family guide to autumn footwear . exciting colours . new toe styles . a partial retreat from the sharply-pointed Italian toe is indicated in the autumn footwear presentations . taking a look recently at the collection from CWS factories I noted a number of interesting models with the newer square toe . another new style feature is the wine-glass or flared heel , which was shown teamed up with pointed , squared , and chisel toes . colour is highly important in choosing autumn footwear . the autumn range of shades is almost bewildering , and there are some exciting new-comers , such as conker calf and charcoal , rocco and Russian violet . quite a lot of attention has been paid by the designers to comfort as well as style in this collection exclusively created for Britain &apos;s co-operative stores . I noted the bagged toplines and tailored ankle fittings , exemplified in a black calf shoe from Norwich which is also available in tan calf and mushroom . the comfort element is particularly marked in the Elizabeth shoe family , expressly designed for those of us whose feet are no longer youthful , but who nevertheless like to be fashionably shod . none of us could ask for a smarter number , for instance , than a black softie calf shoe with a cushioned heel sock , arch support , and elasticised forepart . it is offered also in charcoal . for younger feet the famous countrysider range brings in the casual . gristle soles and chisel toes are features here , as in an attractive model in dark green and maize . these new countrysiders , with their up-to-the-minute fashion features - including the kidney-shaped toepiece - are likely to retain their popularity with our teenagers . fashion these days is as apparent in male footwear as in women &apos;s , and this collection offered both square and chisel toe in its stylings - and here again colour is an essential fashion feature . interesting to see our men breaking away from those traditional browns and blacks into more interesting shades - as in one of the new Ardingtons shown in the rich dark brown which is going to be one of the autumn &apos;s most popular footwear shades for men . as in the autumn clothes collections I have seen , the young folk &apos;s styles tend to be junior editions of their elders &apos; . for the girls , toe styles run to both the medium pointed and the chisel , and the maids &apos; casuals incorporate the kitten heel , bagged tops , and chisel toes . similarly , the boys &apos; shoes reveal the new toe shape in varying degrees , and one of the Leeds numbers shown me had a vamp decorated in Terylene braid . more modish still was a pointed-toe model with a highly masculine-looking buckle , and resin soled ; and a rubber-soled casual in the latest styling , unlined , with elastic side insertions and smooth saddle running across the forepart . - D.L.R . bed-time luxury . eiderdowns are slippery objects , as restless nights are only too apt to prove . to keep you from being left in the cold by these unaccommodating articles the CWS Pelaw quilt factory have introduced a new item into their range . in the past they have featured a large number of quilts with matching bedspreads . now they are offering you the two in one , in the form of a quilt with matching valance attached . this is gusseted to ensure a snug fit over the pillows and the whole has the appearance of an eiderdown covering a bedspread . for sheer luxurious warmth in the middle of winter nothing could compare with another newcomer to the range , a continental style quilt . filled with pure down , it is made in down-proof super cambric stitched into four panels . there is no danger of this slipping off the bed for it folds cosily around you as you turn . the price of about 14 guineas may appear high , but this quilt is designed to last a lifetime . you can choose from a colour range of rose , gold , green , blue , and beige , all piped with white . during the past two years washable quilts in man-made fibres have come to the fore . the Pelaw range includes printed nylons , Terylenes and Tricels , all with Tricel or Terylene fillings . these with their flower-scattered designs would add glamour to any bedroom . a dainty rose pattern is used for a printed Tricel quilt with frilled edge and plain Tricel back . this delightful model can be bought in rose , gold , blue , and lilac , and costs about &amp;pound;5 7 s 6 d . another pretty quilt with printed Terylene front and plain nylon frill and back sells for about &amp;pound;6 12 s . the colours available are rose , blue , gold , and cerise . the traditionally styled quilts are still highly popular , and are harder wearing than those made from man-made fibres . an attractive model in embroidered crepe with ruched centre and scalloped edge is made in dark rose , light rose , gold , green , blue , oyster , wine , and lavender . it has a feather filling and down-proof back and the price is about &amp;pound;7 10 s 6 d . a reversible quilt in rose , beige , green , blue , wine , or black , is extremely reasonably priced at &amp;pound;3 16 s 6 d . this feather-filled model is in down-proof cambric . all prices given are for double-bed size . grandmothers-to-be should make a note to look at the pretty range of pram sets in nylon with Terylene fillings . these have delicate designs on the covers and plain matching pillow-cases . the prices range from about &amp;pound;1 14 s 6 d to &amp;pound;2 , and the colours are pink , sky , ivory , and lemon . shirts are his business . says Robert Pemberton . are you still wearing a shirt with separate collars and a closed front , Mr Grundy ? if you are you can count yourself as rather a square , as young Ron would put it in his jargon . in other words you are a little old-fashioned , because 90 out of every 100 males are wearing the collar-attached tunic shirt . the non-iron and drip-dry are also highly favoured nowadays . where ironing is necessary the busy housewife finds it much easier to make a good job of pressing the open-front type of shirt . I was told this during an interesting chat I had with Mr R Hunt , who manages the CWS shirt , pyjama , and overall group of five factories at Broughton , Pelaw , Cardiff , Sheffield , and Reading . men are not as colour-conscious as women , Mr Hunt told me , and they are inclined to be more conservative as they grow older . there is always a big demand for white , checks are called for quite a lot , especially by the younger men , and there is an indication of a return to stripes . pastel shades have lost some of their popularity . until I toured the Broughton factory I never realised how much research and planning goes into the making of a top-class shirt such as those made at the CWS &apos;s Broughton , Pelaw , and Cardiff factories . so many synthetic materials , such as nylons , Terylene , Acrilan , and rayon , are used in the manufacture of shirts that extra care has to be taken to ensure that the inter-linings and the sewing cotton shrink in the same ratio as the main fabric . in my long experience in the trade there have never been as many technical and scientific problems as there are today , said Mr Hunt . in the production of drip-dry shirts the collar inter-linings are treated with a water repellant , and new types of inter-linings have had to be introduced for the shirts manufactured from man-made fibres . everything is done methodically and thoroughly to get the best results . for instance , as many as 500 prototypes of the collar of the well-known Lestar shirt were produced , washed , and tested for wear until the near-perfect collar was discovered . and there is no resting on their laurels . while the Lestar shirt has been an outstanding success for some time , modifications are made when necessary to improve it and keep it right on top . no other manufacturer makes such a wide variety of shirts as the CWS . society shirts are made to please all types of wearer , from the artisan to the executive , and for all occasions . it does n&apos;t matter either whether you are a giant or a dwarf , your co-operative society can fit you out with a CWS shirt . the Broughton was recently called upon for a shirt with a 22 1/2 in collar and a 66 in chest measurement . all the latest machines and gadgets for doing the job speedily and efficiently can be found at the factories , and it is obvious , after seeing them at work in the bright and modern Broughton factory , that there are no more skilful operatives than the girls and men who make the popular society shirts under their various brand names . in making two million garments a year 4,000 miles of cloth are used - 70 per cent of it from CWS mills . the factories require 146,000 miles of sewing cotton , 13 million buttons , 12 million pins , 1 1/2 million transparent bags , and 500,000 boxes . not too old at 40 . old people are younger today ! you have only to look around to realise that they have moved with the times just as much as the younger generation . most middle-aged folk can well remember the days when their mothers and grandmothers dressed in sober hues , usually black . life stopped at 50 and old age began . old ladies walked with sticks and often wore veils . if they wore anything colourful it was confined to a touch of white round the collar . what a change since then ! grannies dress as brightly as their daughters these days , and a jolly good thing , too . mothers look just as charming as their offspring and often nearly as young . statistics , too , show that people are living longer . a brighter outlook on life plus , of course , many far-reaching advances in medicine , is partly responsible . but as older people keep younger so does the need for finding suitable occupations for them increase . there is nothing more frustrating than to feel unwanted . in this modern world with its full employment and , indeed , its clamour for more and more people to fill a wide variety of jobs , the older person has much to offer the community . although the advertisement columns of the papers sometimes admit this with their invitation age immaterial there is still in some quarters a reluctance to recognise that too old at forty is a very out-dated tag for these times . while people are fit and well the world has much use for them . that is why this month &apos;s home magazine includes an important article on the work of the over forty-fives association which , in the words of one of its officials , regards a man of 45 as a mere chicken and has found work for people as old as 80 . it is an unfortunate aspect of the otherwise excellent pension arrangements which many firms offer today that they frequently do not allow for employment of older people . with everyone now enjoying a state pension when they reach the necessary age , it should not be impossible to find a solution to the problem of individual schemes . not only have older people much to offer , they find many benefits themselves in continuing to work , providing their health is good enough . the contact with younger people , the feeling that they are playing a part in the world around them , the interest their work can hold for them - all are valuable aids to a complete and happy life . those who are in a position to engage staff might well think of these factors when they next fill a position . meanwhile home magazine offers you this month its usual rich variety , including Mary Langham &apos;s recipes to keep you well ahead in your Christmas preparations . the editor . housewives &apos; club . shop sleuth brings you bargains for your Christmas shopping list . all items are available through your local co-operative society . for further details write to housewives &apos; club , home magazine , 1 Balloon St , Manchester 4 , enclosing a stamped addressed envelope . ready-packed in a Christmas stocking is a tool kit containing a 6 oz hammer , a plastic handled screwdriver , trimming knife and three blades , bradawl , card of fuse wire , and one packet each of assorted screws and panel pins . 