The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-24
ideas for uMo1nen

ington is that Miss Mabel Mckinley has
inasgurated the fashion by serving tea at
a recent reception in a lavender gown. cut
off the shoulders, at 4 o'clock in the at
ternoon
But is the Presidents niece strong
enough to set a fashion?
The Presidents wife has openly and
conscientiously avowed her inclination for
high neck bodiees even at the most for
nal of balls. She never wears a decoliete
gown. Yet this has not kept the laaies
of the Diplomatic Corps. nor high Wash
ington society from r~eveling as usual in
bare throat, arms and shoulders.
It was d question among some of the in
vited in Philadelphia at a dinner of forty
covers given to Mrs. Mckinley, wiie,rser
out of courtesy to her custom they should
wear high neck gowns. Several of the la
dies concluded they would, and felt very
comfortable when Mrs. Mckinley appear
ed in a superb white satin gown, with
point lace and diamonds, but high Oh
throat and long of sleeve.
But the desire of the first lady of the
land. however, has had no effect upon
Washington society, not even on the CAB
met ladies. Had any European leader set
this fashion it would have been instantly
followed.
Now will the Presidents niece be able
to set a fashion that is neither pretty nor
nsw?
Miss McKinley's t~oilettes are not accord
ing to Worth or Nash; it would entail a
deal of unattractiveness upon some
women to follow her. For instance, the
lavender frock, which was the notable
lowcut one, had for its bertha a timex
fringe of artificial violets.
ON a debutante this was lily placed; on
a Young woman who had the White House
conservatories to enrich her this was in
excusable
Women adopted the high throat BODICE
for afternoon teas years ago not so muen
for reasons of novelty, but for reasons OF
good form. There has been a growing
tendency among American women that
court gowns are to be worn only on ex-
ceedingly formal occasions.
Even the fastest sets in Europe are
slowly dropping the very low line OF
decollete. The line of the corsage is
draped voluminously with tulle or chiffon
and not much of the actual shoulders
are in evidence.
Again the reason was that in the cold
winter afternoons of the North these low
gowns were out of place. 1t was more
becoming to wrap the shoulders ana
throat about with rich, warm stufs;
again the press of affairs grew so in large
cities that women couldn't afford to give
the whole afternoon over to a COSTUME
thar would deter them from going any
where else. or even walking to the front
door.
yiennese women, who are the best
gowned ladies in Europe, are now attend
ing most formal dinners in s~quare-neck
bodices. draped so in tulle or chiffon that
only the throat and arch of the shoulder
is shown. 1t would be rather odd after
this if the wholesome Americans would
go in for the court cut of bodices in the
broad sunshine just after lunch!
One sees evening bodices at afternoon
teas in the South. AT the brilliant recep-
tion of the week of the Mardi Gras in
New Orleans, given by Mrs. Mollie Moore
Davis. the writer, at her quaint home in
the Rue Royal, all the queens of New Or
leans society were assisting All wore
low bodices. But it didn't seem oou.
MOST OF those HOilCu 1 IA
New York society. among them Miss
Boarman. Miss La Lande, Miss Fairchild,
and they never adopt that mode away
from their own homes.
The climate and custom have so much
to do with this wearing of low gowns in
daylight down there. Fashion is never
needed. White muslin gowns showing
the throat, have been worn from sunrise
till midnight. Square or v, they have
given the throat air and 'coolth" in suitry
weather.
It is for this reason that one never won
ders at seeing fair Southern girls wear
ing lowcut gowns in the mouse in most
broiling daylight.
But it is very much TO be questioned
whether the young niece of the President
can start a movement of that kind in the
North.
The weather does not excuse the gowns,
and it is a question of good taste whether
to wear the limit of evening cut unless
the gaslight calls for it.
Among other things which the Lenten
woman has been learning since Mardl
Gras is how to talk. 1t is a popular and
erroneous idea tina all women GAN talk,
That they cannot is proved by the
check-book of a certain woman whose
wit, ease and grace of manner made
! her a belle in two continents, years ago
and who of late has been giving lessons
in the difficult and charming art of con-
~versation. She does not pretend to Civ
distinction of mind and sparkling wit fol-
a certain sum per course, but she does
profess to teach the little tricks of tact
and the harmless and pleasant articles
which most persons acquire by breeding
rather than birth. Her pupils are of al
ages and with exceptions of good socia
standing, despite their inability to chat.
ter entertainingly. Shy young men and
girls whose owl-like silence or stammer
ing solemnity have upset the plans o.
more than one hostess who had intended
her party to be a gay and festive affair
are the conversation teachers best pupils
She has become an expert in the art OF
curing savage shyness' as they aptis
call it in France, and as a teacher o.
ease and grace she could give the Del
sarfean apostles valuable points. To holt
the thread of a story, to be a good lis
tener. not a silent. apathetic listener, blu
an intelligent, wideawake one, to avoit
unpleasant subjects and to laugh music,
ally, are a few of the desiderata which
the aspiring would-be onversationalist j.
asked to bear in mind. An odd phase o.
- r-orlr 9c what she rails ffvataa mol