Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-16

Special Correspondence OF The Evening star.
PARIS, May ., 1903.
There is no doubt that the present day
picturesqueness of dress wilS inspire the
painters of our own time to achievements
rivalng those of the old masters of por-
traiture. The woman of today sit
to the artist in a gown of old world beau
ty which has been designed for actual
everyday wear and in grace and charm of
costume be quite the equal of the ladies
whom Romney Reynolds and Gainsbor-
ough delighted to paint l am sure could
these old masters speak to us now they
would acknowledge the immense help they
gained from the graceful fichus and quaint
ly wonderful gowns and hats of their SUBJ
jects. OF course. it has always been pos
sible to assume the old costumes for oc-
casions. but now they are ours by right
OF Inheritance and the divine right of the
modistes adaptations.
The girls and young men of posterity
VIII not find their grandmothers looking
precisely alike, for the stately insipidity
they were wont to assume with the ancient
gown VIII give place to the twentieth CEN
fury up-to-date smartness with an old
world costume. And how much more val
liable as history will be a canvas of this
kind! The other afternoon, looking into
the tea room at the Elysee palace l saw
group of daintily attired matrons. any
one of whom would be fitting representa-
tive for painters palette
Paris, Just now seems to be meeting
ground for a day or so at a time of the
social forces. At the fashionable tea rooms
everybody meets everybody else who is
either going north, south or in some at
tractive direction. l looked from one group
10 the other and thought what a business
these social leaders make of pleas ura
There is surely no real enjoyment or
chahge In stepping from one point of the
map to another and taking with you the
same environment the same faces sitting
opposite you at table and the same sinh
)ect of conversation discussed in the
same words. Still the merry party of ma
irons IN the tea rooms seemed to find this
sort OF thing very satisfactory They were
taking in light airy fashion about ev-
erythlng interesting in the world, and grad
CaIly came down to that subject unon
winch all women talk to one another with
most IerVor-clothes
A White Summer.
Ih2t 1t is to be a white summer was very
evident from the number of gowns evolved
from that emblem of purity with which
each woman had supplied her wardrobe
one member of the party at the time was
wearing the smartest white cloth frock
inserted with a band of cluny lace incrust
ed upon lawn relieved with motifs of cream
hTaldlnS The front of the skirt made
with a narrow tablier fastened at about a
halt yard from the feet with three large
opal and gold buttons on each side The
bodice had pointed cape of cloth edged
and inserted with the cluny lace and lawn
opening over a lawn chemsette of braided
batlste attached with buttons of opal and
gold Ike those on the skirt. The sleeves
were small at the shoulders and wide be-
low. the elbow also being inserted with A
wide band of cluny.
White tub gowns for the summer are not
the simple things they seem. A this years
frock of linen or crash goes away up in
the dollar mark. Indeed. net and silk
dresses are in many instances much cheap
er. These linens are fitting opponents of
that simplicity which is the trend of the
present luxurious fashions. Modes are get