FEMININE INTERESTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18819, 6 March 1931, Page 3

FEMININE INTERESTS.

PERSONAL AND FASHION NOTES. Fashion Changes: Is there such a thing as “bottom drawer” (alias “glory box,” alias "hope chest”) in the vocabulary of the modern girl? Does she from time to time, long before “Mr Right” has appeared on the scene, tuck away between sheets of pale blue tissuepaper some little trousseau article made by herself? Definitely no. She will laugh the suggestion to scorn with the remark: “You should see my bottom drawer! Full of oddments and always untidy.” Here and there one hears of a few ultra-sentimentalists who cling to the collecting habit. But woe betide them if they are found out! Their friends will show no mercy, and the word “hope chest” will be the subject of much banter.

Several of Sydney’s recent brides confessed that they did nothing about getting a trousseau until the diamond ring was sparkling on their third lefthand finger. Fashion’s fickleness can be blamed for this. Engaged girls are afraid to buy and plan too far ahead. Changes come so quickly, not only in lingerie ,but with linen. To witness, the coloured sheets quick entry into Manchester departments. In these days of trousseau teas, when so many brides-to-be display their things, it would be an unforgivable sin not to be up to the minute.

So the idea of mother’s days—that of stitching for the future—has almost died away, except with some girls who have long engagements ahead of them and begin on things they know will not go out of date. In these days, too when young people have “an understanding,” girls frequently get in a stock of materials—enough to make s.Hs and plain frocks—and thus save much last-minute shopping when the engagement is officially announced. But, somehow, less sentiment seems to be lavished on the trousseau. No longer do girls consider that it would not be perfect unless half the things had been made by themselves. Many, of course, make and embroider their sets but there are others whose fathers hand them a fat cheque to get then- things, and orders are placed for sets by the half-dozen. Time was when engaged girls used almost eo wear their eyes out doing fine work on napery. But, argues the modern girl, why put hours of work into table linen when this can be bought handworked and reasonably priced, or as a special bargain at sale times? Many delay their shopping until the right opportunity offers. It is not unusual to see well-known engaged girls spending an r U hi ° r f° n "Manchester departments f -, bi * B uf 0 ?? 5 ' bu y in 8 their household and table linen at sale prices. A gradual change has come about in lingerie a sort of process of elimination by which one garment has now taken the place of three or four Lingerie to-day must lit. perfectly otherwise that essential ‘•poured-iS ones clothes" effect is Many of to-day's brides underwear tailored. One-colour schemes, should be adopted as far as possible, and mules, bed-jackets, winte? and summer dressing-gowns all collected In relationship to one another Shoes may be considered in the S limlnary collection of a trousseau, but

stockings never, for they are not durable.

While the modern bride may decide well beforehand on the material for her wedding dress and the colour of her travelling ensemble, all detail is left to the last minute. She is not satisfied unless her bridal array is fashion’s latest decree, and so frequently the cutting and fitting is left until the last few weeks. Dresses foi her trousseau are also left to the last minute.

Mayfair’s Youngest Set: The bright things of Mayfair are throwing themselves with typical enthusiasm into one of their newest activities—committee work (writes an English correspondent). They are quick to master committee procedure. Lord Castlereagh is organising the young people, including his two sisters. Lady Margaret and Lady Helen Stewart. One of the most interesting scenes of the activities of these bright young things is a national children’s hospital, the Orthopaedic. It has a very young president, the Duke of Gloucester, who simply loves the children, and comes many times unknown to the outside world to see them. When Mrs Henry Mond became chairman of the appeals committee two years ago. she was the youngest chairman they had ever had. and Lady Bertha Dawkins, the Queen’s lady-in-waiting, was concerned as to whether she would be able to stand the strain. The youngest member of her youthful committee is 18 and of this year’s debutantes, Lady Janet Bailey’s daughter Joan. Another splendid worker is Lady Patricia Moore, also 18 years of age. Notwithstanding its youth, this committee has however, got going to such good effect that last year’s efforts brought in £IB,OOO. The enthusiasm of these young people is no doubt due to the fact that once drawn into committee work, they find something of which London life robbed the great families for so long. It is the responsibility towards those less fortunate, which people once had for those living on their estates. Indian Prince as Raconteur:

One of the Indian Prices recently in London gained a reputation as a raconteur. Here is one of his stories.

Hearing that the women in his kingdom were complaining of the subordinate status an Eastern ruler sent an envoy to investigate. The envoy was given a basket of 100 eggs and two horses, one brown and the other grey.

When he found a household where the wife was supreme an egg was to be left as a present; where he encount-

ered a husband who was master in his own house the fortunate man was to be presented with a horse. At the end of the day only one egg and the two horses remained.

On entering the hundredth house the envoy found a silent wife and a man who did all th£ talking. He congratulated the husband and told him that he would receive the gift of a horse. The man was so pleased that he ordered his wife to bring refreshments. She silently left the room. Then the envoy asked his host if he would like the brown or the grey horse. The man chose the brown but a voice from the back of the house called: “No, you’ll take the grey.” The man said that for peace he would take the grey. “Nothing of the kind,” replied the envoy. “All you get is the last egg.” That “Finished” Look: Shingled hair, slender, boyish figures, and severely tailored, mannish-looking clothes are definitely out of date now, states a writer in the Adelaide “Leader.” In these days the more feminine your appearance, the jnore fashionable you are. If your hair waves softly back from your forehead, and is long enough to arrange in one long curl all across the back of your neck; if you can display a figure witfi a few nicely controlled curves; if your evening dresses have high-waisted bodices, tightly swathed hips, and long (lowing skirts, then you can rest assured that you are personally as fashionable as it is possible to be. As it is, all you have to do is to let your shingle grow long enough to be permanently waved up in one curl across the back of your neck. This looks charming in the evening, because it shows off the shape of your head, and it at the same time very neat and tidy.

Figure Skating: London’s indoor ice-skating rinks had a very busy holiday season, especially on account of the return home from school of so many boy and girl enthusiasts (states the “Daily Mail”). Many big rinks had arranged early morning practice classes, and these were attended by keen young skaters, whose ages ranged from five upwards. Grosvenor House Ice Club had many immature skaters, of whom it was extremely proud. One, Joan Nissim, at the age of seven, had already passed the bronze medal test of the National Skating Association, and there was also the thirteen-year-old Fane Gladwin, who was a clever figure skater. These tv o and other children “home for the holidays” were to be seen at the rink every morning. At some of the rinks the mites arrived accompanied by parents or nurses, and many of them took lessons in difficult figure skating, while others learned lo waltz on ice.