N.Z. Women Are "Dowdy And Eat Too Much"

Chronicle (Levin), 7 October 1948, Page 4

N.Z. Women Are "Dowdy And Eat Too Much"

"New Zealand women all look as if they had eaten too mnch mutton/' said the former official war artist to the 2nd N.Z.A.F., Mr.Peter Mclntyre. "From an artist's viewpoint t'hey look dowdy. Compared with the women of Rome, who have no good looks, they are very depressing," he said. "Th.e trouble is that New Zealand women have not learned simplicity in their ' dress. In doing their hair, they think a permanent wave is all that is ne.cessary. "They don't wear clothes which mafee them look thin," he stated. "They are bad about their feet, too, and don't know 'how to wear shoes. They depend too much on their fresh -complexions, and, though they could wear the best clothes in the world, they don't." For the past two years Mr. Mclntyre 'has been in country districts painting portraits and landscapes. He says that New Zealand is by far the best country to paint in- With the possrble exception of the South of France, it had the b.est ljght in the world. Portrait painting was new to New Zealand, bnt was becoming popular, specially among women, said Mr. Mclntyre. Recently he had painted a number of groups of New Zealand children. By' contrast with the womenfolk, they were a treat to an artist's eye.