MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 May 1931, Page 3

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

HU® OE fiNJERESI

(Notes by

Marjorie)

IN AN AMERICAN HOTEL.

Nothing in this world has become :l so standardised as hotel life. Yet if you want to study the last word -in luxury, not to say extravagance, you must spend a night in a really ijash--4 ionable, go : ahead American hotel. You have become accustomed .now to the various signs pointing the way ; to beauty-doctors, chirojpodists. and, trunk-makers, who have found it ,convenient fo live under the same roof ,a* the hotel guests. You', pass the plate-, glass show-cases displaying latest Paris models under -famous names, merely determining to pay them mqr<e J attention in the morning. And, ascending by the -lift in charge of a uniform--1 ed negro, you enter your bedroom. There are no bells in American bedrooms. Outside each floor sits a maid who can be summoned by a look; or

you can -phone down to the bureau and tell them to send up what you want. Be careful, also, not to deal a blow to the self-respect of the staff by tactlessly leaving your shoes out to bo cleaned'. No self-respecting hotel servant would do such a thing. The 5 .shoe-shining parlour is on the first j floor. . i A magazine de luxe lies on the bedtable. It is full of society gossip, which leads you to believe that the whole of the social world that .counts is congregated in this hotel and which hears a modest announcement that those guests wishing to be “written up” need only press a button to summon the hotel, journalist and the hotel < photographer who will publish an “inj terview” in the next number. Never fear, modestly, .that you are not interesting enough. The wellitrained hotelreporter can make a jelly-fish sound interesting. In any case, you will .presently be cross-.examined, very tactfully, by the Social Hostess, who makes it her business to get into personal contact with as ; many quests as possible, just in case, by concealing .their importance, they might deprive the hotel of a little reflected limelight.

Then down to dinner, in a room

whose walls are built hollow to circulate artificially chilled air in summer. And afterwards to watch, in .one of .the eccentrically designed reception-; rooms, the crowd eddying hqre and ther,e. ' j A famous southern : h,ote,l has a “Pea.cpck Alley,” lined wjth almost priceless marbles collected by its proprie,;tor, up and down which glide famous beauties clad in .marvellous toilettes. Another in Washington, has a marble hall lit by .artificial moonlight, with singing birds concealed in cages .among the flowering shrubs. Each year American hotels adopt .even crazier schemes in their madsearch for “individuality” and /selfadvertisement.

STARS’ DISCARDED GOWNS. Many a shopkeeper would have watched with envy an event of a few weeks ago. The wardrobe department at the Paramount studios put up for sale 400 gowns worn by stars in recent pictures, says a Hollywood writer. The dresses went for 5s each, “l&rsjt come, first served-” Dresses designed for Kay Francis were most in demand. They went first. Two women nearly had a fight over 1 .one .pjf .Clara Bow’s evening gowfis. Another woman, fortunate enough ,t.o get a gown worn by Ruth Chatterton in a recent picture, offered it for resale at £5, but the wardrobe man stepped in and stopped it. The sale began at !) o’clock, ahd at 9.30 it was over. Not ,one garment -wps left in the place. MANSION HOUSE KITCHEN. Over the interior changes at the Mansion House, which will not be finished for several months, something in the nature of a sentimental battle has been waged, states a writer to the Daily Mail- A spectacular scheme for reconstructing the kitchens was rejected because it involved the abolition of the ancient table and roasting’ ranges. Consequently, the new kitchens will be very like the old, except for the new white-tiled walls, gasstoves and teak-bordered sinks. Six electric plate-heating cupboards are also being installed. ’They are portable, so that they can be fixed up in the Egyptian Hall for banquets and wheeled away afterwards.

A HOMELESS MAKER OF HOME-

Elizabeth Kyle).

I know-an American woman who has a very queer job indeed, but she is' well equipped-for such a job, since she » .possesses capital, courage, and a vivid imagination. She has enough imagination to see ■that a rough shack standing by a New England wayside can be transformed ■into the most charming summer cot-' tage in the world. She notices that its timbers are seasoned, its outlook is magnificent, and, most important' of all, that it stands within sight of the automobile route from one large: -town to another. So she sets .to work .to overhaul it. She is not content just to do what anj' .builder .could do; to partition off .the interior into .rooms and -to install up-to-date plumbing. -She does not .even rest .after the cottage has been washed, outside and in, an even, restful tea-rose colour, with the windows: and doors painted .black; she is not satisfied when the room and quaint painted porch looking onto ,the mountains axe furnished with ..odd vividly coloured country pieces and little checked curtains are looped hack from •the broad window-seats. She .goes and. lives in the cottage for a while, cooking her own meals in the spotless, kitchenette, and laying out a fascin.ating rock garden which will be blaz-; ing with colour .in a month or This garden is sure to catch the eye of some passing motorist ; qn .the lookout, for a picturesque country cottage! “My! What a picture!” He -thinks, .slowing up, “Queer that I never noticed jt, before! I wonder if the little woman out there on the porch would .he willing to sell.” . ; And'willing is. At a price. , Jdomes that are occupied are always .much more tempting, because of the, possibility that you may never be able to buy them. . Next she will, perhaps, take a sober old ’brownstone mansion -facing an old square .from which the tide of fashion has long since ebbed, : so that anything i in -the neighbourhood may he “picked up for a song.” She knows just the, right shade of paint which .will show k up. .the elegant curves of the wroughtiron railings, and .where to find faded brocade curtains for the windows. She, entertains hosts of acquaintances here,! receiving them in a quaint Victorian “parlour” redolent .of pot-pourri and. full of once-despised .claw-foot mahogany now returned to fashion. Soonei' or latei' some guest makes a bid for the house, lock, stock and barrel, just as it stands. And again she retires witli a goodly profit. Just now is her busiest time, for the favourite marriage-season approaches, and yo.ung love-birds with money are seeking unique and artistic nests. But ,1 pity her, in spite of her substantial bank balance, for she is like a bird herself —always on the wing from one immaculate home to another.

IF YOU COULD SEE YOUR BAQKJ Would you exclaim: “Mercy, what a* sight!” or would you smile .and say;£ “I had no idea I looked so nice from* the back?” Would you .be inclined ,to giggle .at the angle of your hat which, although; it looks pretty from the front, may ihave rather a ludicrous appearance when viewed by someone .coming up; /beliind you ? Would you rush home and give the backs .of your shoes a good dean? Would you have .a few words io say to -your dressmaker next (time yous saw Jher? It is -difficult to get a gen,ex,’al idea of (the lit of a .dress .or cqs-I tume at the back, but you should pay even more attention to Hus than to ■the front. ■ Would you decide either (a) to .curl, your growing hair qi‘ (b) have it shingled again? Would you immediately beg sopie, petrol from a motoring friend in order to .clean the rim of your hat At -the hack? Would you rush into the nearest shop and either mend the hole in your stocking or buy and don a hew pair? Would you make an effort io square your shoulders and thereby lose that bowed-down appearance? Would you go into a quiet corner and straighten the uneven hem of your skirt —the hem that should be straight? Would -you send your shoes at on.ce to the boot-mender for a new pair jof heels? If you could. see your back, ypu would probably receive a terrible shock, for few people take .the .trouble to fnake sure they are in order all round.