In Milady’s Mirror

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20514, 4 September 1936, Page 10

In Milady’s Mirror

Silver lea Bells JjIKE the lady in the nursery rhyme, “she shall have music wherever she goes,” the modern tea hostess wears tiny silver bells . . • but not on her toes. Her bells are sewn to the inside of the cuffs of wide Mandarin sleeves and tinkle merrily as she moves her arms. Fine Wool Pleated. Frocks of very fine wool as well as those of soft silks have sleeves of the bishop type pleated in the other direction, the long line of the pleats from shoulder to the small cuffs into which they are eaught at the wrist being particularly becoming to short women who wish to appear slimmer and taller. Rubber Buttons. Rubber buttons, of varying sizes and shapes, are to be a new and attractive addition to washing frocks in the coming summer. They are being made in any number of colours and their big advantage is that they will survive any number of tubbings and defy even the mangle to do them any damage. Finishing Touches. Use stiff pique for collars and bows to adorn your tailored dresses and soft silk organdie for the trimmings to go on your afternoon frocks with their dainty shirrings and smockings. A narrow frill of white muslin edging a collar, cuffs and belts of self-material is a new and fascinating finish to a cotton frock. Feathers Again. Feathers have been much in the fashionable eye lately. Curling plumes of glistening feathers, stiff quills or long slim pheasant’s feathers adorn our hats, and whenever a little feather fancy ean be introduced into an indoor ensemble it appears. Necklets of curly ostrich feather tips are novel. They have narrow gilt chains for mounts and are dyed in all sorts of attractive colours. Latest in Shoes. Tueked shoes are to be featured in footwear fashions this spring. The tucks, forming tiny ridges running across the foot are very flattering and make the foot appear smaller. Corduroy velvet, with its raised bands, has the same effeci, and is being used for smart evening shoes. Leather Ruched. Fancy stitching on leather is seen in belts as well as shoes and very soft leather is even ruched for waist-bands. Wide belts of kid are gathered to fit the waist and are fastened with thin leather thongs threaded through eyelet holes and ties into bows. Decorated Pockets. Applique work and wool embroidery is often seen decorating the pockets that are still a feature of so many of our dresses. It may be in the form of flowers, conventional squares and diamonds, initials or large coin dots. A black crepe woollen frock, for example, had a collar and l.ig neck bow in white srwn with scattered shilling-sized spots cut from the black material. Patch pockets and belt were embroidered with similar dots in white wool. Attractive Trimmings. Both day and evening dresses make decorative use of quilting and honeycombing. Smocked fullness makes fashionable sleeves, with the embroidery making them fit neatly at the shoulders. Where coloured wool is used for embroidery trimming, a finishing touch is often added with tiny tassels of the wool arranged as a fringe to pockets, belts and cuffs. Ornamental Sleeves. Sleeves are going in for all sorts of shapes and fancy details. Sometimes a puff ends just below the elbow, in other eases if finishes well above the elbow and is attached to a closelyfitting lower sleeve that comes to the wrist. Sleeves for evening gowns are in fashion and are frequentlj the most ornamental part of a smart dress. All black gowns have sleeves trimmed with rows of jet embroidery and in pastel-coloured frceks, sleeves of the puff or capelet type are sewn with gold or silver sequins. Butterfly Ornaments. Butterflies have come to adorn evening coiffures since the flowers used last season are out of keeping with the quieter fashions of this year. These new ornaments have a touch of brilliant colour in the wings which do not lie flat, but are raised to show the under-part of the wings. Flower Earrings. Flower earrings, carved from such stones as jade or amber, or evolved from compositions that imitate them very well, are the latest thing in jewellery. The flowers are tiny and mounted on screw-on clips and as flowers are brought into one’s dress wherever possible this spring, there is often a clip or brooch to match and a bracelet fashioned from medallions repeating the flower design. Embroidery. Because the smart frock of to-day must have a slim, smooth outline, embroidery, which “trims” without introducing a fussy note, is having a wide vogue. Many and ingenious are the ways in which embroidery is brought into the picture. On woollen dresses, big darning stitches in coloured wool may simulate a joke of the circular or square variety. Herringbone stitches border coatees and bodices of tailor-cut shirt frceks are bringing touches of contrasting colour to relieve plain styles and fabrics. Navy Blue and Biscuit. If you want to strike a new note in your home decoration when you spring-clean, try a navy blue and biscuit colour scheme. You can introduce a little bright colour in ornaments, table runners and cushions and other small items, green, tangerine and red being effective.