TREASURED SOUVENIR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 March 1940, Page 5

TREASURED SOUVENIR

The bride wears white if she ran, and satin if possible, but remembers that there are no coffers in ancestral galleries in which to preserve it. There may be a coal-bin, hut certainly no coffer, in the inierdseopie new flat, and certainly she will want to wear, rather than preserve, her wedding dress. Ils satin may earn a respectable living as a slip in its old age, and its lace may become a blouse,-and end its life as a collar—out at grass, as it were, like a dearly-loved horse. Development in the arts of spinning, weaving, and dyeing has done a great deal for the bride. The modern bride can wear soft or heavy silks, plain or figured, many of them subtly-col-oured/ bv interwoven threads of sjlk or metal. She can sheath Ldl'self in silken metal or precious s'lk. She can make a cloud of herself, in unnumbered yards cf spider-fine not, in silver or gold or colour, a gossamer spun from a rainbow.

Moreover, she can keep her own souvenir, and in a very small place. Brides once kept their bouquets, or their dresses, and almost always their veils, which wore of laee —priceless Brussels, ar Venetian point, or Limerick, and wore handed down from generation to generation.

Today, still, it is the veil which will be" kept. There is no room for the big cardboard box with lhe bouquet, in it —besides, that would bo called “lusty. Economically, il is out ol place io keep the dress. But the veil is another matter—small, light, imperishable—and not representing any considerable frozen capital. EMBROIDERED VEILS Some of the veils woven in Nottingham, lhe acknowledged capitalCf lace. are things of real beauty, and joys for over, although they may cost a very few shillings. They' are produced in styles to suit every taste. They are embroidered with lilies, loaves, bows, lovers’ knots, horseshoes, roses, .and so forth. On the line net background these designs are mistv. seeming Io float in the

Thon there are more severe drsigns—linos of fine embroider, like stitc.hery—open fan-like cor ners, or little niched edgings lilv fairv crinoline-

To supplement these are eoron als and wreaths in lace and net A favourite design is a high Flemish cap with a slightly-niched tulle bandeau. Another popular bridal cap is shaped like lhe famous head-dress of Mary, Queen of Scots. Rather an unfortunate example for a bride to evoke, one would have thought—but so becoming!

Much of this dainty work for weddings is done in English cottages spread over four counties, by married women whose domestic duties keep them at home, They may have to do all the washing and housework, but their fingers; are skilful in lhe delicate work. They can embroider a lily so finely on net so fine that lhe net is invisible against while, and the lilv seems made of air.