Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-09
A MEMORY OF BEAUTY
What Becomes of a IS, 900
Wardrobe.
LASTSUMMER'S FINERY
WAS PERIsHABLE, BUT MIGHTY
PRETTY AND STYLISH.
Luxury in Fabric and Trimming Was
Never More APP
parent.
Written for The Star.

Written for The Star.
Five thousand dollars sacrificed on the
altar of Dame Fashion, and nothing to
show for it but few gray ashes in the
form of itemzed billsl The society belle
will long remember the summer of 1905 as
the most extravaganza in the history of
frockS and friIls.
Not that $4,000 represents a large sum
for a seasons gowns, but because the raj
ment for the past season was the least
practical in many years, and left little or
nothing to be worked over for future use.
AS d rule, at the end of a season frocks
and hats, wraps, coats and even acces-
series are turned over to one of three per-
sons-the house searnstress whose mission
is to make over gowns; the maid, or of last
consideration, the poor relative.
Among the extravagances which have
played havoc with the society womans
purse this season may be mentioned fragile,
nlmy fabrics elaboration of trimming and
the most pershable of accessories. There
has been also a marked fad for individual
ity, and never In the history of shopkeeping
have women demanded so much in the way
OF exclusive novelties.
For instance one woman who Is famous
for her automobile eccentricit.es, has motor
costumes and coats by the half dozen, and
her particular fad called for veilings woven
to order to match each costume. These
wells, in exquisite colorings, cost 81 yard
and she ordered them, not by single yards,
but by the Dozen In the middle of the
season she sent large package of half
worn wells to the firm which had made
them for her. with the request that they
be mended Her order was laughed to one
side Mending was impossible with such
filmy weave and in such exclusive color
ings. Madame would have to order fresh
supply of veilings, which she promptly pro-
ceeded to do.
In Solid Lace.
Where in other years lace was inset upon
linen or finer fabrics, this year the
gowns We're of solid lace with bands, me-
dallions or conventional designs of heavy
linen inset with the lace. Gowns of heavy
lace have shown undertakes and trim
mings of the sheerest and finest Valen-
ciennes and the result has been that at
the close of the season a lace gown borne
down by much trimming and heavy linen
has been a wreck, while Its predecessor,
made from solid linen with trimming of
lace, would be worth making over or send
ing to secondhand man.
Matching silk gloves, silk stockings
and handkerchiefS with the trimming of
white frocks cuts another hole In mlladfs
dress allowance. a linen suit with sug-
gestion of lavender in the collar, lapels
and cuffs demanded silk stockings, silk
gloves. handkerchief of cobweb linen,
ana, perhaps, Ties OF Shippers Oh pleCiS
the same shade.
The silk glove, no matter what price
paid for it, is easy prey to perspiration.
The colored handkerchief which is fad
today is retired with the first breath Of
cold weather DelicateIy colored slippers
worn on the boardwalk at a beach or
open casino are of no further use after
several promenades. Gowns at Newport
yield to half a dozen cleanings and are
absolutely useless for another summer.
But perhaps the largest item in the past
summers dress account was the craze for
lingerie effects. Hand embroidery was
the pet extravaganza of every woman
whose allowance was not limited. The
smart woman thought nothing of order
ing half a dozen lingerie blouses from
her favorite maison blanc at an average
cost of $40 each. Handled by her expert
laundress or sent to a first-class cleaning
esta blishment, these waists served their
masters well during the brief summer sea-
son. AS a salable article at its close their
value IS practically nothing. The maid who
receives them perQuisite may not wear
them because they We're the property of
her mistress, and when she offers them to
the secondhand man or to an exchange
patronized by struggling actresses the
price offered does not represent more
than one-hundredth part of their orig
inal value, because in the hands of any
one but an expert they quickly degener-
ate into shreds and patches.
Fairy-Like Parasols.
In much the same category are the lin
gerie parasols, those exquisite hand-em-
broidered creations which looked so fresh
and dainty with linen and muslin after
noon frocks. Now only the frames are left
to tell the tale, and the hand-wrought
covers are only At for cutting up and set
ting as inserts into made-over waists.
Here Is an itemized list of the ward
robe purchased by one social climber for
a brief stay at Newport: