Evening Star Newspaper, April 24, 1940, Page 30

WOMEN'S FEATURES. THE EVE G ‘- STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1940. WOMEN'’S FE ATURES. Co-operative Designers Now Creating Lovely New Collection of Furniture ‘American Way’ the Title Of Group Effort Which Is Now in Progress Emphasis on Our Own Talent Seen as Significant Move; Suitability Is Stressed By MARGARET NOWELL. ‘There is vivid new interest in American products these days, for much of the merchandise we are used to seeing in the shops is cut off, now that American ships are not touching ports in the war zone. This has brought about a new movement to produce and offer for sale the products of American craftsmen which are keyed to an American way of living. You have doubtless sat in chairs designed by Gilbert Rohde, gone several times a day to a refrigerator designed by Raymond Loewy, eaten from dishes designed by Russell Wright—and generally lived with things in your home designed by other equally famous American de- signers. Next fall when you go into our Washington stores for new things to give your house a new look, you will find the results of the combined efforts of such industrial designers as these and many others, together with those of noted American artists and craftsmen, who even now are hard at work creating furniture, fabrics, china, lamps, glass- ware and linens for a very special collection, known as the “American way.” These men and women who, for the last 10 years, have been contributing individually to the gradual growth of a truly American expression in home furnishings deslgn, came to the firm conclusion that now, as never before, there is need for a concerted action to bring to the average American home products designed and produced in the United States, styled to the living< e habits and needs of this country. With world conditions as they are, we are looking more and more to our own domestic resources for raw materials and manufacturing proc- esses. Therefore, why not give pointing with pride to articles in| | our homes designed by 20th century | master craftsmen? Creators Unknown To Public. more attention than we have to the artistic and creative elements in our midst for beauty and usefulness in the furnishing of our homes? Designs Suitdble To Our Needs. With a spirit of co-operation sel- dom found among creative individ- ualists, some 35 outstanding figures in the fields of art, crafts and in- dustrial design have joined with leading American manufacturers to produce new furnishings for the homes of America, to be priced within the average family’s budget, to be suited in service and spirit to the cbntemporary mode of Ameri- can life. There is one rather logical expla- nation of this, of course. With some exceptions, many of the splendig designers are working in compara- tive anonymity as far as the average woman is concerned, just as, no doubt, did the designers of other | days, whose work is known now |only because time. has focused a | spotlight on'it. Perhaps an even more impressive explanation lies,in the fact that much of this design !work has gore into products too | | nigh-priced, or in some cases, too advanced, too striking in appearance | for the average pocketbook and | taste., The “American-Way” program is set to do away with these excuses. Every piece will carry the designer’s No such comprehensive group ef-|and manufacturer’'s name; will be fort of this kind is known to have priced to an established average been made before, and its eventual|level, and each will express a style Influence should be widespread on | that all of us can understand and the decoration of homes throughout enjoy. the country. | Watch for these new things, and We're all of use fairly familiar|keep your eves and ears open for with the special design characteris- | news of the work that later may be tics of chairs by the Brothers Adam, | as well known as the work of the tables by Chippendale or Hepple- white, beds by Duncan Phyfe, all master designers of the 18th and 19th centuries. We've managed to get straight in our minds the design expressions of the French court of Louis XVI, or those of our own Co- lonial forefathers, filling our houses with reproductions of typical pieces. | But, though we facilitate our daily living with such 20th century mira- cles as the telephone, electric light, airplanes, moving pictures and auto- mobiles, how many of us think of master craftsmen of the 18th cen- | tury. We have all of the necessary elements to make this plan one of the most exciting movements in his- tory. The results should be as fine | as we have hoped and dreamed they | would be. For when manufacturers | recognize the need of good design, artists recognize the limit of the average pocketbook and the buying | public becomes aware of new ideas| | and appreciates them, we are bound | for a renaissance in home deco- | ration. Woman’s Character Is Very Easily Dorothy Dix Says - - - ‘ J | Determined by Dress She Wears A masculine correspondent thinks that the feminine sex would take a long step forward in progress if it would discard all of its frills and furbelows and adopt a standardized dress, such as men have done. He says that this would do away with envy and rivalry between women and that this would be a happy and inexpensive world if every woman had on virtually the same sort of hat and dress that every other wom- an was wearing. Maybe so. Maybe s0. But what an ugly, drab world it would be! And what a dumb one! For what would women have to talk about if they couldn't talk about clothes? Surely we haven't so much gayety and color and beauty in life that we can afford to throw any of it away. And if you want to real- fze just how much women's pretty frocks cheer things up you've only got to compare a stag banquet with 8 hen party. One is a gloomy and depressing picture in black and white, while the other is a gorgeous and brilliant flower garden. Perhaps fashion is spinach, as one of its critics has declared it is, but even so, it is a feminine tonic that is good for whatever ails women in body and soul. It is a bond that binds the highest and the lowest together and makes Judy O'Grady and the colonel's lady sisters in whatever they put on outside of the skin. It is a topic of conversation that never runs dry. It is a perpetual source of interest. It is an outlet for pent-up emotion. A woman goes | out and buys a new dress to celebrate her good luck, instead of getting drunk as a man does. And when | sorrow comes to her there is still left to her the consolation of “tou- | jours la toilette,” as the French say, that makes getting her mourning take her mind off her troubles. And especially do women express their individuality in their clothes. They take their religion from their churches and their politics from the men of the family, but their clothes are their own. If a woman is fat and careless and beruffled until she looks like Blow- zibella, you know that she is good- natured and lazy and easy-going, but that she is totally without judgment or discrimination and that she will never correct a single one | of her faults, because she will never | see herself as she is. | If a woman always looks as if her worst enemy had bought her clothes; if she wears a green hat when she has a saleratus biscuit complexion; if she dresses like 16 when she is 60, and if she wears high-heeled slippers when she starts out on a hike, you know she is lack- ing in perception and good hard common sense. But, on the other hand, the girl who is always appropriately dressed, who is spick and span, clean and well pressed shows that she has in- telligence, taste, discrimination and self-respect, and she is a good bet as a wife. DOROTHY DIX. %¢ by Colelte FOR THE JUNE WEDDING nee/] A/imm[ny— Don't wear \ clinging, shiny white satin reveal- ing every bulge Shun _huge bou- quet. Do _slenderize ]‘ in heavy dull [/ lace off-shoul- der decolle- tage. graduat- ed necklace | lengthen ing bouquet, “long lines in veil and coiffure. Young Set’s its style and wearability. By HELEN VOGT. ! Every time we write a story about | children’s clothes, we invariably ex- | claim over the fact that they are s0 similar in style importance to those worn by adults. So this time we won't even mention that many of the modern fashion trends have | found their way into teen-age clothes, nor could we ware to say | that features often known as *high~ styled” have been modified and adapted to make smart outfits for size 10 to 16. And, not having men- tioned these facts, it's safe to go| ahead and explain that one of the primary requirements in young clothes today is serviceability. Most of the smart-looking styles to be found in local shops are wash- able, and this is a feature demanded not-only by harassed mothers, but by their very sensible and knowing daughters. Cottons, of course, fill the bill to perfection. In our explo- rations around town we have come across cottons in every form, and since fashion indicates that this is going to be one of the biggest sea- sons for the material, it's not sur- prising to find it used plentifully. Striped piques, seersuckers, voile, cotton eyelet dresses, rayon shark- skin—all are highly favored. In one store we noticed charming and very inexpensive dresses of crinkled mate=- lasse organdie which will wash per- fectly ‘and always look perky and fresh, no matter how warm the weather. Skirts and. Coats Being Shown. Among the favorites of the spring season have been matching or con- trasting jackets and skirts, partic- ularly in pastels. These are still selling strong and many are suf- ficiently light in weight to go right through the summer. With a' well- made jacket and skirt, endless cos- tumes are possible. Little blouses are most inexpensive and very help- ful in creating the illusion of an ex- tensive wardrobe. In dresses, particularly in cottons, we have seen any number of pina- fore styles—a mode alternately tossed back and forth between the adult and adolescent world and right' now in the midst of both. Princess lines are always an excellent choice, particularly for the teen-age girl who requires all the skill of de- signers to avoid an all-arms-and- legs look. Jacket dresses are very popular and plentiful, especially in spun rayon. We recently saw a number of white rayon frocks with brilliantly striped jackets, and they are certainly charming. Stripes are used frequently, as are small checks. These, in addi- tion to prints, are heartily approved by the younger set, who prefer to reserve their plain-colored frocks for.| “best” occasions. In the latter cate- gory, one of the most attractive dresses is navy rayon crepe, very much in the nautical manner with sallor collar and white trim. With a white hat and shoes, this is our idea of how youngsters should be dressed for Sunday afternoon. Many Aids to Purchasing. In shopping for clothes for daugh- ter this season, be sure to keep sev- | eral important questions in mind, namely: Ie the outfit washable? Most of them are marked so and also carry complete instructions for launder- ing, so if you are uncertain, be sure to inquire. If it is not washable, will it stand A up under frequent trips to the clean- | ers? In other words, is the fabric good and likely to hold its original | line after weeks of wear and tear that only active youngsters can in- flict? Does it blend with other clothes? By that, we mean will this one out- fit require a number of new accesso- ries or can it be perfectly adapted to those worn with other clothes? Is it flattering to the figure? Young girls these days are just as| interested in flattering clothes as girls of any other age, so if daughter is chunky, give her vertical stripes in a slimming effect; if she is thin, select those dresses which don't make her look like a beanpole. Re- member your own color sense and apply it to your child, too. Big prints, bright colors are not for plump people. Consider color in re- lation to her own complexion. Don’t think she can wear just anything merely because “she’s a child and it makes no difference on children.” In other words, fashions for the youngsters are ample and varied. Start now to teach your daughter good taste in clothes and you'll be mighty grateful for that instruction both now and in years to come. And just one more word: Many dresses are now marked to corre- spond with the approximate height and chest measurements of the age, thus enabling women to shop more Stamp of Approval Because they like simple, serviceable clothes, young girls of the size 10 to 16 group have heartily approved this striped dirndl dress of preshrunk pique, which is, of course, thoroughly washable. Inclined to provide a tall, slender- izing look, this school or playtime frock is a classic that youngsters adore for e s T e successfully for children's clothes— without the all-too-frequent agony of dragging unwilling youngsters along. Virgin Mahogany Two circumstances have made it possible in the last few years to bring in mahogany logs cut from timber as virgin as it was when Columbus discovered America. Only a few years ago mahogany was discovered on the upper Ama- zon and its tributaries in Western Brazil and in Peru. Nobody knows to what extent mahogany is to be found in this vast, and all but in- habited, jungle. The trees now being cut are those virtually grow- ing at the edge of flood water as it is impractical to bring cattle, horses or machinery into that re- gion. In Central America, where ma- nogany has been an important product for two centuries, the truck and the tractor are responsible for the logging of virgin timber. Seven miles was about the maximum haul with cattle, but today loggers are going back 15 to 20 miles from the watercourses opening up areas where never before have mahogany trees been cut. Thus today much of the mahogany produced is of the finest virgin timber, trees that, per- haps for centuries, have stood against the violence of storms. For Lunching in Spring B g By BARONESS PIANTONI. » With the coming of warm weather you'll be serving more cold meals. Then you need have no fear of hot plates marring your tables. And you can use a lacy luncheon set as a change from the heavier tablecloth, To- day’s set is particularly delicate in design, and you'll enjoy making it. Of course, you can use the pieces as separate doilies for your furniture. ‘The pattern envelope contains complete; easy-to-understand direc- tions; also what crochet hook and will need. « what material and how much you To obtain this pattern, send for No. 1257 and inclose 15 cents in stamps or coin to cover service and postage. Editor of The Evening Star, 4 Address orders to the Needlework Poor Posture |Corselette-Waisted Frock Ruinous to, Beauty Bad Walking Faults Corrected With a Little Effort By PATRICIA LINDSAY. You may be pretty satisfled with your figure as you stand surveying it in your bedroom mirror. It may have nice proportions and firmed curves. But all its beauty will be lost to the eyes of others if you carry yourself in s huddled or slouched position as you walk. To see yourself as others see you, sit down in a crowded terminal and watch the women who hustle past you. Or take a walk down & main thoroughfafe and with a critical eye notice every woman and girl as they walk toward you and past you. Some huddle forward as if an icy blast was congealing them. Others walk with one side dropped inches below the level of the other side. Rounded shoulders and dow- agers humps are far too prevalent and wide hips are the rule, rather than the exception. I hope that one girl or woman walks past you who is well poised and carries herself in seemingly proud posture. Then you will notice how eyes appraise her. Her beauty is enhanced a hundred times. She may not have as pretty a face as you, but her poised appearance will make her seem more beautiful than any woman on the street. Learn to carry your handbag by its strap, with an easy, relaxed swing of your arm. Or tuck it under one arm, so your shoulders may be straight and your hand free. Don't clutch it to you as if it contained your life’s savings and every passerby had designs on it! Crossing your arms in front of you is another bad habit. Some women tuck their hands up the| sleeves of their coats, bend over like # g a woman of 90 and shuffle along. Charming is the word for this You must remember, while walk- |lovely, youthful dress, in which the ing, that your body Ls_ a unit. Every : grace of this feminine, flattering sea- muscle must co-ordinate to have| son is beautifully expressed. There’s balance and grace of movement, nothing fussy or frilly about Pattern your arms should swing gently. To|No. 1959-B; it's the type of frock prove to yourself how important the | you can wear and wear and wear, upper part of your body is to good | because the lines are so good and posture, walk with the palms of |there's nothing about 1t to get your hands turned outward. Feel| tired of. your shoulders straighten and your | head move into an erect position. | is designed for sizes 12, 14, 18, 18 and This simple exercise is most effi-|20. Corresponding bust measure- cient in correcting round shoulders| ments 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38. Size and poor head posture. |14 (32) requires 4! yards of 39- Smart on Slim By BARBARA BELL. | Barbara Bell Pattern No. 1959-B Figures inch material without nap; 2 yards | of bias fold. | BARBARA BELL, WASHINGTON STAR. Inclose 25 cents in coin for Pattern No. 1959-B. Size.... (Wrap coins securely in paper.) to Avoid Undie Odor Easy now of P %flflde UNDIE ODOR CAN KILL ROMANCE — 1'LL NEVER RISK IT ! AFTER ALL,IT TAKES ONLY A MOMENT TO FRESHEN UNDIES WITH NEW QUICK Lux LUXING UNDIES DX ON'T let undie odor ruin D your popularity. ..with new, quick Lux it's easy to avoid offending! FASTER! In water as cool as your hand, it dissolves 3 TIMES AS FAST as any of 10 other lead- ing soaps tested. GOES FURTHER! Gives MORE suds (ounce for ounce) even in hard water than any of these other soaps. It's thrifty! SO SAFE...Gentle, as Lux has always been—new, quick Lux is safe for every- thing safe in wa- ter alone! EVERY DAY KEEPS Busy housewives rave about new, quick Lux. It gives suds in a sec—leaves UNDIES dainty, keeps the colors lovely looking longer. UNDIE ODOR CERTAINLY KILLS POPULARITY... | PLAY SAFE_USE,NEW £ QUICK Lux_iT's | THRIFTY, 100! [ MILLIONS THRILLEI % wiTH NEW QUICK Lux-, oW - FOR UNDIES THEM NEW LOOK- ING LONGER_IT's ) emr _ Noharmfulalkall in gentle new, quick Lux. Get a BIG box today! in the same familiar box -