The Washington times., 1901-10-27
EVOLUlIONS IN DRESS.
The Passing of the Tailor-Made
Gown From Fashions Ranks.
Now That Business Women Have
Adopted II, Society's Mntrons and
Maids Prefer Softer and More
Graceful ERccts-A Dinner Gown.


made type, which has become almost the
national type OF dress. will be merged
into the more graceful and elegant style
Of gowning. practically banished when the
taiior-made rcwn first obtained its vogue.
The wcrcan of fashion will continue to
have her towrs made by her tailor, but
they will MT be the severe garments that
have come to be accepted as the tailor
gown In reality, tallOrs have made
dancing gowns and wedding gowns OF
most elaborate designs and tlimsy ma
terials for customers Who liked the
smoothly fitting styles that the tailor cut
and finish turn out; bat the tailor-made
girl, trig and trim, with her linen collar
and her Ascot tie, will he the business
girl. who long ago discovered how well
adapted the fashion was for her working
hours
when the tailor gown first made its
appearance 1t Was impossible except to
women of means, stated a fashionable
tailor the other day to a writer of the
New York sun. 1t was a cost )
luxury and the few womens tailors were
the very high-priced London makers
with houses in America. 1t was its first
exclusiveness that made this fashion of
frock so tremendously popular.
Tailoring establishments We're opened
on all sides, which turned out these
gowns at lower prices and soon the mod
erately well-off woman was able to make
an appearance quite as correct as her
wealthier sister. While there is all the
difference in the world between the we'll
made and elegantly finished tailor gown
and its cheaper imitation to the expert
onced eye, the average observer cannot
detect the difference that turks in a skirt
ill 1frofrar on no IL
structcd with a cotton lining. Time and
wear bring out the true beauty and last
ing qualities of the well-made costume,
while the Iow-priced but effective imita-
tion speedily loses its shape, its hang, and
its general appearance.
These cheaper dresses carry out the
idea for a time if carefully brushed
pressed and looked after. But a severe
rainstorm will often dispose of one OF
these cheap frocks in a Gay. wrinhhhS
and spotting the poor cloth causing Jhe
seams TO pucker and the hem TO shrink
and sag.
Not so with the well-made tailor gown.
one costing say SlbJ win wear tnrot Sh all
sorts of weathers without a wrinkle. IL
will retain its shape and may ne worn i"r
a couple of seasons without losing its per-
feet appearance. Some little change IN
the fashion of a sleeve or q skirt may
condemn it after this time, but wome II
have told me that they have continued to
wear 2 tailor gown often through fourth
season. \ woman will ", ar an old L -iior
gown because the comfortable lit appeals
to her Then it docs duty for marketing
and for rainy weather and WILL after ali
this surprise its owner sometimes by the
coed condition Of the cloth and the man
ncr in which its lines have remained.
..Onc reason for the lasting qualities of
the tailor gown is. OF course, that women
do not wear II IN the house. The9e gowns
are removed ON getting home from visit
ing. church or ahopping, and q house
gown substituted. Women do net wear
out their old gowns for shoupils and
travelling AS they used to formerly. The
fashionable shopping districts, on the con-
trary, are centres for the display Of pretty
hats and costumes. especially in the after
noon
'-Wom,n soften the tailor gown for af-
tsruoCn wear with feather boa or a fiuf-
fy chiffon ruche. picture hat and cor
sage flower. but in the morning linen col
lars and cuffs are more in evidence.
Then, too, we have made up several tail
or gowns of tancta silk. with tn, yplIed
seams and all the severity Of cut that
marks the cloth gown. This was in the
spring Of this ylar. however. This au-
tunr ,howed a decline in the strictly
tailored styles.
THE business woman readily discovered
that he cloth gown with cotton shirt
waist and a linen collar ana cuffs was
ideal working dress. With the vogue
of the short waii-ing skirt it became more
than ever adapted for the daily journey
10 and from the office. But while the
short skirt has been welcomed by dress
reformers and praised by physicians, il
has never been greatly affected by the
woman Of fashion except in the country
and on the golf field. In fact many
women declare the ankle skirt hideous
and refuse to be won over to the army
of those that have adopted il
In advance of the seasons opening
We felt that the era Of the tailor gown
for fashionable women was at an end
We began to add lace effects to bodlces
and to put in bits of embroidery and soft
girdles and collars We made up dresses
over soft silk Innings and inserted lace
designs in skirts, bow knots and butter
flies and ali sorts OF arabesque figures
fashioned Of the Russian lace that is ex-
tremeiy artistic in combination with
cloth.
This fall the velvet gown. which was
extremely popular with women of fashion,
has made its appearance in the shops and
there promises TO pe a veritaole rage for
it until the middle OF the winter, when
II Is quite likely that II Will become too
popular For the inevitable cheap irnita-
tiCn is in the market, and this is bound TO
injure the good gowns. The velvet gown
Is made in the tailor manner with bands
of silk and cloth and tailor-finished
seams, but, Of course ii is vastly differ
ent from the typical tailor gown.
1T is an odd thing that in spite Of the
marvellous popularity and long-continued
reign Of the tailor-made gown the AmCri-
can woman has never taken to it natur-
ally as does The English woman, who will
always cling 10 it, The American girl IS
always seen to better advantage in her
funny evening gowns and dinner dresses
"One thing that was bound to kill the
tailor gown OF mannish cut was the
fashion TO be thin, which gained such
sway last season and continued through
the summer. II is still the proper thing
TO be thin. and no thin woman ever look
ed well in severely tailored gown. Tai
lors learned to build out the 1r,ssos made
for thin women with artistic padding but
IT took wcll-built woman with ten
dency to curves to show the very severe
gown NJ its best
Such women will mourn the tailor
gown, for the generously built woman
learns to abJure the soft effects that are
so delightful on the woman with slim
body which adapts itself 10 gathered
waists and shirred skirts. sashcs. and all
the lacy frivols that go with a costume.
Take the exquisite muns Of lace and
flowers and chiffon that so many women