Fashions and Furbelows

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17183, 29 October 1923, Page 9

Fashions and Furbelows

Notes by Special Contributors

THE FRIENDSHIP TEA-CLOTH. A short time ago I Trent, to have tea with two old ladies. As soon as I entered the room, my eye was arrested by the beautiful circular teacloth which covered the little round

table. The edge was worked with the ordinary festoon embroidery, but* the entire cloth was covered with extraordinary hieroglyphics which stood out daintily from the line linen. They were the names of all the friends these old ladies had made during their long lives! Each name was beautifully embroidered, and the character of every signature faithfully traced. Men, of course, had only written their names on the cloth, and other clever fingers had done the work ; but many women friends had embroidered their signatures themselves. There was no question of uniformity about this “ friendship tea-cloth ” : the writing was dotted 2bout just where fancy chose to put it, and the result was a curious and amusing patOUR PARIS LETTER. (From PAULINE COURLANDER) THE POSTILLION HAT. As the most likely successor to the cloche, we have the postillion hat. This is worn well down on tho head, its small brim turned up sharply on the left side revealing one eye in all its shining beauty, while the other remains discreetly shaded. A folded ribbon, a tinsel cord, or a supple quill are some of the best ways of trimming our simple hats, and there is a decided penchant towards something sticking out at one side—something like a super shaving brush, for preference. or even two shaving brushes side by side. CURVED QUILLS. Quills are made to do all sorts cf things for which nature did not intend them. For instance, one quill

will be twisted into a loop and another will stick straight out of the brim like a pointer’s tail and these two will form the only trimming on a hat of faultless shape. The quill is altogether dear to the heart of the Paris milliner, possibly because more taste and skill can be? shown in its disposal than in almost any other form of trimming; and the lines of the hat it adorns show to their full value and make a ready excuse for the enormous price charged by really first-rate houses. A hat that depends on its shape for success is certainly much more difficult to copy than a beplumed or beribboned one. There is a charming hat of black taffeta with, scalloped edges ; three rows of them round a very wide brim and nothing at all round a squarish, rather low crown. BOX-PLEATED SKIRTS. A skirt that is sure to he popular 1 may be described a 3 consisting of four i box-pleats, two very wide ones back and fi-ont and two narrower ones at the sides, held fn bj two shallowpockets on the hips. EVENING WRAPS. A voluminous cape, of silver grey vel- j vet has six or seven rows of narrow j strips of moleskin round the hem, with j a space- of three inches or so between \ each row, and a huge upstanding and outstanding collar made of moleskin strips arranged in horizontal and perpendicular lines. Another equally full cape was tucked on the shoulders, the tucks running from the shoulder nearly to the elbow and forming a deep yoke from which the fullness spread. The collar was a billowy mass of ostrich feathers. CROCODILE SHOES. Shoes fashioned of crocodile, lizard, sntfcke or hoa constrictor skin will not split at the markings if they are treated weekly to a p-entle massage with a good cream. Without this attention they are apt to crack—a calamity in view of their costliness.

WHERE A STITCH SAVES NINE.

When making dainty lingerie, blouses, or frocks, an, immense amount of time and eyesight may be saved by haying a garment hemstitched bv machine wherever you intend to faggot it or put in insertion. Cut through the hemstitching and you then have two firm picot edges to which to stitch the insertion, or to faggot together with embroidery thread. The small sum pier yard charged for hemstitching is more than repaid by the dainty, fine finish given to your work, and you can make three garments to every one yon would finish were all the fine seams done laboriouslv bv hand.