WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 215, 20 December 1910, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by " Eileen "). WHERE FASHION FAILS. THE POPULARITY' OF PURPLE AND ITS PITFALLS. THE NEWEST THING IN LONDON SHOPS. j London, October 28. . There are many important things regarding appearance that fashion can do, 'but there are many more that the autocratic dame dare not approach even in a whisper. One is the subject of good taste—a matter of the very first importence in dress and general personal atmosphere. As.l've said before, it is always well to take notice of the trend of fashion, because there's sure to be something in the standard it sets that will serve to keep one's own fancies within rather more definite limits than would an utter disregard of the reigning modes. To altogether ignore fashion is, since styles come and go so quickly nowadays, to risk appearing among one's fellows a freak, and that little word denotes an appearance out of date and hateful to picture. A nice attention to even the tiniest details of her toilet the would-be well-dressed woman must give always, even though she dare not indulge in the latest conceits in gown or hat. There is a peculiar dignity about neat gloves and shoes, a pretty fascination in deliicate lace ruffles and dainty cuffs. Yet the last two. at least, may be made at home, and the first only need careful attention to keep them trim. A smart veil, too, it is well to remember, will often give an "air" to a hat not new, and perhaps not in the latest style.

HOME-MADE MUFF. In the midst of a multitude of costly furs I. this week, saw a muff which could easily be made at home, jet is quite up-to-date. The foundation was of black satin, and over this, perpendicularly, were stitched lines of black astrakhan. The muff was rather smaller at the top than the bottom, and after being padded it was lined with white satin. There was a shoulder scarf to match, finished at the ends with a silk fringe. STILL TO THE FORE. Shoulder scarves, like tunics and big hats, are enjoying an immense run of popularity—all three are still perfectly "safe," though they've defied other changes of fashion for a year. Of course, new varieties of all are always appearing in West End shops, and one of the prettiest has to do with tunics. These are being delicately stencilled in soft, harmonising sihades, and the result is delightful. A tunic of white ninon with a border of ivy leaves round the neck and hem, for instance; or a white Magyar blouse of ninon with a front stencilled heliotrope, or black done in blue, or rose color, or gold, are all artistic and pleasMiORE CHAXCE FOR THE HOME GIRL. •Now is the day in which the embroiderer may shine, for this is a method of I trimming widely employed. One of the most striking toilets at a big "At Home" given last week at the Lyceum Club, in honor of Miss Points, the first holder of the scholarship given by the Federation of Women's Clubs in America—was worn by the girl honored, and was a simple costume of black ninon over white silk, the overskirt made with a hip yoke, and the pouch of the ninon bodice having embroidered on it three gold points, in the shape of bluegum leaves. With this was worn a black beaver hat.

"THE" COLOR. Purple is certainly the first favorite in colors just now, and hats, coats, costumes, scarves and stockings of this, in all its shades, are shown everywhere. It is a in the employment of which the home dressmaker must exercise much discretion, however, or the result may lie disastrous. There are dozens of tones of purple, practically all beautiful, when alone, but clashing horribly when used with others. The tiniest fraction of difference in shade will at once Tuin the effect of a garment, no matter how stylishly fashioned, and it is well to be quite certain of a dressmaker's sense of color before entrusting her to trim a purple or violet toilette. MILLINERY. Violets are being used for millinery, and .in rather a new Way. On big liaits they are massed in, perhaps, to great flat Ibunches, with a kind of holder of violet-tinted leaves round each. Dahlias, also, and roses can be had in harmonising shades of violet. Large hats have flat rounded crowns, and are nearly all made <$ velvet. A new French flower that is already very popular is the rose, or spray of roses' and leaves, made of dressed leather. These are durable, and quite artistic, the leather being of a crinkled cream or dull brown shades. Lingerie frills underneath toques, though not very suitable for autumn wear with heavy coats and skirts, seem loth to depart, and the newest are of goM lace. The top of the hat is generally of velvet, though one that I saw this week was of stencilled gold metallic silk. AN EXPENSIVE FAILURE. While talking of taste, I should like to remark •on a costly toque, shown in one of the very best hat shops in the West End, that was yet in execrable taste. It was of dull gold net and real sable, and the effect that should have been obtained with such rich fur was utterly spoiled because the gold of the net was of a tawdry description that gave one the impression that, to match it, the fur must be imitation. A warmer shade of gold could have had a beautiful result. Tnto that shop, therefore, might stray the woman of inexhaustible purse and not perfect taste, and come out looking, under her five-guinea toque, not nearly as well gowned as she with a simple picture hat tastefully created, perhaps by her own ingenuity. Muffs are very large, and in shape like the pillows of an upholstered sofa —small bolsters, in fact. Thick furs are lined with flimsy materials, such as chiffon or ninon, and the effect is very pretty, ermine lending itself especially well to this daintiness. Shoulder scarves are of caracul, Persian lamb, velvet, or rudhed silk, and some of these have an underlining of colored silk veiled in another colored ninon. Paisley still trims everything, from I hats to costumes, coats and scarves. Soft materials, of the cashmere description^

are also being made in Paisley pattern, in misty shades. A new idea in shoes I was shown at one shop. These were of patent leather, with insets of black silk elastic at the sides. Another very strange tiling—at least, to me.—was a long black velvet coat with the breast and tops of the sleeves cut into eyelet-hole embroidery, finished off in a dull shades of purple.

FEMININE FRILLS Yellow is likely to be very much worn in evening gowns at Home this season. Indian cashmere shows delightful designs in exquisite coloring;.. Turbans are rising in height, a-nd show a narrowing at the crown apex. Pompadour ribbon is the band trimming to a satin gown veiled in chiffon. Smart nail-head buttons eome on many of the very smartly-tailored fine cloWi suits. Hand-painted are the new chiffon and voile over-blouses. Some, too, show stencil work. Sealskin hats, like many of velvet, are almost bell-shaped, and banded with a ribbon of tarnished gold. Velvet flowers in rich colorings are seen on millinery of all descriptions. Corduroy velvets and Persian velvets, as well as velveteens, are being largely chosen for smart autumn and winter wear at Home.

PORTUGUESE WIVES.

A somewhat extraordinary fact in con•neetion with marriages in Portugal is that the bride keeps her maiden name; in all other respects she passes, from the moment of her marriage, into a condition of absolute dependence on her Jiusibanfl. Even now, in these enlightened days, a wife could not stop in the street to speak to a man friend without attracting unpleasant notoriety. Ofter she is forbidden by her husband to receive any men visitors at all, or to dance with anyone but her lord and master!

CAPITAL WOMEN SHOTS. The achievement of Miss Ellen Seaton, at Bisley (England), in making 103 out of a possible 105 points, ha 3 drawn attention to the many successes of women in rifle shooting. Last year, at Bisley. in connection with the National Rifle Association, Mrs. Chapman made the hignest possible score, and also, when shooting under King's prize conditions, she made 99 points out of a possible hundred. Another lady—Mrs. Lindop—won the challenge bowl in 1909 offered for annual competition by the Bath Club; and the silver medal given by the •Miniature Rifle Association for annual competition among affiliated club members, both sexes competing alike. Mrs. Marsden, a member of the Sleaford Rifle Club, possesses si "skilled shot" certificate of the National Rifle Association with a second score of 146 out of a possible ISO.

WOMEN'S HOSTELS The Ductless of Marlborough presided at a conference held recently in England at the British Institute, at which the subject—undoubtedly an urgent one in all great cities—of hostels for woniex was discussed. There is already established in Manchester a municipal home for women, which is very successful. The Duchess 'has urged that hostels be run on similar lines in London. A speaker, in proposing a motion in favor of approaching the London County Council in order to get them to move in the matter, spoke of the dangers which a young girl encountered when looking for a night's lodging in London, and said it was a disgrace to society that such things should be possible. Now that public attention lhas been foeussed upon the evil a definite effort should be made to cope with it immediately. This lady also quoted a number of reasons for showing how necessary it was that municipal rather than private enterprise should undertake the establishment and control of lodginghouses for women. In order to call attention to the urgency of this question a national conference is to be called in the spring, under the auspices of the National Association for Women's Lodging Houses.

A WONDERFUL LILY. The Victoria Regia, the great Amazon lily that has been for many years the pride of the Botanic Gardens, that lives in a glass palace in a perpetual tepid bath, has a bloom that is a foot across. The great spiked leaves are in some cases, even in London, Bft wide. The Victoria Regia has only once been known to disclose more than one bloom at a time, and when the remarkable flower opens it generally only lasts for a couple of day«.