Seen In The Shops.

Top coats this summer are mainly of the swagger variety, about seven-eighths length, with wide shoulders, and cut loosely under the arms. Some hang from round yokes that come down over the shoulder and give the necessary width. Collars are straight, upstanding bands, often fastening with one button at the neck. These coats are mainly in tweeds (checks, diagonals or herring-bone) and in blanket cloth for sports wear.

A suit should form the foundation of the summer wardrobe. Skirts are straight, with fullness supplied by inverted pleats, or slightly flared coats are fitted hip-length or loose. The fabrics for suits are mostly tweeds in interesting weaves (shepherds plaids, herring-bone or diagonal checks) and in neutral tonings, fawn mixtures, browns, black and white. You will be smartest in brown and white or oyster checks. The short coats, with or without belts, have standup, straight collars which fasten with one button under the chin, the revers falling apart to show the blouse. A popular type of costume is a swagger coat with skirt to match. This is certainly most suitable for a slender purse, as both skirt and coat can be worn separately.

Choosing a blouse to wear with your new suit is an absorbing occupation, as a blouse lends character to the whole outfit. The severely tailored shirt-blouse is right for certain types. For others there is an array of dainty trifles in organdie or muslin, plain or patterned in the brightest and most charming colourings, from which to choose. Soft draped collars, bows, pipings, buttons, all are drawn into service to add interest to the blouse.

The ubiquitous jumper still holds its own. I have noticed some charming models in wool-lace with pleated frills or collars of organdie outlining the round neck. Nearly every jumper has small, puffed sleeves in self-material, or in contrast.

On the tennis court, white will, of course, predominate. Spun silk, or any one of the range of krinkly crepes in silk or cotton is smart. Our tennis frocks may be sleeveless or otherwise. The square, cut-away armhole is new, or we may have a tiny, flared cape-sleeve. A touch of scarlet (piping, buttons or belt) adds distinction to a white frock.

Accessories are lovely. The eye is bewildered by the array of bows and frillings foaming round the counters. One notices vests to wear with costumes; organdie capes in white with black or coloured spots, stripes or rings. These capes, which can be worn over a white or coloured frock, are high at the neck and almost waist-length, and have ties which cross-over and tie round the waist.

Gloves are interesting. Gauntlets are now made to match other accessories. Very new are gloves in white or fawn mesh. I saw some fawn mesh gloves with checked gauntlets which matched the hand-bag and belt. If you are one of the people whom white really suits, dress in it this summer, and supply yourself with a white handbag and white sandal shoes. With your page 54 page 55 mesh gloves, wear mesh stockings—in lighter colours this summer. Your white shoes may be trimmed with brown or a bright colour, and for beach and holiday wear be gay in colourful striped canvas affairs.

As to hats, take your choice—high crown or low crown, pleated or folded, brim abruptly tilted or severely straight. Only remember—small hats for costumes, large floppy hats for organdie or muslin.

* * *

Children'S Clothes.

The sight of dainty frocks in flowery prints, linens, hailstone muslins and zephers, with sunbonnets to match, makes one long for a little girl to dress. Any woman with clever fingers can make the tiny organdie collar and cuff sets, or set the frock on to the yoke with smocking. Little organdie frocks, to be worn over a slik slip, are made with short bodices and puff sleeves or tiny frills at the shoulders. Or you may use lace edgings and dainty ribbon bows. Array Boy Five in a linen suit and he will be quite in the picture.

* * *

Prepare For Sun Tan.

Even if we do not possess a sports frock with the new harness back, our beach wear will certainly encourage the kiss of King Sol. Most of the new bathing suits are backless, either with a deep V or cut right away and straps in brassiere effect.

Beach pyjamas will still be worn, especially in a combination of plain and floral material, and even in these the back may consist only of straps.

The newest wear for the holiday-maker is the colourful well-fitting long slacks and tailored shorts in strong cotton material (belted and trimmed with buttons), in red, green, marineblue and orange. With these are worn well-cut sleeveless shirt blouses in red and white, green and white, blue and white, orange and yellow, in floral, chevron stripes or plain white fabrics. Over the blouse may be worn a short or long coat of the same material as the trousers. Wide brimmed hats matching the beach bags make a gay ensemble.

The most summery outfit I've seen so far was a yachting suit comprising blue flannel trousers and reefer coat with brass buttons, and a white flannel vest embroidered with a blue anchor. I wanted to buy or borrow a yacht on the spot.

* * *

Sunbathing.

Women Who Rule.

Imagine, if you can, life in the thirteenth century in England. The green countryside was dotted with castles, each a small principality, owing allegiance only to the King. When the King's business called, or the seigneur went crusading, the mistress of the castle was left in charge, to defend it against hostile neighbours and to rule the affairs of her petty kingdom with its army of retainers—men-at-arms, house carles, yeomen; to settle disputes, to oversee the husbandry, the tilling of the fields and the care of the animals, as well as to attend to the usual duties of a housewife, which in those days included the spinning of yarn and weaving of cloth for the household.

Not less onerous were the duties of the lady abbess of a wealthy nunnery. Often there were squabbles between the church and the neighbouring castle as to ownership of land, payment of dues, or allocation of peasant labour. The abbess not only directed the spiritual and temporal affairs of the sisterhood, but watched over the village clustered at the doors of the nunnery and zealously guarded the worldly rights of Holy Church. Inevitably, little time was left for the calm contemplation of the infinite and for spiritual converse with the Creator. Disputes as to fishing rights, or questions of tillage of church lands, occupied the woman of affairs.

In the matter of politics, women through the centuries have had an undefined but recognised place behind the scenes, not only in the matter page 56 of obtaining favours from those in power by means of physical attractiveness, but in a real advisory capacity.

To-day, very few committees are considered complete without women members. A tennis club or dramatic society run entirely by men would be decidedly unusual. In the matter of social service women render invaluable aid. Women have been elected to hospital boards, to the governing bodies of colleges, and even to City Councils. In each case the value of their co-operation has been recognised.

Now New Zealand, after many years of female suffrage, has come abreast of other nations by electing a woman to Parliament. We have seen how successfully English women have tackled political life. There was even a woman member of the late Labour Cabinet—Miss Margaret Bondfield, Minister of Labour. The argument that women cannot help in the government of a country and at the same time pay the requisite attention to home-life and the rearing of a family has been confounded by Lady Astor, who has done both successfully.

Of course, all women are not capable of governing. There are always those who are happier as sisters in the nunnery or wives in the village, and have no desire for the lot of chatelaine or abbess. The same may also be said of men. Even among those who aspire to political honours are some whose roads lie in humbler places.

Anyone who has studied the way of a capable woman in the home, knows that her commonsense, her driving power, her ability to find solutions to problems that arise, her scorn of dilatoriness and time-wasting talk, will prove, translated to the House of Representatives, immensely valuable to the country.

* * *

Clothing In Relation To Health.

At the present time there is a prevalence of infectious diseases—measles, mumps, influenza and skin troubles (rashes, pimples, boils, etc.). One of the many factors conducive to ill-health is the misuse of clothing. Although the modern woman has discarded the thick dresses and heavy underwear of a bygone day, there is still an absurd number of people who swaddle themselves and their children in layers of thick and often shrunken underwear, and who are surprised that they are forever catching colds and other maladies.

It is essential to allow free access of air to the body so that the skin may function satisfactorily. The skin is an excretory organ, and the chief organ for regulating the temperature of the whole body. When the atmosphere is warm, or when extra heat is produced by muscular exertion, sweat is poured out from the glands and evaporates on the skin, thus abstracting heat and cooling the body.

It will be seen that it is necessary to wear porous, loosely woven undergarments to allow for evaporation of moisture, and free ventilation to the skin.

Another factor in the maintenance of good health and resistance to germ invasion is the frequent changing of underclothing. It is especially necessary in the case of children. The garments become impregnated with sweat and germs, and wearing them day after day, and perhaps during the night as well, infects the skin, causing the rashes and spots, and even boils, which frequently cause so much discomfort to children and also to the older folk. Vests that are worn during the day should on no account be worn at night. One garment at night is all that is necessary. Loosely woven and porous garments are very easily washed and dried, and the little extra trouble is offset by improved health and vitality.

page 57

Some Lemon Recipes.
Lemon Marmalade.

The Economical Lemon.
Dozens of Uses—And no Waste.

The lemon is one of the few fruits where absolutely no waste occurs. Besides being an excellent flavouring agent, the old rind may be used for rubbing on the hands to soften the skin and remove the stains of housework. For cleaning dirty sink boards and woodwork, too, the rind is an excellent cleansing agent, and there are one-hundred-and-one ways of using the juice as well. For instance, a little juice squeezed into the rinsing water after a hair shampoo will completely remove all traces of soap and will leave the hair bright and fluffy. Then, too, for cooking there are a host of different uses for fresh lemons. Throughout New Zealand there is now a plentiful supply of New Zealand-grown lemons. An interesting lemon recipe pamphlet is now issued, and readers of this column should write for a free copy to the New Zealand Fruit-growers' Federation Limited, P. O. Box 882, Wellington (enclosing a penny stamp to defray postage).