IN FASHION’S REALM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 55

IN FASHION’S REALM.

WEEKLY UP-TO-DATE DRESO NOTES.

By

Maegubrit*.

I have no further use for Madam Winter in view of the fact that I can discern Miss Spring hastening forward with her glad array of glory boxes. But I cannot give you the first of the pictures borne to bo till next week, and then 1 hope to start my spring notes in real earnest. \ou will surely like them —the very latest little coat with the turned-down collar, and the very latest little one with tlie turned up or rather high one, and the right way to tie the side sash, and so on, and withal the very latest little coat and skirt (costume), featuring the very latest sleeve, half bell, half mandarin. And then it will be like a film at the movies—coats, and coats and skirts, and frocks and hats and hats and everything else worth noting. Yes, it will be a glorious season, .this coming spring, sponsor of an equally glorious one, the summer that treads at its dainty heels, and if. where enough has been shown, anyone finds fault, then it will be a case for the doctor, as I shall say that her nerves are out of order. As I said in my former notes, the little coats will carry all before them. Perhaps, in a sense, some of the ideas are being exploited already, but it is not good dressing to anticipate too much. These little coats will be a fair rage when as gay as ever they can be bad—but in the pattern. There is a silk the pattern of which looks as though the gentleman who made it had raked Flora (Goddess of Flowers), Pomona (Goddess of Fruit), for all available,

and then gone to Euclid for all his triangles and circles and squares and oblongs, and crowded in the lot. Now imagine one of these little coats of just such a material with a plain narrow sweeping cross-over rever from a military turn-over collar of same, and a bell sleeve with a roll-turn of same again, and you will imagine one of the smartest failcies I can mention. But the bow ! No. there will be no ,bow with that, as, if there were, it would be overdoing it. But at the moment it is a case of hastening slowly, and so here is the thing to don just now—a garment which one enthusiast might call a coat and another a blouse and a third a jacket, f refer to the design on the left, solid to indicate something velvety: the right kind of affair if you have the fur for a collar and a band of the kind shown, and also for the cuffs Having the room I have indicated another, fabricated out of just such a silk as I have mentioned in the preceding

note, but rny real object with as much is to emphasise that strip from the neck to the side front. Thus, instead of troubling to encircle your waist with such a trifle as a sash, you work enough into the collar and bring the end down, and still down, till it ends somewhere or other at about the knee level. Yerily great is the resourcefulness of La Mode. I see that the fight against bobbed hair has been resolved for the time being in favour of the bobs. You see, the incoming fashions are calculated to make the bob a very attractive coiffure, and the fact that the third highest lady in the Empire, the Duchess of York, has her hair bobbed settles it—bobs will continue. But imagine it, as glancing over some American papeis a few days ago, I saw that the fashion had had a ruinous effect on the comb industry. It appears that some thousands of persons were engaged in this occupation, and in turning out other forms of hair ornaments, and that owing to so many bobbed heads at least a fourth- had been dtsnaissed. Well, it only illustrates what

I have so often mentioned—that women’s dress keeps more wheels going than anything else that can be mentioned. Here is a fine design for just this time — •omethiug in two materials, if you please,

dark and light. The dark will be all less the sleeves and the sash, and the complexion of these will be further revealed in the embroidery, or, rather, stitching, indicated on the neck, below the waist, and down the front of the skirt. The sketch is in outline. Had I filled in the dark parts solid you would have had a more impressive picture. The new millinery will be nothing if not cute. The quaintest little hats will be seen, the kind the clever rnii liner can make, and does, and sometimes out of very little. There will, to be quite truthful, be all

sorts of iiats, but the little ones I have seen strike me as more fitted to go with the dainty confections done up in the form of little coats. And yet I must qualify even that, since having written the line my eye catches sight of a hat with a brim like a small umbrella, and it looks very smart with a little coat worked over with' a trellis of something suggestive of beads, mannish collar, bell sleeve with mandarin eutf. plain skirt, and a sash like a man’s four-in-hand tie, only fifty times larger and fastened on the edge of the coat a little to the front, left side. A particularly charming little hat that catches my fancy is shaped, side ways, like a small coal-scuttle, and, banded with ribbon, is finished with a ribbon chrysanthemum ’list over the car, with half a dozen ends. Some of the new hats will be rather trim looking. and some just the other thing, and flowers, as we know, always come into their own in spring. As indicating a suitable early spring coat, what of this? It hangs straight, and has a very large collar, and so an equally large cuff, and the modish note is provided by that finish —the bow at the fastening. Though only a thumb-nail as regards 3ize, the hat will serve to illustrate one of

the shapes. As the sketch did not suffice for a full width I have added one of the new little bags. It is of brocade, and in this case shows a picture—a gentleman of the courtly days jraying his addresses to the lady of his heart. Incidentally, some of the new bags will be the most absurd little things—tiny bags, only just sufficient for the handkerchief and those other accessories which no well regulated girl is ever without. While the decree is that your hat may be anything you like, nevertheless there is still something to gain by having it conform in certain instances. This will be with the long coat. Observe everything I have said of the little one, but instead of having it end cn the hip, carry it down to nearly half the skirt. You have then a coat- and skirt, but the coat is long, and now start with the embroidery. The upper part of the collar will be so decorated, and the sleeves from the elbow down, ami then the whole of the “skirt” of the coat from a very low waist level to the hem will be in keeping, a fine bow going at the waist, left front, with long ends. With so much, we come to the nat. Suppose we have a crown like that of a man’s tall hat, or near enough, with a peak-like brim starting from nothing at the back and w’idening into something worth w’hile Well, if the material harmonises with the embroidery on the coat and a spray of something or other is thrown over the brim the effect will be good. And I say tnis because I have just seen as much in the “liff. ” But what, of coats of the “top” variety? Are they doomed? Not if the material is right. Here you have about as fine a cut one as you Could wish for, mannish in a way, and yet only in a way. It is a coat that would give excellent service, and could be adapted to quite a number of occasions. I have drawn it “white on black” to make the outline as impressive as possible—a coat of perfect contour, with a remarkably good collar and substantial pockets. And now note the dress at the side of it-—a delightful dress for immedi-

ate adoption and yet with a good forward vaiue. It is the “belt” part that is worth noting, as the blouse resolves itself into enough to form this, and the buckle completes the suggestion. I cannot say that I like what is hanging from it, but it was in the design, and so I have repeated it. There will be many charming frocks to illustrate as the season progresses, and I shall do my best to include as many as possible with my notes. LADIES’ GOSSIP. JAPAN'S GREAT WOMAN PAINTER. In ancient days Japanese women were famous in literature, and modern Japanese women are showing talent in many departments of intellectual work and in art. The artistic talent of Japan is pre-eminently shown by the paintings of Mrs Shoyen Duimoura, which are famous in her own land and have been exhibited and greatly admired in Europe and America. Mrs Shoyen follows the old traditions of Chinese and Japanese painting, and heir pictures are remarkable for clear and transparent colouring, strength of composition and execution, and refinement of feeling. She paints in water-colours, on silk and paper, sitting on the floor Japanese style. She excels in portrait as well as nature painting, and prefers women subject-s. A WOMAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER. For the first time in its history, a woman presided as Speaker, last February, in the House of Representatives, of Vermont State, America. There is one woman in the Senate of Vermont State.

STATE SERVICE FOR BULGARIAN WOMEN. In Bulgaria all unmarried women between the age of sixteen and thirty must work four months a year for the State, unless they’ are State employees, school teachers, or breadwinners. They have to give their Services in the district where they live, and are employed according to circumstances in cooking, laundry work, etc., agricultural work, silk-worm culture, knitting and sewing, commercial work and telegraph and telephone work, and in studying hygiene and nursing. A WOMAN PRISON GOVERNOR. For the first time a woman has been appointed governor of a prison. She is Miss Barker, who has been made Oovernoi of the Borstal Institution for girls, near London. Miss Barker has had great experience in welfare work among girls, and her appointment is regarded with great satisfaction by those interested in Prison Reform. JACK LONDON’S WIDOW. Mrs Jack London, who lately published the biography of her famous husband, has arrived in France via Panama, on the Swedish motor ship San Francisco, after a two months’ trip such as her husband would have loved. She is visiting Paris to arrange for the translation of her biography and of her husband’s complete works into French. Many of his novels have already been translated and published on the Continent-. They are veiy popular among foreign readers, and particularly so in Russia. MARRIED WOMEN’S NATIONALITY. At the Congress of the International Woman .Suffrage Alliance held at Rome last May, it was unanimously decided to appeal to all Governments for the right of women marrying foreigners to decide either to retain their own nationality or to assume that of their husbands. At this conference there were present 1200 delegates from Italian women’s societies, and 300 from other countries. TO REVIVE FADED FLOWERS. A new way of reviving faded flowers is to cut off a bit of the stalk under water, and then put the flowers into a vessel of water so that the water comes right up to the blossoms and leave them so for a time before again arranging them. The reason for cutting the stalks under water is to prevent any air entering the cut vessels. When the stalks are severed in the usual way, some air usually enters the cut vessels and this prevents the free access of water, which should enter as freely as possible to revive the flowers. It is said also that flowers will last longer if a bit of the stalk is thus out under water in the first instance before putting them in vases. VOGUE OF LACE. Lace is coming to the front again. It is being used for lingerie, which lately has tended to be rather unadorned or simply embroidered. While frocks of lace are in favour and look very charming. Lace fans too, are favoured. One very pretty one seen lately was of creamy lace with r cluster of small shaded pink roses at one side, matching the wreath of roses and the lace frock of its owner. HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS. Onion juice will remove rust from knives. A little vinegar added to stewed prunes improves their flavour. Never leave the jam spoon in the jam or the fork in the pickles, or verdigris will result. The water in which potatoes have been boiled is excellent for removing stains from silver. The following are some of the measures most in use: —jl’n fresh breadcrumbs —two lightly-piled breakfastcups. -gib butter or other fat—one solidlypacked breakfastcup. jdb currants—one heaped breakfastcup. slb flour —one and three-quarters level breakfastcups. •jib jam (stoneless), marmalade, or treacle—one gill or teacup. ill) meat (chopped)—two loosely-filled breakfastcups. sugar (moist) —one level breakfastcup. loz fresh crumbs—two rounded tablespoons. loz butter or other fat —one slightly rounded tablespoon. loz currants- —one rounded tablespoon, loz cornflour —two rounded tablespoons, loz cheese (grated)—two rounded tablespoons. loz flour—two level tablespoons, loz gelatine—about 10 sheets, loz rice—one level tablespoon, loz sugar—one level tablespoon, loz suet—piece size of small hen’s egg. loz liquid—two tablespoons. ioz Cream of tartar or carbonate of soda—five level teaspoons. In all recipes “a cup” of any ingredients equals a breakfastcup. When two tumblers become fixed, one inside the other, pour some cold water into the inner glass and then stand the outer one in warm water. The inner glass contracts and the outer one expands, so that the two are easily separated.