WOMAN'S PAGE

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVI, Issue 96, 23 May 1938, Page 4

WOMAN'S PAGE

LONDON GOSSIP. BRITISH INDUSTRIES PAIR. TRADE FOLLOWS THE FLAG. LONDON, April 2. Once again the British Industries Fair has demonstrated the beauty and variety of British manufactured goods. Each year the number of visitors from the provinces and overseas increases until now this Fair, conceived by a man of vision during the dark days of the war, has assumed mammoth proportions, having incredible influence on industry. There is a saying that “trade follows the Flag.” At the Fair trade certainly follows the Queen, and many foreign buyers have orders to buy duplicates of all goods bought by the Royal Family. One firm told me of an incident this year. They had a new article on the market but had not sold a single one of them. The Queen came along one day and was so interested she bought one, and within half an hour they had sold 45 others. Both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary are indefatigable in their efforts to promote home trade, and spend much time and money in this way. I have often been asked what do they do with all they buy. Well, both queens have an enormous list for presents, which include the staffs of their households as well as personal friends. This accounts for the great variety in their purchases. Both queens had chosen velvet for their ensemble on the day I spent at the Fair. Deep rose trimmed with blue fox made Queen Elizabeth’s threepiece, with velvet toque trimmed, matching feathers, and handbag and cut out court shoes in suede, to match the greyish beige fur. New Handbags. The handbag section proved fascinating, although the variety of styles almost defeats description. Top handles and top fastenings have become great favorites in nearly all the new bags. The shapes vary from very flat and square to oblong, threecornered, and box shapes, also long, pointed, draw-up bags, most of which were in suede. Indeed, suede is first favorite amongst bag materials, and the newest method of treating this fabric ensures a fast dye—a great boon when a dark bag is carried with a light suit. The glove section interested me enormously because I found that so many Continental style gloves are now made in this country. Very fine skins in kid, suede, or leather are used for these fancy gloves, ornamented with punehngs, stitching, lacing, and tuckings. Hand-stitched gloves are very smart, both for sport and on more dressy styles, and practically all gloves have a gauntlet style cuff, worn loose enough to pull over the hand easily. Colored gloves have had a hard struggle for popularity, possibly waiting for sufficient colored skins to make them reasonable in price, but the exclusive dressmakers have been having them hand-made for their clients to go with individual models for several seasons. This year they have become a general fashion and the glove departments in the big stores now carry good ranges of colored suede gloves. I have previously mentioned the vogue for these handknitted, yellow stringy hunting gloves, for wearing with country tweeds and winter outfits. They are now made in other colors but I still think the yellow ones look better with almost any colored ensemble. Material Beauty. In the fabric section of the British Industries Fair one is fascinated by the beauty of design and weave. Woollens that have the smooth touch of silk, others that are rough and loosely woven in exquisite color blended tweeds. Tweed colorings favor two or more shades of one color, particularly in the bold striped plaided and checked fabrics which continue to be favored for smart country clothes. Jersey fabrics which originally came from France are now made in almost stocking quality in this country. These jerseys are the smartest material for town and evening clothes. The evening gowns being of the long, draped, and slender styles so successfully achieved in jersey fabrics. The printed fabrics resemble the herbaceous border in high summer. Artists have splashed every color on the paillette into floral designs, large and small, but particularly large. These are being made into evening gowns and so beautiful are the colorings and designs that no trimming is needed. One dress shown had a tiny bodice rucked down the front and fitting the figure to the hip bone. From there the skirt spread by clever cutting, circular and gored to many yards round the hem. The softness of the fabric gave this gown a slim appearance when static, but a graceful, floating fullness for dancing. The Cape Ensemble. The cape is having a great success this season following its introduction into smart fashions last year. Recently the Duchess of Gloucester wore a three-quarter length cape over her sports suit at a race meeting, and this has given fresh impetus to a style which many women find so convenient. The cape as the third piece of an ensemble may be of the same fabric or different pattern, but taking up the colorings of the suit or dress.

\JiiM j I CARMEL LEROY 5 y&tiu

GIRLS IN “DIGS.” ADVICE ABOUT ROOMS. PERSONALITY IN FURNISHINGS. Every year hundreds of girls migrate to the cities in search of carters, states a writer in the “Daily Mail.” They settle down in girls’ clubs, hostels, or in inexpensive furnished bed-sitting-rooms. And unless they are extremely lucky their surroundings are cold and impersonal and sometimes downright uncomfortable. Now I am all for these “daughters in digs” renting unfurnished rooms and doing them up themselves in the time they can spare from their career-making activities. In this way they would provide a background that reflected their own personality and that had something about it akin to home. With this idea in mind, I dedicate this article to dwellers in furnished apartments, in the hope that it will lure them into the fascinating—and not necessarily expensive—experiment of furnishing their own “digs.” FURNITURE FINDS. Unpainted wooden furniture is an excellent means of furnishing a girl’s room attractively. This is to he found in the turnery departments of most large stores. Some of it is quite unusual in design, and there’s a simplicity about all of it that lends itself to being hand-painted. If you prefer the untreated wood, go over it occasionally with some good furniture wax. Other sources of furniture are auction sales and second-hand dealers, if you have the time go around and pick up chance bargains. Try to avoid furniture that will give the place a bedroomy appearance. Have a corner hanging closet with curtains rather than a cumber'some wardrobe, a divan instead of a bed, and in lieu of a dressing table you can buy a narrow desk and fix a wall mirror above it. COVERINGS. If you are tired of the conventional cretonne and printed linen window treatments, try hessian. This coarsetextured and neutral-colored material makes cheap and excellent hangings. It is also splendid for “tailor-made” slip covers. For color relief it might be edged with bright-colored tape to match your general color scheme. Whatever your choice of curtains and hangings, bear in mind that you have only the one room, and that plain colors are easier to live with than dizzy designs. HEATING. i Heating is often a difficult problem. An open fire, while certainly the most cheerful, is impracticable for students or business girls, because it takes too long to be effective. (Like the “daily” who has to attend it, it sometimes sulks). Gas or electric fires are by far the dig-dweller’s best method of keeping warm. Old-fashioned high-ceilinged rooms are the most difficult to heat. W all panel heaters are good for this trouble. These panels are used in conjunction with your usual method of heating. Their job-is to warm the air—not heat the room. Placed underneath a window, for instance, where draughts usually occur, they equalise the temperature of a room and enable you to keep warm without hugging the fire. Do not, I beg of you, get into the habit of cooking makeshift meals on a gas ring. There’s many a damsel trailing around looking peaky and poorly because of this pernicious practice. If you must save money on food, get a small grill—there’s a good one on which you can cook delicious, nourishing’ dishes. Not only that, hut it gives you a chance to be hospitable. And if you’ve progressed so far, you’ll certainly want to entertain, if not lavishly, at least with the realisation that you have no need to apologise for your surroundings. FURS IN WINTER. DRYING AND CLEANING. When furs get wet they should not be dried in front of a hot fire, states a writer in the “Manchester Guardian.” They should be hung in a current of air, shaken well, and gently combed. To remove dust and fog deposits during the winter an occasional dry cleaning should be given. This will not only improve the appearance of the furs but will lengthen their lives. Rub the linings with a. piece of cotton wool dipped in non-inflam-mable benzine. The method of cleaning the furs is the same in each case, though a different preparation will be needed for different colored furs. For grey fox and squirrel use fig dust, obtainable from a com merchant’s. For white furs use calcined magnesia or a mixture of equal parts of hot salt and powdered starch. For brown and other dark furs clean with bran heated in the oven. Shake the fur and brush out loose dust. Put the fur on a table, dip a heated cloth into the cleaning material, and rub it in the wrong way of the fur, getting right down to the skin. Leave the cleaner in for an hour or two, then shake and brush it out thoroughly. Then brush the fur the. right way with a soft brush. Apply the cleaner again if the fur is very soiled. Small

furs can be put into an old pillowcase or a bag with plenty of the cleaner and shaken and rubbed for a few minutes. Furs are improved if hung out in the sunshine occasionally. RUSSIAN BRIDE. INTERNATIONAL TROUSSEAU. Many countries are contributing to the trousseau which Princess Kyra is collecting in readiness for her wedding at Doorn early in May, writes Marianne Mayfayre in the “Daily Telegraph. ’ ’ Russian ladies in exile are making lingerie items, which will be exquisitely embroidered. Princess Kyra has a preference for white nightgowns. While heavy silk is being employed for many garments, it is not the sheeny variety of silk that the Princess has’ chosen, but the heavy, matt-surface crepe and ninon weaves which look almost like lawn. Hand-made lace as well as embroidery is used for trimming. ENGLISH TAILOR-MADES. From England—where she is well known—Princess Kyra is taking many tailored styles. She is planning to spend part of her honeymoon in this country, and the suits selected are of the country type, suitable for shooting parties and race meetings. The Princess likes English dress accessories, and many of the smart belts and bags to go with her suits will be selected from Bond street shops. Germany, the bridegroom’s country, is also making contributions to the trousseau. The Princess is obtaining some of her summer frocks from there. The bridal gown of white satin is being made in Paris; but Holland, too, will obtain her custom. She is having' some afternoon frocks made by the smart couturier at The Hague who has served Princess Juliana in her wardrobe needs for years. Princess Kyra has extremely good taste in di'ess matters, and is able to give the designers a lead. AN IDEAL ROOM. IMPORTANCE OF COLORS. The ideal guest bedroom should look bright and human to be a success, advises an overseas writer. Fresh flowers, ash-trays, and other necessary trifles create a sense of welcome and make the room look as if it were meant to be used. In a recently earried-out scheme, bed furnishings, the curtains with box-pleated valance, dressing-table skirt, and the similar skirt around the wash basin, are of blue printed sateen, with a sprigged pattern in chintz colors. This is a new cloth. It looks just like glazed chintz, is fadeless, and washes time and again. The great advantage this material has over chintz, is that it looks freshly glazed after ordinary ironing, without the trouble and expense that chintz entails. ENAMELLED WHITEWOOD. The kidney-shaped dressing table is of simple construction, just three drawers made of whitewood plainly enamelled. A piece of the same material fitted under the plate-glass top adds to its attractiveness. The frill around the wash basin, while hiding unsightly water pipes, conceals a toilet cupboard fitted to the wall. A tall mirror, fitted above the wash basin, with glass shelf, gives fulllength reflection and makes a large wardrobe unnecessary. An interesting feature is the niche within easy reach of the bedside. The reading lamp is cream pottery, with a plain parchment shade. The bedspread and dressing table stool seat could be made of plain blue cotton repp, and in this case the lamp shade could be made of the curtain material, trimmed with the same frilling. Walls are covered with a sunshine primrose-color matt surface paper, the ceiling, and paintwork to tone. This color looks well with the plain deep blue carpet that covers the floor.