WOMEN'S INTERESTS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1932, Page 3

WOMEN'S INTERESTS

Hints from Home and Jibi oad.

MEMORY OF ROYALTY. JINTERVIEW WITH QUEEN. It'is contrary to. all rules and regulations ior a member of the English Royal Family to be interviewed by a journalist—but one, and a wohian at that, has the distinction of having achieved an interview with the present Queen.,.;. . ..v

| A NEW FRAUD; ? FROCKS ON APPROVAL. A new, yet old, form of fraud has been discovered in London, where society parties are being closely watch- , ed; Well-dressed women who wear 'ifO’w- dance and dinner frocks nearly •"'every night may not be; nearly so rich as they seem; This; is the conclusion arrived at by a Brighton shopwalker, who has been playing the part of detective at fashionable dances there in an effort to put a stop to a new kind of ' fraud, which is being .practised by women customers. . The "detective" was instructed to mix with crowds at big public dances, and make careful notes-of the newest and costliest dresses- worn by women guests. The notes were then submitted to saleswomen at a leading store and compared with the descriptions of dresses sent out on approval the previous day. It was found that one one night three dresses sent out on approval to women who' said • they would prefer to make a. choice in their own homes had been at dances and returned next day "not wanted.” The manageress of a fashionable frock shop told a Sunday Chronicle reporter : "The - dresses often show no signs iof being worn, but obviously if the practice is allowed to . go on we shall lose a great deal of business. Women are not going to buy a new dress for a dance if they can wear one without any cost to. themselves. We are determined to find out the women who resort to this sort of practice and force them to purchase any dress which they wear while they have it on approval.”

She is Mrs Mary Roberts Rinehart, and she: tells the story of her Royal interview in a book 'of memoirs which she has published this week under the title of “My Story.” V ■ ' How it came about she declares that she does not know, but one day during the war, while on leave from the froil t, she found herself face to face with tfte Queen. “I was astonished to find her. very handsome,” she says. “Her-,col-ouring was soft and beautiful, her eyes quite lovely. . . She dresses badly, bht she is undeniably handsome. As for the interview—well, it appears to. have been a case of “the interviewer interviewed,” for the Queeli took the offensive and plied Mrs Rinehart with questions about “the condition at the front; conditions of the wounded ; of-hospitals.”

“Save that 1 was obliged to repeat, to the Queen the story of my visit to the King .of the Belgians,” writes the would-be interviewer, “in the end it was the Queen, whd‘interviewed me!' ! During the interview Mrs Rinehart discovered that Queen Mary lias a keen; sense oJ humour.' The story of how she told the King of the Belgians that she had received very exact instructions to keep ? at least six feet away from him during the interview, proved altogether too much for her Majestyand she laughed heartily.

NEW BATHING FAD. A friend who is enjoying the sunbathing in the South of France tells me that the latest craze among the belles of the beach is to have their toe nails dyed to match their bathing suits. The costumes ’are becoming more exiguous, every season. A pair of abbreviated shorts and a narrow brassiere i,s the latest expression of the desire to attain as much as possible c f the fashionable "mahogany” hue.

ARMLETS OF FLOWERS. GOWNS FOR EVENING WEAR. Armlets and braces made of fabric flowers are the latest additions to the new evening gowns made 0 f pique, muslin, voile or . organdy. One charming ivory white frock 'shown in the collection of a well-known Parisian dressmaker who has recently come to London had, for example, shoulder straps made entirely of tiny daisies. The top of the bodice in this case was outlined in flowers iy match, while a wreath of daisies, to be worn low on. the forehead, added just that ? touch of .smartness which I was necessary to make the whole costume really, “chic.” ./ In the same collection rows of flower, bracelets stretchng from the wrist to the elbow finished several of the velvet coatees made to be worn over these dainty cotton frocks. > As an alternative to flowers, ostficn feather necklets .were worn with many’ of the gowns, and one particularly charming evening frock had a sleeyeless jacket made from ostrich feathers dyed to the same shade of delicate shell pink.

HANDBAGS OF STRAW. Handbags made of 1 straw are the latest rage- in Paris. The straw may be matt or shiny, it may be used alone or interlaced with felt of the same colour, but it figures on all the newest bags made to match the smartest models designed for race" meetings and other important social functions. PRICE TAGS IN PARIS SHOPS. For ‘ the ' first time in Paris price tags are displayed in the Rue de la Paix—and in large, bold figures—from; £8 and up. In the prosperous days after the war, such a thing as asking, or even eventually finding out the price of objects in this and other popular, shopping districts • of the rich was an unknown quantity. IJo-day pennies are being counted behind many a marble-fronted dwelling, while the silk lining to a jewelthreaded bag wears itself to threads.

FLOWERS OF WOOD. TO MATCH BARK-LIKE FROCK. A frock of “gnarled” silk closely resembling the bark of the tree that inspired’ it, was undoubtedly the most unique of the many original models 1 ■aw this week at a collection presented by . Arem—one of London’s youngest dress designers. It was a backless evening gown suspended by two strap-like slots, which both passed over, the left shoulder. These were finished with' a little knot of flowers made of sandalwood, mahogany and teak. The only other ornament to the frock was furnished by a flexible belt, made also of polished teak and Sandalwood.

In a certain chic jewellery shop in this same street is a sign that says, in English “Bargains,” while across the street another seller of precious stones displays placards 3ft high reading, “40 Per Cent Reductions.” In a. certain shop (one of the largest couturiers) near the Place Yena “Little Price Shop” has been opened for sweaters, scarves, accessories, “and a few original models-at perfectly ridiculous prices,” originals for £l2. WHEN BAKING CAKES. SOME TASTY RECIPES. Orange Cheesecakes. Ingredients: 2 large oranges, 1 tablespoon butter, £ lemon, £ cup caster sugar, 1 egg, 1$ teaspoons cornflour, 2 tablespoons water. Method; Line tartlet tins with ,short, ■crust or flaky pastry. Halve and squeeze juice from oranges, add the grated peel of one orange, and the sugar, butter and egg all beaten together. Stir cornflour into the juice of the £ lemon, add water and stir into the orange mixture. Beat all well together, spoon into pastry-lined tins, and bake till the pastry is cooked. Five O’clock Frujt Cake

A touch of colour was provided by a vivid coppery red scarf, made of the same silk and slung from the right arm. When wrapped round the shoulders it formed a deep cape. • Appropriately enough, this frock was named after Minerva—the goddess of hunting. Another delightful frock shown in this collection was made of black silk lace and net. Fitting fairly tightly to the figure as far as the knees, it spread out in perfectly voluminous flares. There were seventy yards of net round the bottom. And to. think that not so long ago three yards of material would have made an evening frock for even the tallest of us! LUNCH DISH FOR FOUR. Ingredients: |lb minced meat, salt and pepper; 1 onion, thyme to taste, 1 eggs, 1 small, cupful boiled haricot beans, toasted breadcrumbs, butter, a few tablespoonfuls milk. Put minced meat into a bowl, and add salt, oepper, chopped onion, thyme* and; me egg. Mix well; add the roughlybroken beans and sufficient bread rumbs to make a paste stiff enough to handle. Form large, round, very 'bin cakes, and fry in hot fat till lightly browned. When done, cut out a •ircle from the centre of each. Arange the large circles in the centre f a dish; slit the small circle and arrange them round the larger ones, "eep warm in the oven. Whip the three eggs; add salt, pepper, butter -nd milk; cook gently, stirring all the) time till lightly set. Fill the-spaces in the large circles with the egg mixture, and serve hot with crisp baked potatoes.

Ingredients: 6oz flour, Jioz Bouniville Cocoa, 4oz butter, .4£oz castor sugar, 2oz currants, 2oz sultanas, 1 teaspoonful baking powder, 2 eggs, almond flavouring, milk. Method: Wash, pick over and dry the fruit. Sieve the flour, cocoa: and baking powder together. Grease a cake tin and line with greased paper to stand above the sides. Beat the. sugar and fat to a cream. Add the the eggs separately, stir in each one quickly, and beat the mixture well before adding the next. When both the beaten in stir in the flour, etc., and prepared fruit, alternately with some milk as required. Add a few drops of almond flavouring and mix all together lightly. Put into the prepared cake-tin, nlace it in a moderately hot oven, and hake for about 45 minutes. Turn on to a sieve and leave until cold,