The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-11
Spring EVENING STYLES
Shor. -Sleeved Bodices and Long
Gloves Are 10 Be Worn.
Zinc Gray Gowns with Touches of
DaGodI Yellow Are Prominent
Features of the Coming Season
Cloth md Grenadines VIII DOM
iDate Summer Fabrics-New ChnIIis

NEW YORK, March 1O.-"After all, one
evening at the opera is worth a dozen in
teryiews with dressmakers and columns in
the fashion papers. so far as acquiring a
realizing sense of what is really being
worn The hostess leaned back in her
easy chair and yawned prettily behind her
white fingers on which a galaxy Of rings
twinlled like a miniature row of foot
lights
Eyes she answered, in reply to an en-
quiry Of Miss Chicagoese seated in peni-
tents grey at her feet; 81 did go last
night, in spite of the fact that it is Lent,
and must admit found myself very much
in continuance in my sin The cream of
the monde was there in its bestest bib and
tucker. all in obedience to the dictates Of
reason that says there can be no harm IN
music that is famous for soothing the
savage breast. If it so quickly appeals tc
the furious life of course, to the civilized,
highly apprecative soul it is a spiritual
tonic So l felt it to be as l sat in nay gilt
and crimson brocade chair in spacious
parterre box and listened with tears in my
eyes to the remorse and reformation OF
Tam hauser.
"There was also, l admit, something
else in my eye occasionally particularly
powerful glass that swept the house; and
l thIiftily took note of what my fellow
woman was wearing. Once in season |
do dearly love 20 view the field of fashion
DER from a psrterre box. 1t may not be
the best point Of vantage for hearing, but
one sees from it everything and like the
ancient mariner, / have a very retentiye
eye and memory, and what l see l hold
Last night 1 saw bookfuls of entirely
priceless information wholly with regard
to the proper toilette to make after 6
o'clock continued the hostess. "All the
ultra-smart women and those we'll o-do
also, were wearing embroidered gowns of
chiffon. liberty silk, or uousseline de sole
draped ON satin, or lace pure and simple
on underdresses of soft Killed stuff All
of them wore their hair high with SPAN
gled flowers or wings therein: all wore
short sleeves, long gloves, and, as far as
my detective glance went, carried their
suede-clad fingers in languid, idle empti-
ness. No fans, no flowers were seen. and
colors were high and clear, else white or
black, wholly undiversified, gave the re-
quired distinctive expression to the va
rious costumes.
Now. to get down to particulars, may
as well relate what was worn by three
women who took my fancy nightly and
who seemed to me the incarnation of all
freshness and originality. One of them
sat in box not far away from mine with
Mrs. Gould and was radiant in a robe of
black satin worked in mingled black and
silver spangles, laid so close together from
her shoulders to her knees with no broken
line al the waist. that she very nearly re-
sembled some lovely reincarnation of the
LAMA or a mermaid from the African
coast with the moonlight playing On her
splendid cleaning dusky scales. From
the knees down. about her satin shod feet
Haired an accordion pleated fiounce that
waved and fourished in the most bewitch-
ing manner as she passed me in the foyer
hooded and shrouded in black velvet
''Out of this cloud with its silver streaks
rose her handsome white shoulders, inno-
cent of all jewels save strap of brilliants
arching on one shoulder, and between the
hard brilliancy of the spangles and the
tender whiteness Of her arms and neck
the clever dressmaker had twisted a scarf
OF chiffon at the top of her bodice Long
pearl white gloves and in her hair couple
of black tulle wings glistening with silver
spangles brought the details of the cos
tune up to the perfectly correct standard
When l had satisfied eyes and envy on
this creation my eager gaze roved on to a
perfectly brand new adaptation of the
princess idea, from the memory of which
1 viii get no peace until possess in per-
haps less costly form an exact reproduc-
ton The instant my eagle eye rested
upon the gown l marked it as something
entirely out of the course of common
things, new star in the armament of
fashion, and one that is destined to have
many limitations.
1t was blue. My dear. have you any
notion, by the way, that women are given
over wholly to blue in one shade or an
other? Not waiting reply. the hostess
hurried on. Blue silk muslin, pleated in
straight lines from shoulder to foot and
pleated as full as the gauzy goods will al
low. was the dress proper. Upon this went
robe of Lexeuil lace that covered only
the back, and sides Of the celulean clouds
came forward to lap in imitation of figaro
jacket en- the bust, and let fall one grace
ful lacy figure on either arm and SO leave
the whole front of the frock as pure azure
as the skies in June, save for a sash of
cream white stuff that fastened directly in
front and waved its long ends to the wear
ers toes
Miss Chicagoese, having hardened with
due patience TO these rhapsodies drew her
supple length erect from the stool beside |
the tea table and smiled She was wearing |
a good grey gown of zinc colored bunting |
deliberately embroidered over in grey silk |
sprays. About the throat and over the bust |
appeared touches OF yellow that would |
match a daffodil's petal and she prepared |
TO festoon gracefully about her throat a |
boa Of ostrich feathers exQuisitely tinted in |
grey and yellow.
How well and how promptly your cos !
tunes echo the first motifs of an approach |
ing season. sighed the hostess. ut will |
be quite month yet before get into one |
of those smart cloth or grenadine en- |
broidered frocks, conscious as | am that |
they are the great and prominent feature |
of the present moment. At the opera l saw |
my first love in an embroidered evening |
gown, worn by one OF the sweetest debu- /
tantes. Hers was pale ecru liberty satin, |
worked in that mysteriously lovely ribbon |
embroidery in the same tint, with just a |
coral bead and a few threads of cream |
light showing among the ribbon flow /
ers here and there. The lovely robe was |
dropped upon an underdress of coral pink |
chiffon and coral pink velvet finished the |
top of her square cut bodice to the most
becoming perfection
1T must have been impressive" ad-
United Miss Chicsgoese, but I am off for
a long tramp and investigation Of the flu
ture OF chailis Somebody tells me that
the satin-striped species is not to be worn, |
and that only the Persian pattern effect. IN |
rich mingled Oriental coiors, are worth
the attention of woman who keeps her
head above the level Of mere pots and pans
have got one In my minds eye made slo-
rious with appropriate person ribbon Just |
as ! shall dare the possible paternal wrath
by ordering a suit in pale brown cloth
having the skirt and coat garnished with
long lance-shaped bands of grey green |
velvet. l have seen one, the skirt in side
pleats. the coat cut like bolero and worn