FEMININE INTERESTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18833, 23 March 1931, Page 3

FEMININE INTERESTS.

PERSONAL AND FASHION NOTES Frills Well to the Fore: Most of us at various times have it brought home to us that “there is nthing new under the sun,” (says a London correspondent) and I am certainly realising it in Paris now, for so many of the dress details displayed in the new season’s models at the Paris dress collections are throw backs to those of earlier days. This is by no means a bad thing, for fashions have rarely been prettier than they are today and or.e can honestly admire the beautiful line, the lovely needlework, the artistic colour schemes and the delightful materials that go to make the models designed for the coming spring and summer.

In many of the models one recognises—and in most cases welcomes — “old friends" such as basques, frills, buttons, open hemstitching, short coats, and the return of the uneven hemline which prevailed about two years ago. Perhaps the frills and bertha capes so well beloved of our mothers and grandmothers are the most outstanding features. Frills appear on day and evening gowns and the work they entailed for the dressmaker must be immense. These are not the shaped pieces that appeared in tiers on skirts a little while ago, but gathered frills varying from one to two and a half inches wide, which must take hours to make and apply. This beautiful work was very noticeable in the Redfern collection. All the clothes there were most wearable and becoming. A lovely pale silk organdi Ascot frock had half the skirt composed of two-inch frills, and the sleeves, too. were frilled from the elbow to the edge of the wide cuff which fell over the hand. A senes of tiny frills edged the wide skirt' of a simply but beautifully cut evening gown made of white chiffon printed with a conventional floral design in lemon yellow, pale-blue and pale pink. Frills of crepe de chene formed the bodice of a black crepe afternoon gown, while another black gown for afternoon wear had tight sleeves of frilled lace embroidered with silver. Turquoise, both the colour and the stone, are enjoying great popularity. At this salon a lovely evening ensemble was composed of this shade of heavy silk. The gown was classically cut with a skirt moulding the hips and falling into fullness at the hem. It was accompanied by a matching coatee finished with a frilled black collar and long black gloves were worn. A black crepe afternoon frock had a “monk’s” collar of turquoise blue crepe de chene and the black belt was finished with a turquoise buckle. In the shops one sees tray upon tray of turquoise necklaces, turquoise brooches, and pastes and turquoise hat clasps. So this is another “friend” returned to our midst after a long absence, for a few months ago one rarely saw a turquoise ornament —these were favourite jewels of our grandmothers, and have come back to add a very pretty colour note to modern fashions. One does not see so much of the ensembles composed of a crepe frock with long coat. There is a decided preference for three-piece suits composed of skirt, blouse, and hip-length coat. For evening wear a wide scarf-cape, usually of the same material as the dress, has in many cases replaced the long or short matching coat. This is draped round the shoulders and looks like part of the gown it accompanies. Sometimes these scarves are furedged. Naturally these are good for summer wear, but would not be very cosy for cooler weather, so possibly we shall not see them after the summer. In contrast to these brief wraps was a long white satin coat edged with dark fur that accompanied a lovely classically cut gown of white satin—but these very long straight coats need a woman of tall figure to carry them off successfully, for their grace lies in the long ,'ine from shoulder to hem. which the short woman does not possess.

English Girl to Live on South Sea Island: Miss Brenda Dean Paul, the beautiful daughter of Sir Aubrey Dean Paul and Lady Paul, of Westward Ho, Devon, is weary of the distractions of modern social life and is leaving England this month to live on Tahiti, in the South Pacific. Miss Paul, who is twenty-three, discussed her plans. “I shall live in Tahiti, which is the largest of the French Society Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, and is a ten-days’ trip from San Francisco,” she said. “It is a heavenly spot, so completely peaceful, and although there are fewer than a dozen white residents I know I shall be very happy there. I am tired of the frantic life of cities, and, moreover. I have fallen in love with the climate and the loveliness of Tahiti. “For some time after I left school T appeared on the stage. I was in ’The House of Glass’ and ‘Lido Lady’ among other things. While I was staying in Hollywood last year I visited the island. I have taken a house, and all that I am taking with me are my two dogs and a small suitcase. Anything else that I shall need I can )> u .v. from the Chinese shopkeepers at Tahiti. During my visit I came across a native fruit which is very difficult to find. I picked some. While eating it I met some natives who became wildly excited. They declared that !l ere is a legend that whoever eats the fruit is destined to return to Tahiti. I left the island with no intention of going back, but ever since I have had a queer longing to return, and at last I have succumbed. “There is plenty of sport to be had —shark spearing and wild-boar hunting, and I have hundreds of books at the house. The Tahitians are wonderful people, simple, gay, lazy and most friendly. All the work on the island is done by Chinese, who keep the shops. A girl friend is going with me. and will live with me for some time ’■ Miss Dean Paul’s mother, Lady Paul, is widely known as ’ Poldowski,” the composer daughter of the late Henri Wieniawski, the Polish violinist. Women Buyers: “The land of ‘straw ballots,’ the United States, has just held a referendum to find out the percentage of women to men buyers in all that relates to the retail trade of the nation. The result has been to demonstrate that 85 per cent, of the buyers are women,” says a writer in the “Daily Mail.” “A similar census was taken not long ago in Canada with aim os t identical results, showing over 80 per cent, of women purchasers of the ordinary necessaries and luxuries of life. Is it not fair to assume that in England the percentage also lies somewhere between 75 and 70 per cent.? I put the figures at that slightly lower level because I really do not think that Englishwomen have quite so much to say in this matter as women across the Atlantic. But, even on that basis, it is perfectly clear that nearly all business concerns need to study the demands of women more than the demands of men.

“In this connection there has been a strong upward curve on the charts of commerce. In Victorian and Edwardian days women and men were probably about evenly divided .as ‘shoppers.’ Gradually the purchasing pendulum has swung more and more towards women. With the scope of their earning power tremendously enlarged, women have had more money of their owri to spend than ever before. “Recently members of the Canadian Manufacturers’ Association gave a banquet in connection with a Produced in Canada’ exhibition m Mon-

treal. Women were invited to the dinner to interest them in the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement. In fa.ct, the Whole programme made a definite appeal to the women of that country. That is a suggestion for our own Federation of British Industries and similar commercial bodies An outstanding feature of that elaborate bid tor women’s co-operation was a fashion parade, of course illustrative of Canadian-made’ costumes, gowns, dresses, coats, millinery, and all that sort of thing. Now this winter we >hall be having another British Industries Fair, I presume, simultaneously in London and Birmingham. Why not copy the Montreal example? And not fashion parades only, but other and really original devices to catch the eye of that 80 per cent.? “The more our women make their influence felt for the British-made article the more prosperity we shall have . A woman speaker at the Montreal banquet pointed out that never in history have women had such a chance to assist their own nationals.

“Even ships, she said, are built primarily for women. Ocean liners have become more and more luxurious because women will not stana discomfort in travelling. Women insist on having adequate homes, all the luxury trades depend upon them, while motor-car manufacturers do not hesitate to admit that the advent of the woman driver has had a great effect on the style of cars. Even the tobacco trade, once so exclusively man’s province, has been affected by women. On our women rests largely the future of Great Britain in our home markets. Can we put too much emphasis on that? Few t.hines within our reach will so quickly relieve unemployment as the consumption of our own goods and products in preference to those from other countries.” Lord Lascelles' School: The school to which Lord Lascelles, son of Princess Mary, is to be sent is at Worthing, right awav from the town and about a mile from the sea (writes an English correspondent). The school is eouipped with playing fields which are the envy of many another preparatorv school in the neighbourhood, and Lord La scenes will be able to have plenty of nractice at riding. of which he is so fond. An excellent beach when the tide is out nrovides opnortunity for a really thrilling canter along the sands. The youthful Lord Oxford and Asquith is also a pupil at this school. He has been there for a year or two now. and is one of the "star” actors of the school, and also an excellent little rider. 13 000 Miles of Honeymoon: Six little bridesmaids in long frocks of powder blue velvet and with wreaths of blue velvet leaves in their hair, and two small pages wearing the kilt, attended Lady Beatrix Cadogan at her marriage to Mr Henry Peregrine Rennie Hoare at Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Street, yesterday. The bride, who is the elder daughter of Earl and Countess Cadogan, wore a lovely Princess gown of white duchess satin and a veil and train of tulle, edged with family lace. Though Lady Beatrix carried a bouquet of white chrysanthemums, there was a welcome promise of spring about the church decorations, which were of daffodils, mimosa and tulips, and also in the bouquets of bright, red tulips which were carried by the small bridesmaids. On acount of her f ather’s serious illness the bride was given sway by her uncle, the Hon. Edward Cadogan. and only a very small reception for relations was held after the ceremony. After the reception Mr and Lady Beatrix Hoare left for a 13.000-mile honeymoon cruise to the West Indies.