TOPICAL ITEMS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 10 March 1928, Page 17

TOPICAL ITEMS.

DO CLOTHES REVEAL CHARACTER! ?

“T'is said—“in spring a young man’s fancy turns to love'’—a young woman’s laricy—being essentially practical—turns to thoughts of new materials and latest laskion modes.

Who has not pictured in, their mind, the dainty vision of spring-like perfection revealed by a glance into the miror of dreams? Most women dress and see themselves (in imagination) wearing successfully what they desire in the way of novelty inodes. This is not always possible in reality, for the latest fashions do not suit every type of wowan.

Ilemember extremes are unmanageable. The matter of personal taste means more to a woman to-day than ever in the history o.f clothes. It is more important to dress your personality than it is to dress your physical type. Bear these ideas in mind when you plan your new season’s frocks. Be moderate in your choice of designs, but retain a decided style of individuality. EVERY BOD Y DANCES. Everybody dances. And, of course, every girl must have several dancefrocks in her wardrobe. First, last, arid all the. time, the evening frock for dancing is one that has an ample skirt. Women forget that there is such a tiling, us a straight line silhouette when they select their dance frocks, for the new dance frocks are not only ample, but look it. That’s part of their cachet. You simply can’t get along without a frock that doesn’t have a full skirt, or a frock that looks slinky. You can have your couturier put the fullness where she will—front, back, sides, or all around, but it must he there. The bodice of the dancefiock is not very ponderous. It is a simple sleeveless thing, with a smart decolletage round, square, or “V” or a combination of two l of these cuts. Many of the smart dance rocks have scarves of tulle, chiffon, or crepe to give importance to the waist, and to balance the fullness of the skirt. MORE ABOUT STOCKINGS.

Stockings arc. always, an important' part of a woman’s toilette if she is to be really well turned out. Finest lisle stockings, really gauzy, cobwebby affairs, are said to be “going to be much worn” in .smart circles. They have not actually “arrived” yet. Up-to-date hoisery are still all .silk and the newest have lace dox in two tones. Clox iseem to have quite returned to favour, and they are now often the hallmark of the best stockings. Colours are a special feature in hoisery, and there are quite a nuimicr of new shades. Among the most popular are nude, platinum, camel, covert, grey-lilac, gunmetal, tinsel silver, ficelli, castor, French nude, mushroom, metal, sunburn, beige rose, beige, fawn, pastel, champagne pearl-grey, and beaver.

AN- INTERESTING EXHIBITION. An international Press exhibition is to vane place ax Cologne, Oermany, from May I till October, ip2B, and tne director of management lias written to the editor of “ivai Tiaki,” the nurses' journal, to say that lie would very much like tlie International Council of Nurses to arrange for a special exhibition that will give the visitors a. vivid idea of the nursing publication and profession. He has asked her to communicate with the various editors and publishers of nursing magazines and books to., gain help in making the nursing exhibit “a specially attractive point in the tremendous world show of the Press that the Cologne Exhibition will be.” It has therefore been decided that the nurses of this, country will assist if they can, and nursing books written and published in New Zealand will be welcomed, a.!so photographs, historical matter,etc. It is. hoped to send a good contribution to the exhibition, it being understood that all will be returned after the exhibition is over. TO RENDER. COLOUR, FAST.

With the, summed weather, material in bright o.r delicate colouring is employed in the making of frocks of all descriptions. To prevent colour running, any one of the following methods may be successfully adopted. Before washing the new material soak it for an hour or two in cold water, to each four quarts of which.

allow two handfuls of common sait and half a cup of vinegar. (2) Dissolve a packet of epsom salts in boiling water and mix with three pints of cold water. Steep the article in the liquid for two or three jiours. (3) Peel, and grate three small potatoes. Place in a basin, and add half a cupful q vinegar and three heaped tablespoonfuls of common salt. Let stand for fifteen minutes, then add four quarts of cold water. Soak tlie fabric in the mixture for half an hour, then wash in the usual way. Of these tln-ee methods, the last perhaps results most effectually, and also wonderfully renews the appearance of the fabric.

Frocks the colour of which has faded may befreshened and tinted by dipping in cold water dye. The process is similar to that of blueing. Tonings may be regulated according to individual requirements, the more subtle shades being obtainable by the simple method of freely diluting.

TEA LOAVES

Malt Dread. —For malt bread take 311 b wholemeal, -|oz salt, -£qz of yeast, ioz malt extract, water. Put the meal into a clean pan, make a “bay”, or hole in the centre. Dissolve the yeast and malt extract in Irf pints warm water, turn nto the bay, and stir in about one-third of the meai, cover over with a clean cloth and set in a warm place for two hours. At the end of that time add the salt (rubbed to a fine powder under the rolling pin), and mix in the remainder of the meal, turn it out on the board, divide it into convenientsized loaves, put into clean greased pans, or- tins, leave for one hour, then bake in a moderate oven. This recipe makes a sweet-eating and palatable malt bread.

Farmers’ Loaf Cake.—Take lib apples, 6oz cleaned and dried currants, 1 small cup golden syrup, 4oz butter, lib flour, 1. teacup brown sugar, 1 teacup sour milk, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon carbonate soda. Peel, core and finely slice the apples and stew them in the syrup until tender. Rub the butter into the flour ; add sugar, currants, spice and soda. Next add the sour milk, the beaten egg, the apples and syrup. Beat all well together. Bake in moderate oven in a greased flat square tin from 40 minutes to 1 hour. This is better if not cut until the day after it is, baked. A BRIGHT IDEA. An idea of immense value to all drivers of saloons qi covered ears, the

lids or peaks of which extend beyond the front screen, was demonstrated at~ the last British Olympia, says “The Autqcar.” Concealed under this peak there lies at- rest an extra green or blue glass screen, which, by the turning of a handle, can be brought down to lie flat on the front glass so that no longer need the driver be in- tlie least incom-,-moded when driving into a low wester-, ing sun by day or when faced at night by the blazing head lamps of all the world coming home from theatre or any- i where else. By this means the only ; drawback to -enjoying night driving is abolished, while at the same time there is no fear that the driver will run over the cyclist or inebriated pedestrian whom too much dipping or dimming may easily cast in his way.