MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 February 1932, Page 7

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

HEMS OF INTEREST

(Notes by

Marjorie)

WOMEN AND DRESS.

ORIGIN OF CLOTHES

.Everything points to the fact that clothes were not worn originally from any sense of shame, but in order to decorate the body and emphasise its natural beauty, states an overseas writer. They were for the adornment of the body, and not for the purpose of hiding it. It is only natural that a woman should like to be admired both b£ men and by other women. Most women like to think that their appearance is attractive to men in general. Some women want, to appear attractive to certain men or to one man in particular. Women do not dress primarily for men. If they did so they would dress so as to display their natural physical attractions to the greatest advantage, regardless *of fashions, and at very . small cost. So also they would endeavour to hide their failings by the means of clothes. For example, a woman with good legs would wear short skirts, while her less fortunate sister would cover' hers up. The fact that a woman with bad legs will wear a short skirt when short skirts are the fashion and a woman with good legs may hide what may be her chief physical asset under a long skirt in compliance with the dictates of fashion proves that she would rather be in the fashion than appear pleasing to the opposite sex. The average man does not know the value of dress materials, all that matters to him is whether the effect is pleasing or not. To be pleasing to the average man a woman must look first of all feminine, , then pretty; her clothes, the dressing of her hair and so on, must all go to enhance her beauty. It is the effect and not the quality or style of clothing that appeals to him.

POCKETS AGAIN Once again wpmen are experimenting with that age-old masculine institution, the pocket. Pockets are appearing on all the latest Paris models. Evey, evening frocks are being designed with little pockets concealed below the waistline. This is not the first time that women have worn pockets. The year 1924 opened with a great to-do about pockets for women. It was announced that the new fashions would establish once for all women’s equality with men. The fashion did not last. Now it has returned in a far worse form, for even the bold feminists of 1924 did not design pockets for evening wear. When men have been driven to carrying handbags women will probably tire of their sport and pockets will “go out” again. NEW WALKING HEELS. (By a Paris Fashion Expert.) Calf, kid, and suede ard the three leading mediums for daytime footwear, the latter being trimmed with the former leathers—generally calf. Alligator is popular in brown, and also proves a. factor in black, navy, and dark bottle green.

The higher cu.t shoe again becomes a special trend for morning wear, and one model is excellent combined in brown suede and brown calf, with a. delicate hand-welted sole. This is made on a. sporting Oxford line, but its character is far from looking sporting, the style merely being adapted for smart morning wear. A round leather lace takes a short eyelet hole fastening, and the different materials are fitted together in mocassin fashion by means of fine leather thonging instead of stitching. This also appears down the centre back of the heel, and the heel itself, which is evolved in suede, to continue a diagonal pointed back movement of this material set against the calf sides.

' The back-seam trim to heels is an intriguing theme, as it has the tendency to develop a slim line. Black calf is used for another form, a pump with a strap across the instep fastening into a soft hand-made plisse calf buckle. This shoe for walking indicates punched borders and short toe caps. Heels in both these models conform on a short type of “Louis” but much, more attractive, the bend being defined on a go-be-tween military cast. The height is an attractive one. as well as giving a practical poise for an all-day "trek" in town.

Smart afternoon shoes are still supported by high heels if you like them, and the pump form is the one most emphasised in dark brown kid or black. Front stitched centre vamp seams bring a modest decoration that stops short of the decollete line. This is given special attention to avoid the hard ringing which so frequently occurs in cheap shoes and cuts across the big toe joint, angle. One of the latest tendencies is Io move decorative motifs, towards the outer side of decolletes. This is logical and promotes a style for mid-calf afternoon and the higher ankle-length evening modes, but the best afternoon trend is the plain undecorated one.

Bronze kid is being revived for these shoes, and the idea seems economical, as the quality of leather makes them adaptable to almost any coloured evening gown for reasonable hard wear.

Lt is not only a question of fitting Ihe shoe to the foot, but fitting fabric io a whim this season.

Though shoes tone with gowns more frequently than not, some designers have forced a fashion for such mediums as net on metallised kid, and silver or gold meshes have been hacked with satin or velvet.

CAREERS FOR WOMEN.

NOTABLE APPOINTMENTS.

Dr Elizabeth Bruni, an Italian woman surgeon, has been appointed honorary surgeon to the Crown Princess of Italy.

' Miss Helene Jackeyicaite, a member of the Bench of the Law Court in Marijampol, is the first woman lawyer to be appointed a Judge of a District Council by the President of the Lithuanian Republic. Willa Gather, the American novelist, was honoured by the Princeton University at its recent 184th commencement not only by being awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, but by being the first woman over given an honorary degree by the university. Miss Stella Willins has won the international typewriting contest for two years in succession, and hopes to increase her speed in the next contest. To become the world’s champion her speed was 124 words a minute, and an accuracy percentage of 99.9. She attributes her success to rhythm and concentration. Miss Peterson, M.Sc. (London), is coming to Australia from England to fill an appointment to carry out the duties of Miss Doris Anderson, the resident bio-chemist at the Perth Hos pital, who is doing post-graduate work at the London Hospital. PRISON JUMBLE SALE.

The first jumble sale in a Britis i prison has taken place at Holloway. The sale realised ' £5O and ail the articles were made by the 350 women prisoners. They included: Babies rattles, artificial flowers in wax ami shell; baskets, dresses, cushions and lace work. The buyers were 150 “picked mem bers of the public who paid their first visit to a prison. Prisoners will not receive any of the money realised which will be used to purchase materials, for the prisoners, who are taught handiwork by members of a prison association. Visitors were not allowed to se° the prisoners, and requests to visit the creche, where nine babies of pris oners are being nursed until the mothers are' released, were refused.

“I LOVE BABIES.”• At Hull Juvenile Court recently, an 8-years-old girl was remanded for a week on a charge of stealing an 11-months-old baby which had been left by its mother, Mrs Elsie Fewlass, in a pram outside a shop. Her reply to the charge was “I love babies.” The child was kept for six hours. The magistrates ordered her to be medically examined. Her fostermother had informed the police that since she had suffered from meningitis they had had great trouble with her.

The police declared that previously the girl had taken an empty pram and exchanged it for a better one with a baby in it. The child in that instance, as in the present one, was wheeled round the shops.

YOUNGEST SOLICITOR. A girl who has never failed an examination has just become Blackpool’s youngest solicitor, and prohably the youngest woman solicitor in England (states the "Daily Mail”). She is Miss Kathleen Rushworth, and she is only 21. Miss Rush worth lives with her parents at Beach avenue, Blackpool. The news that she had passed with honours the final examination of the Law Society reached her just in time to be a splendid Christmas present. After matriculating at Blackpool High School with four distinctions, Miss Rushworth was articled at the age of 16 to Mr S. O. Taylor. “It was entirely my own idea,” she stated, “a. sort of determination to be independent. Through passing matriculation I was exempted from the Law Society’s preliminary examination, and I passed the intermediate examination when 1 was 18.” Miss Rushworth studied every night after office hours. BROWN NAIL VARNISH. One of the novelties in the cos- 1 metic world is the brown nail var-| pish. This is destined aS a striking accompaniment to the dark nigger-j head brown evening dresses that are] being worn. Needless to say, this isj a fashion only for the blonde. Transparent nail varnishes are again being used by women who do not care for the blood-red nail. These give simply a high polish to the nail, the natural colour being preserved—and women in good health should have naturally rosy nails, and can acquire them by simple massage. For tho woman whose nails are dead and pale in appearance there is now a very pale coral varnish which gives a natural colour' as veil as a polish.