WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 294, 21 January 1910, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

FASHIONLAND. London, December 3. —For Vanity's Sake. — England is, to a colonial, a somewhat extraordinary country in its choice of fashions. During the summer high necks and long luitaine sleeves with masses of frilling wore the fashion; now we are in the midst oi cold, wet weather, witn fogs and threatened snow, and yet sleeves are to be worn, we arc told, elbow length, aiid for weeks past gowns have been guiltless of ''necks." —Elbow Sleeves.— Reglan Sleeves are the most fashionable shape now for afternoon gowns, and these are cut all in one with the corsage. —To freshen Up a Veil.— A veil that has become dusty and crumpled-looking may be easily renovated by being carefully rolled on to something and held in the steam of a kettle for a few moments, then thoroughly dried. —A New Tie.—

Fur is still appearing on everything thai it is possible to use it for, and a famous man dressmaker is now introducing it on a dainty little tie attached to fur coats. The tie itself is of wide white chiffon edged with skunk, and u is attached to the coat at one side underneath a satin chou. Another is. of grey chiffon and dark fur. —Fancy Dress Easily Made.— A pretty variation of the much-abused flower-girl representation so often seen at fancy dress balls is sketched this week in a daily paper, and is well wort.; attention, as it can be inexpensively and very effectively carried out. The co.» tume, of the time of Louis; XV., is fashioned of pale blue mercerised lawn, the skirt coming just below the knees, and made with small paniers, which arc in the front hidden by a dainty muslin, lace-edged apron, on the left corner ot which is a rose. The bodice, low-necked, is made to cross' over, and there is a little white vest on which is a little bunch of roses. The waistbelt is a wide swathed one, and the apron has no top. A muslin mob cap with soft tinted flowers, little dainty sleeves and shoes, with roses' instead of buckles, complete the costume. A basket or box of flowers should, of course, be held or suspended from the neck. —Fur Education.—

The manager of a fashionable furrier's in the West End thinks that women arc being educated, judging by the presentday shoppers, in shopping. He says: "Women are studying clothes more carefully, and they will no longer be content with imitation furs, however skilfully manipulated. No doubt the action of the London Chamber of Commerce in rigidly putting down' the practice of selling faked furs under a false name has educated women in the matter of furs. And no doubt they feel that furbuying is no longer a risky business, and that if they spend a few pounds on a fur stole they are not likely to be taken in." —A Novel Tea-cosey.—

An Oxford-street shop is' showing among the novelties suitable for Christmas presents a very dainty tea-cosey. A fascinating little porcelain lady is garbed in a Victorian frock of floral silk, quilted inside and stiffened to keep the teapot warm. —Paquin on "Dress."—

"The shape of a belt, the placing of a flower here and there, the disposition oi a sash, the way a collar is cut, the special arrangement of sleeves—everything and anything may give a gown just that note which will make it not only beautiful and truly refined and artistic, but original. .And originality is essential hi fashion when it is not farfetched, too weird, or too complicated. • ■ • Many of my ideas have been originated in a manner which would amaze many. The combination of colors in a. picture, in certain flowers under certain conditions of light, the ripple* of water—all these have helped me." —A Lesson on Straw Hats.— Straw hats are such common sights in shops that little thought is given to the method of growing the wheat to be afterwards used for their composition. The. American Consul at Florence has ill a report described the methods' of growth and preparation in a very interesting manner: The wheat is sown as thickly as possible, in order that the growth of the plant may be impoverished, as well as to produce a thin stalk, hav,"' ing towards the end from the las£. : knot the lightest and longest straw. The wheat blooms at the beginning of June, and it is' pulled out by hand by the roots when the grain is halfdeveloped. if allowed to remain in the ground a longer time the straw would become brittle. About live dozen uprooted branches, the size of the compass of two hands, are firmly tied together into little sheaves, and stowed away in barns for a time, Then the straw is again spread out, to catch the heavy summer dew, and to bleach in the sun. After additional bundles and classified. Finally it is cut close above the first joint from the top. and again tied up in small | bundles containing about sixty stalks each, and delivered to women, in almost every private dwelling of the lower classes.

1 —"P:uit:i Lejrgiiuitlois."— I I'i'oin a slceteh iUnstnitinn; one of sV!fr !<!»•'< advertisements a very prowl for a child's undergarment ennui;', le-. Paula lcjrjriiiettes are really woollen or stockinette knickers and pi iters combined. fastening on to the stays at the top. with side opening-

made to button, and buttoning down the outside of the leg from the knee to the instep, just as ordinary gaiters. —" Fashions for All''— Yet another new woman's paper of fashions was started some time ago, and I have beside me the Christmas number of "Fashions For All." For the sum of six shillings a year New Zealanders can get the magazine pose, free. This number supplies no less than seven free patterns, a colored fashion plate, and also a colored picture, prettily got up, called "On Tour." The patterns arc described in five languages, so the paper should be popular, and one detail that will tend to make it so is that the covers are of sturdy paper, and will bear much handling—in fashion magazines this item, a necessity, is too often overlooked. In addition to minute directions as to how to make house, street, and evening gowns, baby clothes, blouses, underclothing, fancy work, and millinery there are articles on house decoration, children's interests, hairdressing, ana cookery, and there is an original story also included. The whole makes one of the most attractive magazines I have come across, and if it keeps up its,' prodeserves to become popular all over tne world.

—"Working Clothes."— Thus "Jeanne" in the Daily News anent the business girl of London and her taste in dross; A woman who realises the importance of her clothes, and does not look upon them as rather troublesome necessities, can wear garments that are both beautiful and useful. A man always admires' a woman in what lie calls "working clothes." But his admiration takes very speedy wings when those same clothes are "pitched on," and where their wearer has so obviously spent neither time nor thought upon them or their effect. This may be thought a derogatory | proceeding by some women. Happily, [ they are only "some, not all." —Shoulder Scarves.— Very pretty and inexpensive, and at the same time very picturesque, are the new shoulder scarves that are now being worn. They are of velvet, and soft satin to match or harmonise with the frock, and should be about three yards long by one yard wide, and edged with marabout or fur. They can be worn either with an afternoon or ah evening toilette. —Now Worn.— Veils dotted all over with little round "O's." A jewelled hair ornament, emanating from Paris, meant for wear with the turban style of hairdressing, in the form of a band made in diamonds, to fit under the coil and go on top of the "turbans." Hatpins with huge tops made of large stones such as cairngorms, etc. Hatpin protectors that not only act as safeguards', but also serve to keep a hat more firmly in position. These are ornaments of different kinds, made in the form of shells, knots, teddy bears, etc. Huge theatre muffs for keeping the hands warm during the performance of a play. These at present are rather wildly fantastic, and it is not thought probable that they will become generally fashionable.

FUTURE OF WOMEN. NEW AND OLD T"XPE?. ' The changes that are taking place in the character of woman and her attitude towards man formed the subject of an address delivered oy Mr. Henry Arthur Jones, the dramatist, at the dinner of the Society of Women Journalists at the Waldorf Hotel, London, on 27th November.

Woman, like all other animals, lie said, constantly changed in response to her environment; and a certain environment always' produced a type exactly •fitted to it. In Morocco last spring he caught glimpses of the women in the harem of a native potentate dusky, fattish faces, stealthily and mischievously peering and grinning from behind the blinds; ignorant, animal, sly, childish, inane, prematurely old. Granted the environment, that was the type of womanhood produced. "It is commonplace to say," Mr. Jonc proceeded, "that our new civilisation, that wholly new civilisation inaugurated only a generation or two ago by railways and electricity, is fast producing a different type of man and woman fr«m anything the world has ever known. If we ask in what chief particular t ; attitude of 'woman towards man is changing, I think the reply would he that she is becoming more and more and intellectual comrade of man. "In the theatre women are necessarily our companions and comrades. In journalism and in other intellectual professions women are ever l / day more .and more showing themselves our successful competitors and stau ':h and welcome comrades. In fiction iney are proving themselves our equals in matter—superiors in number. Doubtless, in this particular art, the art of fiction, they have always been our superiors, though their talent has generally been exercised rather in the practical concerns of life than in writing novels'. —Some Disappearing Types.—

Some of the disappearing types of women might bo regretted. June Austen's women. Dickens' J)ora and Aitnes, Tluu-koray's Amelia, George Eliot's '.Mrs. Poyser, and their counterparts i n real life were passing away. One type thai specially won his admiration was the type of Portia, the wife of lirutus'. ;i!e hoped nature would sit tight and keep on producing Portias, '•.Flow far our swiftly-changing environment may change onr tvpe of En" lisli womanhood we car. linrdlv pretend to guess. In what direction 1 think we mav roughlv guess. "I am prepared to allow that, granted woman could he placed in the exact conditions. granted we. could govern and enforce those conditions. a::d granted an unlimited length of lime—T am prepared

to allow she might be developed into a creature as far superior to man as is that female spider who. when the poor male, spider conies tiiniuly up to her to make iove to her. if she docsii t like the look of him eat* him up mere ami then. 1 say such a development o: woman is conceivable: but i am glad 1 shall not live to see i.."'

HINTS. I To ( lean a Pair of Corsets. —Take, out tiui steels', then give the corsets a good rubbing with soan and water on a wash-ing-board. Afterwards rin-e well. Then thoroughly dry. replace the steels, and the corsets will be as good as new. The Guest Chamber.—When preparing for a lady visitor do not forget the following things, though perhaps not actually necessary, will add much to her comfort: —A small, steady table, supplied with everything necessary for 1 writing letters; a small work basket containing cotton, needles, thimble, and so forth (so many people forget to include it in their luggage that it is always appreciated); a few books and a magazine or two; a comfortable chair (one can get quite nice basket chairs for very little, and with a cushion they are delightfully comfortable); a few flowers on the dressing table (these give a home-like air »o the room); a spare blanket in case of chilly nights; a box of matches and a candle, unless the rcom is lighted with electric light that can be turned on and off while lying in bed. Wax in the ear is the commonest cause of deafness; the natural wax is too plentiful, and forms a plug over the drum of the ear, so interfering with its' power of vibrating. To remove tne wax, don't try to poke it with a hairpin or a handkerchief; you may seriously injure the ear if you do. The right way is to put a teaspoonful of warm olive oil into the ear at bedtime. Put a little plug of cotton wool into the ear afterwards. The oil softens' the wax, so that it more readily comes out by syringing next morning. To Clean Leghorn Hats. —Stir one teaspoonful of powdered sulphur into the juice of a lemon. Brush this mixture well into the hat with an old toothbrush, and when quite clean place it under a tap and let the water run over it to free it from the sulphur; dry in the air, but not in the sun.

HOUSEHOLD RECIPES. A Nice Lunch or Breakfast Dish.—Required : Half a pound of bread crumbs, quarter of a pound of any cold meat, ham or bacon, two teaspoonfuls of chopped parsley, two teaspoonfuls of chopped onion, three-quarters of a pint of stock or gravy, a little butter. Chop the meat finely, add to it the crumbs, parsley, and onion, and, if you like, about a quarter of a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste, mix all well together, then stir in the stock. Well grease a pie-dish, turn the mixture into it, cover the top with, bread crumbs, put a few tiny pieces of butter here and there on the top, and bake in a moderate oven for about half an hour. Note: If you happen to have some cold cooked tomatoes or mushrooms or peas on hand, add them to the mixture. They will be an improvement. Poached. Eggs with Peas.—Required: Four eggs, four rounds of tongue, a little salt and vinegar, buttered toast, a little thick gravy or sauce. Cut four neat rounds of hot buttered toast, and keep it hot. Stamp out four rounds of tongue; if you cannot get whole rounds arrange the pieces neatly. Heat the | sauce, put in the slices of tongue, and 1 heat them thoroughly through. .Meantime, carefully pouch the eggs. Either use a saucepan or a frying pan, add about 'half a teaspoonful of vinegar or lemon-juice to the water —this helps to prevent the eggs breaking —also a little salt, l'ut a round of tongue on a round of toast, and on this place a carefullypoached egg. Put them on a hot dish, and strain Liu; sauce round. lif liked, sprinkle a little chopped parsley over each egg. White Layer Cake.—Required: Half a cup of butter, whites of five eggs, one cup of water, one and a-half cups of sugar, two and a-iialf eup-j of pastry | Hour, two teaspoonfuls of baking-pow- | der. Beat thu butter to a cream. If the butter is very hard and cold, cut it into four or live pieces; put it into a bowl of warm water for just a few minutes, and drain o(V the water. Adit the sugar, and beat again. Measure the water, sift the ; a king-powder and flour; add these alternately, heating all tile while. Add the flavorings, ami stir in thii \v;: ; l-heate'i whites of the eggs. Bake in three layers. The batter may also he bake! in a loaf cake.

Compote oi Oranges.—Required: Six nice orange.-', one pound of sugar, one lemon, half a- cup of sherry if you use wine. w ep.uv.le the oranges into pieces without, tearing the thill membrane covering eaeh piece. Uoil the sugar with the lemon-juice and iiaif a pint of water for five minutes, or until the svrnp will •«;;in a light thread. Take it; from the fire, and add the oranges; mix them well with the hot syrup, cover, and stand a-ido to cool. Add the sherry to t'em :it serving time. They must be very cold, or they will melt the pudding