WOMAN AND THE HOME

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18959, 4 January 1930, Page 20 (Supplement)

WOMAN AND THE HOME

LEAVES FROM A FRENCHWOMAN'S DIARY.

(By Colline Rouff). All the great houses in Paris have now disclosed the secrets of their new season’s novelties, so women all over the world know exactly what they j must buy if they are to be fashionably | dressed. There are new materials, new lines, ! new hats. And in practically every 1 case the new idea is the better, for, fashions are more practical this season. Beautiful tweeds and woollen tissues are in abundance for making up into morning and sports suits. The newest sports “three-piece” includes a loose , coat which comes to within a foot Of the skirt hem, or maybe it is just seven-eighths length, but it never quite covers the skirt. The full length is reserved for the afternoon ensemble, and the very smart overcoat. The frock that goes with this sports coat has a skirt of the same tweed and a top of wool lace or very beautiful jersey. It is just a matter of taste whether you have a long, closely-fitting over-jumper with a side fastening like a Russian blouse, or a slyn-tight blouse of jersey which tucks inside the skirt or is made in one with it. A Grey and Brick Three-piece. I saw a charming ensemble of grey woollen tissue, with a diagonal line of brick colour. The coat was knee length, and had a shoulder yoke which ended in a point at the waist, the pointed effect being repeated in front. The collar was simply a scarf of jersey in shades of grey and brick; narrow round the back, but widening into two broad tabs that could be left hanging , down one each side of the coat opening; alternatively, when the coat was closed with one large button in front, the tabs could be thrown one over the other and knotted at the side. The skirt was about four inches below the knees and flared at the hem only sufficiently to give a good walking stride. The top of the frock was made in one with the skirt, and was of fine brick-coloured jersey patterned in silver and grey, with a neck line cut in a side point and finished with a row of silver buttons from the point to the waist. A rolled belt of grey and silver leather was placed below the junction of tweed and jersey. *That, by the way, is a new notion. A belt used to conceal the join of blouse and skirt; now it no longer does so, but is placed well below merely for ornamentation. Strawberry and Grey. Another very pretty morning ensemble was of strawberry-coloured tweed. The coat was fitted to the figure at the back with a small inverted pleat from neck to hem; the skirt was a plain wrap-over, worn with i a long jumper of strawberry and grey j hand-knitted wall lace, bound round the neck and strapped down the side with strawberry tweed, j A charming little folded cap of the I tweed, trimmed over one ear with a bow of the material, slightly stiffened and made as flat as a sheet of paper, j was made especially for the suit.* Most ’ smart women have hats of tweed or | cloth to match their coats.

A PRACTICAL FASHION CAUSFPIE. (By a Special Correspondent.) Every woman of limited means knows all the points of the evening dress problem. She wants a frock which will carry her right through the season, doing duty for the big dance and the informal party, giving fairly hard wear, and not being sufficiently conspicuous to become too familiar to her friends. Models in Lace. The new lace frocks go a good way towards solving the problem. In every collection there is a pretty wide range of them, which means that they will be popular wear, and the two chief colours are beige and black. The lace is on the silky side, in a fairly bold, all-over pattern, and the beige models are sometimes almost dove-grey, and sometimes pale gold. They look very well, too, made up over coloured slips, with some kind of ornament on the shoulder, and at the hip to repeat the colour note. Pleats Still in Favour. Nothing is to replace the pleats with which daytime frocks and costume skirts are adorned. With the thinner materials there is a fancy for sunray kilting nearly all the way round, only a panel of from six to eight inches being left plain down the centre front. The tweed skirt has two or three wide boxpleats at the back, the side-front, or the left side, the rest of the _ skirt being plain and without a particle of fullness. A Blouse Note. Te tailored over-blouses for tweed suits are very severe in cut, and they all fashion right up to the base of the throat or have quite high collars. The blouses for wear with silk or fine cloth costumes are just the reverse; they have all kinds of frills and furbelows, and are generally finished with cascades of plisse frills which fall very softly and with charming effect. Millinery Changes. There is an interesting change in millinery. The wide-brimmed hat is entirely absent from the newest models. Every shape fits the head cosily, and the cloche of two seasons ago and the helmet of last year have been ousted completely by the “toque.” This has no kindly sheltering brim. Some models must be worn right off the face to secure the correct effect; others leave exposed the whole of the forehead and the loops of hair which come down on to the temples. Charming fashions for the very young— a little trying for the middle-aged woman! Low-heeled Shoes. With the longer skirts of the season come, curiously enough, shoes with quite low heels. Some of the new ball-: room shoes have these inch-high heels, and one can only imagine that the}' have been chosen because they are a change, for they certainly do not look smart. The reptile skin shoe is beginning to lose its hold, unless it is dyed to match a costume or a handbag.

Building Satisfaction For The Future

(Specially written for the “ Star ” by AMELITA GALLI-CURCI.) £)id you ever consider what a singer would be without an audience? Now', of course, there are many singers who do not have audiences—those who are still unknown, striving for recognition—but they will have listeners some day, no matter what kind. An audience is an integral part of a singer, for after satisfying himself that he has done his best he wants everyone else to hear and be satisfied; and, without that proof, he is not a complete person. Therefore, when I speak of my audiences, I am speaking of a part of myself, for so I consider them. Now, imagine wrhat it would be to sing, giving all of oneself possible, thinking of a great audience as being so closely connected with one that, for the time, at least, they are inseparable, but all the time that other part of oneself is unseen, scattered wide over a monstrously big country, perhaps hearing, perhaps not. What a sensation!

Singing for the Wireless. That was my feeling at my wireless debut. There was I, singing with my whole heart to that other part of me, and I couldn’t see it. I did not even know if it would be listening. Frankly, I was terrified. There was none of the thrill of a concert, where people were before me, and I could know immediately whether or not they liked me. I did not know for several days, in spite of the assurances of the broadcast people, who told me I had succeeded magnificently. They said many nice things—that it required an exceptional and different technique to sing before a microphone; that my voice was particularly adaptable for the tyrannical needs of that little round machine; that I had instinctively overcome all the difficulties attendant upon successful broadcasting. I thanked them politely, and went home, still somewhat dubious. The magic was absent. I felt nothing. Then—the mail began to arrive. Letters from all parts of the country, warm-hearted, telling me how much they liked it! I felt the same way a writer must feel who has sent a manuscript he knows in his heart is his best, but who does not receive the recognition until later. Then I knew that my newest audience was a true audience indeed, and worth singing for. It was a deferred pleasure, but none the less real and glowing for that. It is the same in singing for the gramophone. Letters come from that, too, showing me that I have an audience which sits in its own home, and applauds or condemns just as if it were in a concert hall; but it is nearly always applause, for this audience'will not buy records it does not like, so that I know these listeners like me only by the number of my records they possess. Consequently, when I record, I know that I am building satisfaction for the future instead of receiving it immediately. They Touch My Heart. Meeting audiences personally is another thing I love. By that I do not mean the mere greetings platform, but the actual shaking hands with the people who have heard me sing. This happens most frequently on tour, and the reason is easy to see. People in towns outside of the bigger musical llilllllilillllllllllillllllil!llllll!!llilllllli[lillllllll![||||l!lllllflll||||||||||lill|||||||iij||f

GOOD HEALTH BY SIMPLE MEANS

PLAY TO KEEP FIT! (By H. C. AYLEN.) Whether you are young, middle-aged or old, you should play some game in order to keep fit. Judo-Shinan, the Japanese instructor of the London Budokwai or Amateur Ju-Jitsu Club, has many pupils of sixty—men and women who are as fit as the proverbial fiddle. Not only do games help to keep the body fit, but they help the mind also. When a business girl plays tennis, she must concentrate on the game, - She will cease to worry about her work; her mind functions will unite with each other, and the neglected functions of the body coming into use, harmonious development will be attained. Dancing is Splendid. One of the very best of all games is dancing, when the muscles are brought into easy action and music adds to the joy of the occasion. If we could always dance out of doors, there would be no amusement so good. The one drawback of dancing is that it. usually takes place in overheated rooms. Tennis is an excellent game which! spells life to congested blood, warped I

MY AUDIENCES AND MYSELF .

centres are often starved for music, and eager to know something at first hand of its personalities. People are still worshippers of individuality (bless them for it!) in spite of the celebrated tendency towards standardisation and mass action. Consequently, when some artist of whom they have heard comes to their town, they long to know that artist personally, even if only to the extent of shaking hands and begging an autograph. How they touch my heart—these wistful people who come behind the stage to press my hand and murmur a few words! Of course, there are also the publicity seekers, wanting to shine in reflected glory—every artist meets them. They want to say, “Oh, yes, I met so-and-so personally, and she said to me, ‘My dear fellow . . . and so on, but there are many genuine ones, too. They want to thank an artist for an hour of pleasure, and they do it hiost simply and graciously. When they come to you with tears in their eyes and no words, only a hand-clasp, that is rare tribute. My Audiences Are My Life. I have come very close to many individuals of my audiences. I love it! It is not the tiresome bore to me that many artists claim it is, but a refreshment and a glory. How can an artist say sincerely that he loves the audiences which come to bask in his art, and then scorn the individual members who, after all, merely want to express a deep-felt appreciation? I do not understand that bored and blase attitude.Me, I am never bored with anything, least of all w’ith my audiences, which are my life, spiritually, as well as materially. Neither my mother nor my father was musical, so that my love for music must have descended from my grandparents. My grandmother was Carolina Galli-Rota, a fine singer, and my grand-, father was Giovanni Rota, a conductor. They are my musical ancestry. I have heard my grandmother sing “Una voce poca fa” at the age of seven-ty-two, and it was beautiful; it was art. “Why should not one sing when old?” she said to me often. Why not, indeed? Singing, after all, comes from under the arm of art, not necessarily of age. Of course, if it is an effort, it is not art. This is the' way I see it; singing is only the third step in a natural vocal progression. First is speech, then declamation, such as the theatre artist and the orator employ, and third is voice. Shouting is not singing. Mere volume is not art. When the voice is in natural dynamics, one often hears it compared to a violin or ’cello. The comparison of the lovely tone of these instruments to the human voice is even more common, indicating the similarity of dynamics which seem agreeable. An entire concert by a trumpet or a trombone would not be very pleasant—why should the voice emulate one of those instruments? The natural progression of speech to voice should not be greatly impaired by age. I have never written an autobiography nor consented to have any biography written. I have not done enough yet. Perhaps, when I am seventy-two I shall write my memoirs. By then, I hope to know much more about audiences. (Anglo-American N.S. Copyright.)

body, stiff fibres, muscles and joints. Indeed, the regular tennis player knows none of these things, and Lord Balfour can vouch for the fact that tennis is not a game for youth only. Golf, too, is a health-giver, and has a great advantage in that it may be played in almost any kind of weather. Gain Mastery over your Body. Whatever your choice, play some game, and thus gain mastery over your body. Replace the waste bodily tissue, not only by eating, but by playing games which will help you to assimilate your food, help you to keep vour body beautiful and your mind young. This will require energy, of course, but then energy, is life, it is vouth. it is health! Just one other hint. When you' have exercised well, relax! Let your body go. Let every muscle -rest-awhile.

ARTISTIC “ SPLASHES " FOR VARIOUS ROOMS.

The modern sideboard, with its low back and plain lines, is a far more attractive piece of furniture than its cumbersome predecessor, but it has one disadvantage. When carving is done on it, disfiguring grease-spots and gravy splashes quickly mar the unprotected wall at the back, unless the greatest care is taken. It is well, therefore, to arrange something to obviate this. A good idea is to hang a “ splasher ” against the wall, just behind the sideboard. This can be as plain or as decorative as you like, so long as the colours and design accord with the rest of the furnishings. One of the most attractive notions is to use a length of the material that is employed to drape the windows. If cretonne is used, the design can be enriched by going over parts of it with silk or woollen threads, when the effect will be that of a choice strip of hand embroidery. The edges of the splasher should be bound with dull gold or silver galon, according to the colouring of the pattern. It is well to remember, by the way, that the splasher must be drycleaned when occasion arises, not immersed in water,'which would spoil the galon and shrink the wool-work. Going to other rooms in the house, there are many places where splashers can play their part ixr beautifying and preserving the walls. In the bathroom, for example, a splasher behind the bath could be carried out in deep blue American cloth, with a curly white wave border and a row of gay green fishes applied in oil paints. Stencils suitable for the subject can either be cut out by the amateur or purchased from an art shop.

In the children’s bedroom, the splashed behind the washstand may be of natural hessian, with a wool-work border of green grass and red and yellow daisies, and fat brown squirrels appliqued here and there. Alternatively, it may be made of cream-coloured linen, with a design similar to that on the toilet-ware embroidered or stencilled across it. A cherry-decorated set would look very well with a splasher stencilled with vivid cherry branches to match. R.M.

THE NEW “ FINISHING " SCHOOL. (By MARY LOVAT.) How astonished the Victorian parent would be to learn the modern mother’s notion of a “finishing school”! No longer is it considered necessary that a promising debutante should be “ finished off ” with instruction, in a little water-colour painting and a neat way vvith the latest ballad. Instead, the up-to-date parent pays her fees for a thoroughly practical course of lessons in dressmaking at the hands of a qualified instructress —which is far more beneficial in the long run. At the present time, schools of dressmaking are springing up on all sides. Each has its own system of cutting and fitting, so that the qualified pupil is able to adapt her style to any figure, large or small. A number of the schools dispense altogether with figure-stands, so scientific are their methods, and the pupil, by taking careful measurements and proceeding upon the lines laid down, needs only her chart, her scissors, her material, a sewing machine and a generous table to work with. Useful as such instruction is to the girl who may only need to fashion an, occasional garment for herself, it becomes even more useful should she at any time desire to turn her talent to good financial account. Girls whose destinies take them far from the world of dressmakers and smart shops find that their “ finishing school ” has not only provided them .sdth an amusing occupation for leisure hours, but also with a means of achieving economy. The National Association of Outfitters decided in London to ask the Hotel Proprietors’ Association to cooperate in an attempt to evolve a new evening dress for waiters so as to distinguish them from the guests they serve. Mr E. W. Collett, the chairman, said that whenever there was a change in evening dress fashions the waiter immediately adopted it, says the “London Evening News.” It was a serious thing from a dress point of view that guests could not be distinguished from thos~ who served them. He had been “caught” himself, having greeted as an acquaintance the attendant who put out his hand for his hat and coat. Mr Leonard I-vie suggested a distinctive type of wai -tcoat. Another member urged mess jackets for waiters.