Frills Fads & Foibles

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 267, 1 February 1928, Page 5

Frills Fads & Foibles

CHRISTCHURCH FUNCTION A CORDIAL WELCOME A largely-attended garden party was held at the College House, Christchurch, on Thursdajr, with Mrs. George Gould as hostess, to welcome the visitors, when the special guests of honour were the sisters of the Order of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, who have arrived from England to take charge of St. George’s Hospital, Christchurch. The weather was beautiful, and the line garden with lovely old trees made a delightful setting for an interesting occasion. Canon Wilford welcomed the guests very cordially on behalf of the church people, and all those who had taken part in the raising of the money for the hospital. In the beginning, he said, it was a venture, but the venture was now over. On a November Sunday in England in 1924, he was in St. Mary’s Church, Munster Square, where he knew, there was a little chapel in i charge of sisters. He told them that he was from New Zealand, seeking sisters to take charge of St. George’s Hospital. He was told that the task was an impossible one, but they offered to pray in their chapel for the new hospital overseas. The prayers were answered. He spoke to the Rev. Mother of St. Elizabeth's, and there the sisters and the nurses were that afternoon. They were among the pick of the sisters of the London hospitals. As to the hospital itself, it would cost about £ 40,000, and of this £26,000 had been collected. Endowments had. already begun to come in, and during' the past month three bequests of £SOO each had been placed in wills. Beds could be endowed at a cost of £IOO each, and there was plenty of room for smaller gifts. The Rev. Mother thanked all for the hearty welcome given to them. They had come in the spirit of love and service, and thought it a great privilege to do so. They looked forward to great happiness in their work and the associations they would find. Afternoon tea was served and the guests were introduced to a number of those present. During the afternoon the sum of £ 145 was either given or promised to the hospital funds.

THE KIMONO DOOMED BY ECONOMIC REASONS The kimono', the conventional garb of Japanese womanhood for centuries, is domed, despite tradition and aesthetic standards, declares one of Japan’s best known feminists, Miss Fusae Ishikawa. Miss Ishikawa bases this somewhat startling statement on economic causes. She points out that a Japanese woman can dress much more economically in foreign style than in Japanese kimono, and that foreign garments allow much more freedom of movement, making them far superior to a kimono from the utilitarian standpoint. She has no patience with the foreigner who insists that Japanese women should stick to their own dress because it is more becoming. Those who take this stand, she says, regard Japanese women only from the aesthetic viewpoint, and do not take into account the changing features of life in Japan as they apply to the everyday existence of Japanese women. Miss Ishikawa argues that if foreign dress were only a matter of style it would have died out long ago, for it has encountered much opposition among the conservative classes. She admits that a few Japanese women are garbed in foreign attire merely because of the novelty of wearing something different, but she insists that the great majority of women in Japan who don foreign clothes do so because of economic reasons. BIRTHDAY PARTY Miss Grace Feek entertained a number of friends at a birthday dance at Dixieland on Monday evening, when a delightful evening was spet. The hostess wore an attractive gown of Nile green georgette prettily beaded in silver, to receive her guests, who included: Mrs. Jeffries, who was wearing a frock of opal blue taffeta embossed in silver. Miss Alexander, who wore a black satin faconne frock appliqued in multi-colourings. Miss Keen, who chose a cyclamenshaded frock of taffeta.