Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-24
FOR INDOOR WEARONLY
EiderdoWn Robes Are More
Shapely Than Ever.
DAINTY TRIM MIN GS
CREPE REMAINS POPULAR FOR
TEA GOWNS.
Morning Gowns Of Plaid Wool for
the Athletic
Girl.

Written for The Evening Star.
The building of house gowns IS an art in
itself The English and French modistes
excel in designing tea gowns, but the Ameri-
can dressmakers have no equals in building
UP smart little house frccks which are a
cross between the tea gown and the tailored
effects for street wear. And it has also
been left for the American woman to so
beautify an eiderdown robe as to make 1t
| desirable for her sister who likes to combine
comfort and warmth with tidiness
The new lounging robes in eiderdown are
quite generally trimmed and cut in elabor-
ate fashion. The backs are fitted and have
pleats inserted in the middle and side seams
below the waist line to give fullness TO the
skirt The fronts are loose but held In
place by elaborate cords or girdles. Sleeves
are more dressy than they were a
year or so back and suggestions OF yokes
and vests are quite common.
A very pretty design buT1t on these gen
eral lines is of pink eiderdown with short
vest effect in the front set off by a big roll
ing collar, edged with shell-shaped SILK
braid in self-tone outlined by lattice work
of black velvet ribbon. The full puff sleeves
have a simple fitted cuff trimmed with the
velvet ribbon and joined to the puff with
the self-tone braid. The vest shows a lat
tice work of the velvet ribbon and is hnlsh-
ed with long loops and ends of pink ribbon.
A well-fitted eiderdown robe of pure white
has a very dainty finish in the form of
sleeve ruffles in accordion pleated chiffon
shading from white to light blue. The same
chiffon falls from the throat to the hem
in elaborate jabot. 1t is joined at the
waist with cord interviewer of blue and
white silk.
With Gilt Embroidery.
Fit for princess is the eiderdown set off
by gold embroidery and the new tulle lace
etched with gold threads The neck is low
and finished with deep rolling collar en-
broidered in gold and edged with tulle lace.
Wide bel-shaped sleeves are embroidered
almost to the elbow in gold and filled in
with lace. The cord and tassel are OF white
and gold silk.
Shirred ribbon is extremely popular for
trimming eiderdown garments and is often
edged on either side by narrow ribbon show
ing Dresden pattern or tiny hand-embroid
cred flowers
These eiderdown robes are for bed room
use exclusively, but in the average Amer-
can house the temperature is too high to
make them desirable except in extreme
weather, and the neglige which finds most
favor is composed of a lighter fabric, par
ticularly in the popular crepe de chine
weaves. This fabric carries especial
air Of leisure and luxury. and in lounging
robes it is combined with ribbon and lace
in alternate strips. a beautiful robe in
cream colored crepe de chine was built
from strips of point de Paris edged on
either side with liberty taffeta ribbon
which in turn was finished with strips of
the crepe de chine run in pin tucks. These
strips ended in points which fell over a
very closely gathered flounce of deep point
de Paris. The robe had a slight train and
yoke hidden by a deep sailor collar
edged with the lace and fastened in the
front with long loops of ribbon.
Neck Cut Low.
In the dainty crepe robes the neck is al
most invariably cut low either V-shape.
square or round Cascades of lace in the
form of elongated jabots finish most of
the crepe gowns.
From the crepe negl:ge it IS merely step
to the more elaborate tea gown, and here
fancy runs riot and price has no limit One
of the most striking characteristics of the
tea gown and here fancy runs riot and
price has limit. One of the most strik-
ing characteristics of the tea gown of the
hour is a coat effect very beautiful
! model shows loose-1tting tea gown of
very soft pink silk trimming with innu-
merable ruchings of self-tone chiffon. Over
| this falls a square, sleeveless coat, sug-
costing in shape the old-fashioned comblng
| towel. This is made of white chiffon, ex-
| quisitely painted in wild roses Of the most
| delicate pink.
Truly Partisan.
More eccentric and distinctly Partisan in
| its effect Is a combination of white franz
boise crepe and chiffon with jacqueminot
| red velvet The skirt and blouse are of
| white chiffon with nuns tucks alternating
| with bands of the white crepe, which is
| form of Shantung silk. Over this is a coat
| of the crepe built below the waist line in
graduated peats and falling over the blouse
| of the tea gown in bolero effect. The coat
| is edged with bands of jacqueminot velvet
| and the cuffs of the chiffon sleeves are
| made of the same glowing fabric.
The woman who plunges into the social
life of a big city has little time at this sea-
| son to enjoy tea gown, unless 1t be for a
| few moments between functions, when she
| rests in her own room, or half hour De-
| fore retiring at night. The English custom
of serving the quiet afternoon tea, winch Is
| the occasion of a display of many exquisite
robes of this Sort is not general in city
| houses The hour has been given over to
the most elaborate of receptions, in no wise
deserving the title of afternoon tea
| But in country homes, particularly where
| larse house parties gather, sports are the
order of the morning and early afternoon,
and the real English tea follows at 5
| o'clock For this hour some beautiful tea
gowns have been prepared by native and
foreign modlSteS.
| A Red Velvet Neglige.
| A stately young bride who revels in the
| fact that she can carry velvet, has queen
| ly tea gown of red velvet in extremely sup
| pie weave The dainty empire bodice is at
| tached to the skirt by means of thick
] cording, and the round collar is overlaid
| with lace motifs. The large he'll sleeves are
| filed with lounces and accordion pleated
chiffon The decoIlette throat is filled in
| with finely shirred chiffon alternating with
| lace motives. The corsage is finished by a
| rose made of white chiffon and long ends
knotted at intervals.
A demure little blonde has ordered raw
ishing tea gown built entirely of dotted net
| over white silk. The robe proper is bloused
| at the waist by a grdle formed from three
| pointed bands in a dead rose tint. The
| Sleeves are shrred fatty into the blouse and
| finished with two ruffies of the net edged
| with guipure lace, and over this robe is
| worn a bolero of guipure forming a V-shape
neck finished with flowers made of chiffon
and the rose colored velvet ribbon.
Messalne is one of the most popular fab
| RIGS for elaborate tea gowns and is particu-
| larly effective when yelled with lace. A
| princess model in white messaline is fin
| ished with girdle of seed pearls. The ell
| bow sleeves are of shirred messaline with
angel-wing draperies of tulle lace finished
i ,tIJy NJ