The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-07-13

| have always mainland that
English women do not dress we'll,
and yet, on these summer days
when on rare occasions / have
time to 90 to any of the gatherings
in the West End of London, |
am astonshed at the beautiful
clothes and pretty hats and gem
orally charming appearance which
our women present. There is DO
need now for the English woman
to 90 to Paris. London is full of
dressmakers who can accomplish
everything that the French mod
iste creates.
Moreover, Paquin and Worth
and Francis are all to be found in
London, vying with Kate Reilly,
Lucille and Durrant. And yet !
know that if | pause for mo-
ment at the corner of Bond street
and watch that gayly dressed
crowd | shall return to original
opinion. The women in electric
broughams and smart victorlas
have all the finish and perfection
to which French women attain,
but after all they are only a ia
vored few, with cosmopolitan
tastes, women to whom the
boulevards are as familiar us Re-
gent street; who have deep purses
and long credit, but if | turn
from them to watch the ordinary
woman who hurries on her way.
or who dawdles to look into shop
windows, / know l am right in
my original criticism.
First, there is a lamentable lack
of individuality in the dress of
English women. None of them
know what is their special style,
or if they do, they have not the
strength to stick to it. If large
hats are worn, every woman, be
she big or little, presents the APP
pearance of a walking mushroom.
A plain little person, with
herhair tightly drawn will
perch II Gainsborough hat
with nodding plumes upon her
high forehead, and will wear this
headgear with u tailor dress in
damp weather till every feather
droops with indispensable depres-
sion, but she is contented because
picture hats are worn"
If feather stole are the rage, she
will go on tramcar, in train or
tube, with a half dirty boa flying
from her shoulders; 1t is probably
too long, drags on the pavement,
and often is wCrn with an utterly
inappropriate walking dress. No
matter, it is "the thing" Her
smartest gown is beginning to
wear out. 1t is a silk, with en-
boldered panels. bright in color,
elaborate in design. A French
woman would turn 1t into a din
ner gown; not so her English sis
ter 1t will come out day after
day looking like all shabby finery,
seedy and unsuitable, but there
it is, and it has to be worn out.
Again a vast number of women
here dress badly just because, if
thing is worn, she must have it
even If she can only afford COM
mon imitation. She must pelt
! after the heels of fashion even
though she be afar off in the race.
Who does not know the figure of
the English woman from the Pro-
vinces who is coming to London
for short visit? Her dress was
made by her country modste
from fashioIplate.
Every idea is followed, but the
result is atrociously common. A
little bad lace, tags of ribbon or
gold braid, eruptions of buttons
and trimmings and puilins and
ruchings are to be found every
where; she surmounts this with a
hat which has no sort Of rapport
with the dress, only it, too, is "as
worm; but the materials are
flimsy and the effect tawdry. Bad
boots and bad gloves betray the
wearer as much as the cheap imi-
tation Of the styles in vogue. 1t
is all ugly and depressing and we
have all seen it again and again.
The point which seems to me
to be lacking is the power of adap-
tation to circumstances, for that
must mean to dress appropriately
according to the occasion. The