WOMAN'S PAGE

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVI, Issue 69, 28 February 1938, Page 4

WOMAN'S PAGE

LONDON GOSSIP. ROYALTY AT CHRISTMAS. SEASANABLE NOVELTIES. LONDON, December 24. After a very busy “little season,” Queen Mary is spending Christmas with the King and Queen and other members of the Royal Family in. the great atmosphere of Sandringham. How happy she will be to have her i grandchildren round her, and everyone will rejoice to know she is sur- . rounded by those she loves in the home which has been the scene of so many happy gatherings of her own children in their youth. The most attractive clothes seen about just recently are decidedly wintry, for the weather has been altogether too seasonable. However, your i thoughts will be turning to autumn clothes, so perhaps they will be of more interest. A lovely black velvet frock made just as simply as possible, , round neckline, long, close-fitting sleeves, and slim, short skirt, but decorated round the neck and waistline with golden wheat ears, embroidered on to the dress in gilt thread; closely packed at the waist, but radiating out from the neckline like a collar. For practical purposes one of the new black woollens to replace velvet would be equally smart and probably give more service. I have mentioned the touch of gold before, but it is a persistent favorite, so try to introduce it into some dark autumn ensemble —gold kid, gold sequins, or gold jewellery. Weddings can he so picturesque these days when feminine fashions are smart, and one of the loveliest recently might have stepped out of a Romney picture, the bridal gown of white satin with a sash of Romney blue swathing the bodice at the lowcut square neckline and brought round to (lie hack to hang in long fishtail ends over the square train. For the grown-up maids of honor, silver coats over Romney blue satin dresses, with tiny silver caps and veils, and the four tiny bridesmaids in Kate Greenaway frocks of the same blue and silver caps to suit the frocks. Even their names —Annabel, Antonia, Amanda, and Clarisso —suggested the period of their dresses. New Dinner Gowns. Dinner gowns occupy an important place in present-day fashions. The term is elastic, for the dresses that come under this heading' are worn for many other occasions than mere dining. Actually this covers all the long evening frocks that are not actually dance frocks, and long sleeves are usually a feature of all of them, or an accompanying jacket that is part of the dress. For the autumn and winter, materials may vary from broadcloth to lace, while the neckline can be up to the throat, or quite low, back or front, but seldom both. The revival of the square neckline gives one of the most generally becoming styles, and this seems to be particularly suited to the dinner gown. A model by Norman Hartnell is easily copied, but has the smart simplicity of the best fashions this year. Made in deep raspberry red lace, very fine and crisp; ice blue satin ran round the waist, finishing in a soft sash Itow and ends, and outlining the decolletage where the lace is scolloped. This would make an exquisite black gown with black not at the neckline and a ssish of palest pink or turquoise blue. Schiaparelli has many dinner gowns made in fine woollen materials and j crepe, with small fitted jackets heavily embroidered down the fronts, and sometimes on the sleeve tops, with metal threads or sequins. A perfectly plain long velvet gown, with square neckline and long tight sleeves will always look distinguished in any gathering, and how men love a velvet gown. A Touch of Fur. Mid-season collections show some lovely methods with a touch of fur trimming. A grey woollen dress, very neatly tailored, had a. knee-length coat to match, the lower part of the sleeves made entirely of nutria fur, and with bands of nutria down the trout. Incidentally, a long line of fur down tlie front of a coat is a very smart fashion, also the mixing of brown fur with grey woollens. You have probably noticed bow often the Queen chooses these long

I Mia CARMEL LEROY TMiites

stole trimmings of fur on cloth and velvet coats. In this way she can wear the becoming long-haired fox, etc., without losing any inches in height. The long' fox stole consisting of two or three skins is fashionable again. Twisted about the neck and arms, it is very smart with woollen frock and suits for between seasons. As many ensemble coats are made collarless, the stole can be attached at the neckline, to hang down the front in the approved fashion. Blouses and dresses of fine woollen jersey are favoring draped and gauged bodices. Incidentally, jersey is this season’s “new” fabric. Woollen jersey for day dresses and silken, lame, and metal thread jersey for elaborate evening gowns. These are draped and gauged to create the long slinky gowns that have such a sophisticated look on a lovely slim figure. CRAZE FOR SLIMMING. The modern craze for slimming is a great deal more harmful than the tight-lacing of our grandmothers, according to the “British Medical Journal.” In a leading article the B.M.J. states:—■ “Liberal make-up will not successfully hide a haggard, drawn expression, nor an irritable disposition. However, the sex winch for so many years injured its health by tight-lac-ing is not likely to be deterred from slimming by such considerations.” A medical officer of health told the London representative of the “Sydney Morning Herald” that he did not find any ill-effects from slimming' among the young working - class women attending the maternity and child welfare clinics.” “I think you will generally find that among the poorer classes of the community the girls give up slimming when they marry,” lie said. “They go in for slimming while they are al the factory and while they are finding a husband. But oncp they have got their man they cease to worry very much about their figures.” An authority on diet at the London School of Economics, Mrs E. Watts, said that the danger was not so much slimming in itself as that so many young women did it indiscriminately, arranging their own diets without any expert guidance. Very often they cut out foods which were vitally necessary. A slimming diet, added Mrs Watts, should always include one pint of skimmed milk, one ounce of butter, some wholemeal bread and cereal, raw salads, cooked vegetables, raw or cooked fruit, or both some meat or fish, and possibly some skimmed milk cheese. Foods which should be cut out of a slimming diet were refined cereals, sugar, all fat other than butter and cheese, and all puddings and pastry. LARGER TABLE MATS. A short time ago the fashionable size in table mats was a rather large square, wtih a long narrow strip to be placed above, on which all the glasses were arranged in a row, states an English writer. The smartest mats are now bigger, about 18in. long by 12in. deep, and can accommodate ail the impedimenta of dining, including glasses and small bread plate. The most extravagant of these sets is made in finest organdie in pale green, with appliqued border and design in green washing satin. The design is symmetrical, with tiny appliqued squares of satin joined by embroidered cross-lines. Fine hemstitching is used for the applique work. Square napkins are sold to match, and there is a long oblong runner which can he used for the centre of the table or for a serving table. DATES FOR DISHES. “It may not bo possible to fix an exact, date for the birth of Maids of Honor de Cornish pasties, but that can he done (announces a ‘Manchester Guardian’ correspondent) in respect of one now familiar dish—oxtail soup. During the Reign of Terror in France many of the nobility and gentry were reduced to starvation and beggary. The abattoirs sent their hides fresh to the tanners without removing the tails, and in cleaning them the tails were thrown away. It happened that a noble beggar, passing a tannery one day, noticed a pile of discarded tails and asked for one, which was willingly given to him. He took it to his humble lodgings and made what is now famous—the first dish of ox-tail soup. Delighted with ]iis success, lie told his, friends of I he good luck he had had, and there was such a demand for ox-tails in a few days that the tanners, scenting a pro-

fitable side-line in business, put a substantial price on them. But the oxtail had come to stay, and is with us to-day.” It sounds a slightly tall story—for necessity is a wonderful teacher, and peasants (or even tanners) went hungry long before nobles lost their heads or fortunes—but at any rate it is a picturesque invention. NEW FROCKS FROM OLD. Here are two way of renovating an evening frock and bringing it up-to-date. If you cannot do it yourself a dressmaker will tackle it quite easily. With a black velvet or satin frock, fairly decollete, cut off the shoulder straps, of whatever type they are, and fit in a yoke and long sleeves of net or fine lace. Make the net yoke fit flatly round the throat. Add a sash of the net. With a very decollete frock in color, in crepe, velvet, or satin, replace the shoulder straps with a fichu effect of tulle, carried out in .a much lighter or much darker tone of the same color as the frock, and fit flowing panels from the shoulder, or wing sleeve effects, to the fichu. THE WASHLEATHER. It is always worth while buying a good washleather; it will be found the cheapest in the end if eare is taken of it. A large, heavy one should be kept for windows and furniture, and a small, soft one for polishing' silver and cutlery. Never let a chamois leather get dry and brittle, as it then tears easily. Should it get dry soak for five minutes in tepid water before use. To prevent a leather from getting dry and to keep it in good condition store it underneath an inverted glass jar. Always wring out a washleather in clear water after use, as dust and dirt left in will cause it to rot. Occasionally it should be thoroughly washed in warm, soapy water, then rinsed in cold water to which a pinch of alum has been added. Or a few drops of olive oil put in the rinsing water will help to keep it supple. The washleather should be used freely. Polished arid unpolished furniture, leather furniture, and enamelled paintwork ran all lie kept spick and span by the regular use of a damp washleather, preferably wrung out in a weak solution of vinegar and water. Furniture with a cellulose finish should be wiped with water only. Pottery and cutglass vases can he kept bright and gleaming by rubbing daily with the washleather, and it is the best method of cleaning oxydised silver, copper, and chromium plate. HINTS AND IDEAS. Mattresses will keep in better condition if fitted with loose covers of calico, or other durable material, which can be taken off and laundered regulary. After having washed a pair of men’s pants, hang them on the line by the waist and insert wire presses in both the legs whilst they are still wet. The pants will be quite easy to press rvhen dry. If you suffer from tired feet, try the following remedy: Massage the feet well with eau de Cologne and keep rubbing it into the skin until all traces of dampness have disappeared. Dust thickly with talc powder, don your shoes and stockings, and your feet will carry you for the rest of the day without effort.