Belinda’s Letter

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 26 August 1933, Page 13

Belinda’s Letter

Dearest Betsie, —Materials to-day are distractingly liard to write about because nothing is what it seems—silk looks like wool, wool like silk, and wool, even when it is wool, is mixed with’ rabbits’ hair. Cotton is mixed with artificial silk, organdie is named something else and artificial silks are the most misleading of all. The chief I points may be said to be that whatI ever your material, it may be striped \ whichever way you like, so long, as the lines make you look slim. ji'ven monotone materials have striped and checked waves. .Striped cottons for the seaside will I be a rage. Figured crepes under plain j coats are worn as much as ever. Little dresses in any material may have a I short cape to match, which may’ fasten! behind, at the side or in front.. Rib- 1 bon capes are charming in the evening, i but the big puff sleevod bolero holds J its own. I Although the woman of distinction never loses her loyalty to black for even- j ing, she does, for very festive occa-1 sions, like to wear the new colour of' the season. That colour this season is j pale blue. It is usually 7 pale blue satin, varnished or dull, and the blue is that lovely wistful shade that has some-1 thing of the periwinkle and something | of nothing that you can name. It is | a. colour that stands out in a ballroom ' or theatre and should be made simply and classicly. You can have a velvet! cape or coat with it in geranium red or deep midnight blue. When black j is worn it is smartest in the medium of' varnished satin, and this can he re- j lieved with just a note of colour —a I sash of pale rose, or one of sea-green ' perhaps. I And now, Bet-sie dear, I should like j to talk a little about hats. Many have 1 brims, some have high crowns, but for !

NEW MATERIALS AND ANTIQUE ART.

t - the moment the fez and the little t> boater have driven the beret into 6eclu- : [ sion. Even knitted hats are made 1; with brims and crowns. Feathers are j j suggested, flowers are used, and any 11 numbers of ribbons. Look at 18th. oen- [ tury picture hats and then modify ,! them, brim, ribbons and all. Also, it ! ‘ is now the right thing to wear the hat .! well forward, tilted over one eye and 1 showing the hair along the aft side |, and back of the head—a challenging! 1 1 angle! j On Friday I paid my first visit to , our antique exhibition. I was amazed I at the very large collection of furniture ! which has been loaned—.such lovely ! pieces, Betsie dear. Best of all, I j think I liked two very small chests jof drawers, one in walnut and the i other mahogany. How I long to pos- , se&s them! There is a lovely harness ! cask. once used in sailing ships for j nickled pork, which I thought one of j the best 1 have ever seen and a walnut commode clothes press, with exj cellent lion’s paw feet. A little Dutch i inlaid chest of the 18th century is a j gem and I lingered for a very long j tune over a very small Welsh dresser. | There is not very much silver, which j surprised me, but there is a lot of i very 7 lovely old china. A very icd | German pottery jug—“Bellarmeih”— j about 400 years old. looked most :n- ---. teresting and two glass goblets and ! two glass mugs engravjed with the ! crown and monogram of Louis Phillipe, i 1773-1850 which were marked for use ! at St. Cloud and Fountainbleau. Then, ’of course, there are examples of all ! the different kinds of china—Chelsea, • Row. Derby, Bristol, Worcester, Swan- ’ sea, Minton, Spode, etc., etc. How I | love it all. Yours ever, dearest BetBELINDA. ■ Wellington, August 24.