The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-05-21
Dame Fashion


NEW YORK, May 21.-The summe
is drawing near and with 1t the TIM
of June weddings and graduating ex
ercises. To the average girl thu
thought of the coming examination
with their puzzl:ng questions anC
dreadful pitfalls, does not cause hal
so much worry and anxiety than the
question concerning the dress she i:
going to wear at the customary com
mencement exercises. 1t is undoubted-
ly an important event in the life of {
girl when she graduates from school
her studies to tit herself for her flu
ture career, whatever that may be
Graduation may only mean the firs1
milestone in her educational advance
or it may mark the finale of her the
Oretical schooling, the beginning of q
practical course, with all the hard
ships and disappointments of such a
course, be it the life Of working Wo-
man, or d life of domestic drudgery
at home. But, just about this time
the girls about to graduate give no
thought to the serious side of their
future prospects; the work of prepar-
ing themselves for the final examina-
lions and the veXing problem: What
busy.
The general custom of dressing girl
graduates in white on the occasion of
their graduation, is of quite ancient
origin. 1t can be traced back to the
old Romans, with whom the custom
was so common that it even found
expression in the term used for
those who We're about to graduate or
who stood before their final examina-
ton. Such persons We're called candi-
DAFT, from the color of their toga.
which was invariably white The de-
riviation of the custom is perhaps not
quite correct and far fetched. but, at
all events the custom is as much in
vogue now as it was when our grand
mothers and great grandmothers went
to school.
1t is undoubtedly an appropriate
custom. There is nothing more befit-
ting youthful feminine charms,
nothing sWeeter to look at than a girl
dressed in white. Youth hath charms
Of its own and needs not gems or rich
ornaments to make itself felt Even
the plainest girl looks pretty in a
white dress if it fits her we'll and for
handsome girls no better foil could be
devised than the simplicity and de-
frock. 1t lends an Undesirable charm
to the graceful lines and budding
forms of the sweet graduating girl.
Although the custom of selecting
white materials for graduating dresses
prevails as ever. Dame Fashion has
her say as to the Materials the cut
and the trimmings of the costumes
Fortunately for great many girls
who are not daughters of miIlionaires.
fashion allows considerable freedom in
the selection of materials for gradu-
ating dresses. Fabrics of every de-
scription. from The cheapest to the
most expensive may be used. so long
as they are white and are cut and
trimmed in the approved style. Judg-
ing from the general style Of dresses
in vogue at the present time GRADUATE
ing dresses Will be unusually handsome
and charming this year Among the
simpler materials which viii be used
for such dresses are batistes and
mules of various degrees of fneness
and eXpensiveness. India linens, Per
sian lawns, Swiss and organdy will
also find many admirers. 1t may be
said, however, that the softer mate
rails, like batiste and mule are pre-
ferabIe, as they lend themselves bet
ter than the sitter materials to pro-
ducing those soft and graceful eff
fects SO characteristic of present
styles
The question of trimmings and or
is a very important one
with graduating dresses. 1t is in the
and ornaments that the
bulk of the expense is. Hand embroid- |
cries and ornamental stitchings are
extremely popular this year and will
De used on graduating dresses Just as
hey are on other dresses. If the girl
is clever at needlework, or if she
has a sister who knows how to do
things and is willing to sacrifice some
Of her spare time for her graduating
sister, the problem is comparatively |
simple and the expense of a suitable |
1ress not great. But, if the en-
Oroideries have to be purchased, the |
of SrocS NOV |