"Seen in the Shops”

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 17 June 1933, Page 13

"Seen in the Shops”

I have just seen another China cabinet on new lines. At one side is a narrow cupooard rather higher than the main part of the cabinet, haying shelves and a lead light door. This is for treasures of old or modern decorative china or glass. At the other side is a cupboard with wooden doors, having above it two small drawers. In /these drawers can be kept afternoon tea spoons and forks and the new little afternoon tea napkins many people are using now. The cupboard would hold cups and saucers and plates, also perhaps tins of special biscuits or which you may hope to hide from the family. In a household with no maid a drawingroom cabinet of this style would save much running about and you could always be sure of something nice for tea when visitors arrive. **»<** A Carpet sale! A carpet sale! Gome and see them by the bale, Carpets up and carpets laid, Carpets rolled and carpets made, Carpets patterned, carpets plain, The fruit of art and skill and brain. Carpets bright and carpets gay, How can you, madam, stay away? Carpets beige and carpets blue, Here is just tlic one for you; Carpets grey and carpets puce, These will last with years of use. Carpets red and carpets pink, 'This is one to make you think, Carpets black and carpets brown, Values up and prices down! • .Symcs for sales and sales for Symes, Makes me blossom out in rhymes. If I appear somewhat lyrical i Do not smile, a smile satirical. A well equipped kitchen is an enormous saving of time and labour. There are certain everyday articles that wc cannot do without and must purchase, but heaps of small contrivances which just make the work easier or more interesting are often not thought about. That special uutloaf tin, for instance, that unfastens when you wish to take the loaf out; that icing. set, which makes fancy icing, which gives such joy at birthday time, a simple matter; those paring knives., whose coloured handles mark them at once in a drawer of cutlery; those saw-edged small knives for cutting, salads and tomatoes especially thin; and then. I saw lovely little coloured knobs for kettle or teapot lids made with a good wide plate underneath to grip beyond the hole the old one made. Bennett and Sutton have such a lovely lot of these things and a shilling or two spent every month or so would soon build up a good equipment of kitchen conveniences.

In towns where trams and buses are available even for short distances it is possible to manage without a raincoat or waterproof, but in the country towns such ’ things are a necessity.- The life of a rubber-lined coat is usually not very long,’ as the rubber perishes. In a new line of rubber-lined coats at the C.R.P. a mixture of cotton in the rubber is :to ..minimise the propensity rubber lias to perish. These coats are on the outside silk in very good shades. Another line of waterproof coats shows coats of a kind of waterproofed canvas in a pretty colour. They are lined with a warm checked blanket cloth, are made with raglan. sleeves, are double-breasted fastening right up to the neck if desired and have a belt. They are extraordinarily good value andj as they arc warm and don’t look essentially a • raincoat, are suitable for many occasions.

We all have heard of portable gramophones, but, how many of us know that portable radios are procurable. No aerial is required and there is no cost, of installation. All you do is to plug in to any electric point. It presents many advantages, chief of which is the fact that the machine may be car : vied easily from room to room. It would be a great boon when there is illness in the house and would help to wile away many dull hours. Davy s have one in stock just now and it is a verv compact, beautifully finished machine. It is quite small, not any bigger than a portable gramophone, and of course there’s no bother with records and there is much more’ variety of entertainment available than with any gramophone. Tt seems extraordinary that now when the winter is only just beginniug one finds sales everywhere. Many firms have been having sales in special lines for some time, but here is Mrs Des Forges having a sale of the whole of her stock. Beautiful coats, costumes, frocks, hats—everything is now being offered at big discounts. I saw a most charming coral georgette evening frock made very simply and accompanied with a velvet coat of the exact shade of coral. In the showcase was a string of coral beads to match. It would be perfectly charming for a dark girl. In house frocks I noticed a dark brown woollen frock made with just one rever of white pony skin —so smart and so attractive. Mis Des Forges specialises in odd sizes and fit tin She never carries old stock so you can be sure that everything is of ’the latest style and cut.

They sav that good buying makes cheap ‘ selling arid the man who offers the best values is the man who buys wisely, buvs large quantities and is satisfied with a moderate profit. George and Doughty have just opened a line of dark brown nappa gloves. They are quoting a special price for them, as they have a great many of them.

(By “Rachael.”)

They are a good dark brown, most useful for everyday wear with any sort, of coat or raincoat. They have gauntlets which will keep the wind from blowing up your sleeve, and nappa, as you know, gives splendid wear. There is sure to be a run on them, so don’t delay if you need another pair of gloves. * * * *

Men are very limited in the amount of jewellery they can wear. Good studs and links and a signet ring is about the sum total. A signet ring makes a very nice wedding present from a bride to the bridegroom. They may have an. initial or crest engraved on the gold ring, but almost more attractive is. a crest or Initial engraved on a stone set in a square setting. Bloodstone lapis, lazula, onyx or cornelian all lend themselves to this, but personally I like onyx the best. Gerrands have these rings in stock and undertake the engraving. A crest can be reproduced from a sketch or from an impression in sealing wax; and, of course, an initial or monogram is a simple matter. Most men will wear a signet ring and value it. What a pity they don’t wear necklaces. It would solve the present. question. * * * *• ■«

The very best value I have seen in silks is a lovely moire in wine, bottle green and other shades. It is not artificial silk, but a pure silk and it has a satin back, lending itself admirably for one of those styles in which the frock is trimmed with godets or strappings of the wrong side of the saline material. Harrops are showing them at an absurdly low price. On tire same counter are piles of printed taffetas patterned with large flowers in the loveliest colours. One lias a pale pink ground covexed - with roses; there’s a lovely pale blue one, and several with a black ground with a design of flowers in colours. If you want a really posh dressing gown for the summer you really can’t pass these—they are guaranteed not to, split, too, and are very inexpensive On the same stand are artificial silk organdies in bright flame and other shades and also some Belderings crepe de chines. These are special snips at greatly reduced prices—an opportunity to be seized. *.'*•**.*

It was a surprise to me to find what very nice ready-made evening suits are on the market. Not only dinner suits either, but full evening dress with tails. Hallenstein Bros., Ltd., have numbers of fittings in stock, but they also make to measure. The numbers turned out of their work enables them to quote what seems to me extraordinarily low prices for evening kit. They have all the accessories; ties made up and. unmade (never wear a made tie—never wear a white tie with a dinner suit —always black), proper white waistcoats to wear with tails on full dress occasions; beautiful silk scarves to protect vour collar and stiff front until you arrive; lovely linen handkerchiefs, silk socks, pumps and even very nice looking sets of pearl dress studs. You only have to go in for half an hour to come out equipped for anv party. **« * * *

Now that, the first excitement over the quota on dairy exports has subsided we appear to be in danger of relapsing into the usual apathetic frame of mind towards a question of vital importance to every individual. True, new regulations are coming into force governing the dairy industry but they, by no means, cbver the whole ground no.r will they prove the panacea for all our ills. The N.D.A. .conference is near, but the best that can be hoped from them is a series of recommendations—they have no executive All men’s hopes are pinned to, the Economic Conference now sitting in London, but it is expected that, this conference may last nearly till Christmas, so that some appreciable time must pass before any results appear. In the meantime what are we doing for ourselves? Not very much. While a national campaign for increasing the consumption of cheese in New Zealand is the only method that will be really effective still we can all do our “bit" by using as much as we can of cheese in our daily menu. The small effort made in these columns has had a definite effect in increasing the consumption in our own locality and it may very well demonstrate what could bo done if the appeal was made to the country. Johnson and Hey have another brand of New Zealand cheese on hand. It is labelled Ruapehu and is put up in tins or packets. It spreads like butter and is very good for sandwiches or savouries. *.* * » *

The speciality at MeGrucr Bone’s this week is a stand, upstairs, full of underwear. A few frocks, cardigans and coats are included in the assortment to be sold at half the marked prices, but the particular attraction is the sample vests There are no two alike, but among them are some beauties. They are mostly finely woven, but every mother knows the difficulty of getting girls to wear warm vests, especially with evening, frocks One I saw was a woollen vest having a yoke of pale pink milanese with narrow shoulder straps. Now, that could easily be worn with a trim evening frock and yet would be warm. Heaps of them are very prettily embroidered in pale pinks and blues. There is no need to wear uninteresting vests even if they are woolly, and probably there would be fewer colds and less influenza if our girls wore more wool. Don’t forget these things I have mentioned arc all half the marked price.