to watch a face-lifting operation. The patient was Mrs Martha Petelle, a veteran film actress, who has been promised a return to her former “mother” roles if a few wrinkles are removed. For the moment one side of Mrs Petelle’s face was youthful, and the other old, for only half the operation could be performed at a single Sifting. iff. J, Howard Crum, the ’plastic surgeon, performed the operatic#!. lie made two incisions above the ear anti 'jtteffyfe pulled the skin straight, and smoothed away the signs of age. An audience of 1500 watched the operation!, which Dr. Crum had iitended to perform behind a screen, until the insistent demand of those present changed his plans ahd enabled them to watch the first facial surgery ever performed, it is said, ifi public. Mrs Petelle, under the local anaesthetic, talked during the operation with her daughter, while Dr. Crum chatted with the audience. Art orehestfa played jazz funds, ftlti cameras took records—and five women fainted.

WOMEN’S PYJAMA RAGE. EVERYTHING BUT SLEEPING. NEWYORK', April 24. The summer gift of 1931, now making her debut in a style show by garment retailers, is a saucy 1 , eyeful. Twenty-seven models of pyjamas are exhibited. She will wear pyjamas for practically everything except sleeping. Chiffon satin will take the lead, but many of the pyjamas riria of cotton. They are of every colour of the rainbow, some trimmed with Mee, some plain. Some have- ruffles, some are indescribable. “Cherry bloom pink,” “lantern glow i yellow,” and “pagoda, green” are amorig the latest pyjhma colours. Skiffs will follow the sun downward; The 1 later the occasion the longer the' skirt—mid-calf in the afternoon, trailing at midnight. The leading colours are 1 brown arid white. DEATH AFTER MARRIAGE. Captain Walter A. Babb, aged 70, a retired master mariner, died at Bristol a few hours after his marriage to a bride of the same age at a registry office. He complained of not feeling well while he was helping his wife, formerly Mrs Amelia Foster, to prepare for some guests at their house,in Brighten road, Redland, Bristol. He sank into a chair, looked up at his wife? and-.said: “Well, my dear, thank God I have you,” and died, Confetti was still strewp. oh the floor, and Captain Babb had been packing wedding cake to send to relatives just_ before he died. Captain Babb retired from the sea four years ago. His wife had been a nurse. CHAPERONES COMING BACK? Brussels fashion' designers are providing for the grown-up Woman again and are neglecting ftre flapper lit all her vhrietfe-S. The waltz will queen of the ballroom Next winter, shy the Liege papers, for the tango and long skirts do hot mix. With the waltz, it is averred/ the chaperone will, come back. Girls have themselveh realised the fickle character of the dancing partner and that mail must be tlic pursuer. Europe, if is sriid, is rushing headlong back to “prunes.and prisnis/’ White hair is again fashionable arid makeup is fast going o’fit, oW to the' Necessity for economy. Wrinkles are better than scars say the older women, and costly face-lifting Opera tiohs are no longer the fashion. Under the wing of the chaperone, only dancing once in an evenlrig. with the sarife partner, the flapprit, it is held, will dMp bach, into fiefi- former huffihi© Status, while tile married woman ifl the twenties arid thirtie& will again be the pheeri of the. ballroom.

ONE \VOMAN TO 1 ANOTHER. “I ohly argtte with the people who say, ‘lf is better to- be unhappily married fftah riot married at all.’ I think It buffer to-have a full single life, than bn unhappy married one. Personal independence is too valuable to exchange’ or forfeit rashly.” “I dbri’t see how either sex can Jrfndependent of the other so long- as ihe majority of people continue to look for the fulfilling and completing and intensifying of their, own personalities through another person.” “If’ ytfu were all just a. trifle more open-minded about it you’d see . the much greater male triumph implied in the marriage of the bachelor girl than in the marriage of the girl who is just aching for a life of her own/ and can only manage it by snaffling some unfortunate young man.” _ “Look at the hash women made over marriages they entered into simply because there was no other course of action open to them.” “They’re not much better how — then' freedom and opportunities have come in such a rush that they haven’t adjusted their minds—haven’t realised haw life has opened out for them. They are still either hampered by old traditions, or else losing their heads and making fools of themselves. But in the end they’ll learn to choose de liberafely and Wisely.” “It seems to me that mail are the phrases and women the punctuation In many crises the punctuation can change the whole meaning of a phrase. In all cases it adds to its significafice. Rounds and perfects it.” —Froth “Sigh No More, Ladies,” by Ingaret Gifford.

domestic service. Domestic service may give wages and conditions superior to those of factory work and yet fail to attract because it does not offer the same kirid of standards of hours and right to an independent free life which most kinds of industrial employment give. There is little real reason why domestic service should not be made both economically and socially attractive if we start out from the idea that it lacks something which even the poorest factory job has and we try to supply it. But there is a good deal of ice to be broken, and a good many traditional views on both sides of the kitchefr threshold will have to be readjusted before we ban look cdrifidently on domestic service of the old type offering much of an outlet for surplus female labour.

NEEDLEWORK IN FASHION. “Once again needlework is in fashion, arid it is qiiite modish to arrive at a frierid’s hori&e; to spend the evening, carrying one of those giant needlework bags made of cretonrie frt tapestry, that the; Queen, the Queen of Spain, arid the Qtieeh of Norway all bought at Lady Lbridrinderry’s safe,” writes a Loridbrier.- 1 “I have even seen those fergg Victorian workbaskets in rise again. It is very modish to arrive at a party with ‘m# needlework, dear.’ ”