The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-31
A Few Observations on the Jam
uary Graduate.
Pretty Gowns Worn by Topeka
Girls.
A FAD IN PRESENTS
Members of Glass Give Col
leagues Dainty Lingerie.
All the Girls Carried American
Beauty Roses.

June is commonly supposed to be the
month when the Sweet Girl Graduate
occupies the nme-lit center of the stage
and has her name in six-line plea on
the bills, but in Topeka we have semi
annual crops of graduates and January
is quite as popular a month for this i'm
portant event in a. girls life as June. A
number of the prominent young girls
of the ub-debutante set were among
the graduates in the January, 1903, class
which received diplomas at the high
school auditorium last Wednesday even
ing and they lent unusual social i'm
portance to the occasion. Commence
ment is undoubtedly one of the happi-
est occasions of girlhOod. A great deal
is always said about the regrets of the
graduate for her books and school but
it is probable that she gives less
thought to this phase of the situation
than to dreams Of the future. Envy,
jealousy and disappointment frequently
mar the pleasure of a girls debut, and
wedding bells have often a melancholy
note but the sweet girl graduate on her
commencement evening is almost invar-
iably a radiant creature, surrounded by
hattering and aGmiring friends ready
to assure and convince her that hers
was the prettiest gown, and the most
creditable appearance. Her gifts, too,
are no small feature of the occasion
for nowadays graduating gifts are al
most as elaborate as wedding presents
and a girls popularity IS measured by the
number and value of those sent her in
response to her commencement cards.
Formerly flowers were all that the
graduate expected but now these are
merely one of the many acceptable gifts
with which her friends remember her
and which include jewelry. books, pic
lures and dainty trifes for her writ
ing desk or toilet table. 1t is a fad for
the girls of the class to exchange com
mencement presents of dainty lingerie
and nearly every sweet girl graduate
wears on commencement night a pretty
article of underwear which was FASH
Toned by the skillful fingers of one of
her girl friends in her class.
Every one is talking about the COM
mencement gowns Worn by the girls of
this January'S class which were among
the Drettiest ever seen here on a SINH
lar occasion The commencement gown
is always most appropriate when SIM
plest but the winter graduate has an
advantage over the June graduate in
opportunities to wear her commence
ment frOck. She steps out of school into
the very midst of the gaiety Of the ante
Lenten season in society and her gown
is frequently designed to do duty for
her coming-out party as well as for
commencement Some of the girls of
this months class have been going to
all the parties all winter in spite of the
fact that they We're still in school and
they and their dainty white gowns are
already in demand for assisting at re-
ceptions and at homes and for other
formal occasions.
One Of the well known January grad
yates is Miss Fay Quint0n, daughter of
Mr.. and Mrs. A. B. Quinton. and one
of the prettiest and best liked girls in
the young society crowd. Her frOck
was a charming creation of creamy
crepe de chine. The skirt was one of
the new gathered ones, with the full
ness all around the hips confined in
several wide rows of shirring forming
a deep, rounded hip yoke. slightly dip
ping in front. Several inches below this
yoke was a second narrower band of
stirring holding the vOluminous folds
of the soft material snugly in we'll be-
low the hips from which it falls in
graceful folds to the floor and ends in
a wide, plain hem. This is one of the
newest ideas for evening and house
gowns of pliable material and is espe-
cially adapted to Miss Quinton's slender
girlish grace. The plainnesS of the drop
skirt is more than made up for by the
elaborate frills and trimming of the
taffeta lining. The bodice is gathered
very full front and back and has a wide
row of shirring at the bottom of the
yoke, has an arrangement Of medallions
of cream cOlOred lace falling in a deep
point to the waist line. The sleeves are
what the girls describe as perfect
dears Just three narrow scarfs of the
crepe ending in knots in the middle the
last one, just above the elbow. having a
dangling bow of loops and ends. A
soft crush girdle of white chiffon with
a big bunchy bow in the back and a
chou of the same at the top of the col
lar completes a bewitching toilet.
Miss Eliza beth Meade, the second
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. J. NJ. Meade,
a merry rosy-cheeked blonde wore a
white brilliantine over taffeta. The
yoke of the bodice was laid in tucks
and pointed Monte Carlo bertha fell
in p1aits from the yoke line to the belt.
The skirt was a severely plain nine
gore model with three wide tuck-hke
folds around the bottom.
Miss Jessie CampbelIs was one of the
prettiest gowns in the class. OF white
japanese silk over china silk the eff
feet was indescribably soft and cling