WOMEN’S WINDOW

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17203, 8 March 1930, Page 12

WOMEN’S WINDOW

RETURN OF THE WAIST,

DRESSES “MOULDED TO THE BODY.”

NO TIGHT LADING TO FEAR

LONDON. Jan. U

Waist ei rewnforcnces and skirt lengths are the two all-important subjects of discussion, not to say c.ogtroyersy, in the work-rooms of Mayfair- and adjacent centres of London dress creation, where the new spring fashions are now stirring. Interest in the waistline is for the moment even keener than in skirt lengths, for the practical reason that the addition of inches to skirts is merely a matter of material anil cut at the discretion of the dressmaker. The woman of fashion has herself to lake steps to make her figure conform to a new waistline.

Doctors, physical culture experts, am! hygienists need not he alarmed at threats of a return to wasp waists or hour-glass figures. Leading Westoiid dress houses consulted yesterday cm the point were firm .in. their assurance that although the waistline was returning to its natural position, there was no question of the revival of tight-lacing and whalebone restrictions or of the achievement of attenuated waist, measurements by any other means. The waist of even the slimmest of smart women will show a difference of at least oin. as compared with the old lXin. wasp waist. The size of the fashionable 11)30 waist, according to one leading West-mid designer, is from 2,'liii. to I'Sin. “But there will be on nipping in of waists,” he added, “so long as.the natural waistline is defined; it. may be Klin, and still be fashionable. ” “"For many years the waist iias been hidden and now it is very clearly defined,' •’ another authority, Mr. 10. H.

Synionds, of Rcville’s, told a representative of the Daily Telegraph. “The great change that has come about is that the dress is no longer the same width from shoulders to hem. “The new fashions are moulded to the body so that the waistline naturally becomes normal. This, of course, makes it.,higher. Previously dresses hung loosely from the .shoulders, and for some years the waist hovered about the hips. The new fashions have restored to women their natural dignity, beauty, and grace of line.”

When the new. season’s fashions are presented: at the spring parades to be held shortly, women will seem to have smaller, waists. That is because modern fashions have been .so designed as t-p disguise the existence of anything in the way of a waistline at all. NATURAL LINES. , The newer phases of fashion, in which the natural lines of the figure are apparent, reveal curves in the place of the straight,, unbroken.linos, and the moulded, close-fitting corsage consequently shows a waist, at the point where Nature places it. This pleasing and graceful silhpuetto is noticeable in some of the charming youthful-looking fashion studies of another English fashion-designer, Air. Norman Hartnell. The billowing, skirts of,his evening gowns, with.the contrasting close-fitting corsages above, give a slender look to the waist.

The return of this natural uni,si line, as against, the old-fashioned unnatural and medically condemned wasp waist, or of the more recent obliteration, of any apparent wai.-d at all, lias come about gradually in the following series of moves on the part of the dress designers: .1028.—Ip.'vival of tailor-made coat, and skirt. 102!) (Spring).—li ('surreetion of tuck-in blouse. 102!) (Summer). —Return of the Princess style. 102!) (Autumn). — Longer shirts. HO) (Spring).—Return to normal .waistline. The lifting of thr* belt from the hip to the natural waistline, the tendency to frills, flounces, hip draperies, and sash bows, and the general feminising of fashion have been other not, less important, though less definite, factors in the “Back to I lie Whilst ’ ’ movement. AN EXHIBITION OF COOKERV LONDON, .Tan. la. We are now entering upon the season of practical exhibitions. Before Christmas we were regaled with countless arts and crafts exhibitions, as being appropriate to a time when everyone was present buying. Now wo arc in a more matter-of-fact mood. The, spring is coming and our cares should. all be housewifely. Spring cleaning looms large' on the horizon, our houses must be furbished up, new curtains and carpets and cushions and lampshades and decorative oddments should be introduced into rooms which are* beginning to look a little shabby after the long winter. in hardly .more than a month, we have the Ideal Home Exhibition, which tijrns Olympia into a Mecca for all the housewives in England; in less time still, there is the British Industries Fair at the White City; this week there is the exhibition of the Universal Cookery and Food Association, which opened yesterday at Olympia. This exhibition is an annual allair. The first, one was held over thirty years ago. It . was organised by French chefs, and only . two rooms were needed for it. Now the exhibition lias become an international affair and occupies Olympia quite happily. Chefs come to it from all over the world, teams are entered from all the European countries, and “the great culinary international ’’ is contested as hotly as any sporting championship. The United Services enters into the competitions; so, too, do the (iirl Guides and the Bov Scouts and cookery schools of all kinds. You sop naval cooks preparing typical naval meals, pupils, at cookery schools preparing different types of meals — breakfast and lunches and dinners and suppers for.hotels and privnto houses. There are displays and demonstrations of all kinds;, bread competitions, decorative competitions, garnishing (lisp)ays, spun sugar displays, entrees, cakes, apd joints and sweets and .soups, without number. The exhibition does not. have, an appeal merely to chefs, either. It has a great deal -of practical interest for the housewife, who can attend the displays, study the. samples of completed dishes, and learn more about epoking and the. serving of food — which is just as important as cooking itself—in a day, than she would ordinarily learn in six months. , English chefs, can easily hold their own with foreign chefs these days, jyfr. Spun, who has been connected with the .Universal Cookery and Food Association ever since its formation, and is now; its honorary director, says that lie toga seen many changes in thirty years, the .most significant of which, is the movement towards simplicity. .. now consider a iivp-enurse meal suitable even for the most formal occasions, bpt not so very long ago a .fifteen,-'course meal was quite a usqal thing.. Table decorations, too, are just as pretty as they ever, were, but, they are now" much more practical than they Used to be, since they are all edible ! Nowadays people don't like to pay for useless frivolities—they like to cal, t)iei,r table, decorations as well as admire them ! So now when you spe gilded baskets filled with rosebuds and tied with pink hows, if your heart doesn’t fail you at. tho thought, of ruining such prettiness, you cau almost certainly eat it, for it will all be made of sugar. Every country has its own dishes in which it stands supreme, and in England. though we are much criticised for our cooking, there are two things in the preparation of which our cooks are unrivalled —saddle of mutton and grills. Mr. Bonn says that no one can compete with us in these, and alt foreign experts agree with him, so it, is pleasant to think that they have something 1o learn from us—we are toll) so frequently that wo have everything to learn from foreign cooks.

ITALY’S PAGEANT OF BEAUTY

PARADE OF LOVELY WOMEN BEFORE ROYAL PAIR.

ROME, Jan. 7,

Tho most astonishing parade of a nation's womanhood that I ever seen, dressed in brilliant traditional costume, marched singing and dancing through Rome to-day to greet Princess Marie .Toso of Belgium and the Grown Prince of Italy on the eve of their ■marriage. . A scarlet tribune was erected before the. palace of the Ouirinai. All tho visiting royalties now in Rome sad in gilded chairs. On either side of the King and Queen of . Italy were the King, atnl Queen of the Belgians. Among the reigning mouarchs were King- Boris of Bulgaria, the Prince of Monaco, and the Grand Duchess of Luxemburg. , The Duke of York represented Great Britain, and Marshal Detain represented France. But every one was looking at, the young bride and bridegroom. Princess Marie Jose w:ore pate blue. She was a lovely figure of youth, elegance, and grace. Prince .Umberto was dressed as colonel of the 02 rid Infantry Regiment.

Suddenly was heard above tin? noise, of the crowds an extraordinary babel of sound as a. procession of 5000 peasants,-which included, about a hundred remarkable bands, began to enter flip square. The procession, which was several miles l.yng, .was headed by cowboys .from Maremme, where there are still herds of wild horses. They wore sheepskin overalls and high ha ts like those of the Argentine horsemen, and rode half-wild steeds as they grasped Jong. sticks like lances. Behind them, came the most amazing pageant: that ever graced the streets of. a.modern capital. This pageant was Italy’s wedding present to the royal lovers, and took months to organise.

CHOSEN BY VOTE. The 5000 who took part in it were selected by popular vote from every district, in Italy,, and wero invited to Uqme l'or the week’s . festivities as guests of the Government. Towns.and villages .throughout tho country were requested to hold beauty cympetitifms ami, to send their most lovely girls to Rome. All complied with the exception of, certain southern districts, who declined to permit their most- beautiful girls to visit Rome alone, and-they compromised by send-ing-contingents of seasoned chaperones with them, and here and there a startling beauty proved that they possessed such treasures that this attitude, however exceptional, was justified. The result of the great organisation was a pageant of striking women, from the dark, passionate Sardinian types to Titian blondes from Venice. BLAZE OF COLOR. The prooesson moved forward in a blaze of color. Every district hadcome to Ron® in the full splendor of its national costume, and I would never have believed that such a variety of physical types and such a wealth of picturesque costumes were possible in one country.

.There were slow wine carts with red wheels from Umbria, drawn by huge white bullocks, with red and gold tassels' hanging from their heads and swinging as the great, slow beasts swayed onward with clicking of horns. In the carts sat young men and women in their traditional bridal costume. Brilliant scarlet skirts were covered with gold embroidery, and high white coifs drew attention to earrings as big as saucers. The men wore knee-brooches, tied at the knee with ribbons, ribboned hats, and white cotton stockings.

.The girls from Romagna came swaying along, singing and laughing, bearing wickerwork baskets piled high with maize and wheat and fruit, which they deposited as offerings to the bridal couple ns they passed the platform placed there for the purpose. (They, looked ,up to the palace windows with a flash of whito teeth, shouting V Viva! ’’ and wishing the prince and ids princess, long life and happiness and . many children, y .This frank and joyous insistence on maternity as. the only criterion of successful marriage was noticeable right through,the procession. It may have been embarrassing to an unmarried couple or not; it was certainly no more pointed than the same attitude which is expressed in the English marriage service. Villages as far apart as Tuscany and Calabria were animated by tho same desire for a fruitful union, and as a token bore with pride decorated cradles, which the women gaily held up towards the blushing princess as they passed the balcony.

It was all very innocent —and pointed. Some girls bore wax dolls in long clothes, which they kissed and fondled ns they laughed up at their future king and queen. The prince and -princess were deeply interested and obviously touched by this display of affection, aud repeatedly smiled and laughed as they pointed out. to one another some feature of the procession.

LONDON, Jan. S. Clqso-iitting hats are certainly. enjoying gregt popularity this season, but the severity which distinguished cap models Inst summer has now given place to softer lines, and discreet drupings, pleated frills, and bows arc all being featured by the newest millinery.

c Tlih new helmet hats, too, are not as small as their predecessors. Their crowns are still quite small and mould \'lic head closely, but they are given ear flaps, and outstanding wings and original side brims, which all lend the latest models an air of breadth. These hats, too, are especially becoming to wear, and are much more successful than the perfectly plain caps which made a bid for public favor a few months ago. , The milliners are busy preparing their Riviera hats. They tell us that berets will still bo fashionable, but; only if you wear them in the correct, way, that is, well off the forehead and down at the back. Itlaclc satin and taffeta are being used to make some of the very newest, hats, and for hot days in the Riviera sunshine there are lovely hats of colored straw, whose brims droop down becomingly over the face.

The newest accompaniment lor a tailor-made is a,ti untelqpc hat trimmed with chenille, and generally these huts have a folded brim in front to soften the line across the-, forehead. For sports wear, the sntar}cst head: gear of the imummf is-,simply a piece of fine jerspy .cunningly, swathed round the' head, with the edge turned back off the forehead, to give the effect of tut upturned brim. The French milliners are showing a good ninny ribbon models these days. They use velvet, satin, and Petersham ribbons, and, with the cleverness of the expert, twist them into the most fascinating berets and caps. The great advantage of these caps is that they can he titled to 1 ho head quite exactly, so that they suit each portion’s individual requirements most admirably. Some caps are made of a special ribbed ribbon in silk amt wool; i'l'lqs looks especially, well in black, while, for the evening, there are caps of lame ribbon, and for the

afternoon ribbed velvet ribbon is largely used. Generally these caps ; are draped oyer thq nqpc of the neck, j! and are brought down'low over one's ear. , For sole trimming fhtvjr often; rely on a single jewel caught ini: amongst thq,fqlds ,qf jibjjqn,