By Press Release
This week we have three entries from the Isle of Wight Observer of October 17th, 1903. These titbits appeared in the Women’s Gossip column along with some information on who the King had been visiting, the upcoming birthday of Princess Ena of Battenberg, and fashions in hats and furs.
WOMEN’S GOSSIP DANCING Many hostesses complain that men are not so keen on dancing as they used to be, and that in recent years dances have suffered from rival attractions, such as the crazes for ping-pong and bridge. There does not seem this winter to be any particular drawing room game of dominating interest. Ping-pong has gone out, and the attempts to introduce fresh table ball games do not promise to be very successful. Dancing in any case is not likely to go out of fashion. It has survived for many centuries, and is likely to be as popular as ever this winter. WINTER MATERIALS Dress materials this winter are all of the more substantial and heavier variety. Velvet and velveteen will be very generally worn, the latter fabric being now produced to such perfection as to leave nothing more to be desired. Corduroy velveteen is much used for “trot-about” costumes, but whether or not it is from old plebian associations, this fabric always seems to lack a refined appearance – brown, not too dark – is usually the colour chosen for these velveteen outdoor suits, the basqued coat having one or tow small shoulder capes. AUTUMN LEAVES Flowers of some or other kinds can generally be obtained all the year round for table and drawing room decoration, but just now there is nothing better to take the place of summer blooms that the beautiful “autumn leaves” with their wealth of brilliant and flaming colours. The creepers this year are unusually bright and gay with autumn tints, and the leaves make a charming decoration deftly arranged as a table centre and garnitures for dessert dishes. They can also be utilised for decoration of rooms, enabling one to eke out with comparatively few flowers, now fast disappearing from our gardens and becoming more expensive to buy.