The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-07
some EXPRESSIVE GOWN
They Can Convey the Sentiments Of
the Wearer
The C1ytic Knot Is the Approved
Couture for Girls-Matrons Affect
Grey More Than Ever-an Observer
Describes Some Marvellous Toilets
Worn by New York Fashionablcs.

NEW YORK. Jan. with the sole ex-
ception of a wedding dress more charac-
ter. poetry, and delicate sentiment can be
expressed by an evening gown than any
other costume a woman wears. So much
faith do / put in the indications Of soul and
temperament as signified by these robes OF
light and beauty that should you show me
a girls dancing frock or a matron's dinner
dress. ! believe l would very nearly tel
you all about the wearers. Women, foI
instance who patronize blue are sincere
creatures, unassuming and not bit grasp
ing in their methods, while woman who
wears pink is latent coquette cold as she
may appear, and those who gown them
selves in red thirst for attention
while"
"oh. go on. go on cried incredulous but
interested Maise. but where did you &C.
uuire all this mental magic?" enquirngly
of the hostess. who sat in the shadow of
her own bay windows lace curtains. dain-
tily embroidering.
"0h, i chaperoned pretty miss to big
dance last week an assembly and as my
ankle won't yet permit any Waiting. l sat
against the wall, talked TO the stray men
and drew my sage conclusions and morali-
cations from the sight of the gay world
under the gaslight.
The season is so young yet that all the
dancing frocks were as fresh as dew
sprinkled flowers, and quite as pretty and
took note that all the girls that may prop
erly be designated as buds wore chiffon and
crepe de chine, silk muslin, and liberty It's
sue. in tints SO pale that they merely sug
gested color. That is distinctly a French
fashion, and ! privately commented on the
numbers of buds whose sole jeweled orna-
ments were pins in the form OF sprays or
stars fastening narrow neck bands of black
velvet the ends of which crossed in front
over the young and pretty collar-bone
points and contrasted dazzlingly with the
white threats.
Those who had not these ornaments ap-
peared wearing the quaintest old necklets
of seed pearls. Seed pearls seem somehow
very complimentary TO fresh girlhood, just
as an arrangement Of the hair in a soft
twist low at the back of the head is per-
fectly in harmony with youth.
'Out Of a dozen buds, whose experience
in this restless world OF society extends
over not more than three weeks, 1 count
ed not less than S per cent with their
hair in the Clytie coil. 1t is quite a differ
ent knot from the Langtry for IL is not so
low down and does not hang in a clumsy
club on the neck. There is a white part
running from brow TO crown, and IL sp-
pears most proper and coquettish TO catch
one gold flagree topped tucking comb in
the soft bandeau just above the brow.
Older women who follow this mode, use
comb with very open worked brilliant
studded top to thrush in the front hair,
while the stately dowagers have found inf
mite pleasure in the use of black lace wings
srtfully edged with dazzling rhinestones.
The handsomest tiarss are hardly more ef-
fective than these wings. and II ! had
not put all my cash and credit for months
to come in one evening cloak, i would be
displaying elin wings in my hair with the
best"
There is Just the rub We all feel now"
quoth the listener rsefully swapping the
lid of her Jewel set cigarette case filed
with innocuous visiting cards. AT my
last ball SO beautiful and showily elaborate
were many of the cloaks that the women
deliberately wore them into the drawing
room before taking leave Of their hostess,
trying TO pretend they had forgotten their
manners until the lovely wraps were |
donned. Some saw were wholly Of ruched |
chiffon upon lining OF ermine, with col |
lars like fairy fortresses about the necks, |
and great bouquets of velvet flowers on |
one shoulder whence down front and rear |
fell ropes OF blossoms.
Shocking extravaganza, sighed the |
hostess, obviously. nov mine does not ]
come nearly up TO that Where had no I
lace ! hung plenty of white silk fringe.
Ostrich feather fans" continued the |
hostess. ARE coming into fashion with a |
rush, six stick fans receiving the prefer
ence over all others and one that captured /
my fancy had three of its dark tortoise /
shell sticks overlaid with dusky plumes |
and over three spsngled black gauze was
stretched and a more brilliant thing you
can't imagine. IL was carried by woman
who wore an altogether enhancing and, |
not to my calculating mind, cruelty ex-
pensiye costume OF an eau de nil crepe de |
chine. With perfect confidence in her fig
ure she had Il laid in broad overlapping
horizontal tucks to her knees and below
lowered forth a floor sweepIng flounce ad-
equately garnished with cream lace Her
waist was offset with dear little lace |
jacket held across the bust by couple OF
black velvet straps barred with tiny bril-
liant buckles. ! made IL my business TO
observe that her slippers were OF black kid
the toes sprinlled with black beads amid
which some tiny rhinestones sparkled.
Those are the dancing shoes Of the we'll
dressed women ] discovered at my ball.
There were some stunning frocks In
ways worn in preference to duchess satin,
while paune takes third place In popu-
lariiy, and 10 my eyes il would seem as II |
all the women wore nothing but lace for
And has your acute vision also observed
that the lace on al these fine froclls is laid
on fat in the old-fashioned style. in order
TO bring out the beauty of the pattern
that is. IL II is lace OF any charm and value
qhfmed In Maiela
NO. ] had not remarked that but I've
not failed TO be impressed with the Won |
derful amount Of silver grey the young
wear. A silver grey satin an
tiQUe, heartened up with diamonds and
point lace and cloaked with ermine. is
Mrs. Jack Astor's favorite gown OF this
season.
''Ah, my dear girls. one must have the
bgure and coloring OF Mrs. Astor FOR that"
interrupted Maisie casting a glance OF
rank disapproval at her own thin, dusky
beauty in a big mirror opposite her chair
You should wear warm coral pinks.
Itch golden yellows In light cloudy goods
'uitable to youth. Besides. don't let your
self be influenced in behalf OF the heavy
aces. They are not for the young and
mechlin. Louis Sixteenth.
ind point de nice are the types the dress
makers insist on for young girls. A per
CIV Houei ior eiehner lhlhg OF JUST your
Ige, saw only yesterday sent from my
'outuriere TO fits owner bud OF this sea-
'on- Its skirt OF pale Lavender point d'es- 1
'rlt, striped perpendicularly every few
inches with an Insertion Of mechin. fell I
lpon O foundation petticoat OF pure spring
Ky blue. The simple little body with its /
eerchief finish about the shoulders WAS !
ilso made OF lace and net over blue and
'rnaments 10 be used with this were a |
lecklet and pins set with amethyst. II {
he wearer OF that gown is in the least a !
,retty woman imagine what lovely pict- I
ire she will make in IL"