Fashion Notes For Island Women

“CONFIDENCE,” says the French philosopher, “brings more to conver sation than wit itself can bring.” How often do we face the world with calm, almost contemptuous indifference, secure in the knowledge that our clothes are just right for the occasion.

Going here, going there, makes the “little frock” an absolute necessity, and nothing could be better for this type of frock than “wartyne silk,” first cousin to our old friend, sponge cloth. It has so many things in its favour —economy, splendid wearing qualities, and, joy! it requires no special care in laundering.

A frock of beige or string colour made on tailored lines is the personification of chic, when trimmed with buttons and buckle of tortoiseshell, which is of such negligible cost in the Islands. Brown shoes, gloves and bag complete the per fection of the ensemble.

Nowhere is the dinner frock such a ne cessity as in the tropics. It can be so charming, with its low square neck, full, short sleeves, and softly falling skirt that our wardrobe should boast at least two of these in washing materials of any de sign. The materials are so varied, too, that scope for individuality is unlimited.

King Neptune’s influence thrills us. The fish-tail silhouette is new. One feels and looks like a mermaid, with the skirt hug ging the knees, then spreading itself in graceful flow to the hem line.

Who, indeed, would fail to succumb to a white satin evening gown made on these lines, dotted here and there with gold sequins or embroidered with spots of gold thread? A gold shoe and the tiniest of gold lame or sequinned cocktail-caps, and the world is ours!

With the new silhouette, lingerie has become even more important, and the very newest is cut on the cross. Since petticoats are to be slim, the six gore has achieved great success and is a uni versal favourite. Nightgowns have the appearance of modified evening gowns, and boast tiny sleeves or added epaulettes.

Coffee, or Paris, lace is added to tea rose pink and Nile green in either georg ette or crepe-de-chine, and the most de lectable undies are the result.

Bare legs have come to stay in the realms of sport. Since to wear stockings for tennis is to be conspicuously over dressed, how sad it is that so few can boast “good complexioned” legs. An over seas manufacturing chemist has produced a new paste which has the effect of magic on leg blemishes, and gives the appear ance of stockings of dull silk. Unfor tunately it is not procurable in Australia —as yet.

For the beach, too, stockings are de mode, and Roman sandals are madly sought after by the modern flapper, who lacquers her toenails to match her finger nails —a vivid scarlet.

Bathing costumes (or what there is of them) are the last word in daring. Some consist of brassiere tops and shorts, the more modest being merely backless. Long lines of cars roll incessantly towards the beaches, piled with young things clad in shorts and slacks. Slacks for beach wear are becoming increasingly popular, and are the mode for young and old alike.

They are seen in many and varied colour

ings, and in some instances are a de cided improvement.

Beach dresses with low-cut backs are putting pyjamas well in the background, and are both useful and attractive, a particularly delightful one being of green diagonal striped cotton with plain green belt and shoulder straps. A green and white coolie hat of shiny straw and white sandals fill the wearer with intense satis faction. Try it for your next swimming carnival. You’ll be an instantaneous success.

Mr. Hubert Sturzenhofecker, and the Misses H. Reiner and Ruth Schnabel, of Mavaria, arrived in Sydney in the Mosel on their way to New Guinea, where they are to take up posts as teachers at the Lutheran Mission Settlement on the Mi kin River. They will remain at the settle ment for about 10 years.