WOMEN'S WINDOW

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16376, 25 June 1927, Page 12

WOMEN'S WINDOW

CTRL FASCISTS' UNIFORM AMAZONS IN BLACK AND WHITE ARMY OF 730,000 ROME. Nearly 150,000 Italian women helong 1o the Fascist, Party, During the Fascist parade at Naples in October, 1922, a few days before the march on Rome, two things struck the Italian imagination—the unforeseen appearance of the smart Fascist envnUwy ami the presence of blackshirtod martial-looking Fascist, girls. Those were girls who dining the Fascist struggle against. Italian Bolshevism stood by the ardent voting men from love or for patriotic reasons, shaving their dangers in a spirit of adventure. Since then the Fascist women's movement has lost much of its adventurous spirit, but it. has grown and developed. This is the first time in her history thai Italy has created such a vast organisation of women. DISCIPLINE Fascist women have nothing to do with politics; their activities are different from those of men, but their organisations are impregnated with the same spirit of discipline as those of the men. This is one of the most remarkable achievements of Fascist revolution. There are three great Fascist women's organisations; Piccole Italiane (little Italian girls), Giovani Italiane (young Italian girls), and Fasci Feminili (women Fascists). Girls from seven to twelve years of :«ge belong to the Piccolo Italiane organisation. From twelve to eighteen years they belong to the (iiovani Italiane; after eighteen years the young Italian woman becomes a complete Fascista, and is admitted exactly in the same way as a young man, thus bringing fresh blood to the Fascist party; ' JUMPERS This plan was conceived by Mussolini, who wished to assure for Fascism the work of youths brought up wording to Fascist principles.

Piccolo Italiane wear a white tricot, and jumpers with large embroidered Fascist badges, black pleated skirts, black silk caps, white stockings, and black shoes; (liovani Italiane wear white blouses with black ties and small embroidered badges, black Raphael silk caps, grey stockings, and black shoes.

These organisations constitute a kind of women's army under Fascist Hags. , Fascist women are no longer allowed to wear black shirts, the sec-retary-general of the party having forbidden it on the grounds that ,the history of the black shirt is too closely associated with memories of fierce hghts to be suited to feminine gentleness.

NEW ROLE FOR LADY OXFORD

ADVERTISEMENT WRITING

"The Famous Margot, now Countess of Oxford and Asquith, has writfen with her own hand and in her own sparkling and inimitable style this article on a subject of universal interest to women." This is, the italicised announcement to an autographed full-page advertisement for a face-cream which appears this month in one of the most popular American women's magazines under the heading, "Margot Asquith writes on Woman's Instinct to Make Herself Attractive."

A throe-quarter length portrait of the Countess of Oxford and Asquith in an evening frock is in the centre of the page. One coiner of the page illustrates a section of the drawing-room of her "very dignified town house at No. 4-i, Bedford-square, London," where the 'brilliant and distinguished of London gather."

The testimonial is enhanced further by a pen-sketch of the "quaint Elizabethan bam on her country estate . . . used by Lady Oxford as a study," and a photograph of her dressing table, on which repose numerous jars of the advertised beauty cream.

"... We have all known women who have more than made up for their lack of features and general homeliness by the play of their expression, the grace of their carriage, or the beauty of their complexion," Lady Oxford tells the women of the United States. "I can only speak for myself.

"A dingy complexion will spoil the prettiest face in the world for me.

"I have used creams for my skin more years than I can remember," she continues, mentioning the American product, "and, though I have never been beautiful and I am not young, I have not a wrinkle in my forehead." SMOKING COATS. Every Paris collection shows chic and original little jackets termed "smoking coats" that look well worn over a divided skirt or full Turkish trousers. The jackets mar be loose embroidered sac-coats in many gay colorings, but smarter still are the thick lame or satins, cut, in the style of a man's dinner jacket. A black satin treated in this way was bound with i-.enrlct and gold braid, with a low waistcoat, of brilliantly-embroidered gold and red, accompanied by a short slim divided skirt of black satin semibleated. A pair of groen and silver lame breeches, fastened over, silver .sandals, had a loose three-quarter coat of silver lame, lined with green velvet and fantastic revers of old lace. The smoking suit as sponsored by the smart woman can either bo of fanciful and Oriental type or follow a severe form of masculine dress,, carried out, however, in beautiful coloring and materials. The older woman will rejoice to hear the teagown is again very popular in Paris, and that even Mie' loose Turkish trousers are successfully worn with the most graceful long coats oi- lace and embroidery.

CLEVER MEN THE BEST HUSBANDS. ATHLETES FAIL TO ATTRACT GIRLS. COLLEGE VOTES. Remarkable diversity of opinion is shown in replies received from students at leading universities in America to the question, What is the marrying university man's ideal woman and whal is the college girl's ideal man i

Men students of Princeton University like old-fashioned girls, while Vale and Harvard students prefer a compromise between the old-fashioned girl and the flapper.

Students of all three universities pick the "good sport" as the best type of girl, but there is considerable difference in second choices, Yale and Harvard insisting that the intellectual girl conies second, with Princeton voting for the popular girl. "LIONS.". ' Both Smith ami Vassal' Colleges for Women held that the intellectual man is the most desired husband-to-be, Vassar girls, however, placing the home-loving man second and Smith girls the athlete.

Social lions were fourth choice at Vassar and sixth at Smith, handsome men sixth at Vassar and fifth at Smith, and business men fifth at Vassar and fourth at Smith.

The male totals in regard to the relative desirability of flappers and old-fashioned maidens were —Flappers 330; old-fashioned 470; compromise 1225. • '

The totals for preferable types of girls were: Good sport, 763; intellectual girl, LSI; modest girl, 361; viva-

cious girl,. 3.14; home girl, 282; popular girl, 248; athletic girl, 233; cultured girl, 42; individual girl, 23; charming girl, lb; girl with character, 11; religious girl, 5; rich girl, 4; deep girl, 3; aesthetic girl, 1. SMOKING. The girls' totals as between oldfashioned ' and modern men as husbands were:—Modern, 175; old-fash-ioned, 07; compromise, 197.

Only seventy-nine girls granted the husband the right to forbid his wife to smoke or drink, while 247 held out for the single standard of morals in such matters.

The girl totals in regard to preferable types of men were: — Intellectual man. .182; home-loving man, 111; athletic man, 102; business man, 64; social lion, 40; handsome man, 48; he-man, 21; parlour snake, 13; super-man, 8; professional man, 5; religious man, 3.

SCIENCE AND THE LAUNDRY.

FRUITS OF RESEARCH

"In the last ten years we have lengthened the life of laundry articles by 25 per cent." This was the claim made by the manager of an important London laundry.

In the case of laundries, research, the manager said, was carried on by a number of laundries with the aid of the Government at a model laundry at Hendon. Very fine results had been achieved, and very valuable information handed on to the laundries which subscribed to the department. Undoubtedly they knew far more now about the action id' water on clothes and about the removal and avoidance of lime. "We now take every bit of lime out of the water," he went on. "You have washed in our hard London water and noticed the sort of grey curd caused by the lime. The best laundries now use nothing but water equal to rainwater, made really soft by a special process. Even the tiniest handkerchief now has three gallons of water to itself. We use far more water pet article than ever before, and keep the clothes in for a shorter time. The research department has helped vis a great deal in getting pure soap, that is, a neutral soap. My laundry now uses an olive oil soap that would be most suitable for a baby's skin. This soap can't hurt the colors. The laundry is the finest friend a woman ever had." THE COST OF BEAUTY. It is instructive to learn (says the London Daily Mail), thai, during the first three months of this year, the value of the imports into this country intended mainly for the use of women, such as silks, hosiery, and furs, amount to over £1!3,000,000. Such figures, which are, of course, only a fraction, of the amount which the women of Great Britain spend on their clothes and adornment in a quarter of a year, prove to what an extent the trade of the world depends upon the requirements and the fashions of women.

These figures will no doubt strengthen the sense of grievance which most men experience when they see their wives' bills. But women know that what seems extravagance to men may in reality be a most justified and even necessary form of expenditure. All men like to see women looking their best, and women can scarcely be blamed if they make a gallant effort to fall in with "the wishes of their menfolk, even if, at the same time, they please themselves. It must be said also that the average husband, although he grumbles,, is quite ready to foot the bill.

The pity is that so many things that women buy are imported. Surely England produces, in the finest quality and in full measure, most of the articles for which money is now being sent out of the country. RETURN TO FLANNEL. Paris dressmakers love to launch something really novel and original, comething "amusing," as the phrase still goes, and in one respect they have succeeded. Imagine woman, lovely woman of the year of grace 11>**7. wearing flannel for pretty afternoon and evening frocks. Yet flannel with a layer of georgette over and much machining to unite the two is one of the very newest dress-making novelties.

SUNLIGHT BUTTS FOR ALT,. ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS WHILE YOU WALK. X-RAY DISCOVERY. Sunlight suits, ma do of cloth which will admit the ultra-violet rays of health, will be available tor men and women if a chance discovery made by Professor A, M. Low becomes popular. Ho has devised a method of treating cloth so thai it is permeable to the ultra-violet rays, the valuable rays in ordinary daylight.

Large sums arc paid for treatment by special are-lamps rndiating ultraviolet rays, but, according to Professor Low. with (doth treated by the method lie has devised and patented, the rays could be available for everybody. His method of preparing cloth is inexpensive, CHANCE DISCOVERY. "It was n chance discovery, made during some intricate experiments with the X-rays," said Professor Low to a Daily Express representative. "Do yon know that the majority of cloths we use for our so-called summery suits and costumes are of such a kind that they are opaque to the health-giving violet rays?

"I have now found a means by which these cloths can be made permeable to the ultra-violet ray.

"I have applied for patents, and therefore cannot disclose my method of treating the cloth. I can tell you, however, that it will not change the appearance or durability of the cloth at all, but will only add to its healthgiving properties.

"The ultra-violet rays will penetrate to the skin and allow nature to do exactly what expensive treatment by artificial means is now doing. Few people can spend their time or money in reclining on a couch beneath a specially built arc-lamp system in search of health; but clothes made from the treated material would" mean health for all." PRACTICAL POINTS IN DRESS. THE USES OF THE BELT. So many belts and sashes are worn that they should be a great help when last year's jumpers and skirts are judiciously joined together (so as to do away with any possible worn hem showing). The band of leather or wide ribbon can be put on the end of the jumper, with the skirt joined underneath, or two or three narrow bits of kid or ribbon can place the waist higher than last season, and yet conceal the join to a pleated skirt. Afternoon and old evening dresses can have a wide sash with a bow on the right hip or two narrow ends down the skirt. A ribbon can border a square or V neckband and come down one side, joining on as part of the band at the waist and falling gracefully in ends below it. All kinds of belts are worn. Flinched suede and leather are a good finish to a jersey jumper. The "fooled" leather designs are most useful, for they take in many colors flecked with "old. They are quite inexpensive, but give a novel finish to a plain silk, or wool jumper. Many such beautiful belts in leather have the pochette to match them. Lizard and snake skills are greatly used as belts and trimmings for sports dresses. They have their uses, apart from their having secured such a firm hold on fashion, as their coloring is neutral enough to look well with all sorts of tweeds and woven fabrics. WOOL BRAIDS. Cardigan jackets of a manly order are much worn this season. Some of the newest plain wool ones are bordered with worsted braids —rather like the bind of a Victorian curtain. An old cardigan, belonging to a husband or a brother, can be turned to good use by cutting away all worn edges and binding all round with a gailycolored Avool-hraid. They look very well in the country worn over skirts or jumpers. Buttons of all hinds can this season be used in many yvays., Glass and crystal effects are most popular. Silver and steel buttons look well on dark dresses, so many of us who have'hoarded'buttons can now make use of them.

SHINGLE HABIT WANING

COLORED WIGS TO MATCH

FROCKS

LONDON, May 5. Women who now rejoice-in- the comfort of their short-cropped heads will soon be proudly showing each other their long heads of hair. This is the prediction of the editor of "Hairdressing Illustrated," a magazine dealing entirely with matters concerning the feminine coiffure. "Long hair is not doomed for ever," he writes. "The reign of the shingle has been a brilliant one. It is not over, but there are still many women who love their locks too much to part with them. There are others among fashion's leaders who, never happy unless they are in the front rank," are anxious to be the first to adopt a new mode, which is demonstrated in (he appearance of the chignon or other hair addition. "WHEKE FASHIONS AUK HORN.

"In Paris, where fashions are born, the coming change is move evident. Wigs for evening wear, inado in gold or silver, and colors to match the most brilliant frocks, are conspicuous by their presence. The chignon is now quite a habit." A leading hairdresser in London,, asked by n Daily Express representative whether he' thought that long hair was coming back, said: "Women who come here to have their hair dressed frequently talk about growing their hair. That is the first sign that it is coming back, fio far,, however, they are not making any attempt to grow it. "When will women of fashion in London have long hair again? That is a question it is not easy to answer. It may be one or two years, but it will most surely come." '