Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-14


PARIS, February %, 1903.
In Paris these days everybody seems gay
and upon pleasure bent; at least that is the
atmosphere of the queen of cities" Dull
care and mortality, worry and the trials in
cident to life, of course do have their be-
ing in gay Paree; but, like the Chinese the
Parisienne laughs and sings to scare the
demon OF evil away for this little sprlte
is certainly nowhere in sight.
There is a sensation of spring every
where, in the shops, the streets, which are
bright with flowers sold by the vendors at
almost every step, and in the faces of the
people you meet. There is always some
thing invigorating about Paris, and 1t Is
particularIy@the case at this time of the
year.
The Bots de Bouogne is especially bright
in the afternoon with a fashionable throng
of smartly attired men and women-French
officers riding in their gay uniforms and
imposing nurses in wonderful caps attend
ing their beautifully costumed little
charges. The Rue de la Paix is another at
tractive spot, with it's sparkling jewelry
shops and atelers of fashion, which mad
anne finds exceedingly fascinating just now.
The warm weather has turned atten-
ton trife sooner than usual to the spring
modes, and the couturieres are hurrying on
their workpeople, while most of us are
days of our spring and summer wardrobe
and longing for an hour at the dressmak-
erS. 49, -. $50 --
The colors most in evidence for the COM
ing. seasons frocks are purple and blue, a
rich wine tone, a grayish blue and nastur-
tium red. not forgetting the all-popular
white and creams. Very pliable thin
cloths are to be used entirely as this soft
texture is absolutely necessary to the
hang of the killed and gathered skirts and
flowing, loose coats which are the vagaries
of fashion at present.
Plain and Fancy Goods.
AL kinds of canvas with plain grounds
and shot effects of color over the surface
are made up in coat and skirt gowns SILK
flannel is another new fabric made of
mixture of silk and wool In delicate tones.
This material is capital for shirt waists,
tea gowns and indoor toilets. Panette is
new cloth having silk face and woolly
back. A dress of this wool in plum color
trimmed with fine old lace can hardly be
improved upon. No one Is able to lay down
hard and fast rules to the cut of skirts,
for they are made in all sorts of ways
deliberately trimmed with stitching and
braid straps and tassels or left perfectly
plain. But there are two points concern
ing the skirt which We may be certain
about, and that IS that they are shorter
and fuller. .
The new short skirt is kept fairly plain
around the hips and is beautifully fitted
falling in graceful plaNs and kits of the
same length all the way round. This new
short skirt is worthy of note, and let me
warn the unwary from attempting to cut
one of these affairs themselves, as it re-
quires genius to manipulate them properly.
long skirt being far and away easier of
construction.
These skirts are so we'll cut that, despite
the amount of drapery used. any sugges-
ton of clumsiness is done away with.
In spite of the shorter length of our
spring skirts, the wise woman will not
give up her long, trailing draperies for
house and carriage wear. Toilettes de Wis
lite are still made with trailing draperies
falling gracefully all round the feet. AS a
matter of fact. the well-dressed foreigner
never wears a short skirt on gala days. In
some of our skirts we are copying the
medieval dresses which were gathered and
plated within several inches below the
waist. These skirts are usually trimmed
with bands of a contrasting material, tine
bodices worn with them being square at
the neck and outlined with lace. The
sleeves are puffed from the gatherings Oh
the shoulders to above the wrist. where
there are more gathers. The French stage