Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-05
TACTICAL PHASES
The Use of Silk for Summer
AIS Wear. ai2a
HlND00 SILK THE LATEST
Stylish for Warm Weather Suits and
Frocks.
THE USEFUL TAFFETA SKIRT
Jumper Frock of Messaline the
Popular Shopping Dress for Cool
Summer Days.
HlND00 SILK THE LATEST
THE USEFUL TAFFETA SKIRT

Written for The Star by Katharine Anderson.
Each year the value of summer silk as
practical summer fabric impresses itself
more strongly on the feminine mind. 1t Is
SO clean and cool. and withal comfortable.
that not even the new chiffon panaInas and
mohairs can in any way rival 1T for warm
weather wear. and this season. with every
promise of an exceptionally hot summer.
the woman who looks on the sensible as
we'll as the fashionable side OF costuming Is
choosing silk garments in preference to
either cloth or lingerie effects.
Silk is employed, too for every conceiv-
able costume, from the street suit to the
lounging robe, while the seasons stunningly
patterned veilings and voiles are invariably
supplemented by silken Innings. with hut-
ings and qullllngs of silk serving IN all
sorts Of ways as the most approved trim
ming. In fact, 50 necessary is silk to the
perfection of these transparent fabrics
that without it all the beauty of thu cir sheer
weaves, whether cheap or costly, is COM
pletely lost.
For practical purposes. though, 1t is the
plain silk costume which finds greatest ia
vor as hot weather approaches, and of all
the weaves the Shantung pongees meet with
most general approval. Their durability and
modishness alike commend them to popular
fancy, and the woman of moderate income
can find no summer fabric which Will give
her quite much service as this rough,
shaggy silk. The very latest weaves show
small designs interviewer in self-tone, and
are known as Hindoo silks. Aside from
their novelty, however, they are not nearly
so attractive the plain weaves, which
this year are displayed most commonly in
peculiar faded shades of blue. yellow and
red
Stylish, Too.
AS an example of the practical use of
Shantung the corseIet skirted suit pictured
has style and usefulness which only the
woman who has been worried with cloth
suits on sultry days in summer can appre-
ciate Cut in such q way as to give the
least possible weight to both skirt and
bolero each piece is given sufficient firm
ness to keep its shape by a very smart
trimming of stitched bands of satin applied
In tailored fashion. Built in one Of the
fashionable colors of Shantung. the suit
likewise is dressy enough to serve not only
for everyday wear, but for second best as
well, and the woman who is obliged to be in
the shopping or business districts in hot
weather will find such q costume absolutely
invaluable.
Another favorlte use of Shantuns silk is
in the shirt waist dress for cool summer
days. In this guise 1t is handled very
much as are the various wash materials.
The illustration reveals a youthful shopping
frock, the sole trimming of which is a
shocking of the material to form a yoke
on blouse and skirt. Other shirt waist
suits in this knotted silk are relieved solely
by pin tucks and fine shirrings. This eff
fects a simplicity especially desirable for
morning dress. at the same time giving it
very much the look of the popular tub
shirt waist frock.
Separate Wraps.
The third and last practical use OF Shan
tung pongee Is In loose separate wraps,
which the well-dressed woman finds indis-
pensable in thin summer dresses. The
majority of these coats are built on empire
lines and reach half way below the knee
while the seasons color Is Alice blue in
preference to the natural colored Shan
tung, which has enjoyed vogue the past
two years There are, of course, certain
objections to the decided color which rem
der il not altogether desirable for all round
use, but in most instances 1t Is relieved by
scroll work designs of black satin cord
For the woman to whom blue Is unbecom-
ing, the pale yellow Shantung somewhat
brighter than champagne, has the added
advantage Of being not only smart, but
suited to almost all compilations, and 1t
harmonizes with nearly every costume
Taffetas for suits seem to be less in evil
dence than in seasons past; that Is, the
stiff, rustling taffeta. Supple qualities ap-
pear quite as much as formerly and black
and white effects reign supreme. Stripes
polka dots large and small. and very stun
ming plaids, blending the black and white
in numberless silvery lights, all carry out
the fad for gray which has been SO marked
this spring. These colorless effects have an
exceedingly spruce look and they lend to
their wearer a swagger air characteristic
OF the woman whose gowns come direct
from the French modiste.
Several Advantages.
For the woman who walks great deal
the taffeta skirt offers wonderous advan-