WOMAN'S PAGE

Hokitika Guardian, 26 March 1932, Page 3

WOMAN'S PAGE

LONDON AS OBJECTIVE.

(From a "Woman Correspondent)

LONDON, February 9. Imagine a frock that is “killed” by a fog! A frock, fresher than a flower, which has to be made on the same day that is to be worn, lest a single night in a cupboard should inake>!its;!flounces droop! It sounds fantastic, but yesterday I saw a hridemaid’s dress, (more like- a sea of foam than a concoction of silk and net) which was made •« few hours before it was shown because there had been a fog the day before, and the weight of the fog would have depressed, ever so slightly, its crisp, milk-white cascades of net.

This creation made its debut at a historic occasion, the first trade show of all-British models—British designs, British materials and British workman ship—ever held in London. This marks the opening of a big drive to make London the fashion centre of the Empire. London is going to rival Paris. It is making a co-operative effort to enabif fashion houses, whether in Britain or overseas, to buy their designs entirely from British model-houses, instead of being forced to go to foreign capitals where the exchange is against them.

Several of the best known exclusive West-end shops are joining in the new movement. Hitherto they have always kept their designs to themselves, but r.ow Jane Munns, Reville’s, lsobei’s of Bond Street, Hartnell’s and other leading dress designers are organisin': shows for the retail trade. Some of the London designers have already achieved a world-wide reputation One is a young man, Mr Norman Hartnell, who only left Cambridge University four years ago. His bold, original designs are the talk of London. Another famous English designer, ( Captain MoJ.vlieux, is head of one of the best-known Paris firms. Now he is coming back and opening a London house.

The Newest Frocks. The first British Model House, (which will function on exactly the same lines a* the famous Paris Houses) has met, 1 am told, with instantaneous -success. Certainly enterprise and imagination lay behind many of the models paraded at the Mayfair Hotel. The designer/ a woman who owns an ultrasmart dress shop in Davies Street, has invented several new ideas which are likely to be copied by the Paris® dress makers, and, in fact, by designers al! over the world.

One is a new and amusing eoat-and-skirt, in bridge colours, to be worn over a bathing suit. Another is a set which solves once and for all the perennial problem of the English weekend. The whole outfit is executed in two colours. First of all there is a long coat. Tf this is in green, it has a lining of white silk with green spots. This goes equally well with a plain green silk dress having a white and green spotted collar, or with a warm white woolly cardigan suit having r. white and green spotted silk blouse. There are two hats, one in white felt for the cardigan .suit, and one in white straw for the green dress. The finishing touch is a green bag which goes equally well with either. I have never seen a more dainty and neat, ensemble. And it is a complete week-end suit, because it provides both for a hot, sunny day on the river or .the courts, or for a chilly day when a thin frock looks out of place.

The piece de resistance of the show was a wedding dress which was like a snowdrop. It was of white satin, straight to the knees, fm c ] flaring out into a long train, llelow the knees it was embroidered with madonna lilies whose green stalks ran straight up tinskirt in lines parallel to the green piping on the empire bodice.

ABOUT THE NEW LINGERIE. Lingerie, Ave are told by a Paris correspondent. is having much attention lavished on it by the French designers With so little interest being shown in regard to Piviera fashions, the tendency is to find new “lines.” The correspondent tells of a nightgown in pale rose crepe satin which has a flat round collar of the material encircling the shoulders. This is made deeper by a scalloped border of pink crepe “Ttireo” to correspond Avith an identical border of the crepe set to fall round the hem. This diaphanous crepe veils the ankles at about n depth of 12 inches, and a coronet surmounts amonogrnn) tlelicatelv < mbroidered in pale pink on to the left side of the crepe which extends from the satin shoulder line.

OVope Tureo is of that crinkly chiffon variety, but a little heavier for lingerie modes. Tt is successfully used on the bias in Avhite for combination chemise knickers. These sJioav a dainty embroidered Vand.vek pointed frilled trimming studded with a French dot over each point. A nightgown conforms, and could be Avorn at a robe d’interieure if supplied with a slip. The same trimming is applied, but tavo dainty frills take a jacket line below a slotting threaded through witit a narroAV tafleta tartan ribbon. These frills are repented iri a set of three at the hemline.

AN EXTREME NOVELTY. Priormoubeads are used in ! onden for the single strand necklaces, some of which are the usual length, someAvhat longer than a choker, and others of Avhieli are long enough to be wound

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about the throat and bang below, the belt. Jade green alone or combined with white coral is exceedingly fashionable in both the genuine stone and the clever imitations in composition, An extreme novelty that will intrigue the younger set is a necklace of medium length, in this green and white combination, fastened with a white bar. A single matching bracelet three inches wide is worn. Four strands of the big beads are used in this, the green and white alternated, and slipped through four white bars. In other colours, brown and orange, and brown m two shades, the bead string is varied with rondelles, some very Oriental-looking in dull gold.

COLOUR COMBINATIONS. In the new autumn tones there is a peculiar shade of green. Some dismiss it as sage, others give it quality with an imposing title, but it is a most confusing colour for one’s complexion. Be careful not to use a tangerine or sunburnt shade of powder, because it wid give to the loveliest complexion a cruel sallow tone. Effecti/e with this green shade is a dash of coral or raspberry rouge, and lipstick to tone.

Then there are the romantic shades of fuchsia or nnilbeiry for evening wear. A These colours are kind to any complexion—the paler for blondes and the deeper shades frr brunettes. In some of the most fashionable clubs and salons in London and on the Continent these colours have been used with good effect in soft woollen materials, and have oven invaded the dinner and dancing parties.

Omit cosmetics when wearing your tweed suits; they give an appearance of •ffectation.

The brunette girl should always try for colours that show the tones of her hair and eyes to advantage. A medley of bright reds, yellows and white on black backgrounds give added character to her colouring. Noiwoman looks as well as the brim■eite in jewejjery. AH jewels become the dark hair and fair skin, and add to the elegance of her dress, whereas the same jewels would make a blonde look cheap.

DIVORCE A LUXURY. Divorce seems to be a luxury. Can it be that when we are impoverished, we, as a people, have not so much time to get into mischief A The much-decried Victorians may have had the truth when they quoted to their children. “Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do.” Whatever may be the cause, the figures for 1931 in divorce show a fairly all-round decrease on those for the preceding two years.. The numbers of petitions filed, decrees nisi and decrees absolute, have dropped approximately to the level of the years precepdinnr 1929 and 1930, Of the 766 petitions filed during 1931, 399 were filed bv wives and 367 by husbands. Tn 389 of the 683 cases where decrees nisi were granted during 1931. the wife was the petitioner, and 213 Ihe 591 decrees absolute were granted on wives’ petitions. Adultery was tile ground stated in 168 eases and desertion in T 53 cases. The most common gi ound was separation for not less than three years, the number of petitions filed being 347. The average ages of husbands and wives at dale of marriage in cases where decrees absolute nere granted during 1931 were 27.1 years and 23.9 years respectively, and the average duration of marriage was 12.4 years.

HAVE YOU TRIED THESE Economical Pudding (no butter or eggs) Melt 2 tablespoons dripping, stir in 2 tablespoonfuls jam, 2 tablespoonfuls sugar, one cup flour, 1 small cup of milk in which is melted 1 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. Put- 2 tablespoons jam at the bottom of a basin, nut the above mixture in and steam for 2| hours.

Steamed Apple Batter Pudding. 1 cup flour; 1 small cup sugar; 1 cup milk; 1 egg; 1 tablespoon butter or dripping, 1 teaspoon baking poAvcier; pinch of salt. Beat butter or dripping and sugar to a cream. Add eggs and beat well together. Add milk and lastly flour with Avliich the baking powder and salt have been sifted. Half fill a basin Avith uncooked apples, pour the mixture on top and steam 2.1 hours.

A Good Family Mutton Pudding

ljlbs lean neck of mutton cut into pieces. Add two sliced potatoes, 1 onion, pepper and salt, dredged Avitli flour. Line a basin Avitli light suet crust, fill it Avitli. meat etc., and 1 cup of cold water. Cover Avith crust and doth. Boil hours.

Blackberry Sponge. Half box of gelatine, half cup of sugar, half pint of blackberry juice, four eggs, one pint of boiling Avater Cover the gelatine with a half cup cold Avater, and soak for half hour; then pour over il (lie boiling Avater, add the sugar, and stir until dissolved : add tlie, blackberry juice and strain into a basin and let- stand until cold and (hick, stirring occasionally. Then beat to a stiff froth, add the well-beaten whites of the eggs, and boat until smooth; turn into a fancy pudding mould to harden. Sorv - Avith vanilla sauce poured around it.