Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-24
UP O-DATE TIPS
MANY Clothes Not Needed if Details
Are Watched.
CLEANLINESS The FIRST ESSENTIAL
Little Hints in Restoring Pristine
F Freshness.
THREE COLLARS FOR A WAIST
pecial Corresponds nee of The Evening Star.

Special Corresponds nee of The Evening Star.
NEW YORK, March %, 1900.
To break an engagement because the man
you though. of marrying always buttered
a whole slice of bread a once and ate il
in its unbroken state would seem to indi-
cate a superficial manner of reasoning. Yet
the woman 1 know who did it has been
justified since by events as perfectly as she
was justified by herself at the time. Such
very trivial happenings seem to point to
certain weighty premises.
The difference in things in life Is only in
degree, after all. A broken engagement is
sure to be more or less of a tragedy to at
least one of the contracting parties But
there is this silver lining to its dark cloud.
the marriage might have been a tragedy to
two people and to their descendants Rea-
soning from this. it follows that one may
say truthfully that a broken engagement is
unfulflled expectation whose non-fulfll
ment may be very fortunate.
Probably by the side of the ENHANCEMENT
of two hearts and their final disentangle-
ment one would consider the subject Of
suitable and proper gownng and garbing
Engagements are more or less problemat-
1cal. Whether the marriages to which they
may or may not lead will be happy is al
ways a moot question. They are great
~
Gowns Versus Hearts.
Gowning and garbing, on the other hand,
although subsidiary events. will always If
properly attended to, lead to gratifying re-
suits. So who is wise enough to judge
which is the greater, expectations in the
matter of mating which may or may not
end satisfactorily, even though fulfilled in
accordance with all that is known of love
and duty, or expectations in the matter of
gowning which are certain to end satisfac-
torily if fulfilled according to known laws
on the subject?
For, though there tragedies land
many of them) in fashions realm, they all
result from not complying with the rules
of the game, and they can always be mend
ed by attention to details.
l witnessed tragedy at an at home not
long ago which could have been easily
remadied that perhaps it was more of
drama that may yet end happily if some
one will only give the lady hint. for the
gown is still fresh and spotess. The hos
tess Is ana was the one most concerned
She has adopted a style for her house
gowns which IS always more or less in
favor among a certain literary set in the
city. and if she does not follow Dame Fash
ions dictates very closely her frocks at
least have the charm of originality.
On this particular day she had attired her.
self in taffeta of purest white, whose
namentation consisted of picturesque and
rather expensive gold embroideries The
effect would have been perfect but for
her hair. 1t is pretty, soft brown hair, and
either nature or tongs had given it a most
graceful wave. But it is the sort of hair
which needs a shampoo about once week
When this detail is not attended to it mats
together most distressingly. And l fear
from the effect her hair had missed sham
pooins, twice instead of once. Now. spot
less white taffeta calls for most particular
cleanliness in all accompanying details.
Lest We Forget.
OF course the doctrine of soap and water
need hardly be preached at this late date
and 1t may be quite shocking to intimate
that it should be more carefully observed
at one time than another. 1t is morning
observance. But. outside of the heroine in
a novel which was a ten days wonder
decade ago | have never heard of a WO-
man who washed her hair daily. If her hair
was long she would have little time for
anything else during the twenty-four hours
Once a week, if the hair is moist, and from
there on frightening periods till We reach
the hairdresser's limit: shampoo once
month. varied with dry cleaning between
times. The lady of the white taffeta had
quite failed of the effect she wished to pro-
duce by want of attention to the pleasant
art of shampooing at regular intervals.
1t is the details which count. and some
times they are trifies light air.
There is the ever-recurring shoe question.
1t seems absurd to mention it. So much
has been written and said about it. Every
woman must know she had better go with
out a new gown than appear in 1t with I'M
polished or neglected shoes. Yet at house
owned by millionaire this winter his wife
appeared in the drawing room just before
dinner in pair of calfskin shoes which had
never been polished. 1t was not a case of
dusty boots, because the wearer had just
come indoors. She had just returned home
1t is true, but from drive. There is diff
ference between superficial dust and the
dull, neglected look of shoe which has
never been polished. And the woman in
question is dainty and fastidious Her ar
ray of bath brushes would shame a Turk
ish bath establishment, her underclothes
cost more than her frocks and the frocks
are beautiful, although always quiet. What
is one to think of Indifference to the plight
of ones shoes in a case like this?
And does it seem possible when there are
pastes and polishes for every sort of kid
calf or patent leather shoe. and maid to
put them on, that a very quiet but extreme,
ly fetching cloth gown should be quite
ruined in its effect by want of polish on a
pair of boots.
Now to Gloves.
I hardly dare speak of gloves. A very ex-
pensive and conservative shop has this tale
told on it. A customer went in not long ago
with a pair of gray suede gloves which
were split and in explanation said she had
worn them half a dozen times only The.
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