Fashions and Furbelows.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18673, 30 January 1929, Page 13

Fashions and Furbelows.

" Notes by Special Contributors i ..

“AT THE FEET OF FASHION!”

Faces have gone out of fashion—at least they are but a minor detail these days, when we dare crop our heads until all the imperfections of our faces and craniums are baldly exposed, and care little or nothing for the texture of our skins. When, in fact, we prefer to cultivate a somewhat “hard-baked” appearance, and fearlessly wrinkle our noses and foreheads hatless under sun and wind. From one extremity, as it were, we have gone to the other, and our feet and legs ,now demand the attention once given almost entirely to the upper portions of our anatomy. Neat feet and dainty legs need an astonishing amount of upkeep. Very light shoes don’t go with a very light purse, let me tell you, unless they are for the very best wear only. And don’t wear them out in the wet if you can help it. This season, black patent leather is very much the vogue, and very unfortunately patent leather, unless it is of the very best, cracks very easily and is apt to draw the feet. Here again they are best for best wear, and a soft black suede or a good-wear-ing shade of tan safest for general use. Another little old-time sentiment, too, has gone out of fashion. “Her feet, like little mice,” are no longer either desirable or desired. Tight shoes were always a delusion and a snare, and the modern girl calls them an abomination and demands foot ease as the first step towards foot beauty. In a few 3-ears’ time, if the present sensible fashions prevail, as seems more than the chiropodist will be almost as hard to locate as the old style apothecary. Wrinkle-Bringers! , Keep a youthful walk and you go a long way towards preserving your youth, don’t forget. Nothing ages one quicker than a painful, tender-footed shamble. A light, springy step makes walking an all-round tonic, and tones up the liver and digestion. If 3'our feet are at all inclined to be tender, soak them nightly' in hot water in which a good-sized lump of soda has been dissolved, and to soften and remove corns use water in which a small quantity of bran has been boiled. Old-fashioned folk sometimes boil the roots of marshmallows instead of the bran. “Lift y’our head, square 3-our shoulders, breathe deep and step’ out like a two-y r ear-old —if you want to sta> r twenty.”

FINE LINEN.

There are some women who still have their linen cupboards full of fine linen. Perhaps the> r were given a quantity of table or bed-linen by their mothers or grandmothers, for, as we all know, linen can be kept for many years without being spoilt, or if they' have been married for several 3'ears their trousseaux probably included a good supply of household linen. Thirty or forty years ago it was considered quite incorrect if a bride, or her mother, did not provide all the linen necessary for the home. Much of this old linen is very beautiful; the sheets are finer than can be obtained to-day\ and the tablecloth woven in beautiful designs. Such linen is, of course, a treasured possession to any' woman who loves her home, but it is apt to be rather a problem at the same time. What is one to do, for instance, with large quilts and sheets when onh- single

beds are used, and with big tablecloths when mats are preferred, both for reasons of appearance and economy? It seems a shame to cut a beautiful tablecloth, so the onh' thing to do is to keep it, hoping that one day it will “come in.” If it is slightly worn it may be cut to make two or more smaller cloths, but care should be taken to follow the design. A good cloth that has worn quite thin in parts may be turned to excellent account by making traycloths, table-napkins and d’oyley'S out of the parts that are whole. Sheets that are too big for ordinal use may sometimes be cut down the middle, neatly hemmed and used for single beds. Large fine linen sheets may be converted into very nice-looking bedspreads without much trouble. To insert good lace or fine crochet work into a linen sheet is a simple way of obtaining a bedspread. Another is by embroidering a sheet in a bold design in either white or colours. A good effect is obtained by* having a large linen sheet dyed to match the prevailing colour in the bedroom, and adorning it with embroidery or applique work.