The House wife

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18439, 24 March 1922, Page 2

The House wife

A SUMMER TRAVELLING CLOAK. The conservative woman is never in a hurry to change a fashion that is becoming to her, and while other women of more fickle nature are growing weary of the chemise-frock and eagerly anticipating developments on the part of fashion, she is quite content to wear the style that suits her best and that is acknowledged, even by those who crave for change, to be the most comfortable and “easy” of modes. The chemisefrock, moreover, when well-made, is graceful as well as comfortable, and suits all figures, but when badly cut and narrow in the skirt, it broadens the broad figure and make shapeless the “old-fashioned” figure. It is lovely, however, when made by the skilled dressmaker or the clever amateur, and indeed, so popular is the one-piece frock that there are women who have revolutionised their wardrobes since its arrival, disposed of their blouses and separate skirts, and always wear chemisefrocks of one kind or another. Various experiments have been made, with this particular type of frock and the latest idea, of course, has been to produce a newer Silhouette by devising a frock that appears to be in two parts. As a matter of fact, the frock is actually

made in two separate parts-Vlong-waisted jumper-uodice and skirt—but the two being united, the garment becomes a chemise-frock though imitatiug a separate skii’t and jumper, the delusion being naturally] emphasized when the top is of fancy material and the skirt of plain stun or vice versa. This marks a point of departure from the simple little chemise-frock cut actually in one piece piece, and further novelty has been introduced through the medium of bead girdles in mixed colours, some of which are quite Orientallooking. A girdle in red and blue or orange, green and blue beads is a handsome addition to a navy-blue frock; or when something quieter is preferred a girdle of dark blue and white beads is effective. On cool days, the one-niece frock needs a cloak, stole, or wrap of one kind or another —it may be a shoulder-cape of marabout or fur, a of black satin, or a somewhat heavier one of accordion-pleated, fine gaberdine. In any case, when one-piece frocks supplant blouses and skirts In a wardrobe, it must not be forgotten that they involve, as a necessary complement, a more or less substantial wrap to take the place of the costume coat.

Allusion to wraps is suggestive of a need that comes with the holiday season, namely, a travelling cloak, for which blanketing of summerweight quality, is one of the most fashionable and popular stuffs. This season the travelling wrap, whether coat or cloak, is light-coloured—-sometimes white with a pale-blue check, sometimes pink with a white check, sometimes self-coloured or striped in lemon and white, and so on. Tl)e choice in colour-styles is very great, and while there are many “loud” blends in harmony with modern “futurist” ideas, these are counterbalanced by numbers of delightfully artistic colour-schemes materialised in tweeds and blanketings in quiet colours. Illustrated is a simple travelling cloak of mauve blanketing, of summer quality, cut up at the bottom to form its own fringe, and the fronts turned back in a novel way and closed invisibly. This beautiful cloak could be copied, of course, in cloth, with equally good results Large slits at the sides are made for the arms to penetrate.

HOME-MADE FLORAL TOILETVINEGAR. Those who possess gardens can, in the season of flowers, easily prepare for themseves an excellent toiletvinegar Every day sweet-smelling flowers and leaves should be picked and the petals tossed into a large empty jar in which has been poured two ints of white vinegar. On putting in fresh petals, shake the jar and afterwards recork it carefully. A month after the last addition of petals has been added, filter the liquid, and it will prove to be a delicious toilet-water. A pickle or red cabbage jar may be used as a receptable for the petals in the first instance.

JUMPER-DRESS OF FOULARD. Very cool-looking and refreshing to the eye are the 'all-white toilettes that are the choice of the river-girl and the tennis-girl, and in contrast to these are the beach frocks aqd "country” frocks of gay-coloured cretonne, worn with rustic hats of basket-straw, wreathed with cornflowers and poppies and fruits, while between the two styles—the coloured and the uncplcured—are jumperfrocks of white cotton-gaberdine, pin striped with pale or dark blue, and, perhaps, piped or strapped with colour and finally completed by a sash or belt, also in colour. Shoes and stockings, as we know, play a very important part in. dress of to-day, and for smart wear at the

seaside, or elsewhere, there is a vogue in bronze gipsy shoes, allied to bronze-coloured transparent hose. The alliance is charming, and the bronze shoe truly justifies its revival, for only lately has it been seen a.gain after a lapse of years. It completes a brown toilette to perfection, and is triumphant, again, associated with a navy-blue dress or suit. Grey footwear is always a safe choice, and a mole-coloured frock is never set-off to better advantage than by shoes and stockings of its own colour. Just the frock for carrying one on through the rest of the summer is suggested in the illustration, and it made of foulard, it would be nice as a house-dress during the autumn months, or could be worn, of course, under a cloak for out ot doors until something warmer were required. The frock is a very simple one, but if copied in a pretty colour would be very attractive—as, for instance, in saxe-blue with a pattern splashed over it in white, or in cherry-colour with black splashes and dainty little collar, sash and narrow hems to the skirt and jumper of soft black satin. The jumper is of the ordinary Magyar kind, but the usual short sleeve is replaced by a long one, finished with a folded cuff, secured with invisible fastenings. The skirt is quite plain and the wide sash is finished with tassels.

The becoming hat illustrated with the frock is a material one, with turned-down, shady brim and high crown, swathed with wide fancy ribbon, tipped with a tassel that droops over the left brim. The material hat is in high favour this summer, and the underneath is not infrequently of georgette or taffetas. Smart examples of the material hat aye of black net lined with royal blue silk.

SPONGE VERSUS CLOTHESBRUSH. In matters of the toilette the Frenchwoman is a recognised authority, and her recipes for cleaning clothes and making them last are worth having. “You brush your clothes with a stiff brush, said an enlightened Parisienne, “and it is true ypu have removed from the stuff ali dust and loose specks. Bul what about grease marks, tea and coffee stains, jam

and sticky sugar stains? Every time you have used the brush you have probably taken on to it various little particles of such substances as I have named, and unless you wash the brush often it will soon, be the brush itself that returns particles of grease to the stuff, so that it will become a case of a costume serving only to clean the brush and the brush to soil the costume! Why not use less of the clothes-brusa and more of a fine sponge? To clean a costume, dip the sponge in water, then squeeze it until it is just wet, but no longer full of water. Pass the sponge over the costume and it will take away with it not only dust but mud-stains, sugar marks, etc., leaving only gfrease-marks unmoved, andi these can be quickly detected and taken out with a warm iron laid over the stains for a minute, and a piece of blotting-paper placed between stain and iron. Rinse and dry the sponge after use.”