ABOUT WOMEN IN EUROPE

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20923, 30 September 1939, Page 18 (Supplement)

ABOUT WOMEN IN EUROPE

Tranquillity and Poise of Hungarians FASHIONS IN RUSSIA NON-EXISTENT Miss Catherine Hardess, of Melbourne, returned this month after four years spent abroad in the study of costume design and decor for the theatre, writes an Australian paper. In addition to her artistic knowledge she brings back colourful and arresting impressions of life in other countries. “The Hungarians are really the most beautifully dressed women in the world,” she said. “They are even more exquisite than the Viennese, who have always enjoyed a reputation for charm. They wear extremely simple clothes, but always with such distinction and poise, always with such a well-groomed soignee air, that they com- •: mand attention anywhere. The Parisian women ? Yes, of course. They are adorable. They use their clothes, their hands, their eyes, their bodies, to create a charm all their own. But they have not the calm tranquility and poise of the Hungarian women. Waists, by the way, are becoming smaller and smaller—even in Hungary, which is not a country of extremes—and hips, by comparison, are becoming more pronounced. In some of the new styles which we saw coming through Hungary just before we left we were reminded of the wasp waists of Victorian days. “Now, if you ask me about the Russians, beware,” continued Miss Hardess, with a smile, “for I’m in danger of mounting on my hobby-horse. Quite apart from what my political views may be, I am very enthusiastic about Russian women. “Not their clothes, though. For a Russian woman’s clothes cannot be considered at all in a discussion on dressing. In Russia there are simply not enough new clothes to go round. Factory production there is still in its infancy, and even working top-speed the country cannot produce clothing for its 170,000,000 inhabitants—not even for the 27 millions of Moscow. If a Russian woman has a new dress, she hasn’t new shoes to go with it, and by the time she gets the new shoes, the dress is already old and shabby. If this were not so pathetic, it would often be almost funny. For instance, I have seen a woman at the theatre in an appropriate black velvet dress—but with no stockings, and white heel-less sandshoes showing at the hem. Clothes Mean Nothing to the Russian “Fortunately nobody seems to care to the Russian of today, clothes mean nothing. ‘Russia for the Russians’ is the catch phrase. A cup of coffee in Moscow costs 4s 6d in Australian currency, although the Russian can buy it for 2d. This is not because of the desire to exploit the tourist, but simply that the Russians are not particularly interested in the outside world, so they don’t put themselves about to make tempting prices. ‘Russia for the Russians.’ “Every Russian citizen knows that Russia is wealthy enough to produce everything they need, given only sufficient time. ‘Well,’ says the average Russian, ‘Since we have enough to eat, let us not worry about clothes. But we need not import them from other countries, because it’s only a matter of time until we can produce them for ourselves.' “This Impersonal attitude towards things seems strange to us, but it is something you meet with every day in Russia. The people there never seem to act solely for their own benefit; there is always the thought of their country at the back of their minds. Nobody there, for instance, shows you anything and says: ‘This is my work. * I did it. Do you like it?" Instead, it is: ‘So you think this work is good ? Russia will be pleased.' Children the Most Important Citizens “Children in Russia are considered the most important citizens. Everybody loves them and cherishes them, for by the children of today the future of the country will be decided. Motherhood has gained a new significance, and* Women’s Clinics and Baby Health Centres are being rapidly established. A good movement is that of the Pioneer Clubs—organisations for employing leisure time. Any day after school children can attend these ateliers and studios without charge, to engage in whatever occupation interests them-—carpenter-ing, engineering, music, sewing, or whatever it may be. Instructors are present to lend assistance when it is needed. Here, too, parents can go in the evenings and learn something about these subjects. Parents and children share their pleasure together in Russia—Grandfather with a long, white beard will sit next to his little grandson in the theatre, and both will listen with the same eager interest, and applaud just as heartily when it is done. ‘“Die Russian is essentially free in spirit, subject to little apparent outward compulsion, but none the less earnest in his love of country. Stalin, the leader, is hardly ever seen, scarcely ever mentioned. There is no beating of drums nor tumultuous salutations. Yet a long queue of people waits nearly every morning to pay a silent tribute to the tomb of Lenin, in Moscow.” Miss Hardess is very interested in the movement for education through the theatre, which is developed to a high standard in Russia. There children are divided into different age groups, and see plays carefully planned to meet their intelligence. Everyone, from children to adults, learns to appreciate drama, and the vivid pictures of life it can portray.