A HOBBLE SKIRT STRIKE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7978, 8 December 1911, Page 11

A HOBBLE SKIRT STRIKE

MOUNTAINOUS MILLINERY. FASHION NOTES FROM LONDON. TEOIX CUB LADY COEEESPONDENT. LONDON. October 13. No great revolution can be said to bavc taken place in the fashions of the new season, and there is no reason why the deft-fingered homo dressmaker should not “make over" last season’s gown and be as up-to-date as the woman much richer than herself. VEILING one material with another enjoys nothing like the popularity of a few months back It is still employed, but not in the same way. For instance, it was no uncommon thing to have -n plain coloured silk or satin foundation on a gown, and one, two, end sometimes even throe veilings of different dedicate shaded ninons over that. Now there is a tendency to drape the top material hack, curtain-wise, to more effectually display the lower one, Some very beautiful tapestry] silks are used like this with rich satin foundations in black, or in colours to harmonise. TUNICS are still with us, and one very graceful gown I saw this week was of pale blue charmcusc with a tunic plainly draped, over the right hip only, of white net embroidered in silver and crystal, the ends edged with silver fringe, reaching the hem of the skirt. Heavily beaded tunics, according to Paris, are to bo again fashionable. HIGH WAISTS. The waistline is still above tho normal, and, though girdles have gouo out, bolts aro not yet seen, and skirts and bodices are generally made in one. Occasionally, however, a belt is introduced to give the only splash of colour to a dress. One sylish example of this I saw to-day. Tho skirt and the very top of. the bodice of a housegown was of black charmouse, while, back and front, there was a sort of apron tunio forming the plain bodice and reaching almost to tho knee, of fine navy serge, edged with broad black silk braid. Tho gown was finished by a narrow belt of emerald shiny leather. ■ ’ _ WRIST RUFFLES of delicate, laco arc again finishing the sleeves of dark serge and cloth costumes. THE NE WEST SLEEVES on some of tho - newest models are the old and ugly kind, with no cull —a modified leg of mutton that docs nothing to soften the look of the wrist and hand, as a sleeve should. The old fashion that fitted tho arm closely above the wrist and then tapered over tho back of the hand was pretty, and only drew attention to a pretty hand, but the present fashion is inclined to be-loose at tho wrist and is unbecoming to everyone. MAGPIE MUFFS. A quite startling novelty is the muff of two different furs in two colours. Ho far sealskin and ermine, half of each, ,are the only examples seen hero, but across the Channel magpie furs have been fashionable for some weeks. MILLINERY STYLES have become much more pronounced this week, and judging from all the West End windows perfectly mountainous .headgear is to bo worn. Feathers point skywards, large velvet flowers tower one over the other, bows are enormous —everything practically stands up, ornamenting a high rounded -crown. This applies, strangely enough, to small as well as largo hats and, on the former, it gives an effect that can only bo described as perfectly hideous. Largo models, of course, will allow of such an inartistic piling up of trimming, but toques embellished so only make the wearer look grotesque, THE DISTINCTIVE NOTE of this season’s style is the pointed, apron bodice that is seen on. almost every description of housegown just now. It is generally of the same material as the skirt, and, in tho shape of a large inverted V, springs from the high waistline, back and front. Tho top of the bodice and the elbow sleeves are generally made of silk or ninon in another colour, and tho completed effect is decidedly stylish. . A very pretty gown in this -style was of pale grey cashmere de eoi,\the peaked top edged round with a narrow piping of flame coloured velvet, and the yoke being of grey ninon over cream lace, the collar also edged with velvet. The high waist had a narrow pleated belt of grey satin, and tho elbow -sleeves had little cuffs of laco and grey ninon. SKIRTS ire cut differently, many people .will be delighted to hoar; and no longer curve in at the knee, but fall now, j vl tha little greater fullness, from the hip. Tan slim effect still rules tho tailoring world, though it was prophesied otherwise. A DAINTY BLOUSE shown this week in New Bond street was of white washing silk spotted with dark blue, with a long rover on the right side edged with dark blub, and a correspondinf? jatot on tho other side of creaniy net and lace fastened on with blue silk covered buttons, both opening off a long V shaped vest and collar of tucked net, the edge of the collar also being finished with a band of dark blue. The cuffs were fairly long and were Turned back with blue buttons, edged 'with blue bilk at the back and opened 'on waterfalls of lace down tho side and [at the wrist. HOBBLE SKIRT STRIKE.

That tlio "horrible hobble” would have the far-reaching and evil effect it has on trade, not even its enemies could foresee, but the mischief is now made evident by the fact that, entirely owing to the introduction of the tight skirt, the whole of the girl employees of the Brook Manufacturing Company at Northampton, numbering 1200, were looked out owing to the introduction of the hobble skirt, and the consequent decrease in the demand for underskirts, .had been assigned other work, at ■which they declare they cannot earn a living " previous to the introduction of the hobble fashion the whole _ of the girls were engaged in the making of underskirts, at which they-were able to earn as much' as £1 per week. The bobble skirt dealt a deadly blow at the underskirt makers, and the firm, rather than dismiss the girls, introduced the making of children's pinafores, the payment tor which is 5d per dozen. The most expert -underskirt girls assert that they cannot make more than throe dozen pinafores a day, and tho return for their bard work does not amount to a living W On Saturday last 120 of them struck work, and the result this week was that the remainder of the 1200 were locked onto WOMEN AND RESEARCH FEOH OTTB. LADY CORRESPONDENT. LONDON, October 13. A few days ago the winter session of the London School of Medicine for Women opened. Tho hall of the Royal Free Hospital was crowded to its doors with an enthusiastic gathering of medical women—some thirty new students just entering on their medical studies, and many women doctors who, frr years past, have done capital work in the profession. Tho audience was addressed by Sii Henry Butlin, the surgeon, who chose as his subject "Research in Medicine, and Women in Medical Research/*. It was inevitable that a proportion of the speech, made by a doctor to doctors, should deal in technicalities' unintelli-; gible to the laywoman, but Sir Henry (who was unfortunately suffering from throat weakness., and had to get Miss Cock, M,D,, Dean of the School, to read his address for him) had made so careful

a study of his subject that his points were easv and interesting to follow. In these days of immense progress in womanlaud it is somewhat surprising to learn that comparatively few. scholarships bestowed for research have been won by women. Some few have, however, and those with great brilliance, so that tho new branch of work has at least opened well. Sir Henry dealt first with some of the great failures and successes of research, and ended until tho conclusion that there is no reason why women should not shine in research, since in many directions they have more nat”yal aptitude for it than men. THE ESSENTIALS IN RESEARCH. Ho named as tho principal requirement for a first-class research worker, personal cleanliness, ii dustry, patience, persever-, .nice, and clear observation, accuracy, dexterity in manipulation, enthusiasm, and conscientiousness, a reasonable list which at cnce gives, however, an insight into tho difficulties of this important section of work, and at the same time points to its possibilities .in the hands of women, since the list is replete with those virtues often, supposed to bo essentially feminine. ' There was only ono point on which the eminent lecturer was uncertain of feminine fitness. There is nothing more important in relation to research than the accurate recording of observations and experiments, and this detail must never bo neglected. Tho making of these records is very tedious; it is often inconvenient to mako them at the moment, and yet many of them must be made then if they aro to bo relied on. If women fail, Sir Henry judges that it would bo largely from lack of training. It had been told him, he confided, that tho lady secretaries of committees and business meetings were often nstouiidlngly inaccurate in their minutes, and what surprised him more than any other thing was to learn that when these inaccuracies were pointed out the secretary considered herself the aggrieved person. He- wondered whether such people could, over be trusted to conduct and record an investigation. Sir Henry Butlm ended up by saying that women had done so many things in tho loot 30 years that he never thought they could do, that he would not venture to predict what they would accomplish in research, but he would certainly like to see them try. One important contention that was made in tho .course of the speech, was that the woman investigator should be solely interested in discovering the., truth; if a' utilitanian value were considered essential to research, many young investigators who later on hud produced tho most brilliant work would have been chocked and discouraged from persevering. The great thing is that young people who aro fitted to do 60 should bo encouraged to search.