MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 February 1937, Page 9

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

ITEMS OF INTEREST

QFF-THE-BROW HATS. LONDON’S SPRING DISPLAYS. (By Hon. Mrs C. W. Forester). We are in a transition period in regard to headgear, but the variety is immense. High topless hats and cone-like small caps with voluminous veils, share popularity with flat pancakes of felt, or Chinese crowns in straw with bandeaux of ribbontwists. Pointed narrow coal-heaver’s shapes, in beaver or black panne, show tufts of shaded ostrich tips or a bow of velvet ribbon and loops in somewhat crude Victorian colours. The sports and semi-sports styles in wool, fabric and felt give prominence to the curate’s hat in black, felt or antelbpe. which has a round turn-lip brim akin to that of the old pork-pie. The parson’s hat is felt, with. square crown and a more decisive brim, is newer. This is cut up at the back and trimmed with petersham. Many of the new bonnets show the Dutch influence with interesting colour decoration of coarse wool embroidery and now stitches l in chenille and silk. Darker felts, square and fitting, have halo-like fronts of vividly coloured woolwork. This embroidcry will be favoured for winter sports on scarf and cap. For town wear, much satin is ufeed for these bonnets. Blac'k is the leader at the moment, and for early spring, > when finely worked taffetas and crepe will be in request. For the mid-sea-son satin charmingly takes the place of velvet, and in a thick heavy weave . is very becoming, especially as it has , a lustrous surface. The comfortable Dutch square fit- ,

ting is placed well back on the head, with the wide front halo, turning well off the face. This can be of feather, woolwork, bright jewels or sequins and provides a touch of gaiety for bridge, cocktail and cinema afternoon party. With so much black and dark furs, the gay bonnet front is a cheerful and seasonable decoration. For wear with the tailored suit a clever Jack Tar’s cap has appeared in black or navy cloth, with three or four while gardenias taking the place on the ribbon-band of the ship’s name. On a young piquant fadte this cap is most attractive. It is worn well at an angle. This side movement is coming increasingly into the vogue. There is a new tricorne in silk with an acute tilt to one side, and a cluster of gay spring flowers on the other. Veils are easier to wear on the torpedo or cone-shaped caps. One narrow model in antelope, with a forward side-poke, was accentuated by double loops and ears of satin.. It had a floating veil heavily spotted, with chenille arranged down the centre to flow in various directions. French women look well with narrower shapes, which come to a real point with high trimming in the front. The wider styles and the tricorne are generally far, more becoming to the English.

Already one can find straws for spring and other suggestions for sunnier climes. Felts in all the pale pastel tones are always correct for the South of France and Egypt, while Palm Beach and the cruising season starts on fabric straws. Cetagel is light, wears well and keeps its shape, though from its appearance it might be- a crepy fabric. White and parchment shades are again to the fore for this and for Panama. Black, apricot and a dirty pink also appear in the Ballibuntal category. New and effective are the coarse 'coloured straws. Their shiny surface resembles to a degree some famous models from last spring, but they now seem of softer make and the trimming is less hard. The first of the New Year’s models always show some coloured blossoms, and trimmings in the form of flowers or shells in worked felt and silk will reappear as a border to straw and satin turbans. 1 do not think the real all-flower toque will be much worn. I rather imagine that the small fur caps, of winter, with the cluster of roses resting in the crown, will have given us enough flowers, but spring millinery must show a garden brilliance in some form or other. Bows, too, we have had in all sorts and sizes, but one new and attractive cap for cruising was of dark navy wool with crown in a striped novelty fabric, in pink and white, which looked like cotton drill. It had a very wide bow of the same material on ono side and a scarf to match. All such novelties are cheering at this dreary time of year. Black and beige seems likely to be a favourite combination, especially for Egypt and the West Indies. It is a decisive change from the equally desirable black and grey, and is pleasingly suggestive of spring. 1 have noticed the fluted bows in line straws are again seen in early collections, while pleats, tucks, all sorts of fine handwork, are all featured in more formal headgear. Wide circles of stitchcry and cross-over stars in colour almost suggest knit

ted effects. They arc really very line and elaborate hand-work. A turreted halo-front in black satin with black bows of gros-grain is new and effective. Other satin shapes, and there arc many, look attractive when trimmed with multi-coloured ribbons. Some of these ribbon loops appear from the centre of the crown on an otherwise plain shape. Never was headgear more interesting. Some styles still retain a somewhat exotic air, but generally they arc becoming and easy to wear.

J BROWN INK. F E MININ E CORRESPO N D E N C E. New ideas in modern writing-table equipment have made their appearance in London. Colour, dignified and charming, has invaded every province of feminine correspondence, states the “Daily Telegraph.” r rhe latest designs in fountain pens and matching pencils are not created to harmonise with a definite colour scheme for the writing table only, but the colour of the pen can be matched up to that of the handbag, to harmonise with a frock, or even a finger-nail lacquer. Pens are made iij an artistic series of emerald. silver, and copper colourings! in a. fine Florentine ray design that is) effective and “different.” Onyx and nacre arc two other attractive fountain pen effects, which include lacquer crimson, jade, emerald, and moss agate. With the new type of fountain pen, made in a semi-transparent composition, the contents of the pen can be viewed by holding it up to the light. Many women are choosing light and dignified colour schemes for their correspondence paper and ink. A grey or russet brown paper may have a coloured ink that blends or contrasts harmoniously with the paper. A pearl-tinted paper is an artistic foil to one of the colour inks, jade green, a soft orange, or warm brown. In keeping with the lighter trend in modern feminine letter writing, the coloured inks are charming, in tint, gay, and soft in tone, resembling water colours.

A soft sea. blue, a warm. Spanish tile brown, jade green, and a violet that is really like the colour of the flower are among the attractive shades in which inks are made. Plastic ink containers of modern design and colour are both decorative and travel proof. One of the latest patterns is a. non-spillable “tip-fill” bottle that can be used to the last drop for filling a fountain pen.

THE BOTTOM DRAWER. The smaller sets of linen household accessories can very well be made at home if you are interested in needlework, states an overseas writer.. The newest sets of tea-napkins consist of little hem-stitched squares of line white linen, each embroidered in one corner, with a. floral design. Every napkin shows a different kind of flower, embroidered in coloured threads. There are also small white linen tea-cloths, having tiny embroidered flower sprigs, similar to those on the napkins scattered all over them. . Among the smart dinner mats we cannot fail to notice those made of chintz. They look very charming in the right kind of dining-room, particularly in country houses or “cottage” homes.' When the mats are padded and quilted, the use- of cork mat is unnecessary. These mats arc backed with sateen or percale in a shade to match one of the dark colours in the chintz. A thin layer of cotton wool is inserted between the sateen and the chintz, and the quilting is worked along the outline of the flowers and leaves.