EUROPEAN WOMENFOLK

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 305, 22 November 1934, Page 2

EUROPEAN WOMENFOLK

NEW IDEAS OF SLIMMING. MISS .KATHLEEN COURT’S VIEWS. Wliat European women are doing as to diet, what the general tvend is in regard to the attainment of perfect health; and something of the latest developments in cosmetics, were told to a reporter to-day by Miss Kathleen Court, now visiting Palmerston North. Miss Court’s name is well known to womenfolk throughput the Empire, and daring her visit here she is demonstrating at Messrs Collinson and Cuniunghame’s, Ltd. Since being ui New Zealand two years ago Miss Court visited Australia and, following that, Europe, being in search of basic creams which will not merely cover old blemishes but definitely rejuvenate the skin and remove lines and wrinkles besides keeping in touch with the latest developments in regard to beauty culGermany, France and Italy were included in the European tour, said Miss Court. She went to Cologne doan the Rhine; to Heidelberg to Munich, Stuttgart, Dresden, and to Beilin, in Italy Miss Court visited Genoa ’ R^ a ’ Santa Margarita, Naples, and Rome while her tour round * ranee included Nice, Monte Carlo, Cannes, Le louquet, and Lyons. Lyons, once a great lace making centre, a city industry was at its height, is now badly hit by Japenese competition, said Mu;* Court, - and she saw there enough to show that the position had become very serious indeed for that part° f the country. Indeed, all throug France there had not been the air of industry that one might have expected, and Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo at Christmas time, when the season should be one of gaiety, she found very quiet. PRINCIPLES OF DIETING.

“Hitler is putting the German people on a diet to-uay,' said Miss Court. 1 “He is also rationing materials. What for, I don t know, but lie says it is to save waste and energy. He is not allowing full dresses, trains, or skirts cut on the cross, and so the women over there simply have to slim and keep slim. That does not mean, though, that they are slimming in any starving or wasting way, but they are pawing particular attention to the foods they eat and are finding that they are far more healthy if they watch their diet. A new system lias been adopted and in it there is a stipulation against white flour, so that it is against the eating of white bread and biscuits, while under this new system the women, do not eat very much meat. I ruits and _ every kind of vegetable are allowed; including potatoes. Prominent doctors are saying in Europe, although this new system seemed to come from Germany, that if people gave up eating certain sweet articles of food they would be very much better in health altogether. Some fruits are very street really—you only have to eat fruit after something that lias been bitter and you realise that. Sciatica and rheumatism are being treated through diet now,” continued the narrator. “People inclined that way do not touch mifk, tomatoes, strawberries, crab or lobster, sugar of any kind, red meat, peas or beans, but can eat anything else.” SUNSHINE AND EXERCISE.

Sunbathing was popular in Germany and the benefits of the sunlight on the skin were iully appreciated. There,, however, the sunbathing was not carried so far that the skins became burned, and a great amount of exercise was indulged in. Open air, sunshine, and exercises were looked upon as aids to health and to beauty. In talking of a German woman in New Zealand we thought of a large woman, a comfortable type, said Miss Court, but some of the slimmest and most elegant women she had seen on the Continent were in Berlin. There were also in Berlin some of the most beautiful natural blondes she had seen. “Hitler has posted up in the restaurants the signs, ‘The German women do not smoke,’ ‘The German women do not use powder or lipstick,” said Miss Court, “but,” she added, “I do not think they took much notice of that!” All night clubs in Germany had been closed when she was there and she did not see one of any description. London actually was the gayest place she had seen. Asked her impressions of the lives of women under Hitler and Mussolini, Miss Court expressed the opinion that Hitler wanted to build up a large nation, and to that end wanted the women in the home. That seemed to be so with the men, too. They would be most gallant and generous to a girl when she was engaged, but when married seemed to think that her place was at home, more or less on the lines of being a servant. Mussolini, though, recognised women’s place in sooial life more than Hitler, and was allowing women to take their place more in the general life of, the nation. INTERNATIONAL FEELING.

“In Germany I bought a car and used it to tour tlie three countries,” said Miss Court. “I joined up with the A.D.A.C., ,the big motor club which is affiliated to the Automobile Association in England, and was given a small banner to put on the front of the car. Before 1 went to France I was advised to take it off because of the feeling there against the -Germans. There was not that feeling in Italy though, and I should judge that the Italians and the Germans are quite good friends. I wanted to go to Austria, but the insurance companies would not. insure my German car in Austria because of the feeling existing between Austria and Germany, so I did not. go.” Among the discoveries of her tour, said Miss Court when talking of Germany, was a preparation to counteract the destructive action of soap and keep the natural colour of the hair. The preparation had no soap or alkali in it and even when mixed and left to assume a “dead” look it would come up again into a glorious lather. Another item of interest to womenfolk was a powder that changed colour with the skin. It might be orange when applied but changed to tone with the skin on which it was placed. Miss Court said the preparations she recommended were now produced in England and had absolutely captured the market there.