GENERAL TOPICS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 28 April 1928, Page 17

GENERAL TOPICS.

THE HINKLER HAT. Tlie Hinkler helmet, hat is the latest Australian fad. It is usually made of soft felt, or snugly-fitting cloth. Sometimes it is seen with the earpieces, always included in an aviator's helmet, and sometimes without. The chin-strap is also optional. All, however, boast some ornament in front that proclaims the glad occasion. The initial ( ‘ H, ’ ’ in brooch form, made of brilliants, or in plain gold or silver, is very popular. Some show a tiny airplane in flight, worked across the front in gold, silver, or coloured thread. THE UP-TO-DATE WARDROBE. Fringed and frayed edges are fashionable fads, says an overseas writer. An ensemble of nut-brown tweeds was made with a fringed cross-over skirt, a jumper frayed round the bottom and a matching coat, frayed round the collar, lapels, front and hem. An afternoon frock of silver. charmeusc had a three-tiered skirt, each tier of which was carefully frayed. There is a marked leaning toward godets. Elounccd skirts with a distinct ripple on one side come under the same order of things. Twined girdles of matching material trim many formal frocks. Buttons, valuable and otherwise, are in great demand. They must have the appearance of being genuinely buttonable although they are only .used as a. trimming. A beige crepe frock was trimmed with a row of jacle buttons set from the right shoulder to the waist at the back. Mother-of-pearl, crystal, coral and even more valuable stones look lovely even more valuable stones look lovely on satin dresses. Broadtail coats are worn by everybody who can possibly afford them. The smartest designs are cut severely and are trimmed with cavalier cuffs and enormous shawl collars of their own fur.

Knitted jersey cloths are made to match designs of tweed. A black ring velvet afternoon frock was made with a collar of ermine tails. EXPENSIVE FLOWERS. “Say it with flowers” is a motto of the florist’s trade this' winter, but. if one can judge from the prices charged in Central London, this is a case of speech being golden (remarks an ‘ ‘ Evening Standard’ ’ writer).. At same of the best-known establishments it is now impossible to procure roses under twenty-four shillings a 'dozen, and large chrysanthemums for less than half-a-crown apiece, while six to ten shillings arc charged for quite moderate-sized bunches of what should _ be comparatively cheap flowers. This is admittedly the most difficult time of the year. Also, a large allowance must be made for w'astage, since in first-class establishments flowers not sold reasonably quickly are not put on sale at all, nnd must be reckoned a dead loss. But, even with these considerations, the price of flowers iu London is rapidly approaching the standard of New Vork, where only the millionaire can afford them. Fortunately, the. supply of millionaires is steady. SANDWICHES FOB TEA.

All sorts of welcome changes can be run with, sandwiches for the tea-table. More imagination is usually shown with savoury filings than with sweet, yet there are numerous varieties that come appetisingly into the latter category. Apples can foe stewed, pulped, . and mixed with cream. And they will foe voted delicious. Then there are bananas, to foe beaten up with sugar and lemon juice. Cocoanut can foe grated, mixed with ground nuts, cream, sugar and lemon juice. Figs, minced and mixed with lemon juice, are as nice a change as are figs minced and mixed with chopped nuts, or, alternatively, chopped raisins. Preserved ginger is wonderfully good when grated and mixed with powdered chocolate and creamed butter. So. is honey, generously sprinkled _ with ground almonds. Then there is the more familiar nuts-and-raisins mixture; and, less well known, but very excellent, chopped nuts mixed with chopped prunes and lemon juice. Bread should be a day old and cut very thinly. And a “check” design made up of alternate brown and white bread squares makes the sandwich array still more appetising in advance. THE GUEST TOWEL. There is a marked revival of interest' among women in fine linen. The chests of our mothers and grandmothers were veritable treasure troves of exquisite daintiness. While they relied for beauty on the quality of the linen, the modern housewife uses her linens as the basis for fine needlework. Even the sheets of to-day are finished, with drawn thread work and initialled. This vogue for initialling bedroom sets is extremely popular, as it lends an individual . touch to the household linens, and however beautiful your bedroom sets of linen may be, they will fail in the eyes of the contemporary housewife if they do not match. The guest towel, once’ a simple affair of linen or huckaback, is to-day as dainty as any afternoon ten dovlcy. Frequently it matches the rooms with a band of coloured linen hemstitched to the edge, or carries out the scheme of the wallpaper in tiny, coloured flower motifs, or cottage posies in baskets. Lemon is a colour that gives a cool atmosphere to the room and washes well. Blue generally washes more satisfactorily than pink or mauve. A fashion popular abroad is to dye the entire towel to a shade .matching or toning with the room, but for those wh.g do not want Mils' trouble there are coloured linens, and in making the towel you may take your choice between white and other ‘suitable colours. MAKE-IJP ANT) MORALS. I have often wondered why “makeup” is mentioned with bated breath as being akin to one of the seven deadly sins. Certainly, it is- often inartistic and out of place, but I cannot conceive that it earn ever foe morally .wrong (writes Lady Kitty Vincent, in the ‘.Daily Mail”). To make up in the hunting field, for instance, would be in the worst possible taste, for there a quiet, workmanlike appearance is essential. Make-up before a hard game of tennis, where the exertion entailed would be apt to cause a distressing mixture of rouge and eyelash black, would bo indefensible. But wny not allow a woman to improve her appearance when wearing a smart dress by adding a ■ little colour? Some nets positively

shriek for a 'bright lip-stick to carry out the general scheme, and many an evening gown* would not be half so becoming if a- little colour were not added to the cheeks. In many cases the fashionable tint is so bright that nobody could imagine that it was natural, so that there is not even the question of deceit to be considered. Foreigners think that we look positively undressed in the evenings with no make-up, and they ask not unreasonably why rouge should be considered as something rather humorous. Yet a wig is certainly meant to deceive the onlookers into believing that it is the wearer's own hair. A woman with red hair and a fair skin can look perfectly lovely if her eyebrows and eyelashes are dark, while if they are allowed to remain sandy she appears nondescript. Why, then, should she not be allowed to make the best of herself? Pale lips are positively ugly, and surely it is a pity that they should remain so, when two dabs with a lip-stick can make them look lovely. “If Providence intends us to have scarlet lips we should have been born with them,” wo are told by the objectors. We are not born with clothes, so evidently Providence leaves something to our own initiative.