WOMEN'S INTEREST

Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1933, Page 3

WOMEN'S INTEREST

the TUBULAR SILHOUETTE

TI-IREE-COLOIJIt MIXTURES!

Ib is all very well to go “quite plain and straight” as to silhouette, but, unless we know where to stop, we will iook like, a race of lead-pencil people before the season is out. Things started off quite, well, frocks being cut very gently to mould the figure. Now, however, there is a tendency towards exaggerated straightness which must be watched lest it develop into- something ludicrous.

Mannequins who live on orange-juice and similar “slimming” things, and who have every under-garment -made with as much’precision as is expended on the outer clothes, may successfully carry off the glove-fitting gowns they display. But it is not possible for every woman do do likewise.

This by way of a word of warning. It is wise to adapt present fashions to individual requirements. Apart from one or two over-motilded expressions of the fashion, the new tubular line is •most becoming. The slender skirt is cut iii a series of shaped panels, and some fullness, little or much according to whether the frock is an afternoon or an evening one, is introduced towards the hem. Some of the tubular skirts must run into yards of material, for the panels themselves, narrow from waist to knees, are graduated below to give the billowing effect round the feet. In other cases, flounces are attached, or godets are inserted, to give the correct fullness at the foot.

Costume skirts, by the way, although they follow the general fashion for I .straightness, are made wearable by beI ing cut to wrap over from one side to | the other across the front, there being a generous underlap so that no stitcli- | ing nor buttoning is necessary, except at the waist. Thus they are perfectly comfortable for walking, though they .look almost too tight for any kind of I movement!

j Tri-colour schemes suggest at once the I good old red-white-and-iblue uunbina- ! tion. And the navy and white outfit, with judicious touches of red, is in evi- ' deuce at many shows. But other colours | are equally important, as, for instance, | stene-white-and-scarlet, oatmeal-grey and-red, hrown-grey-and-orange, black-beige-and-eherry, and so on. Often a little open-mesh wool laeo blouse provides the third colour note, while coat and skirt give the first, and i hat and- gloves the second.- 'Wool- lace'is/ popular fCr jumpers and blouses*—handmade or otherwise. It is so dainty and I becoming that I should not be at all sur- I prised to see it used again for day and ■evening frocks. Stripes, solid checks, I diagonally etched chocks, and flecks are the patterns seen on the new materials , and here the three-colour effect is often to be noted. I In one collection was an admirable

little? frock in blue and white striped .silk pique. You can imagine how successfully .the- colours were worked into •the corrugated . -fabric. The bodice fastened up the front, was quite plain, and had short sleeves and a high-io-the-throat neckline, the former having turnback cuffs and the latter a plain shirt collar of the material. The skirt was well cut, with centre seams at hack and front, so that the two shaped halves

made it quite comfortable to wear although it looked tubular. Bodice and skirt were made separately—an excellent point with washing materials —but round the waist of the former was a series of small red buttons, and round the band of the latter were corresponding buttonholes worked in red thread. The skirt was therefore held firmly to the bodice in wear, and the buttons, which matched those used to fasten the bodice, provided a charmingly decorative note.

There are many detachable trimmings to be seen this season, chiefly made of feathers. Feather capelets, feather shoulder-straps which clip on to the gown and can therefore he changed for others on occasion, neck ruffles of feather flowers, tiny bracelets of dyed fronds, and even epaulettes which can be clipped on or off in a second. Tliere is a very practical side to this detachable idea. An evening wrap worn over any kind of trimming sadly crushes it. But these new adornments are easy to deal with, for you clip them on when you arrive in the cloakroom before a party, and unelip them before putting on your wrap when going home.

Feathers trim hats, too—wings, and mounts, and quite long quills. There have been some interesting collections of dainfy lingerie lately, the fashions of outer garments having been more or less faithfully reproduced in the more intimate ones. In one collection, for instance, tliere- was a pyjama nightdress, almost exactly like the beach pyjamas of the Lido, except, that it was made of plain soft blue-crepe. Sleeveless', it had collar and reveres, and a bouble-brested effect, complete with four big pearl buttons. Floral crapes, georgettes and chiffons are used for nightdresses. The crossover bodice line has been reproduced in some cases, while in others a quaint doubled-folded fichu effect is obtained; •the ends of the fichu crossing in front, going round the waist, to the front again, where they are knotted. Epaulettes also adorn the modern nightgown, and of course there is wonderful handwork on some models, this being a season of exquisite .embroidery. ,

Mints from Jiome and fflbroad.

SOCIAL LIFE IN PERSIA

WOMAN’S STATUS IMPROVED

Since he . became 'Shah, -Rida I’ahlevi has changed the aspect of the, equntry, and has raised the morale of his people. For the first -time in her modern history Persia .is being .subjected to a regime of discipline, -and learning what energetic action and continuity of purpose mean; and while he is contriving to regenerate -his country, Riza Sh'h is also trying to modernise the social life of the people, eays a- writer in the 'Daily Telegraph. An apt illustration is the new marriage law. The objection to a woman enjoying equal right with her husband to divorce is respected. But to meet the difficulty it is ■ provided that the marriage contract ,may contain conditions which are not at variance with matrimonial conventions.

For instance, the 'woman can stipulate in the contract that, in certain eventualities set forth in the law, she will receive a power of attorney from her husband to institute -divorce pro ceedings in his name against herself. Again, while the principle of polygamy is not touched, the wife can insist in her contract that ’her husband may not take unto, himself farther wiveg without her consent. - -..xvi

The Shah has also de' 1 It with temporary marriage and child marriage, two of the greatest social evils of Persia. The first, which is an accepted custom among the :Shia; sect : is' not mentioned in the law, thereby making it very difficult of accomplishffiefft. !

In the second case, ,a provision has been inserted- that' both parties "must be physically apt.for marriage. Thi s entails frdm the Govei nment doctors, who -have'. been administratively instructed to -decline to examine, for this purpose, any girl c-f undey sixteen years of age. Thus, the. religious difficulty in the way ,of .any -, age-limit has been got ever, By order of .the Shah very severe ifs meted out to any who may, joffei.id...iff. respect • to the new,.law;.,

woman’s! OLDEST FRIENDS

COSMETICS ART PERSISTS

Though occasionally, adin OEishes.dhe-.Ep.gl ish -girl»on tjie, su b.j set. of -make-up, j and Mussolini, and Hitler, have.-express d--opinions the, .women of their cbu'utries.; are - supposed- to heed, no one eyer dreams. ,of; saying a word which would make the American woman forego cue touch of lipstick, says an overseas:

! In fact, everyone encourages her. Jn : New'‘'tfqrk, in ’the new,Radio City Music Hall, which .is., the most luxurious ami beautiful designed place of its_ kind in the world there is even-a'room'known as the Powder Room—one of a suite set apart for the use of women visitors to the music hall. -The walls are of oysterwhite parchment, abd oii these air® mural paintings in dead white, silver, black, and coral. Twelve groups of figures show leading episodes in the art of the toilette. Egyptian women, Per-' ions, Roman matrons, Grecian maide

medieval ladies and the girls of to-day are all performing some file of beautifying. . . ■_ Powder is probably the most ancient cosmetic, and Witwold Gordon, : the famous American mural'painter wlio did these walls shows graceful, dainty Chinese ladies enamelling their faces with heaven knows what kind of powder and paste from boxes and jars in fronted them ; possibly something not far removed from the white lead that Poppaea used to make her skin whiter or the powdered starch the Puritan maid tremblingly experienced with.

Mr Gordon says Eve was undoubtedly the fist woman to use cosmetics, and she had a wide range of different berries to use. She did not only eat fruit. However, he left her out, and next his Chinese he placed, an .Egyptian , woman with her beauty specialist applying kohl, the ancestress of our mascara, on her upper and lower lids. His Persan ladies are anointing themselves with the essence of roses for which they were so famous. Grecian dancing'jgirls tpudh* their delicate cheeks with rouge., '.j. A medieval beauty beside a fountain symbolises the bath, which was a simple thing in its beginnings and worked its way through Roman anti Grecian elaboration, the famous milk bath of Poppa ea, the wine hath of Mary Queen of Scots, to the scented steaming water in an over-luxurious bathroom in a New York flat.

The elaborate head-dresses of successive Louis of France, the Modern woman with her vanity case are all .worked into the scheme of the murals, and always there are mirrors of various types, for the mirror is one of women’s oldest friends, dating back to 2800 B.C. OLD LADIES.

Without old ladies what a wry place—a sorry, stupid plac e tile world would be. To me, old ladies •• seem like fragrant lace, enriching; Jife and grace and mystery. Like. Dresden china do old ladies eeem, delicate... to touch and lovely t 0 behold; vessels, vQiat-har-bour many a precious —dreamy, songs sweetly sung, and : stories gently told. Watching old ladieg as they sit ana think, or talk of things they love in

accents low, each seems .to me a rare

and wondrous link that joins' to-day with day s of long ago. And if you ask —then this be my desire : to know old ladies ; to eft with them at dusk, and watch their faces, rose-flushed by the fire, and think of lace and lavender and musk!

And hear them tell of days when they were young ; for memories draw nigh when daylight goes. Old ; ladies ai'e so gently wise 'of tpngue; they make one think of lace and niutsk and rose! —Wilhemina-. Stitch.'