FRILLS, FADS AND FOIBLES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 867, 10 January 1930, Page 4

FRILLS, FADS AND FOIBLES

FASHION NEWS FROM FRANCE Suits arc going to be worn as much as ever—but with a difference! In the first place, the skirts are to be perceptibly longer, for we can no longer defy the edict that has gone forth about skirt length. Nor do we want to. for having seen a dozen or two gowns and skirts with longer skirts, we must realise how demode the short ones look. Skirts for walking are at least four inches below the knees. Also tiicv are a different shape, the newest being slightly flared at the hem and made to wrap right over down one side. The corner of the flare is sometimes cut or rounded away to give an apron effect in front. If this style is not followed, the flare is set into a fancy hip yoke, like one that was so beautifully made of overlapping pieces of tile material that it looked as if it were pleated. Alternatively, the skirt may be moulded to the hips, fitted close and high about the waist and finished off with a belt. Suit coats are longer to match the skirts, reaching half way or quite to the knees. They are fitted in practically every case: sometimes only semi-fitted, but often close to the waist. This fitted line naturally creates a basque or a tunic effect, and the former is capable of many variations. It may be cut into a point or a dipping tail at the back: it may be finished with three small flounces, each bound with silk brail or, if the material is thick enough, finished with picot. Very fine black cloth, a kind of woollen georgette, fine smooth tweeds with a diagonal weave, and woollen charmaline are all used for the new season’s suits, but the most favoured in Paris is black fur cloth. BLOUSES As for the blouses to be worn with the suits, they may be of crepe satin, crepe de chine or, newest of all, fine lame tissue. They may tuck tightly down into the skirt band, or still adhere to the favourite over-blouse shape. White blouses look the smartest with black suits, for black and white is more favoured than ever. It is seen everywhere, on afternoon frocks, evening frocks and coats. A beautifully made blouse of white crepe satin, with collar, cuffs and hem decorated with broderie Anglais, looks lovely! So does a soft orchid pink one; and one of shot gold and eau de nil, made like a little girl’s school blouse, with a round collar, a tiny bow of black velvet under the chin, a row of gold and enamel buttons down the front, and green and gold enamel links in the simple turn-back cuffs. RUSSIAN TUNIC COATS A number of the coats fasten down one side now, like a Russian tunic, and have Russian collars that fasten under one ear with a bow of the material. PLAN YOUR DECORATION SCHEMES IN MINIATURE Next time you are planning an entirely new scheme of decoration for one of your rooms, you might care to try this notion. It was suggested by a well-known interior decorator, who said she owed to it all her success as an evolver of attractive schemes. Briefly, the idea is to plan the decorative scheme on a miniature basis before embarking on the scheme proper. A large wooden or cardboard box can be used to suggest the room: placed on a table, with the open end facing you, the interior should be marked out with windows, fireplace, etc., just as they are in the apartment to be redecorated. Then, with patterns of your proposed new materials, you fashion curtains and furnishings on a small scale. Ordinary doll-house furniture will do for covering with your new upholstering materials, the great thing being to get a true idea of the effect the shades will have upon each other.

The walls of the miniature “room” can be painted in the colour proposed for the real room; experiments may be tried out with regard to dado and frieze treatments, and perfect colourharmonies may be evolved by essaying the effects of different hues in hangings and upholsteries in relation to walls and floor. If this notion were more universally carried out there would be fewer mistakes made! A certain woman bought 40 yards of expensive cretonne for her drawing-room, choosing it from a small pattern. She had the chair and sofa-covers made from this cretonne, proudly slipped them over the furniture—and was horrified at the result. The colours which had looked so delightful in the small pattern made shrieking discord against the walls and floor of tile room; the covers were useless, and had to be “scrapped.” Even if the planning of your scheme in miniature seems, at first sight, to be waste of time, it will prove a real saving both of time and money in the long run. THREE GOOD SCONE RECIPES BROWN SCONES Mix three teacupsful of wholemeal flour with one of ordinary flour; rub in two ounces of butter; add two ounces of sugar, two teaspoonsful of baking powder, and sufficient milk to make a fairly firm dough. Roll out, cut into rounds, and bake in a moderate oven. GIRDLE SCONES Ingredients: Four teacupsful of flour, one and a-lialf teaspoonsful of bicarbonate of soda, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar, one teaspoonful of salt, one dessertspoonful of sugar, one ounce of butter, one egg, and buttermilk to mix. Put all the dry ingredients into a basin and rub in the butter. Add the well-beaten egg and enough buttermilk to make a very soft dough. Divide j this into three parts, turn one part on to a floured board, roll to a quarter of an inch in thickness, cut into four, and bake the scones on both sides on a moderately hot girdle. Repeat with the remaining two parts. CREAM SCONES Required: One pound of flour, an ounce of butter, one heaped teaspoonful of cream of tartar, three-quarters of a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda, half a teaspoonful of sugar, one level tablespoonful of golden syrup, whites of two eggs, a little cream, and a pinch of salt. Rub the butter into the flour, add soda, cream of tartar, salt and sugar; mix well, and add the syrup and cream. Beat thoroughly, turn on to a floured board, roll out, cut into rounds, brush each with milk, and bake in a quick oven.