CLOTHING FOR WOMEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20986, 24 September 1931, Page 16

CLOTHING FOR WOMEN.

LOCALLY-MADE GARMENTS.

CATERING FOR ALL NEEDS

WIDE CHOICE AVAILABLE

There is one direction in which New Zealand women could do much to further the popularity of the manufactures of their own country, and that is in the selection of their clothing. Very few women are aware that they can be stylishly dressed entirely in garments produced in the Dominion by factories which ore in a position to offer goods in the latest fashion at prices which compare more than favourably with thoso of imported articles. Millinery in the most attractive shapes and styles is manufactured in Auckland, and there is no excuse for buyers preferring imported goods, more particularly as the local firms offer better value than their rivals in almost all lines. Tweed coats in all weights, including garments suitable for spring wear, are made in the Dominion, the quality being unsurpassed, as the raw materials at hand aro superior to any imported tweeds for the purpose. For many years New Zealand woollen factories have occupied an enviable position in the manufacture of such goods as blankets and rugs, which have won worldwide praise, but their tweeds and costume lengths have, unfortunately, been generally overlooked by discriminating buyers. Given the fine material from local factories, Auckland clothing manufacturers produce frocks which for cloth, workmanship and design are the equal of any dresses to be procured, and it is only through ignorance or prejudice that women do not specify New Zealand-made goods when they make their choice. Lingerie is another item of clothing which is made in the Dominion, although few women are aware that by asking for the product, of their own country they will obtain garments which will prove more satisfactory than any others obtainable. Foundation garments are also made in Auckland factories, the design being specially adapted to the figures common among New Zealand women. Although buyers frequently specify English or imported shoes when they are making a purchase, Dominion firms can supply equally good shoes at competitive prices. New Zealand hides and leather are classed among the best in the world, while the local artisan is a better workman than the factory hand overseas. All Auckland firms take every means of keeping abreast of the current fashion, with the result that any new mode in shoes is available here before the imported variety of the same type can be put on the local market. Many other items contributing to the ensemble, such as hosiery, are also made in the Dominion, and the accessories, purses, bags and umbrellas, can all be provided by local industry. There is no reason why a New Zealander should wear any item of clothing of foreign or imported origin, while a choice of New Zea-land-made goods will benefit both the country by providing more employment and the purchaser by ensuring better value for her outlay.

MAKING TOOTHBRUSHES.

LITTLE-KNOWN INDUSTRY. FACTORIES IN AUCKLAND. A New Zealand manufacture which is not generally known, although it is carried out in factories at Auckland, is the making of toothbrushes. Very few people know that 90 per cent, of the brushes they use can satisfactorily be made locally under conditions which will challenge comparison with the factories of England and other countries. Toothbrushes, as is generally known, are made of bristle, which is the hair of the pig. Bristle suitable for use in toothbrushes is stronger, coarser and longer than that found on domesticated pigs, such as those of New Zealand, with the result that the hair required has to be imported from Russia and Siberia. In most cases the bristles are sent direct to London, where they are washed and scoured prior to being marketed elsewhere in the world. The bristle is obtainable in three colours, white, brownishyellow and black. All these varieties are used in the manufacture of toothbrushes. The unbleached has a longer life than the white, and the black bristle is used for brushes where greater strength is needed, such us those for dental plates. The handles of bone brushes are made from the leg bones of oxen, which are cut into lengths after curing and then smoothed and polished. Celluloid handles are cut from sheets of the right thickness, shaped bv means of revolving knives and then polished by friction. The process of fixing the bristles to the handles is involved and is performed entirely by machinery. The handles first are drilled with the requisite number of holes, and the bristles are selected by a machine which makes I hern up in tufts and then seals them into the holes. A trimming machine sorrales the top sufface of the bristles to give the uneven surface required in an efficient, brush. Before the brushes are sold they are tested in a machine which brings the surface, in contact with a number of tevolving wires which remove any bristles who are not. secure. The brushes are then minutely examined and tested with crepe rubber. The last process in manufacture is the lettering of the handles by machinery, after which the brushes are sterilised and packed. BROADCAST TALKS. ALTERATION IN PROGRAMME. An alteration in the broadcast programme of talks on local industries for the remainder of the month has been made, and a new schedule has been drawn up by the Auckland Manufacturers' Association, under whose auspices the broadcasts are made. If, was originally intended that the talk this evening should be on "Aerated and Mineral Waters." by M'- 0. Menzies, but owing to bis indisposition the address has been postponed. The speaker this evening will be Mr. J. Rosenberg, of the Westfield Freezing Company, Limited, who will speak on "The Canned Meat Industry of New Zealand," Next Thursday evening a talk on "Modern Plumbing and Plumbing Requisites" will be given by Mr. J. Hard- ! lev, o c Hardley's, Limited, while Mr. Menzies.'' address will probably be given the following week.