Fashion Hints For Islands Women.

Written for “The Pacific Islands Monthly” hy “Therese.”

WHO can resist the glamour of the new Spring clothes with their airy colour and charm? Simplicity above everything is the keynote to the whole world of fashion, and the old adage “Clothes maketh the man” is more than aptly applied to the feminine world.

In this season of entrancing materials and charming styles, cotton is culti vated for every occasion with amazing success. It rubs shoulders with the most expensive silks, queens it in the ballroom, and is ideal for afternoon and sports wear. In the tropics, especially, will this combination of charm, utility and economy be welcomed. It comes to us in checks and stripes, sprigs and spots, and with the charming flowered designs, suggestive of Spring in all its beauty.

Delightfully fresh and youthful is flowered organdie and, for afternoon wear, hats of the same material are so attractive and inexpensive that their success is a foregone conclusion.

White sports frocks are simplicity it self and, with the addition of a gaily coloured scarf, threaded through two tabs at the boat shaped neckline, a matching belt through similar tabs at the waist, are ideal for tropical wear.

White, of course, is indispensable in the tropics, and when planning your new frock, it is well to keep linen or pique in mind, for in spite of the doubt ful ability of the washboy, these materials manage to keep their imma culate appearance. Pique has the ad vantage of being easier to launder than linen.

In any case, you must have pique or linen accessories. There must be at least one stitched hat with gloves to match. These hats are light-weight, cool and fresh-looking, and their stitched brims shade your eyes from tropical glare. And, let me whisper it, “both hat and gloves are really very easy to make from excellent patterns that are on the market.” If you want a colour contrast, choose your hat, gloves and scarf in one of the many delightful shades, or dig up your Scot forebears and make the accessories of your clar tartan.

Pinafore frocks are economy and chic combined. The changes can be rung with so many blouses, that they de serve their popularity. Simple and cut fairly high at the neck, and joined at the shoulders with two large but tons, they are the last word in chic when allied to one of the new string blouses, for which I shall give you directions. These blouses of Macrame are easy to make and inexpensive, and last indefinitely, even under the on slaught of the washboys.

Blouses worn with tailored skirts of white or the new biscuit shade, are again coming into their own, and there is such variety from which to choose, that we hail this fashion of the good old days with delight. What could be more charming than a blouse of red and white spotted muslin, broad of shoulder and puffed of sleeve, with ruffled collar and matching bow?

Crisp neck wear is essential to summer chic, and organdie bows and jabots can be worn with a tremendous

degree of success, giving as they do an air of lightness and coolth.

For evening wear, white organdie for sweet eighteen is fresh and enchant ing. With a slim bodice, cut tightly to the knees and foaming out in frills and ruffles, it is the very essence of youth. Another frock for the ingenue is that of pink chiffon, with the skirt almost entirely made of frills. Frills also trim the huge puff sleeves, and the little-girl air is supplied by a rib bon waistband and bow.

Frivolous ruffles of organdie, net or tulle, are a delightful adjunct to the evening frock. Tulle, alas, is not for tropic climes, but net or organdie are equally successful. A columbine ruffle of black simply shrieks sophis tication when worn with a slim,, straight frock of white flat crepe, with the addition of black mesh gloves and shoes of black satin.

Plaid or striped voile or silk is suc cessful for both day and evening wear, and a very effective informal evening frock is made of black and white plaid, with lacquered satin belt and bow.

Hand-made flowers are again popular, and a garland of these will transform the plainest frock into a thing of beauty.

A pretty dance frock can be made in honeycomb pique in any shade, with the new upstanding shoulder flounces set in raglan shoulders. A garland of white pique flowers is a decided asset to a frock of this variety.

Party frocks of floral design, worn with little frilled capelets of organdie in the predominating shade, give the wearer an air of old world charm.

The String Jumper.

The jumper is knitted in garter-stitch, with double crochet round the neck. Worked at a tension of about 9 stitches to 2 inches in width, it should suit 36 inch bust sizes. Abbreviations: K, knit plain; sts, stitches. Materials: 2 balls Macrame No. 10 in green, 1 ball Macrame No. 10 in Rose, 2 No. 6 knitting needles, and 2 No. 12 knitting needles; 1 small crochet hook.

Front.

Using green Macrame and No. 6 knitting needles cast on 78 sts. knit into hack of stitches for first row and continue in garter stitch (all rows K) for inches. At the be ginning of the next two rows cast on 16 sts. for the sleeves, and continue to work on these 110 sts. for another 3f Inches.

Next row: K 43, cast off 24, k 43.

Now work on the last 43 sts. for right shoulder (but k 2 together at neck edge every other row 4 times), till sleeve measures 5½ inches.

Next row: Beginning at sleeve edge, cast off 24, k to end of row. Next row: K.

Next tow: Cast off 6, k to end of row.

Next row: K. Next row: Cast off remaining sts. Join twine to other side of neck and knit left shoulder, as for right shoulder.

Back.

Work as for front, only make neck opening 1 inch higher than the front.

Belt.

Using Rose Macrame and No. 12 needles, cast on 12 sts. Knit in garter-stitch for about 27 inches, and then mitre the end by knitting 2 together at each end of needle every other row until 2 sts. remain cast off.

To Make Up.

Join shoulder seams and side seams. Turn cuff back so that the sleeve measures li inches from the under-arm, and sew all round the top edge to hold it in position. Sew- belt on round the bottom of the jumper, easing jumper into it.

Work 4 rows of double crochet round neck with green Macrame. Press well under a damp cloth.