SLEEK HEADS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20538, 2 October 1936, Page 12

SLEEK HEADS

Women study the line of their chosen style of hairdressing as carefully as the line of a hat, states Stella D. Lisle in the London “Daily Telegraph.” Whether the dressing be high or low, curls, waves, or braids must be arranged to give the most becoming effect. Although a more bouffant line is permissible for the evening, in the main heads are soignee, and all hairdressing close-fitting and sleek. Many women are apt to overlook the profile view in choosing the way they dress their hair, yet much depends on an artistic side-view, particularly when the profile is good. We See ourselves mainly from the front as a mirrored reflection, and if the sidepieces, in hairdresser’s parlance, frame the features attractively we are satisfied. Other people see us from many angles, afid a good side-view is a beauty asset that tells in hairdressing as much as in millinery. Modern heads are usually easy to look at as the saying goes. Cared-for hair is given a finish that makes it a shining glory. Dark, golden brown, auburn, silver, or even mousey, clever treatment gives a gloss that makes the most ordinary tresses beautiful. Shapeliness of line is the master touch that can be achieved at the hands of the ' expert in cutting and shaping. The way a coiffure is arranged can make all the difference between elegance and the ordinary, and it is well to have expert advice when deciding on a new style. Not Conductive to Charm

The trend at the moment is towards a certain hardness of line that is not always becoming, and though it may bestow a certain distinction to the features, does not conduce to feminine charm. In past periods women have adopted hair fashions that are akin to the present vogue, but the shaven brow of Elizabethan beauties was possible only in view of the picturesque headdresses then worn and the high ruffed collars. The hard off-the-brow line of to-day is too trying with many phases of modern dress and millinery, however smart it may be considered. With the ultra-sleek heads at present in vogue all hard lines should be avoided; the ideal is a faultlessly trim head without hardness. This is not easy, but a study of the latest coiffures designed by expert hairdressers for the coming autumn and winter show how a soignee effect may be attained while still retaining the charm of feminine beauty. A soft wave of hair, a half-fringe, or one or two flat curls at one side will soften the effect when the hair is drawn back off the temples. A slight fringe suits some profiles perfectly, notably with grey or silver hair. The centre parting with becoming and dignified. Only when slight wave over the temples is also the brow is smooth and the hair grows in a pretty line across the forehead with a softening wave should the older woman attempt an off-the-brow coiffure without a parting. For youth a fringe is effective when the back of the hair is cut in medieval fashion, covering the nape of the neck or arranged with close-fitting braids of hair. The plait around the head looks well with a centre parting, either with perfectly straight hair or with waves just covering the temples and softening the line of the coiffure from the peak of the centre parting to the tips of the lobes of the ears. This distinctive style looks best when the hair is either very dark or extremely fair. For the Piquant Nose

Some profiles are all the better for a bunch of curls at the crown of the head; others need a slightly lower, fuller dressing. For the piquant, slightly tip-tilted nose and the rounded contours of youth, hair dressed simply in the nape of the neck is becoming. This may be in the form of curls or. when the hair has been allowed to grow, in a little hoop or “bun.” Hie position of the parting and arrangement of hair on the temples are important details. A high forehead often needs softening at the sides as well as in the centre, and the treatment 1 each side may need to be different.

Every profile varies slightly and one has to decide which line gives the best for each side view In addition to studying the front and back view of a coiffure. Sometimes it is more becoming to part the hair on the right, or a left side parting may give a better effect. There is the short and the long, the low and the high side parting, and a soft wave here or a curl there can make all the difference.