Fashion and Things Feminine.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 138, 28 January 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

Fashion and Things Feminine.

awe By IDA MELLER - -

Copyright.

A DAINTY S[*MMEH COAT. Prominent among the many economic-; practiced at the moment, are clever little waistcoat effects. Many a last year\> coat and hod ce are brought up-to-date by a series of easily adjusted waistcoats, which usually conclude in a distinctive collar of one sort or another. Given the simplest, plainest, coat or corsage—in fact, the plainer the better —a chic note is at once introduced through a waistcoat and collar modelled on the latest lints. A cross-over waistcoat of Roman, striped >ilk has been introduced with entire success in a l;i~t year's navy serge coat, and the roll-over collar at the hack has been covered with a white pique collar that gives a fresh, new appearance to the coat.

.Many a smart renovation is affected by the aid of a transparent coat of more or less length, and a coat of the kind, if made of black, lark-blue, or brown ninon or net, is. in fact, always a welcome addition to the wardrobe of the woman of any age.

The coat should be loose-fronted find inav lie worn open or closed, and is useful alike, for home or outdoor wear. Some .mch eoats are finished with hems of sat'n or velvet-ribbon, others with small niching of their own material or of fraved taffetas. In any ease, they smarten up a demode dress or enrich the appearance of a new, plan one, •ind are so simple to make that anv woman with the average knowledge of dre*s-making should be able to turn out of the home work-room n daintvlooking three-quarter. or half-length transparent coat that will prove becoming and serviceable at the same time. . ... Illustrated is a simple model ot the claps of coat alluded to, and th s is, indeed, an unusually easy coat to copy, for it is practically shapele-s and requires no skill whatever on the pan of the cutter. The diagram supposedly shows the pattern from which the coat is cut laid on '2k yards of f>o-inch ninon or other material. Tt will be seen that the only -hapinii called for is at the neck. The material is split open up the centre front to a certain distance, and its then cut away to a pear shape for the neck. i i u i When worn, the coat may he helteU at the back to hold it to the figure, the ribbon-hand passing beneath the fronts, or it mav hang loose at the back and be belted in front. Ribbon mav be used for the niching, or, it preferred, ninon. matching the coat. in which case extra material must lie allowed. A prettv hat of fine straw, tr mined with ribbon and flowers, is illustrated with the coat.

TO OBTAIN PATTERNS. Patterns of all the designs rppearing in this column, week by week, can be obtained by sending stamps, value 7d. for every pattern required (coat skirt, b'ouse, one-piece gown, etc.),'to Miss Ida Mellcr, Care of The Editor. The envelope should be marked "Patterns."

PKRFUMEI) LIXEX. A formula for a scent m place amon<: pillow-slips or body-linen, is apt to be apprec 'sited bv women w th a taste lor sweet odour-! and the loll.mine hint o:i niakitlji up a fragrant. dry -cent r~ north pa-sine <,n. Mix together one ounce each of powdered Hum belizo n and powdered doves, two ounce- r.f powdered cinnallKHl. -even ounce; of dried lavender flowei - and tile -alee weijlht ol pouch red cedar wood. Sift ail and. put the mixture into tt.r, hau- ol thin cam--1,1-it-, to lay between p How .-1 ps. etc. Or inake pads to til the linen-shelve-. Dried lavender (lowers ah.lie. ol rcnir-e, are very sweet for sarhot- lor p-rfuninm personal and household linen, and advantage -h.iuld lu- taken of the lavender season to make up a, manv -aeliets a- are reipared. r'lr tree'balsam also yell- a debcio'.s fiairraiue foi pel i'umuie linen. SIEVING SNAP 1' ASTI'.M'.KS. Sunn-fasteners -hou'd he sewn on ir. ii ilre-- or bodice with waxed silkthread, and three button-hole studies hould be given to each hole. Sewn on in thi.- way. the fa-teiiei- will remain

A BECOMING SKIRT FOR MATRONS. While for girls and young, slight women, the plain short skirt is smart and becoming, it is not by any means the most des.rable style for older women, who are far better suited with a skirt of more grace ami importance. It would he well for women to realize this, for the schoolgirl skirt is utterly lacking in dignity. It is in length of skirt more than in pattern that the woman of dignified years should bestow consideration, and on this point wisdom should easily guide her to a right choice. Her skirt should cover the ankles and she should leave the shorter model to her younger sisters. Skirts that are very well suited to matrons are those \\ ; th wide box-pleats all round, or with double box-pleats, back and front. There in dignity in the box-pleat, which, as now worn, istitched down near the edges on the lower part.

"down." With other material a different arrangement would be necessary. A becoming skirt to the woman of mature years is made with a yoke cut in one with a plastron, that forms the front of the skirt. The back also has a plastron but it is. of course, split for the placket. Another becoming and dignified skirt is illustrated. In this case the model is a double skirt with plastron effect up the front. The over-skirt is seamed in with the plastron, which r s really the front gore of the under-skirt, and the latter consists of three pieces in all, comprising the front and two sides, with back in one with them. The over-skirt is in two pieces, seamed up the back, and it : s mounted to a petersham belt to which the underskirt is stitched. A smart fin'sh is given to the skirt, when made of plain material, by the addition of feather stitching along the hems and seams. Any dress fabric is, of course, suitable for the skirt, which, it may be added, works out very well in Nattier-blue crepon. of wool or cotton quality. The diagram of the paper pattern. representing half the skirt, shows how to lay the pattern pieces, three in number, on three yards of 48-30 inch material. The pattern includes half the front of skirt, half the under-skirt (side and back), and half the overskirt (also side and back). The waist is cut corselet.

In laying the pattern pieces on the material, the straight edge of front should be placed to a fold; wherefore, fo'd the material in half lengthwise at the beginning. The whole front must be cut out in one piece; the other two patterns are each cut out in duplicate. The arrangement of the pattern pieces as shown on diagram, :s suitable only for material with no "up" and

NEW FUNNEL. It seems a pity to wash new flannel before it soiled, but all the same the plan is recommended of soaking new tlannel in cold water lor a few hours before it is used, then washing it in a v, a 1111 lathe!- to remove the dressing, and finally rinsing and diving it in a windy but not a -unny place

Flannel washed in tlii.- way due.- not harden or tlirink.

NOTICE TO HOTEL U VESTS. 'I ho fol'lou ing i- a copy ■>! ilie rules parted up in a well-known hotel in the l-'nr West of the L'niled States: U< nts going in hed « ith then ! ■<" » - (in'will In- (liarged extra., and the other J t .jjr of tin- chair i> in the euphoard n VOU need it. If von're old put the midnth over

\. 111. Picas,, don't empt\ the sr.wlu-t outer tin '.dials. Three raps on the deer means there .-, mm .(|er in the house, and that \o\\ tlltt-t. IK*!-.,, r te yer name on the wal - I ; , ; „.|-, so we know you've heell her -. I,u"i u.Ki't tare oil' said wallpapei to lite vcr pipe- with. Hues we've lr '. i-.;!l ..' that. . , If that hole wkeie the pane ol •:!«■•> \ out is to lunch l'«r you. you'll find n pair ol pants heliiiul the door to -tuii in it. ...

(,ue-t- must not take them hrii ks in ihe mattres-.. If ,t rains through the ho'e ovi rhen.d voi,'|l find an unihrella under the hed. Two men ti one room must put up with one chair. If there's no towel handy, use the i-an.Pt.

SIMPLE FRESH-REDUCING TREATMENT.

By some peophle, summer is considered iv particularly good t' lllo to heppn a treatment for the reduction of superfluous flesh, since perspiration Ls conducive to loss of flesh, and the fact that the system requires less nourishment when the thermometer is high, makes it possible to he content with a smaller quantity of food without depleting the strength. At the same time hot weather has an enervating effect and renders one hut little inclined to take walking exercise, which is generally a part of the fat-reducing cure.

An excellent ''refined" to he followed is to liegin the morning with a walk not n saunter hut brisk exercise taken with another object than that of mere pleasure. The proper garments for such a walk, with the fleshreduction idea ill mind, would he light woollen ones that would not exhaust the wearer hut would he both porous and ahsnrhrnt. The walk must he taken before the sun is high, and .should, in fact, he taken before breakfast, though a glass of cold miilk or milk and soda may bo permitted at the outset. Returning from the walk, which should be of an hour's duration, a bath will prove refreshing. This may be of tepid water, taken in the big bath, or a cold or tepid sponge-bath may he adopted. For this latter, a tablespoonful of vinegar should he added to a basin of water, thus making the hath "tonic.'' After the water has been freely thrown over the body, and the. latter dried Briskly, the seeker after slenderness must don fresh underclothes and take a light breakfast, which may consist of tlnn toast and a scraping of butter and a cup of coffee; or of a couple of poached eggs on toast and tea as a beverage. Even oatmeal, thinned with milk, may he the breakfast dish if onlv a small quantity be taken.

During thp middle of the morning a. glass of cold, sweetened tea with a slice of lemon in it, hut no nnlk, or aglass of .-od.i and milk, will bo l'onnd an excellent substitute for food. Lemon-ten, which is one of the best drinks for a reduction regimen, is made liy steeping two tablcspopnfuls of tea-leaves, for half an hour or more, in three pints of boiling water, then (straining off the fluid and sweetening it somewhat. When it is cold, the ju ce of Hi rot 1 or four lemons, according to :-ize, is added to the tea which .should be served in a glass jug nnd partaken of in a tumbler. To a quarter of a tumbcrful of the tea, add plain or sparkling water to twice the amount or more. A lump of ice added to tho drink greatly improves it. During the effort to grow thin, drink taken during lunch or dinner should be avoided. A glass of cold water may follow the meal.

Luncheon should be a light meal of lisli and one vegetable, or salad; one cup of tea may be taken in the afternoon, with a couple of very thmly-cut shoes of bread and a meagre allowance of butter, or with two or three thin, dry biscuits: and dinner may begin with a thin, clear soup, sparsely served, to be followed by meat of any kind and a non-starchy vegetable, and afterwards a custard puddng, .stewed prunes or other fruits, a blancmange, jelly, or some such light sweet, but nothing in the nature of a suet pudding. In pursuing a th lining regimen the amount of food taken is even more important than the kind of food chosen.

AX EFFECTIVE APPEAL. i

A certain tradesman, prompted l>y <ui article lie read recently on the subject of collecting accounts, declares that more is to be accomplished by a dunning letter couched in good-natured language than one breathing threats in harsh words, and relates the follow. mg as an illustration:—

" It wa.s our custom to let a newclerk occupy his spare time writing letters to slow customers. A clerk's merits were measured largely by the result of this work. l"p in M we had a particularly bad case. It was a bill for t'j against a man named William Rose. It had long been considered a bad debt, but everv now and then we gave it a wlrrl.

" Finally, one day, the last clerk we put on, a bright young fellow, laid the lollowmg lines on my desk and asked permi-sion to post them to Pose :

Oh, William Pose, oh. fragrant rose, Yourself it is who surely knows Unsettled nil's are- bad. Thev soil our books, thev spoil our looks, And moke the heart grow sad. So. W'lliam Pose, feel in your clothes, And lind five sovereigns there. The gods were isold in days of old, Before we had white hair. "They were forwarded, and within a week the man sent the money, explaining that he had always intended to pay the account some time, but could hold out no longer against such a demand."

The keeper was feeding the pythons. Several live rabbits were tossed into the cage, and were immediately and greedily seized by the reptile-. The struggling rabbits, although seemingly almost a- large as the 'snake*, were swallowed whole one' after another. The ghastly s glit prompted the scholarlylooking man to exclaim :

■■ Gruesome., I'll, keeper?" The keeper turned a g'ance of scorn upon the professor. *"Ye<, and you'd 'a' grow some. ton. if you'd cat' all that live stock. I gUCco.'