Evening star., 1898-11-12
Good Style Demands Perfection in
This Regard.
Fine EFFECTS SPOILED WITHOUT
Trains Are for Those Who Ride
in Chaises.
WALKING SKIRTS ARE SHORT
pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star.

1
the trite saying. Music is a heavenly art
we know. 1t is rot hard to argue from
| these two facts that musicians should have
| closer acquaintance with cleanliness than
| mortals who have not spark of the sacred
| fire. Yet, so far from this being the
| case, 1t is quite the reverse. Ordi-
nary people are not apt to be moro
scrupulous as to neatness, cleanliness
and freshness Of garb and person than mu-
sicians. In the lobby of the hall where the
Federation Of Women's Clubs of this state
Is holding its meetings-that fascinat-
Ing, gossipy lobby which has lured many a
woman away from the burning discussions
| to which her home club had sent her to
| listen-stood yesterday afternoon one Of the
accredited beauties of the city. She is a
| noted philanthropist well. champion of
women's rights in the highest sense OF the
word; their right to common sense
education; their right If shop girls or seam
stresses to be paid living wage; their
| right to enter the professions If they will.
and their capability of composing real
music.
1t was in her relation to music that she
was most prominent this day, although 1t
| is not to be denied her gown was a greater
source or interest to many visiting club
women. She had on such gown as a
beautiful woman might wear, gay in con-
trast to the somber colors which were gen.
orally worn by the delegates. 1t was
French blue foulard silk, blocked in white,
| small pattern, the blocks being not larger
than an eighth of an inch The skirt was
very long. The f1ounce was trimmed with
| narrow white ribbon put on in points which
ran from the top of the founce to the trail
ing lengths which lay on the f1oor-for the
skirt touched quite an inch in front, and
| nearly two in the back. About the hips
the SKIRT htted very closely; the fullness
a To fhn mid - 49,
but no fullness at all showed, and the only
sign that the placket was there was a
small jeweled brooch which pinned
the waist and skirt together or rather
pinned the skirt to the belt which was
simply a narrow fold of white foulard. The
waist was round, that is, only showed
above the belt like a shirt waist, but it
htted snugly both back and 'front.' and was
nniShed with yoke of white foulard. Both
the yoke and waist, well as the sleeves,
were covered with diagonal rows of white
satin ribbon about half inch wide, which
was stitched on in diagonal rows about
an inch apart. The oldest effect of the
gown was the joining of the waist and
sleeves to the yoke. They went on in
| rounded points, having the effect of the
oalyx of flower as the petals come out
of 1t. There was no fullness whatever at
the shoulders. The collar was of tucked
white foulard-and here comes the point of
the reflection on cleanliness. There was
tiny white blond-wash blond-ruching in
wash blond alasl sadly needed visit to
the tubs. A small detail, perhaps, for the
ruching scarcely showed half an inch,
but it marred the whole gown. Taken in
connection with the Soed look of the hem
Of the skirt, which had trailed the whole
afternoon the dusty carpet of the hall,
1t spoke volumes of a want of harmony
between the homely virtue of cleanliness
and the art watched over by st. Cecilia.
That welI-Groomed Look.
1t has certainly been shouted from the
hcusetops that smartness of apparel can
never be attained without utter spotless-
ness. 1tis as Impossible for a woman to make
an impression of modishness with a creased
gown. it is impossible for man to
make an impression of the same sort un-
less part of his attire is properly creased.
Yet 1t Is certain, from ths signs seen on all
sides, that women have not yet learned the
gospel of perfect finish and perfect neat
ness. 1t seems still to be a question of
temperament whether a woman has this
last touch about her or not. Many women
who can and do have most beautiful gowns
lack the finish needed to carry them off
that well-groomed look; while other wo-
men who have to be most moderate in their
expenditures for clothes have the air of the
Well-gowned woman. 1t should be more
than a matter of temperament, it should be
a matter OF the difference between a lady
and a would-be aspirant for that title this
cleanliness. Clean gloves, polished shoes,
Well-bruShed skirts, spotless collars, dusted
hats, fresh wells, are far more necessary to
pleasing and fashionable attire than
gowns imported from Paris. Dressing is
art, not an inexpensive one, by any means,
but she who does her dressing with brains
will need scarcely quarter of the money
to accomplish her purpose successfully that
will be used by the woman who gives little
thought 10 the matter, or rather whatever
thought she gives, does not apply the right
kind.
a well-known writer on women and their
attire the other day advanced the theory
that women would look younger and fresh
er II they would only wear plain clothes
just as men do, contending that at thirty a
man looks younger than woman of the
same age on account of the difference in
dress. The core of the matter he did not
touch in his argument 1t is the difference
in their cleanliness. This is not the only
difference, of course; men are very apt to
be out of doors more and lead more active
lives, and this has much to do with youth.
But the look of freshness which a man
often wears after woman OF the same age
has lost it is explained to a great degree
by the fact that his face at least gets a
much more liberal allowance of soap and
water than hers does. And 1t Is often true
that he uses soap and water oftener on all
parts of his anatomy. Happily, this day
and generation is learning the value of wa
ter applied early and often.
Short Cuts for Walkers.
Speaking of the soied look of a gown
which has only for one afternoon been al
lowed to trail without Its wearer hold
ing it up from contact with the dusty
floor brings one to contemplation of the
new skirts. They certainly are fetching,
but it is to be hoped that no woman who
is not going to drive to her destination and
not walk very much after she arrives will
wear them. Hoped is not the right word;
it has been sadly shown that women who
do not own carriages refuse to be debarred
from those trailing skirts. 1t was bad
enough some years ago, wnen every one
had little train to finish her close-fitting
bell skirt. But at least that train could be
lifted up and carried in one hand, even
though one was apt to lose a finger or so
by freezing on winters day. Now 1t
takes two hands to even half lift from
the ground the wide expanse of skirts
which begin SO narrow and so dentIre o bout
the hips. The new plain skirts, which have
no ffoGnce and no inserted pieces about the
bottom to give the necessary flare, are
very smart. But to hang them and fit them
properly is a task which should not be
trusted to any but skilled fingers, although
one can get the pattern at the better class
of fitted pattern places. If you are going
to trust this pattern to an ordinary dress
maker. see that it comes from some good