Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-11
vELvETPRED0MINATES
What the Symbolical Sack
cloth and Ashes Means.
THEGRAYSANDPURPLES
WITH BLACK, ARE THE COLoRs
OF THE SEASON.
Quaint Effects Are Much in Vogue-A
Wealth of Trimming Marks
the Importations.

Written for The Evening Star by Katherine An
dersOn.
Madam Mode has passed her magic wand
over tha symbolical sackcloth of Lenten
! tide and-presto, the sackcloth has become
wonderfully soft and rich and velvety. 1t
has changed to velvet, that luxurious fab
| ric dear to the heart of fashionable wo-
men.
| Time was when women, the most fashion
| able of them, adopted severe, plain gowns
| in somber colors for the Lenten season, but
| today little of the custom prevails. The
| season of 1905 is almost wholly a velvet
season, and street gowns and afternoon
| toilets alike of that fabric, built in the
| extreme modes of the day.
Purple the Lenten color, is perhaps as
| much a favorite as any shade except gray
| in the Steel slate and moleskn tints An
| Elusive tone in cloud-gray has found favor for
| afternoon toilets especially in the two
| piece suit, with which fancy blouse OF
any color may be worn. One Of the advan-
| tages of a gray velvet costume is that a
hat in almost any shade harmoniZeS be-
comingly with it. large black hat tops ii
| gown of this fashion admira bly,; for more
| dressy occasions white hat is equally we'll
| pleasing.
| Strictly speaking, all of the gowns classed
| as velvet are not of that fabric; velveteen is
also used. 1t takes the closest scrutiny to
| detect the difference in the two materials.
Velveteen is less expensive and more dur
| able but it lacks the gloss and silky sheen
| found in velvet. 1t lends itself more easily
| to folds and Shirrings than does a heavy
velvet, and for the woman whose complex
| ion will not stand too trying gloss 1t is
| to be commended. Especially in the odd,
old-world shades of red and strawberry is
| velveteen desirable for a woman who has
| not clear. transparent skin.
! Black, without doubt is the most gen
! orally favored color for velvet, especially
| for dressy afternoon wear and with white
lace there is no more satisfactory combina-
| ton.
Separate Blouses.
| For separate blouses, the softer weaves
| of velvet. chiffon and panne are being util-
| lied in place of the heavy corduroys of
| last season. And the man who has to help
miladi on with her coat silently thanks the
person who instituted the change. Nothing
| is so difficult to slip a coat over as cor
| duroy sleeves. Printed panne velvets in
| stripes and inconspicuous plaids will be in
| high vogue for spring blouses although the
| tendency is not toward any regular pat
| tern in blouse fabrics.
A new model in street toilets is of
! crushed velvet in smokegray, cut with a
| belted Elton jacket with shallow reyers
| opening over white broadcloth vest The
| skirt is laid in box pleats and Is trimmed
with strappings of cloth in a shade of gray
Just deeper than the velvet. 1t clears the
| floor The jacket fits closely at the back
| ana mas the 1ull-tOppeQ sleeves, which are
cased into tight cuff at the elbow Fancy
| buttons are used both for useful and orna-
| mental purposes on this garment.
| In Prune Tint.
| Prune-colored chiffon velvet is the fabric
| shown in calling frock of unusual grace
| fulness. The gown is made in a cleverly
fashioned combination Of the loose and the
fitted effects, the back being fitted and the
front. displaying a double vest effect, ly-
| ing in graceful undarted lines. A position
| back is the feature of the coat and around
| the edges of the tails is a fiat pleating of
silk in the exact tone of the velvet. Dull
Etruscan gold braidings are applied with
| just the right finesse. The sleeve is draped
! at The top, the fullneSS held by band at
| the elbow, from which point the velvet lies
| in fiat pleats to the hand. The skirt is alter
| nately pleated and shirred, and hangs from
| the hips in straight, full folds. A tiny
! pleating of silk finishes the bottom at the
hem line. A velvet hat, with a soft white
feather falling over the side, tops this gown
| effectively.
For the girl whose personality and ap-
| pearance admit of quaint dressing, a model
in golden brown velvet, generously trimmed
| with chiffon in the same shade. is particu-
| larly appropriate. The blouse has lace
| yoke and an upper section of plisse chiffon,
| the latter covered with appiques. The
| blouse is cased into satin ribbon sash belt
The sleeve has puffy top opening over
| undersleeve of lace and satin ribbon, and
| both the sleeves and the neck are trimmed
with bands of brown fur The skirt is
| shirred at the band and over the hips.
very full hOunce is applied at knee height
| beneath a fanciful applique of wrought
| chiffon. The gown is made with a sugges-
| ton of a train and has ample length in
| front.
Accepted in 1905.
A gown which only the most slender of
women would dare to wear is of black vel
veteen cut in that voluminous fashion we
| da Of
| our grandmothers, but which we have
| learned to accept as style in 1905. Touches
of pale blue broadcloth, trimmed in silver
relieve the somber black and give it the
| Frenchy touch so dear to the feminine eye.
| The lifted belt of the blouse is the only por-
ton of the gown which has any respect for
| inquire. Even the sleeves full and bout
| FAINT The cloth vest has fancy buttons in
groups and Understanding military collar.
| The skirt is pleated, with each pleat stitched
down over the hips, from which they flare
TO the hem. band of broadcloth, braided
in silver, to harmonic with the blouse
finishes the bottom. Hem trimming is a
| feature of the spring gowns
large hat of golden brown velvet or
beaver, trimmed with ostrich tips in exactly
the same color, is worn effectively with this
gown for afternoons.
The velvet skirt will be trifie heavy for
the warm spring days, but there is ques-
ton in the minds of modistes that it will
De worn we'll into the season with blouseS
| In harmoniZing shade. 1t is of the
most difficult of all fabrics to keep in order
| and no flying particles of dust escape it.
Jaunty and Becoming.
Jaunty little toques made from folds of
| chiffon or panne velvet are much in vogue
| for the windy spring days Many of the
ST apes are without a vestge of trimming,
| the beauty of the hat being in the curved
lines and the soft shimmering fabric, and
| best of all-in its fondness for clinging to
| the hair where 1T is pinned The large hat
In windy weather Is a destroyer of good