FEMININE INTERESTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18613, 8 July 1930, Page 4

FEMININE INTERESTS

PERSONAL AND FASHION NOTES. Busy Days For Mayfair Modistes: Tne Dig' dress douses of London are busy hives of industry at the beginning of the season, for they are hard at work making gowns for their Majesties’ Courts, trousseaux iu. brides, frocks for Ascot and other fashionable functions, and outfits for holidays abroad in readiness for when the great exodus takes place to Continental and home holiday resorts in July' and August. Printed, chiffons still retain r:~:r popularity as materials for Ascot frocks, and some very beautiful and original designs were used for race frocks by Princess Labanow at hei Paul Caret salon. One that was very unusual was In navy blue and white print in a design reminiscent of that one often finds on china —a mixture of conventional floral pattern and a Chinese influence. The frock was made with a treble flounced skirt, and the tight-fitting corsage was trimmed with a scarf-collar that, starting at the right-hand side of the bodice, passed over the shoulder, round the back of the neck, and finished in a looped bow op the left side of the bodice. • Each flounce on the skirt was scallopeu and bound with white. The long sleeves had a piece of chiffon, also scalloped and bound, forming a kind of overcuff. With this frock was worn a most becoming hat. It had a medium-sizea brim of black crinoline allied to a, crown of cream-coloured bangkok straw. Three black crinoline flowers were placed at the right side of the top of the brim, and another flower beneath the brim. A gorgeous red shade formed the background of another chiffon printed in a large conventional design in which lilac and green and yellow leaves were introduced. This frock also had a flounced skirt and a high waistline. A separate piece of panel drapery fell from the waist at the back and looked charming as it fluttered in movement. This frock was finished with a .small shoulder cape. Large white and pink poppies printed on a navy blue background were used for another sleeveless model which was accompanied by a short long-sleeved coatee. This gown was cut in very slimming lines and was just long enough to reach the heels of the wearer.

The Princess remarked upon the enormous amount of work the new models entail. They are cut with insets to keep the line slim, and much hand work is necessary in placing the panels, frills, which are frequently bound or embroidered. A new silver lame which had a spot design made a very graceful evening gown, which was accompanied by a hip length coat of the same material trimmed with dark fur. The*sleeves of the coat were tight to the elbow, and then widened out to quite mediaeval dimensions. This material was interesting, because lames are usually in large scroll designs, so the spot pattern is quite a novelty of the season. Jersey de soie is another new material which was made ut> most effectively in one evening of a delicate j oink shade. Cut on straight lines, thebodice was finished with diamante embroidery at the decolletage and waist, and four little bows of the material embroidered with diamante were placed at intervals round the hip line on the skirt. Much Travelled Visitor: ; Some people travel for love of travelling, others travel because they needs | must. Of the latter Mrs Wilhelm | Backhus, the wife of the great pianist, ! who arrived in Auckland on Monday i last, is one. This is her fourth visit to i the Southern Hemisphere, and, asked if she liked travelling, a shake of the head and a quick shrug of the shoulders was sufficient answer. Until quite recently Mr and Mrs Backhus had a I home in London, but they have now given it up, as they are able to make so little use of it. They generally spend a few weeks in the summer at a quiet soot in the Tyrol, where they can follow one of their principal pleasures —that of going for long tramps. Five, six or seven miles at a stretch they take as a matter of course and, although they had be'bn but a short time in Auckland, they lost no time in getting out to see something of their surroundings.

Since their last visit to New Zealand some four years ago, Mrs Backhus has toured extensively in South America, where she was bom, and she has visited practically every country in Europe, with the exception of Russia. All of them she knows intimately, for she has been to them many times.

“Of them all Spain, I think, has the greatest interest,” she replied to a question as to which she found the most interesting. “It is a wonderful country with a great art and a great music. It is having a marvellous renascence and people are finding there is no country like it.” Italy, too, appealed to her and she has a very warm corner for Vienna, which, she says, is the most musical city in the world. “Even the postman and the delivery man will be heard whistling Beethoven melodies as a matter oi course, and it is quite a customary thing for one’s waiter or room attendant to discuss a classic concert or a grand opera performance with you.” Mrs Backhus confessed to having a weakness for collecting antiques and wherever she goes she keeps a sharplyopened eye for them. Old silver she is particularly fond of and old China, and locked away in a London storage establishment are cases of old silver, pieces of Baroque furniture • and precious treasures in the way of ivories. Travelling so much as she has done, she has had unique opportunities fo* collecting, aided by her knowledge of languages, which include English, Spanish, German and French. Mrs Backhus answered that one musician was enough. At one time she had played the harp, but it was an impossible instrument to take around when travelling and where the piano was concerned it’ was difficult to get sufficient onportunities for practising.

Mr and Mrs Backhus are both looking forwajfa to doing a little sightseeing while in New Zealand and particularly to seeing some of the glacisr country. They are keen also to see something of the Maori people, their arts and customs.

The Art of Backing: Lady Diana Cooper and the thirty debutantes who acted as maids of honour at the Queen Charlotte’s Birthday Ball had a more difficult feat to perform than anything they encountered at Court. After they had made their curtsies to Princess Beatrice ard she had cut the gigantic birthday cake they had to retire backwards in close formation the whole way across the ballroom. But one and all achieved this with the utmost dignity and grace.

Everyone wondered how Lady Diana would manage the five little pointed trains on her lovely frock of flesh pink chiffon patterned in black leaves. She ’Mat held them gracefully to left and right of her in both bands, then with head erect and easy, unfaltering steps she made her backward exit with so much charm that no master of noise °nd deportment could have found a +* nit.

It was a very successful ball, notable particularly for the number of beau fiful women. Lady Howe, in a lone frock of powder blue chiffon with p little handkerchief cape, looked the perfect type of English blonde loveliness; Ladv Howard de W-Men’s classical features were suited by her untrimmed dress of pink ard gold lame; and airpner the young girls the Hon. Diana Skeffington, all in bright red chiffon; Ladv Bridcret Poulett in p quaint white mousseline-de-soie patterned with hoops of red ard b’lje and finely wired—almost crinoline

fashion—and Miss Una MacLaren all in white silk net, were strikingly good looking. New Zealanders at the Third Court: On the occasion of the Third Court at Buckingham Palace, the Countess of Hardwicke presented her daughter, Lady Elizabeth Yorke, and Lady Myers presented her younger daughter, Miss Barbara Myers. Two New Zealanders at the Court were Mrs Harry Bell Johnstone and Miss Catherine Johnstone. Lady Hardwicke looked very handsome in a gown of soft white and gold brocade, with a train of cloth of gold. Her daughter was in a dainty dress of white satin, with a train of silver lame. Lady Myers was a very striking figure in a gown of blue and silver lame broche, the corsage being finished at the back with diamoriu ornaments and the skirt having a long, narrow draped train on either side, of blue and silver. The manteau de coeur was of blue and silver. Miss Barbara Myers chose peacb satin, cu<. on flowing lines, and embroidered with tiny diamante drops. Her train was of georgette, embroidered with silver and diamante. Mrs Johnstone was in white lace, with a train of silver lame lined with old rose georgette, edged with hand-made embroidery. She carried a large fan of ostrich feathers in shades of old rose. Miss Johnstone bad a white picture frock of georgette and satin, the skirt having large pleats touching the ground. Her train of pale Gold lame was lined with very soft blue georgette. A fan of blue ostrich feathers was carried. At the Opera: A crowded house at Covent Garden for the opening of the Italian Opera season, included a great many wellknown musical enthusiasts. Sir Harry Stonor, who is Groom-in-Waiting to the King, was in the royal box with a party which included Mrs Arthur Sassoon, Mrs Leopold Rothschild, and Lady Howe. King Manoel was in his box with Queen Augusta Victoria. Lady Ludlow, wearing an ermine wrap over a long-skirted gown of olack lace, was talking to friends, and Lord and Lady Forres, she in a little'green coatee over her lace gown, were with the Hon. Mrs Geoffrey Howard. Lord Methuen’s daughter, who wore a charming loose coat of Oriental tissue with a black gown. Annie Lady Cowdray. in an ermine wrap, Mrs Andreae, who had friends in her box. Lord and Lady Bearstead. and Lady Kimberley were others present. Mrs Thomas Cholmondelev, in a blue tulle dress, was with friends, and sfir Laming and Lady Worthington Evans, she in a gold tissue coat over a flowered chiffon frock, were together. Modernising Bourdon House: When the Duke and Duchess of Westminster take a summer holiday away from England in August and September a good deal of renovation and redecoration is to be done at Bourdon House, the Duke’s attractive Georgian residence in Mayfair. This house will be the scene of many parties next winter according to present arrangements.

The Duchess, Whose rqodern bedroom in her parents’ wing of St. James’ Palace was a symphony in orange, flame colour, and silver, with a “fountain” of orange and silver tissue behind the bed, is planning seme modern rooms in Bourdon House. Panels of wallpaper designed by Lady Eileen Orde, the artist daughter of the Duke of Wellington, whose husband. Captain Cuthbert Orde, is a portrait painter, greatly attracted the Duchess when she was taking a preliminary look round the salons of a Mayfair decorator the other morning. These have designs of fruit blossom and tulips on a beige ground. Beige in all its tones, grading from rose, ashes of roses, and silver grege to coffee-beige, are the Duchess’s favourite colours for decoration. Flower Pictures: The Queen paid a surprise visit recently to the Greatorex Gallery to see the flower pictures by Cecil Kennedy, a young Scottish bank clerk, who paints in his spare time. These bright glowing pictures are most attractive, and the Queen coucht a picture of tulips in a blue Chinese vase, making a wonderful splash of colour against a light background. The Queen hesitated before a study of carnations against a golden curtain, but after the tulips n;»d been taken down and placed in venous positions she decided to have them. Actresses’ Fortunes: Miss Marie Studholme has left nearly £45,000 —a considerable sum lor a musical comedy favourite, for these charming ladies are not, as a rule, the most thrifty, remarks an authority. Actresses leave far smaller fortunes than actors. But Christine Nillson, the operatic star, left £120,000, Anna Held £71,000 and Jenny Lind £40,000. Mi’s Siddon’s fortune was £35,000 and Helen Faucit’s £27,000. Coming to more recent tip-.es, Ellen Terry left £22,000' and Mrs Langtry just double that amount. Gaby Deslys’s fortune ran well into six figures—her pearls were said to be worth £200,000 —and much of it went to the poor of Marseilles (though the rumours persist that this was not ner native place). Her English estate was pio\ed at £7OOO only.

Hand-Painted Wallpapers: Lady Eileen Orde, whose fusband, Captain Cuthbert Orde, has two pictures in this year’s Academy, is an expert decorator and painter of wallpapers. She has just finished her scheme for the bathroom of a firie old country house near Basingstoke. The walls and ceilings are covered with a beautifully executed pattern of fishes and deep sea creatures, so that one has the impression of bj thing in an aquarium. It is not an accidental impression, either, for i-iady Eileen studied the fascinating aquarium at the Zoo to get the exact details icr her designs.