FASHION NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1930, Page 7 (Supplement)

FASHION NOTES

FURBELOWS. ; FROM A FRENCHWOMAN’S DIARY. ECONOMICAL BLACK AND WHITE. (By Colline Rouff.—Special to News.) Lovely colours have been shown at the Paris dress displays—reds, wine mauves, greens, and browns. But when it comes to the actual selection of new clothes, women are still buying black arid white. The craze for the magpie scheme seems as if it will never wane. True, there is a tendency to use colours with it, which may mean the beginning of the colour rush, though there is no sign of it so far this season. Many famous designers regard this continued preference for black al \ c L white as the logical outcome of women's* new-found dress sense. Others x say economy is the reason for it, and I think they are right. • K The wife of a very famous man, who is quite likely to be called to the other side of the world at any moment, never wears anything but black and white, with touches of green or pinky mauve. She always buys black hats, black shoes, and mauve-grey stockings. _ I think she might vary the stocking shades, but for the ra?t she. is certainly the smartest woman I know. She has just ordered a delightful coat oj black and white -tweed material. There is as much white as black in the design, so that the coat looks grey in th© distance. To wear with it, she lias ordered four small hats; a plain bonnet of black velvet with a gathered back; a plain beret of crocheted black and white chenille; a beautifully cut helmet of finest supple black felt, the narrow brim lined with whit© cloth; ’and, of course, a turban of the same material as the coat. DISTINCTIVE CHECKS. • The -same woman has a very chic frock of black and wliite fine check cloth with a cape to match which can be attached under the collar. Black and whit© check materials are being worn quite a lot, but they ar© not yet sufficiently popular to make you wish you had never seen the pattern. The idea of wearing exactly what all the world ie wearing never appeals to the smart

■woman, so while every one else is just turning away from spots and flecks, I advise you quickly to adopt checks. Talking or spots, there is at the moment, a liking for black crepe de chine patterned with spots of green, blue, rose, red or white, mixed .with spots of the same size in gold or silver. A frock of this material was made with a bodice which pouched at the back, and was quite flat in front; there was a fitted yoke at the hips, and the long skirt flared into yards and yards round the hem. The neckline of your dress—if you copy the model —may be plain, square or 'pointed; you can have a shawl fronted collar of georgette, or one scarf of black velvet and another of the spotted crepe lightly twisted and knotted together in front. THE ONLY JEWELS WE WANT. Beads and necklaces are having a rest. There are quite as many in the shops, but smart women are not buying them just now. Perliaps they are spending all their money on diamond clips and diamond and pearl corsage brooches, which are certainly the favourite jewels for hats, blouses and evening frocks. No other ornament looks so well with black and white clothes. One evening dress novelty I must tell you about; it is a frock for a young girl, and it is beautifully fashioned from black organdie. There is a slightly pouched bodice attached to a full skir t which is shaped a little at the waist, finished with a deep hem of fine black lace, and trinimed with scallops of the lace half way down from the hip-line. A belt of black velvet marks the waist and this is finished off with a trail of ervam camelias across the front. A crown like this Can be pressed after every dance and look as good, as new, and a black organdie frock is much smarter than a coloured one. POTPOURRI OF TOILET HINTS. Many ■ faces are spoiled by the wrong kind of massage. If you apply the massage yourself, do it very gently, otherwise the lines will be deepened rather than removed. Buttermilk will help to clear the complexion. Apply it sparingly, however, or it may make the skin very tender. A quarter of a teaspoonful of salt taken in a glass of water at each meal for three weeks will make, a wonderful improvement in the complexion. Be wary about using cucumber cream. It is splendid for some skins, but it plays havoc with others. Test its effect before deciding to use it in your “beauty treatment.” Witch hazel is good'for the eyes; so is boric acid Vaseline is the only known oil which does not injure the eyes; it actually benefits them. If you wash your hair too frequently it will fade, and its growth may be stopped. Too much soda makes brown hair the colour of ashes, and gives a yellow tinge to grey hair.. Keep linseed oil and lime-watex- always in the house, for they form the one grand remedy for burns. Olive or sweet oil is an excellent antidote in most cases of poisoning. Horseradish leaves, scalded in hot vinegar, will relieve severe pains. Wrap the leaves in muslin before applying, otherwise they will blister the skin.

MODERN MODES IN MAYFAIR.

PLAIN MATERIALS IN USE. Tlie change from patterned to plain materials is not to be permanent, it seems, though at the moment there is no sign of a return to coloured designs on a plain ground. The idea is rather to vary the weave ■of the material. Silks, especially the artificial ones, are woven in vertical and horizontal patterns, and the more substantial fabrics ar© produced in miniature basket weaves and those showing diagonal effects. We are' assured that patterns will come into their own again ere long, but they will remain quite small and unobtrusive. Tiny dots, evenly spread over a plain foundation, have found favour in all types of fabric. The very neatness of the design seems to be its areatest attraction, and it is especially fascinating when dull white pin-spots appear on navy, or beige on brown. RICHER TONES. A Much warmer tinge has crept into brown and red shades, and red is o-radually getting away from scarlet to softer and more genci’ally becoming ruby and burgundy tints. The range of wine colours, indeed, is one of the loveliest we have had for. many seasons. Whether the materials are the more substantial ones for daytime wear, or the softer georgettes and chiffons for dance and dinner frocks, they are all equally charming in colour. EMBOSSED MATERIALS. Some of the designers hope to reintroduce the embossed materials which were popular a few seasons ago. Ninons are treated with designs in velvet, but the patterns are much smaller than the old type, and the effect, is daintier in consequence. These broche fabrics I lend themselves specially well to tjie long, araceful dresses of the moment. A new notion is to decorate soft satin with tiny metal stars and diamond points. Sometimes similar decorations are done in gold, and even bronze is used on brown satin. f TAILORED BLOUSES. Dainty' lingerie blouses are giving place to tailored models, and “fussiness’’ is being superseded by a smartly tailored effect. Over-blouses fit quite snugly over the hips, and the tuck-in models

are faslhoned to give a trim effect about the waist. Linen is used for most of these tailored models, but it is selected in pastel tones rather than in white. Worn under a costume coat, such a blouse is much more comfortable than the loose-ly-fitting one of soft crepe de chine. Not only does it cling slightly to the figure, but it is sleeveless —and there is so little room to spare in the neat sleeves of the. tailored coat that this is an important consideration. JEWELLED YOKES. Very narrow yokes of white or pastel tinted net encrusted with diamente, crystal, or tiny coloured glass beads, are the latest trimmings for dance dresses. They are quite charming, too, providing the “jewel” decorations are in accord with the frocks. . A PEEP INTO THE ZODIAC. DECEMBER 23 TO JANUARY 20. Capricorn and the planet Saturn rule this period and influence the lives of people born under them. Capricorn confers ambition and a persevering, tenacious nature, more forceful than persuasive. Caution and prudence mark the actions and,-policy of its subjects;*- but caution should not be allowed to interfere with progress. A firm will, a strong desire to rule, and great self-possession are to be noted. Diplomacy is a strong trait, also, and there is an ease and freedom of manner which ' establishes good friendship, though actually there is much shyness and sensitiveness, especially with, strangers. These people are- often misunderstood because “they hide their better nature under a cold manner if they feel they are “on trial” as it were. They think much of appearance, and are unhappy if they have to wear unbecoming or shabby clothes. Their “faults are distrust and suspicion, tendency to magnify troubles, indifference, and a chilly disdain of uninteresting people. They are also unrelenting enemies. Positions of responsibility, large undertakings, and work demanding steady application and industry should be sought; success may be found among agricultural or horticultural affairs, in journalism, or with political work. The greatest happiness and best health will be found in the country where there are hills; or, if in a city, in a quiet locality. Affairs of the heart are liable to great and fateful changes. Marriage is likely to be either late in life or very early. There will be several love affairs, and some danger of fickleness. Capricorn people are not demonstrative, but have a keen sense of duty. Affinity will probably be found with one born between April 21 and May 21; August 24 and September 23; October 24 and November 22; February 19 and March 20 Lucky stones, turquoise and onyx; colours, indigo and dark-brown; flowers, white rose; day, Saturday.

FOR BETTER HEALTH. SOME SIMPLE RULES. Get up early in the morning. Go to bed at least an hour before midnight. Eat your food slowly. ■- •• Take plenty of exercise, but not too much. To overdo the exercise “cure” is much worse than taking no exercise at all. Take plenty of baths, but none too hot or too soon after a meal. Refrain from eating too many chocolates." Have your teeth overhauled once every six months. Bad teeth are the cause of many illnesses. Sleep with the bedroom window open, and with your head on a low pillow. A high pillow prevents the spin from netting the rest it needs. ° Avoid heavy meals last thing at night. Resist the temptation to make your tea too strong. China tea is better than Indian for those of weak digestion'. Stop worrying about a favourite trouble. If you must worry, try worrying about something else. Avoid running up and down stairs. Stair climbing strains the heart more than any other form of exercise. first thing a doctor tells a “heart” patient to do is to avoid stairs. BROWN FLOUR BISCUITS. Ingredients: Half lb wholemeal flour, 1 small teaspoonful baking-powder, 5 tablcspoonsf.ul sugar, 2oz almonds, £lb dried apricots, 4 tablespoonsful milx, olive oil. Sieve the flour into a bowl, and mix in the baking powder and sugar. Scald, blanch and halve the almonds; add these to the flour. Have the apricots soaked, washed, dried, and chopped; turn these into the other ingredients, and mix all together. Mak§ a well in the centre and pour in the milk and a littlj olive oil. Beat well, adding from' the dry mixture at the sides till a soft dough, is formed. Add more olive oil as required. Let the dough stand for half an hour. Roll out to a quarter-inch thickness, sprinkle with sugar, and cut circles, semi-circles, and other shapes. Bake in a moderate oven. CAN YOU REST? f " A WOMAN DOCTOR’S ADVICE. “Can you rest?” ' Put this question to a dozen people and the answer in most cases will be something like this: “Rest! Give me the time and the opportunity, and I’ll rest all right.” The statement is made in good faith, the tired ones being quite unconscious of the fact that they do not know how to rest properly. To enjoy rest to the full, and derive due benefit from it? you must relax all the muscles of the body, but this is something which seems, difficult to accomplish. 0 A woman will curl up in an arm chair or recline on a couch, but aenerally she takes up such a position that the muscles which are resting are doina so at th© expense of others. Tl?e way to rest is to lie flat on th© back, and, relaxing every muscle, close the eyes for a given time. A wonderfully “refreshed” feeling follows even ten or fifteen minutes of this relaxation. You may feel uncomfortable unless your head is slightly raised, but you must remember that a pillow should support the upper part of the shoulders as well as the head, otherwise the neck muscles cannot relax thoroughly. A'nother thing to remember is that a rug spread on the floor makes an admirable couch for a few minutes’ relaxation, when nothing more suitable is available. ’>

Resting the brain at the same time as the body is essential to perfect relaxation. This more difficult achievement may. be greatly helped by darkening the room, placing cold pads over the closed eyelids, and arranging a cold wet bandage on the forehead. Remove shoes, loosen the collar and any restricting clothing, and cover the body with a light wrap. To rest in such a manner is to recuperate strength and rejuvenate the whole system. LIGHT AND SHADE IN THE HOME. ARTISTIC DECORATION. (By M.L.) No competent architect would dream of planning a building without calculating for a due contrast of light and shade. What holds good of the exterior of a house holds good equally of the interior, yet few women consider the question of decorations from this point of view. A oreat asset is the wide, open hearth which throws a great splash of shadow across the bricks. Many a modern builder is re-producing this old-world feature in certain rooms, thus adding much to their effectiveness. A deep bay-window serves a similar purpose, producing a contrast of light and shade that is “absent from the purely rectangular room. Where the actual architecture of the room does not make for this contrast, much may be done by means of a careful choice of furniture and draperies. One or two tall pieces of furniture are essential in order to get a shadow here and there to vary the monotony. For this purpose a grandfather clock, a tall, slender lampstand and a well-designed bookcase are all excellent. Alternatively, you might get a contrast of light and shade in the curtains. If the walls are dull, use satinfaced material for the hangings, so that the light is reflected from their surface. Should the walls be pale in tone, contrast them with dark-hued curtains, and Vice-versa. A starkly white ceiling is all against the development of light and shade in the room. In a light room, a deep blue •ceilincr will suggest a rich shadow that is by no means unduly light-absorb-ing. Something of the same result can be gained with a ceiling of dull gold or silver foil-paper. CONTINENTAL RICE SAUSAGES. Ingredients: Six tablespoonsful rice, 5 tablespoonsful sugar, 2 whites of egg, 2oz crystallised cherries, 2oz almonds, loz of butter, sweet biscuits are required. Boil the rice till just cooked, keeping grains unbroken. Drain and cool it, and mix in the sugar. Beat up the egg whites and add these, with the cut-up cherries, the almonds —which must be scalded, blanched and cut into strips lengthways —and the butter. Pound the biscuits to a fine powder and add sufficient of this to form a soft paste. Form small sausage shapes, coat in biscuit powder, and fry pale golden brown. Drain,, and serve the “sausages” hot as a sweet. If desired, a sweet sauce can be made from the rice stock with the addition of sugar, cornflour, butter and very finely chopped, cherries and almonds.