The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-09-13
Lavender. lavender everywhere.

lighted our grandmothers and which has
long been regarded as a badge of halt
mourning. though such significance cannot
be applied to il now. is the rage Of the au-
tumn.
New York is full of it and St. Louis is
beginning to blossom out in it as the
Eastern recorders come home.
Lavender gowns in linen and lovely
soft Scotch fanncls and challies: lavender
hats IN velvet for autumn wear and coarse
straw weaves that will look very well in
deed until the fTosts come; lavender wells
they float from every woman hat on
Broadway. either sinGIy or else with two
or three other chiffon streamers: lavender
gloves in heavy pique kid that is most
wonderfully smart; lavender hosiery
there IS no end to It in silk and a silk and
Isle mixture; Iavender stocks of dainty
silk. with white polka dots and turn
over linen collars at top: lavender
blouses of India silks OF crepe. to wear
with white cloth skirts for small after
noon functions: lavender handkerchiefs
the canters Of fine white linen. with big
squares Of Lavender set into the corners.
on which Is embroidered a very small and
particularly dainty initial; lavender. loads
of lavender. the real oId-fashioned flower
lAStls OoAS III htdAlS IA Sl1dA AaFCIlNt
colored bags of cotton. and sending forth
a most delicious and clean-smelling odor-
these are some of the newest sartorial
sights Just now, and they furnish US a de-
cided novelty for the coming season.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the
new-old color is trying. BY the by. they
have dubbed it "prunelie." in order to
have a new and fancy-sounding name for
a very old color.
Those who profess to know say that 1av-
endcr admits of so many different shades
that blends and brunettes alike can sure
ly find a shade that is becoming. The bru-
nette tint is the blush lavender, while
blends find the pinkish one most effect
I've. II ones skin is Inclined to be dark
and swarthy. avoid the deeper tints. and
take a very pale blush Lavender. If
you are blond-haired and rather pale Of
cheek. try the pink tint and you Will he
delighted. Hunt round until you hit on
your special shade, for avender you must
wear in some form or other. IL you would
make any pretensions TO snaTtness this
season.
Even a touch is better than nothing. One
st. Louis woman. who has summered on
Long Island and who IS now just starting
westward. doesn't admire the color, but
has bowed TO fashion sufficiently to wear
with the stunning thin black lace and
crepe gowns that she affects a lavender
chain in delicate bead work. round her
neck and tucked into her belt, with. 1 pre-
sumo, her watch on the other end.
The lavender heavy linen gowns are
having a great vogue I saw four young
women walk into the Manhattan Beach
Hotel dining-rOom a few nights ago. the
four escorted by one very small and in
conspicuous man, by the way. all dressed
exactly alike in tailored suits of heavy
lavender linen, made with skirts OF walk
ing length. three-quarter coats. hitting
snugly as to bodice and skirt. with tailor
collars of black velvet and cuffs also of
black. They all wore black or white
hats. with lavender chiffon streaming
down behind. quite to their waists. and
either a little fine black or white net face
veil under their hats. OF course. they
were probably walking models for some
body's emporium of clothes. but they
looked very stunning, just the same, and
attracted lots Of attention, which was
what they wanted.
A really sweet lavender frock. suitable
for afternoon or theater wear this fall, l
spied on the Oriental piazza one after
noon. The skirt was short, and laid in
small box pleats from belt to the knees.
This gave 4 decided fuilness TO the skirt
and is the newest thing. The blouse was
also bOx-pleated, from the shoulders, and
fitting into the waist rather more French
lily than most blOuses with which / am ac-
quainted. The back was slightly bloused
and a high girdle of woven silk encircled
the waist and was lost 10 sight under
meath the bloused part in front. The neck
was cut low and round. in the English
style. which is only becoming to short and
plump necks. But the model was excep-
tionally good and could be copied in fan
mel. albatross or broadcloth with effective
ness.
Speaking OF broadcloth reminds me of
the chef d~'oeuvre of the Fashion Show at
Madison Square Garden. 1t was corcoct-
ed by Madame Sara Scmebody-and
marked Robe de Visite." all this French
coming after the announcement that the
show is intended purely and simply as a
means whereby American dressmakers can
exploit their wears.
They begin, you see. by changing good,
old plain-sounding Sarah" for the Bern
hardt FORM and labelling their visiting cos
tunes with the French title. However. /
took a good look at this much-described
affair, and the first glance alone was quite
sufficient 70 convince me that no woman
of the slightest pretensions to taste would
ever put the thing on her back. much less
give 1t houseroom. The materials We're
lovely, but the creation was wierd and
w~onderful-too wonderful for human ma
lures daily garb.
Delicate prunelle French br0adcloth was
the stuff. with many bands of ermine and
quantities of Irish point lace. There was
nothing especially distinctive about the
style of the ggwn-ihe skirt trained and
sweeping with an ermIne border. and the
bodice slightly bloUsed with erminc tails
and much lace on the cOrsage. From the
shoulders hung a long, fun cape. deeply
bOx-pleated and falling softly behind over
the train. But the ugliest and oldest part
Of the decoration consisted Of huge white
corded ornaments. with round tops and
pendant cords. which We're scattered
everywhre, splotched on skirt and waist
alike. and which reminded me for all the
world Of the white trimmings On 4 babv's
casket. They were exactly of that pat
tern.
I saw one very good model for a cloth
gown-zibeline in a dark blue was the
stuff. The skirt was full-everything in
skirts is full. and / didn't as much as
catch a glimpse of 4 yoke-and plcated in
an obscure fashion. an inverted box-pleat
coming directly in front. from which ex-
tended three side pleats on either side.
with more side pleats at intervals until
the back was reached, when the pIacket
was covered by a prettily graduated box
pleat. The waist was a loose blouse
NrfrnDnal l., I,.l, "a D--E.- - III