WOMEN’S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1931, Page 19 (Supplement)

WOMEN’S WORLD

FASHIONS AND SOCIAL NEWS.

/ROM A FRENCHWOMAN’S DIARY. WHITE AND BLACK DIFFICULT. / “ r “ (By Colline Rouff.—Special to News.) Although black and white is chic and $o easy to wear that it makes the most ordinary woman look smart, the same cannot be said of white and black, which is much more “difficult.” White with little touches of black is delightful for day wear in warm.weather; but a white evening gown with distinctive black accessories 0 requires more personality in the. wearer than does any other com-, bination of tones. I think now of a white silk mousseline gown, made with a slim bodice and' a frilled 'skirt. A sash of black taffetas with a big bustle bow at the baek, a demure posy of black taffetas anemonat the simple V front, long black irolvety suede gloves, and black velvet sandals With very higli heels picked out with fine pipings of gold kid—these Were the accessories. The woman wh> wore this dress was very young, very slim, and she had smooth honey-coloured hair and strange eyes With drooping white lids. By reason of her. individual appearance, she could wear anything, be it daringly simple or frankly exotic. I think perhaps the long black gloves struck the note of too much sophistication. BLUE NOT ALWAYS FOR BLONDES. Another gown, of soft white crepe Satin allied with deep turquoise blue satin, was utterly charming. The bodice was cut on cross-over lines, clinging to the figure. The skirt was flared with shaped godets and the hem was faced with the turqUoisb blue satifl. The if long gloves Were of soft blue kid, and the lovely earrings and necklace Were turquoise and crystal. Ton will s ay : “Ah,' another gown for a blonde.” But the mannequin who displayed it Was dark, with, rippling black hair parted in the centre. And the clear white, the vivid blue, apd the sparkling crystal became her to perfection. Do not think alwavs: “Blue for blondes; pink for bntiettes.” That is an old story of times when only white rice powder was used. Now, with all the lovely tints in powder ' . and rbugfe, everything is changed. Besides, all depends oh the oinks and the blues. PINK WITH RED. In Paris, pink is worn . a good deal, but not with black, As' it was last season. Pink with red, for instance, is considered smart for evening wear. All the nice houses make lovely gowns in deep pink tints —some, vivid rose, some duller. One; called “dead petal pink,” is a rich dull tone that looks as if a little grey had been mixed with it. It is immensely becoming to both dark and fait wonlen. A- model in heavy satiny marocairi his a closely fitting top cut in a low V at the back and crossed by narrow straps like braces. The skirt is fashioned with immensely wide godets and has so much material in it that it will spread out fan-wise, but, being of thia rich heavy material, it falls in flute? that are deceptive about the fullness. Not only for fevenlhg gowns is the -pink and red alliance favoured. A twopiece suit of line red silk material, made with a three-quarter coat arid a flared skirt, was completed by a tuck-iri-blouse of rose coloured shadow lace on a georgette foundation, arid a little folded hat of the suit material mbuiitcd on a bandeau of rose pink velvet. IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. Many women ask if long frocks arc really worn in the day time,-and if uneven hems are quite “but.” The day T time skirt must reach to the middle of the calf, otherwise the effect is disastrously bld-faShioped. This is So because the! “line” has cdhiplctety changed. You cannot Wear a niddlsh little, threequarter coat if your Skirt is not many. Inches longer, riot can you wear a gown with a high, waist and a skirt only to the knees. Therefore skirts must be long to carry out the. ided of the new silhouette. Uneven hems are completely dead. The only unevenness you riiay allow is that of a little train on a very formal k dance frock. Otherwise frocks must be straight all' round, please, and of a length which varies throughout the day from six inches below the knee to tne floor. MARZIPAN AND CANDIED FRUITS. RECIPES FOR HOME USE. (By M.M.) I am often asked how to make marzipan rind candied frhits for dessert arid for decorating cakes. The job i? not difficult, and there is a great fascination in moulding the fruits to resemble nature As closely as possible. If you think you would like to try your hand at them, proceed this way: , Take lib of icing sugar, the whites of 2 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of orange flower water, jib of ground almonds, loz of angelica, a few cloves, a little carmine or cochineal; and a few drops of brandy. Sift the sugar, add to it the ground almonds, orange flower water and brandy, and mix .all thoroughly. Add the whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth with a pinch of salt, and beat with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are blended. Leave the mixture for twenty-four hours. Divide the paste into pieces about the size of a walnut, shape them like little apjflcs, finish one end of each with a piece of angelica to represent a stalk, and the other with a clove. Paint a rosy check on the apple with a camel’s hair brush dipped iri carmine or cochineal slightly diluted with water. Chefties may he made by' painting smaller balls with cochineal or earmine, adding long pieces of angelica to suggest stalks. Apricots, and peaches can be made py colouring the paste with diluted saffron or-cochiijeal, and almonds may be placed in the centres to represent stories. For candied fruits put half a pound of canc sugar arid a quarter-pint of water .in a saucepan. Boil the sugar to the “crack”—this is when a little taken in a spoon and dropped into cold water immediately gets hard and brittle so that it' will' break. Wlibn the syrup has boiled to this degree, remove it from the fire. Dip the fruits carefully, remove any syrup hanging beneath, then lay the®! on a dish ar marble slab.

PUT YOUR OWN “WORLD” FIRST. CHARITY DOES BEGIN AT HOME. See that all is well with your own world before worrying yourself with the cares of the world outside. This may sound rather selfish, but .if everyone acted on the suggestion the outside world would be a better place to live in. Charity does begin at home, and it is oiily the ..hypocrite who gives nalf-a-Crown to the missionary fund when her own child is in need of a new pair of shoes. . Don’t be a “misery” within your home and a “good-fellow” outside it. lhat is called “playing to the gallery, and it isn’t fair. Be grateful for the things those at home do for you, before ftissin- about outsiders who are probably only l (doing the “heavy” in order to create an impression. The woman who keeps her own little world in order is doing more for the benefit of mankind in general than the one who is always trying to improve “society,” while neglecting her immediate circle. Knit a jumper for your husband, or a pair of socks for your brother, before doing the same for a friend yoi wish t n impress. You. hover see a bird helpipcr another to briild a nest before he’s got his own nicely, feathered. Its silly to sneer at the woman who feathers her own. nest when she has the chance. After all she’s not doing it for hirseif, but for those who are nearest and dearest to her. When you have built your own little world, arid it’s humming cheerily, you can go out into the highways and byways arid help as many lame dogs as you Can find.

CRAZES IN CHRISTIAN NAMES. POPULAR NAMES FOR DAUGHTERS. (By S.W.) It is Interesting to surmise how fiiaiiy baby girl 4 will be christened “Margaret,” or “Margaret Rose,” this yefir. It is, perhaps, the most popular riaine of tlie moment, just- as,, a short while ago, there was a sudden anil tremendous revival of ‘Elizabeth.” The Hitter, however, has been a favourite sirice the days of Good Queeii Bess, find “Margaret” is a liiinie which Will iiet’fei* “date” its owner. On the other hand, many Christian names do “date” womeri. Piirbnts seldom hesitate to give the popular names of the moment to their daugh-

ters, though bestowing upon their sons more solid and “sensible” ories. homethin" “out-of-the-eommon,” or in the verv° latest fashion, is sought for a small girl; for the small boy 1S _ l -; l,os< '' l a family name, or one winch will i _ unduly distinguish him from the er o"’“ or tend to raise his masculine wrath in days to come. . Wliile their grandmothers were christened Charlotte, Victoria, Harriet, Jessie, Kale, Constance, I nscilla, Jane, or Letitia, the mothers of the I‘ re ® e,lt "eneration are more often called Baibara, Gladys, Honor. Panicla, laula. Eve, Bervl, Dorothy, and the like. At one time* there was a range for flower names, and then nearly every Blrl8 lrl Rose, Lily, Violet, Lavender, Dahlia, Daisv, Rosemary, or Myrtle. . To* commemorate our great victory in the Crimean War, scores of girls born in that year were baptized Alma a name which would inevitably date the bearer, who would probably dislike it for that reason. Nowadays, the trend is for old-fashioned names, like tie honoured and beloved Mary, Elizabeth or Sarah; or else for the very extraordinary ones, such as Gerda, Greta, Ardita, Ilona, Hdri, . Hermia, Erika, Fleur, Dorlce, Merle, Athene, fete. A very far-seeing mother always selects two baptismal names _ for each of her boys And girls. One is rather fanciful or out-of-the-ordinary; _ the other of the everyday, undistinguished kind. The child can choose either for general use, when grown up, and so the practice saves much dissatisfaction.

EASY WAYS OF DRESSING WELL. FROCKS, SUITS AND GOWNS, (By Diana Dane.) Gauging, smocking, and honeycombing are features of some of the most pleasing models shown. And all three are most effective. The hip yoke of a pretty pale green crepe dress is foimed by gauging the fullness of the skirt for six or seven inches down from the natural waistline. The pouched bodice is gauged over the shoulders; the ra-.-er full sleeves are similarly treated from shoulders to elbows; and gauging appears again at the wrists to regulate the fullness so that little frills fall over the hands. THE SMOCKED TUNIC. Of course we have to get the “artistic touch” into the fashionable tunic, so we do it with smocking. The tunic lends itself well to this treatment, especially when made of linen, tunsoie, shantung, or any one of the materials we choose for morning and afternoon 'wear at home. Then it really resolves itself into a glorified artist’s smock, except that the waist e 'I hip lines fire sm as well, so that the lower part flriret in the approved manner over the plain skirt. The smocked waist causes the top to pouch rather prettily, which is all to the good iri these days of blouses aild blouse effects. A “SPORTING” SPORTS SUIT. I like the sports suit that consists of a tartan skirt, finely pleated like a real kilt; a little jacket of plain green cloth exactly matching the green in the plaid, with collar and revers of the latter material; and a green cloth drapped b-"?t with a tartan bandeau. Very neat, this, and. “sensible” enough for any sporting occasion. _ Men, you know, are inclined to smile at our prompt and almost un-rotesting return to frills, furbelows, and famine “crowning glories,” so it is up to us to prove that we can still look as businesslike as the brist of them when necessary. And these trim little oiifits help enormously. DULL AND SHINY. Once more the dull and shiny sides of soft, rich satin are presented io view In one gown. This is . ’.easant, because the play of light and shade cannot fail to prove becoming, 3° long as the colour is right for the individual wearer. Be the satin dead white, pastel tinted, definitely coloured, or black, the effect is bound to be good. I saw the ideal nioflel in black satin. The skirt was fornjed of alternate dull and shiny vertical panels, each no more than four inches wide at the top, but graduated to something like three times that widtlj at the hem to create the essential’ flare; ’ The bodice also was panelled, but horizontally; it -as rather high-waisted, sleeveless, and ’t with a square neckline —because this particular gown was for evening wear. The com-' plementary. coatee—made of Hie same material, dull side out—was just above kip-length, square cut, long sleeved, and finished with a smart roll collar of the sp-tin; shiny side out. THE FEATHERED HAT. I said recently that berets and bonnet? were not the only hats to wear nowadays. Certainly, it is 'refreshing sometimes to get away from the eternal close-fitting model to the more pictures-' que variety. As, for instance, the hat with a shallow crown, a not-very-wide but Wavy brim, and a long feather posed round the crown, the end falling just a little over one shoulder. Try it— in black with a black and white “special pccasiop” afternon gown. It really' is decorative. A WARNING. Beware the sqdden outbreak of red and pink tones, am) be sure . ur colouring ciin stlind these Shades before you, fall victim to them. True reds are fairly “safe” for the majority of women, provid;-’" their .hair is not t sandy colotjr we call “red.” But the pinky-reds are trying, even to the youthful person if she fie neither a decided brunette nor a definite ' blonde. The other day I sat the awful example in the form of a girl v/. •-’fly-red hr,’, r ami eyebrows and eyelashes of the same colour, wearing a cerise and white flecked tweed frock fry to picture it! SOFT WATER FOR THE COMPLEXION SOME EASILY MADE “SOFTENERS.” Hard water has a coarsening effect on the skill at all timhs of the year, but if you add a softening lotion most of the trouble will be avoided. Trike eight ounces of pearl barley, four ounces of rice, eight ounces of fine oatmeal, a similar quantity of bran, two ounces of lavender; put all into a saucepan with three quarts of water, and simmer slbwly for one hour. Strain and bottle the liquid. Put four tablespoonsful into tlie water used for washing the face each morning; and it will smooth the skin in a very short time. A simpler water-softener is imide by boiling three ounces of pearl barley in 4 piiit of water until the gluten is extracted. Strain, and add, a drop at a time, twenty-five drops of tincture of benzoin. Add two tablerpoqnsful of the lotion to the washing writer morning and evening. American girls who are afllicted with t*iilnrge f l pores get rid of the disfiguiemerit to a large extent by using boiax in the water. In bad cqses, a teaspoonful each of grapefruit juice and tomato juice, five drops of olive' oil and two drops of simple tincture of beiizoin, are added as well as borax. If yiiu have discoloured patches on voiir face use rain-water always for washing. Should this not be available, use tap water and add twenty drops of this lotion: Borax, fifteen grains; sweet almond oil, five ounces;, powdered Castile soap, fifteen grains; distilled water, one ounce; and solution of potash, twenty-four drops. Mix thoroughly in a basin, beat for two minutes, and bottle. . A greasy skin needs water as soft, or softer, than rain-water. Take alum and fuller’s earth in equal quantities, put a tablespopnful in a muslin bag and let it soak in the water for five minutes Liefore washing.

BRIDAL CUSTOMS OF FRANCE. PICTURESQUE CEREMONY. (By Sylvia Whyte.) Marriage in France is a .family affairs, not to be entered into except after the most serious discussion on botn sides. If a young Englishman, wishing to marry an English girl, were first to inquire from her father what dowry she could bring him, he would probably be severely snubbed, and regar.le? as an “outsider.” But no Frenchman coriteniplates marriage without knowledge of what money his bride is likely to possess; and every Frenchman With a marriageable daughter is prepared o endow her with as much as he is able to afford —a sum probably saved since let babyhood and known as her dot. In spite of all this, the vhole busp ness is accomplished with so much tact that the people most concerned are frequently led to believe that they have “fallen in love.” In France, as in Spain and Italv, matchmaking is a fine art. “Undesirables” are shut out from the home of the young girl who has just left school, and she is kept urider constant arid careful supervision. But a desirable youth, who has finished both ms education and his military service, will be thrown into her company before'very long. There are dances in the winter, tennis ami garden parties in the suiiimer —all under strict parental eyes—which give the young folk a chance to make each other’s better acqualntanco . . There is no word in France bearing the isame meaning as oiir word ‘eoilitship,” because the thing itself does not exist. Even after all the preliminaries are settled and the young couple are “affianced,” no French girl is allowed to go motoring, boating, dancing, of even on a short train journey, iilorie with her future husband. Stolen tete-a-tetes, even stolen kisses, there may be occasionally, but only under the halfshut eyes of parent or guardian. The portionless bride is , quite unknown. Even in hard-working cire’es a girl brings to her husband a little dowry of her own earning and There are no long engagements in France, either. When a ybiilig man iS in a position io marry, he Seeks a wife. Not before. -a the wedding quickly follows tlie betrothal. , The church ceremony i? a very expensive rilfair, and weddings—as Well as funerals—are charged according to style and “class.” Those of tlie first and second class entitle the bridal party to enter by tile frbnt door of the church, to carpets laid doWh from (he pdrch to the qltar, and to music. Wedding parties of the third class go In by a sTde entrance, arid music and carpets are lacking. Even then the charges are far greater than in Englaikt If I were a French bride-to-fie, I should beg for a “first class” wedding

It must be wonderful to have the big church doors thrown open, r.fter the beadle (dressed in plush breeches, silk stockings, an embroidered coat, a red sash and " cocked hat) Jias knocked three times with his staff; to hear thfe Wedding March peal forth from the areat organ; and to reach the altar preceded by that gorgeous beadle. After the ceremony comes a most interestin" custom, the collection for the poor. The chief bridesmaid looks forward to this pleasant duty. She is now tlie centre of. interest, and everyone shows great curiosity as to the manner, the grace, an 1 the chirm with which she carries out her important part. Giving her left hand to the best man, who wears a dress c; it, while waistcoat, and .white gloves, she steps forward, carrying a velvet bag. Thus the couple make the round of the church, acknowledging all donations with polite bolts and engaging smiles. A Modern Maiden Aunt.

Mise Susan Lawrence, wlidrii everyone admits to be one of the brainiest women i- Parliament, spent a thoroughly domesticated Christmas (writes ii Loiidbn correspondent). She has a large, family of nephews with very decided views a<s to the place (and that a humble one) which women ought to occupy. Miss Lawrence declared with a twinkle in her eye that it does her a great deal o! spiritual good to play the humble maiden aunt; once a year. It is-a’ri interesting comment on the revolution that has taken place in our generation that one’s maiden aunt may be a Minister of the Crown these days.