WOMAN'S WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 111, 31 October 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD.

(Conducted by "Eileen.") SOCIETY NEWS. * NEW PLYMOUTH. Bridge. —Last Friday evening in May's Tea-rooms, Mesdames Bradbury and IT. Russell gave a most enjoyable, bridge party. There were sixteen tables, and the first prize, won by Mrs. .Tack Wilson, was a lovely painting done by Mr. Bradbury. Miss Fitzherbert won second honors, while the consolation prizes were presented to Mesdames Chancy and S. Webster. Amongst those present were: ■ Mrs. Bradbury, white silk and lace' blouse, black silk skirt, very .pretty black 1 and white hand-painted shoulder scarf; | Mrs. 11. Russell, black silk, decoUetage J finished with sequin embroideries; Mrs.! Matthews, black silk, relieved with cream lace; Mrs. Heard, soft cream silk; Mrs. Paul, black silk, lace shoulder scarf;' Miss Isaacson, black satin, flame colored opera coat; Mrs. L. Webster, black crepe de chine; Mrs. Pope, cream silk; Mrs. Addenbrooke, nattier blue taffeta, prettily finished with cream lace; Mrs. F. Garthew. black velvet robo, cream lace berthe: Mrs. J. Harvey, moss green silk, veiled in silk flowered net; Mrs. Curtis, black >silk; Miss Shaw, plum colored silk, veiled in black net; Mrs. A. Fookes, i cornflower blue silk, cream lace vest; Mrs. T. Carthew, pretty dove grey silk, softly finished with cream lace; Mrs. Collins. pale heliotrope taffeta, decolletage deftly swathed with white chiffon, sequinned shoulder scarf; Mrs. Walter Bayly, pale pink silk; Mrs. Atkinson, | black silk, lace chemisette, sequinned j scarf; Miss Read, biscuit colored voile | Mrs. Fraser, black and pink flowered ninon over satin, cream ninon vest; Mrs. I Alexander, black satin, sequinned berthe; I Mrs. Jones, black taffeta; Mrs. Burgess,! cream lace robe, relieved with pale blue! ornaments; Mrs. Chancy, black silk; I Mrs. Newton King, golden brown taffeta, I cream lace vest and under sleeves; Miss] Baker, black silk, corsage finished with pink and blue floral guimpe; Miss Mar-j shall, black crepe, trimmed with bands, of cream lace; Mrs. Hirst, pretty black' and white striped grenadine, cream lace vest and sleeves finished with silver beaded fringe, relieved with spray of lovely pink roses; Mrs. Fitzherbert, black silk, pale blue shoulder scarf; Miss Fitzherbert, reseda green satin charmeuse, veiled in ninon. finished with silver beaded fringe; Mrs. Home, black and pink flowered ninon over a white silk foundation, corsage finished with floral guimpe; Miss Wade, violet and green flowered chiffon; Mrs. H. Stocker, black silk, silver sequinned scarf; Mrs. Percy Webster, black silk, white ninon chemisette; Miss C. Bayly, white satin charmuesc, with tunic of ninon, deftly caught up on skirt with large blue buckle, dainty pale blue flowered shoulder scarf; Mrs. F. Wilson, cream laeei robe, pale blue opera coat; Miss Bedford, nattier blue silk; Miss A. Wilson, black laca robe; Miss M. Fookes, pale pink silk, spray of yellow roses on corsage; Miss G. Fookes, black crepe, with sequinned berthe; Mrs. Hutchen, black silk, cream lace berthe; Mis§ Stanford, black crepe, trimmed with bands of lovely cream Indian embroidery; Mrs. J. Wilson, black silk, net yoke and sleeves; Mrs. Murray, reseda green silk, veiled in black net; Mrs. H. Fookes, black striped sequinned grenadine over white silk, cream lace yoke; Miss Testar, ciel blue silk; MLss Grant, black silk, cream lace scarf; Mrs. Baker, black silk; Miss Baker, soft oreanf crepe de chine; Miss A. Hempton, pale mauve silk, cream lace yoke; Miss F. Wood, pretty mauve velvet robe; Miss Brown, black silk; Mrs. McKellar, black silk; Miss McKellar, black satin striped grenadine over white silk, corsage finished with sequinned trimming; Mrs. Arden, black silk; Miss Godfrey, dark brown ■ velvet; Mrs. Johns, cream silk; Miss K. Hamerton, moss green silk, oream lace vest ; Mrs. F. Robertson, pale oyster grcv flowered silk muslin, cream lace yoke; Mrs. R. George, cream crepe, prettily embossed with silken flowers; Mrs. Courtney, black silk; Miss J. Curtis, eau de nil silk, berthe of cream lace; Mrs. Butler, black sequinned net; Mrs. Simpson, black silk, cream lace vest; Mrs. Claude Weston, dove grey crepe, cream lace vest; Mrs. H. Baily, black silk, cream silk yoke veiled in black lace; Mrs. Wills, nattier blue silk, Oriental trimming finishing cream lace yoke; Mrs. Newman, navy blue silk, cream lace vest.

QUEEN MARY AS A DICTATOR OF FASHION. There has been 110 little wailing among the smart set of Mayfair since King George and Queen Mary came to the throne. The unaffected, homely character of tlve Queen is well known. She represents the best type of British motherhood. and has no sympathy with that class of women who live solely for dress and pleasure. The whirl of fashionable rife, has no attractions for her Majesty, and eccentricities in dress she abhors. An illustration of the manner in which she has determined to set her face against the latter is provided by the order which she issued that no ladies wearing hobble skirts would be allowed at Court; and there is little doubt that the sudden death of the harem skirt was due to the fact that her Majesty would not countenance such a fashion. Among the smart set the decree regarding hobble skirts caused considerable heartburning, as quite a number of ladies had spent large sums on dresses more daring than beautiful.

And whereas Queen Victoria preferred Indies attending at Court should wi'itr low-cut dresses, Queen Mary looks witli disfavor on that extreme display of arms and shoulders which was characteristic of bygone Courts. There is another decree which Queen Mary has issued in reward to dresses worn by members of society. She has always favored British-made garments. All her robes for the Coronation festivities were made in Britain, and as far as possible Queen Mar}- always patronises British firms for her ordinary dresses. The members of her household were given to understand that they should not go to France for gowns or millinery, and a broad hint was sent out that all who attended Court functions would find Royal favor bv following the same rule of patriotic devotion to British fashion and fabrics. Neither has Queen Man- much sympathy with Indies who resort to artificial means for heightening the effects of Xature JTer dislike of ladies appearing in her presence who have treated their complexions with paint, powder or enamel is well-known, while, although the toilettes at Ascot races this year were some of the most beautiful on record. there was a notable absence of "Merry Widow" hats in the Royal enclosure, owing to her Majesty's disapproval of such striking creation's. Then, again, with'regard to the reCreations of society, the Queen is rapidly bringing about a change. Card-playing is a diversion not regarded wHh favor at Court. As a writer in the "fientle- j woman" noints out, the Kings enjovs a game of bridge now and then, and still from time to lime patronises the racecourse; but, lie makes neither a hobbv. and is perfectly content to divide his time between the cares of State and the

society of liis family, with fishing and shooting by way of recreation. The Queen cares very little for racing and still less for card-playing. Therefore, this diversion will not be the fashion for ladies during the present reign, except among a certain set, which is, after all, comparatively a small section of society.

The fashion which her Majesty has set her face against most strongly, however, is smoking among ladies. It is, of course, quite customary in some European Courts for the Queen and her ladies to indulge in cigarettes after dinner. Such a custom, however, has never been adopted at the English Court, although many ladies smoke in private. The practice, however, is one which finds no supporter in her Majesty, and her well-known dislike of the habit will doubtless have considerable effect in minimising the number of lady smokers.

J FLOWER DAYS. | 'lFlower Days" for charity have been instituted with much success on the Continent. The Lady writes as follows: > "St. Petersburg this spring also organised a highly successful flower day. For many weeks beforehand, a number of ladies used to meet at the house of one of the Privy Councillors to make white jessamine blossoms. As in the case of Geneva and other towns, the city was divided into quarters, with a Maine patronesse' at the head of each, to whom the girls and ladies applied who , were willing to act as flower-sellers. The objects to which the funds raised were to be devoted were two consumptive sanatoria for children and a consumptive hospital. The day was wet and very cold, but the flower-sellers had crowds of buyers about them, and early in the afternoon their stocks were completely ; exhausted. The .price of a flower \vaI 5 kopecks, and the poor bought as many ' as the rich, though they could seldom I afford more than the actual price of the l flower. When the sellers had no more I white jessamine .blossoms, the flower- | shops generously came to their assistance, and let them have their stocks of . natural white flowers at a very low price —lilies of the valley, hyacinths, roses and white lilac. After a time the stocks of white flowers, too. became exhausted, and flowers had to be sold without re- | gard to tlie color. About a million I roubles were taken—that is, more than

£'loo.ooo. As a rule, it is some homely favorite flower which is chosen to sell. Munich for its May flower day chose the ox-eye daisy; Lusanne, once the bachelor's button; Berne, the forget-me-not; Zurich, chiefly daisies. Very often the flower day become more or less of a I flower festival, and there are fiower- | decked motor cars and flower-decked car- : riages driving about the streets. Spring is naturally the favorite time for ari ranging a white flower day, especially in such a country as Switzerland, where, I after the long winter everyone turm with delight to flowers as soon as they appear, and the floral firstlings of the year are looked forward to more than in countries with milder climate and a shorter time, or perhaps no .time at all, where every plant and flower is buried under thick snow." FASHION HINTS AND NOTIONS. Flower toques are quite the thing. Jabots are still as mtich favored as ever. New coiffures show broader and higher effects. All vivid colorings are used for even-. ing. Lace veils are extremely long in the new models. There is a decided voguo for blackvelvet shoes. Brocades are gorgeous in colorings and texture. Never have foulards been so beautiful or so popular. < Greys are shown on many of the newest materials. i Mousseline is now used to trim frocksl of batiste or linen, f Linen promises a wider patronage this J year than ever before. Huge flat hats with low crowns are faced with contrasting colors. Black, combined with bright empire green, is in vogue everywhere.