FEMININE INTERESTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18615, 10 July 1930, Page 4

FEMININE INTERESTS.

PERSONAL AND FASHION NOTES. The Prince at Empire Ban: When the Prince of Wales as chief guest attended the wonderful Empire Ball in aid of the funds of the British Legion, at the Albert Hall, he saw some starting original dresses made of all kinds of British materials, from silk to paper. They were worn by a number of well-known women who took part in the central feature of the ball —a pageant of “Britain and Her Industries.’ ’ The Prince was r.c.aiy five minutes acknowleding the cheers of the 5,000 dancers when at midnight, he appeared in the . Royal Box with Admiral Jellicoe, the president of the British Legion, and others. The revelry at the ball, which was arranged by the British Legion and the British Empire Service League, was at its neight while the Prince was present. A castle tower had been constructed in the centre of the dance floor, and at midnight the floor was cleared for the Pageant. The figure of Britannia, personified by Miss Lily Elsie, appeared on the top of the tower, and fiom all sides of the hall some r.f the most Beautiful women in Society converged upon her. The groups Wxiich?* ey formed represented British industries—iron and steel, cotton, wool, machinery, coal, paper, chemicals and shipbuilding. Miss Elsie, who sat on a throne, was ablaze almost from head to feet with rubies, sapphires and diamonds; her dress was covered with jewels. One of the rings she wore wag set with a diamond claimed to be the biggest in any ring in the world. Another contained two of the largest sapphires known to the National Jewellers’ Association, Who lent the jewels. A third remarkable piece was a diamond necklace with a pendant of the size of an ordinary cigarette case! As these jewels were valued at about‘£loo,ooo, naturally great precautions were taken against theft, and scores of detectives in evening dress mingled with the dancers. The huge train on Miss Elsie's dress was composed of a great silk Union Jack, which spread out in great folds on the stage in front of her. Britannia was joined by St. George —in flashing silver armour—represented by Captain Paul Bennett, V.C.. M.C., and the various groups of women ranged themselves around these two central figures. The sight was a stirring one, which roused the 5,000 dancers to a fervour of patriotic enthusiasm. A group representing the silk industry was led by Lady (Hamilton) Grant, who, with Miss Diana Beaumont, Lady du Maurier’s niece, and several others, wore gorgeous costumes of artificial silk which gave them the appearance of gigantic roses. Lady Bective, representing machinery, was dressed in an extremely bizarre fashion in “American” cloth (British made!), decorated with painted wheels, cogs, and other parts of engines, while Lady Dunn, in a cotton section was a charming old-world figure in a colossal cotton crinoline. Shipping was suggested by Mrs A. G. McCorquodale, Lady Mary Amherst, and the Hon, Mrs Arthur Hewson, daughter of Lady Horne of Stirkoke, in dresses of silk and oiled silk made on a 20-foot frame covered with sea-green silk to give the impression of billowing waves as the wearers walked. Two hundred yards of material went to their making. The headdresses represented ship’s funnels, and the frame had “in tow” a 6ft. model of a new motor-liner.

Viscountess Scarsdale, whose large multi-coloured crinoline showed what clever effects can be achieved by the designers of British woollen fabrics, was accompanied by three English film stars fresh from triumphs ai Hollywood. These were the . famous seven-years-old triplets, Angela, Claudtnc and Claudette Mawby, who were dressed as woolly lambs. Lady Ashley, who lead the group representing the coal industry, wore tights covered with black sequins. Her headdress was a black skull cap to which wree attached lumps of “coal” as ornaments.

The Prince of Wales Js always a good audience, but rarely has he been seen so interested in any pageant or cabaret as he was in “Britain and Her Industries.” He scarcely moved his opera glasses from his eyes throughout the procession, and afterwards sent for Mrs McCorquodale, who had so cleverly designed the costumes, and congratulated her.

There was only one slight contretemps, when St. George in all his armour, who had been hoisted into position as a statue on a high pedestal In the centre of the ballroom, failed to disappear. The lift which had raised him from beneath the floor to his exalted position refused to work and for a few moments it looked as if the knight in all his glory would stick permanently half in and half out of the pedestal. The Prince, who stayed for an hour, had supper with Lord and Lady Jellicoe and their party, which included their three daughters. He did not dance much, but had a very energetic foxtrot with Mrs McCorquodale, who looked very picturesque in her very long frock of billowy white tulle.

Sliver Houses of the We all possessed silver in the ’9o’s. We loaded our dressing tables with Jars, pots and bottles —their “raison d’etre” a puzzle, for none of their lids or stoppers fitted closely enough to contain anything volatile. There were candlesticks, brushes and combs of it, and we peered in a silver hand-mirror to see that we were “in the middle at the back” reflected in a large silvermounted table-mirror. We kept our hair tidy by wearing three silver-mounted combs, and we skewered on our cart-wheel hats with twelve-inch silver pins. We buttoned our 24-button boots and gloves and the 24 buttons down the back of our dresses with Jong-handled silver button hooks. We wore silver brooches and bangles galore and heavy cable watchchains looped across our well-develop-ed womanly chests—one end through a buttonhole, the other attached to a large silver watch in an aggreslvc pocket. We gave our friends sets of silver blouse buttons, shoe buttons ana buckles, smelling-salt bottles and vinaigrettes—for we always felt faint m our stiff tight clothes in crowded assemblies. The drawing-room fairly bristled with silver. Tables were heavily laden with silver-framed photos, and vases by the dozen. A glass-topped specimen table would contain silver miniature chairs, tables, and tea-sets, new and antique. Small rickety tables full of it were whisked over by women’s long skirts. It was hardly respectable not to possess everything for the dining table in silver, also clocks, lamps, letter and date racks, inkstands, table decorations, vases, epergnes, and door-stops, and silver skewers for the table replaced the wooden ones for cooking, in the huge family joint. It was quite usual for a girl to receive half a dozemeach of silver cruets, sugar basins, and biscuit jars for her wedding, and not extraordinary to acquire three or four dozen silver saltcellars in this manner. Our babies, of course, had cases of silver mugs, spoons, and forks, and hit and hurt themselves and each other on the head with their massive silver rattles. For a Bride’s House: Marble and glass are cleverly combined in the decor designed by Mr Guy Elwes, a son of Lady Winifride Elwes, for the Westminster house of a June bride. Black marble, for instance, forms the surround of the drawing-room fireplace, and gunmetal is used in conjunction with glass of a pale grey

shade for a mirror that has a russetcoloured edge. Another interesting mantel-piece is in the dining-room, this time of hand-carved wood with t centre-piece of winged griffins. The entire 14ft wall space on one side of a bedroom is taken up by a striking dressing-table. A sheet of glass rests on two low stacks of drawers. The glass is manipulated in a particularly cunning way, being built up in a straight line, and then cut “on the bias,” framing the round arch which is part of the design of the dressing table. New Zealand Chief Guide: Lady Baden Powell paid warm and gracious tribute to the New Zealand Chief Guide, who is at present on a visit to England. “Mrs Wilson,” she said, “has done remarkable things in an exceptionally short time. All the leaders here marvel at the excellence with which she has done the Guide work in New Zealand. She is endowed with the -true Guide enthusiasm .understanding, and spirit. T am one of her warmest admirers and friends —we all admire her greatly—and I cannot speak too highly of the way she has carried on, with the beautiful and real Guide spirit behind all her efforts. In Guide circles in London Mrs Wilson became tremendously popular immediately she appeared; she was taken straight-away into the hearts of all. The first function she attended here was a simple Guide teaparty—we hold these every week. The moment she came in every-one was attracted to her, and it has bepn the same at every function she has attended. She has wonderful sympathy and a real understanding. “The movement in New Zealand must be very proud to have such a

woman as its chief. There was a big .ally at Guildford on Saturday with he Empire pageant, twice given. At the second performance Mrs Wilson took the salute. It was a rally of 7000 girls representing the county of Surrey.” Fashion Hints: The tailored clothes seen in Paris 1 this season are very smart, especially ihe frocks and long coats, and the trimmings assist towards the slimming line. Rows of buttons skilfully placed and applique work or encrustations are all displayed. Nearly all the the blouses shown with the costumes have 1 trim high collars, and some of the • coats and jackets are fastened only by ! a tie at the neck. Many of the. new 1 collar-lines on the jackets comprise 1 an up-standing short collar—Direc--1 toire fashion at the back, while on the 1 front it is sometimese quite broad. Embroidery is another prominent ; feature, but is seen more on afternoon and evening dresses than where coats 1 are concerned. Sashes of velvet or ribbon, old paste 1 buckles, and lace-trimmed petticoats ■ave all been revived where evening frocks are concerned. Frilled panniers are appearing on some of the picture ■ styles and “Angel” sleeves which droop 1 gracefully from the shoulders, but only ‘ partially veil the arms, are a pretty ■ c olution with a dinner frock. Some of ■ ‘be most lovely colour effects in the 1 nicture frocks for evening wear are achieved by the use of under-dresses i of shaded materials. Thus, one robe- ■ de-style in tulle seen lately had layer upon layer of the material in the skirt in tones of rose ranging from the oalest blush to dark flame. The trimming was of tulle roses in the same shadino.

; Australian Singer: The new elongated evening gowns , are a welcome change for Florence . - Austral, the Australian singer, whose i ! height is best served by the graceful ; I lines of this latest fancy. Green is j her favourite colour and it is repeatled in several of her afternoon and evening gowns. The only jewels she ever wears are diamonds and emer- | aids. Despite her predilection for the , alleged unlucky colour, this young Aus- : tralian has had more than her share 11 of good fortune. The days of early , 1 striving have been long eclipsed by the ;' fame and fortune that have come to 1 her in richest measure. And odefly ; enough, all the great things of her ; brilliant career have come, like Diana’s ; kiss, unasked, unsought. Tennis and bridge are her favourite recreations, and she can often imuse herself and 1 delight her friends by the rapidity ana ’ skill with which she can improvise 1 some dainty addition to an attractive meal or concoct an omelet that would ’ arouse the envy of a Parisian chef. ; Miss Austral recently returned for a ; season in the Commonwealth. . Queen Mary in Cotton: Society has burst out into an erupti ion of cotton frocks. Lancashire makes i cotton, and Lancashire is depressed. ► The vogue of silk has undermined the • old-time prosperity of Lancashire. Politicians have invited the co-oper- ’ ation of society, and society is the belli wether of fashion that the rest of the world will follow. Practical politics you ; may call it. Statesmen and dressmakers ■ walk hand in hand. Helped by the return of old fash- , ions, the type of dress that was worn | when cotton was truly cotton, all frills and flounces, the matter is compar- J atively easy. But a new generation has j t

arisen since theiv—a silk generation, which knows nothing of the joy of the cotton frock. This must be converted. The shops are stacked high with the most fascinating and attractive cotton goods, and sewing weeks have been organised. Some enthusiats even prophesy a “Cotton Ascot,” but I doubt if you will see Queen Mary attend the Gold Cup in a blue check gingham gown. Nor do I imagine thr any debutante will make her curtsey at court in a cotton voile. Without going to extremes, however, there is a wide field to exploit. The Duchess of Atholl took her seat in the House of Commons the other day in a grey cotton frock, and so did Miss Ellen Wilkinson, and the other women M P.’s are following suit. Revielles have sent a delightful choice of cotton voiles and georgettes for Queen Mary’s choice, and she has ordered some cotton gowns. Actresses are wearing muslin on the stage ;tennis stars are forsaking silk. Soon a raid will be made on men s wardrobes. Out will go the silken shirts and pyjamas.