WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 292, 4 May 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by " Eileen''). FASHIONS IN LONDON. March 17. The All-British Shopping Week is now only ten days distant, and already preparations are afoot for the beautiful display to be made then to establish foi England a new and better name than she has been entitled to in the past as a producer of rich fabrics and creator of fashions suitable for her'fair daughters. The week opens on March 27, and it is stated I that 2,000 manufacturers will undertake! the patriotic bisk of showing and sellingfor six days only .goods of British manufacture and, if possible, British workmanship. The last few days have been dismal and wintry, with none of the brisk, dry, cold atmosphere that we know in New Zealand, but instead accompanied by all that is unlovely in the way of weather—-*-iow, sleet, driving rain, cold, lowering skies, streets turned into seas of mud. Could any picture be less inviting? Yet, through it all, the West End shops have smilingly disported themselves, with their daintiest temptations and creations set out as if spring already reigned.

FRUIT TRIMMINGS. This is to be a fruit season. That is to say, fruit ornamentation will be very popular for millinery, dresses, and even evening cloaks, one of the last having been already worn with fat and juicy pineapples embroidered all over it in colored silks over pads of wadding. Rosycheeked apples, peaches, nectarines, black and white grapes, cherries, blackberries, oranges —all are being used now for millinery, and cherries may be seen on evening gowns also. In moderation the plan is a prettv one, but if it runs to the extremes it did when fruit trimming was last in vogue we shall see some strange headgear in the near future.

THE BEAD CRAZE. Each week sees some new development in bead elaborations, and some of the broad embroideries now being exhibited are little short of magnificent, though a gown lavishly decorated is an uncomfortably heavy garment. A strikinglooking hat that I saw worn by a small, dark woman in Regent Street this week was of fine black straw turned sharply up back and front, with a border of beadleaves on a background of black. THE HEALTHY "HAREM." Is the "harem" to die out without ever having come in? Except on mannequins paid to wear "them," not more than three appear to have been seen, and a hunt through some of the big London shops yesterday disclosed only two—one with the trousers of blue serge cut into weird points over the boots, the other a gown of blue serge, with trousers of black satin. Dr. Jane Walker, whose fame as a pioneer woman doctor reached Xew Zealand years asro. is the latest advocate of the imported fashion, and said this week at an address on women's part in the finht against consumption that she hoped the harem sl- ; rt would be adopted. She considers it much healthier than a trailing skirt..

In Budapest a society for the suppression of the new skirt has been formed! A woman appeared in the central thoroughfare of the town in this latest fashion this week, and after being greeted with hoots and jeers was quickly surrounded by a crowd of roughs, who endeavored to molest her. The woman, however, produced a revolver from her muff, and dispersed her aggressors by firing a few shots into the air, after which she escaped in the inevitable taxicab. SHORT COATS.

It is safe to predict that we shall soon have the short coat with us again, since from being hip-length a week or two ago the newest modes in coats and skirts are already several inches shorter. Military braiding of black braid, or with soldierly-looking tabs of cloth in some contrasting shade, is the most popular method of finishing these. Nearly all have an inset of some kind, and probably in a color that appears nowhere "!se but inside the cuffs and collar. White pique is a favorite for this last purpose, but strapped down as it is at present with smart black buttons, it is not very serviceable in a grimy place like London.

BOWS AND SASHES. are to be seen on some of the newest costumes—is it not strange how faith, fully fashions return? .So far. these are of black satin on navy bine, but the old painted dainties will probably return. A Latin quarter bow of black also fastens some of the coats. PRAISE AT LAST!

''l certainly think," said a specialist in one of the London throat hospitals recently, "that the average woman's dress is far from sensible, from a hygienic point of view, than that of the average man, always barring her hats."

AX ARTISTIC GOWX. I came afcross what may contain a hint for the home dressmaker was' of soft white satin, with a very deep hem of Chinese blue satin. Above the hem was a broad band of beautiful embroidery in silver tinsel worked direct, on to the satin, and the same embroidery trimmed the corsage. Over all came a tunic of black chiffon edged with a heavy black silk ball fringe. The frock was made without a collar, a tiny band of dull blue and silver embroidery outlining the neck' and elbow sleeves and forming the narrow waist belt. It was a particularly pretty dress, the effect of the black chiffon over the white giving a beautiful shade of misty grey and the hem of blue saving the whole from monotony. The skirts of nearly all the new' dinner dresses and evening toilettes for smart occasions are made "with trains, some of them cut severely square, while others are arranged with a pointed iish tail or mermaid effect. STKXCILLKD SILK. Jt is a pity that girbs who are olerer enough to make their own gowns do not ivnli-e how simple stencilling—now very fashionable—is, Crepe de chine admits of many kinds of decoration, and takes stencil dyes very well. Dyes ace washable, and a few trial strokes give a quickness and ease that work toward a successful home decoration. In this way scarves can be decorated, blouses trimmed, and linings for spring and summer

wraps made gay and colored at small expense, and entire borders applied to dresses. THE PROPER WAY TO WALK. Practically every woman walks far too rapidly for anything like grace to enter into her movements. A tall woman, for some reason, walks more slowly than a short one. Her elbows, shoulders and hips move from side to side. If you want to be graceful don't look at your feet, but hold your head well up lin the air. Don't shuffle. A little thoughtfulness and practice in high stepping will soon break you of this ugly habit. Don't bend your back at the ' waist under the impression that you | are walking erectly thereby. It throws the stomach forward and is almost as inimical to grace as round shoulders. Finally, don't allow yourself to walk "pigeon-toed"—that is, with the toes ! turned in or straight.

It is always hard to tell what to do with the hands. The natural way, to have them hanging at the sides, or loosely clasped in front, is not beautiful. And to have them glued to the sides as far as the waistline, and then bent in at the elbow, is not only awkward in itself but elevates the shoulders in the most slovenly fashion. Therefore, most women try to obviate the difficulty by carrying something.

It is rumorptl that a breach of promise ease is about to be brought by a South Canterbury teacher against a farmer, who not only broke his promise, but is alleged to have actually corresponded with the lady after his marriage to another, of which marriage the lady who is said to be bringing the action was entirely ignorant. Miss Ola Humphreys, the American actress who toured New Zealand recently, by her marriage, which occurred on Easter Saturday, gains the title of Her Royal Highness, her husband being one of the'reigning house of Egypt. He is very wealthy, and he is a keen and wcllrespected business man, being connected with the largest cotton business in the world, and he speaks six languages. He is 32 years old, and fair, with a red moustache. Their Royal Highnesses are going on the Continent for their wed-' ding tour. Lady Macdonald, widow of General Sir Hector Macdonald, died at Edinburgh last month. Until recently she had been I living at Newcastle with her son, who is an engineer, but she went to Edin-1 burgh to undergo an operation of a serious nature. It is eight years since her husband, who had risen from stable boy to treneral, and became renowned as I "Fighting Mac," shot himself in Paris while rcturnina to fVvlon to face a courtmartial. In IBS', when a subaltern in the Gordon Highlanders, Sir Hector met Mii-s Christina Duncan, whose father was a shipowner, of Leith. Two years later Sir Hector, whose rc.''ment was ordered to the South of England, persuaded her to contract a secret marriage according to Scottish law. The end of the romance came ten years later, when Lady Macdonald was granted a decree of divorce.

Pearls, diamonds and sapphires fetched a high price at a sale held by Messrs. Christie in London last montli. The highest figure was paid for a two-row pearl necklace, composed of ninety-three large graduated pearls of the Orient, with brilliant snap. The bidding started nt £2,000, nnd fetched £13,000. Another pearl necklace, composed of seventy-one huge graduated pearls of fine Orient, with diamond snap, sold for £4,000. A pair of diamond necklaces, composed of square graduated sections, pave with brilliants and diamonds, fetched £540; diamond flower-pattern tiara, £455; brilliant pave necklace, with single atone snap, £470; sapphire and brilliant brooch, with a fine oval sapphire in border of brilliants, with brilliant foliage wreath ends, and having a pendant with a fine drop-shaped sapphire in border of brilliants, £750; brilliant tiara, formed as interlaced ribbons and foliage, £700; brilliant collet necklace, composed of forty-five graduated brilliants and with single brilliant snap, £900; pearl necklace, composed of a row of seventy-nine graduated pearls of fine Orient, and with diamond cluster snap, £940; and a pearl rope, composed of 189 small graduated pearls of fine Orient, £4OO.