Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-26
PARIS FASHIONS
special Correspondence. of the Star.

Special Correspondence OF the
PARIS. January II, 1907.
You Americans are responsible for the in
PRODUCTION here at the gay capital OF most
trying form of entertanment-the hen
luncheon" OF course, there may be women
who enjoy affairs of this description. though
personally have never met one. Unfor-
tunately. we all have to go to these feasts
even II we never commit the sin of playing
hostess at such an affair. Now. everybody
admits the charm of having an Intimate
friend or two to a luncheon, which is fol-
lowed by chummy chat over the coffee
would it be safe to include cigarettes?-but
one cannot help being filled with admiration
for the woman who has the nerve to invite
twelve or sixteen guests of the feminine
persuasion to unite in mortal com at-it
such bull be permissible-round her hos
pitablc board.
Have you ever watched the women COM
ing into the room on such occasions? There
IS an air of suspiciousness toward each
other that is only equaled by reporters on
rival newspapers. Now, at dinner party
the average woman enters the room with
an air of pleasant expectancy. She knows,
especially if she is the last to arrive, how
sion made upon the assembled guests. and
if she finds herself among strangers she re-
doubles her efforts to be agreeable. AT
''hen luncheon" on the other hand, she en-
terS the room with protest, and, after
pecking her hostess on the cheek, takes a
rapid survey of her fellow sufferers The
probability Is that she Will ind one or TWO
friends among them whom she will greet
with feelings of relief. while, upon being in
troduced to the others she will bow dis
family and vaguely wonder what on carth
she is going to talk to them about During
the luncheon itself the conversation is apt
to become stereotyped or aggressive.
r
! have an instance in mind where two
guests became confidential over their dress
makers faults. One of them openly ac-
cused famous couturiere of stealing part
Of a handsome lace barbe sent to her for
use on a gown. The next time my lady
asked this artist to create a costume for
her she was met with the frigid reply:
How can madame put herself again In the
hands of one who forgets to send back all
her lacer So, you see, to become promis-
cuously confidential is not safe. 1t is the
fashion now for women to be more or less
Intellectual. and no occasion offers better
opportunities for the display of mental su-
periOrity than one Of these hen lunch
cons" One guest who announces herself an
ardent Wagnerian Will treat with scorn her
neghbOr for owning to an admiration for
Madam Butterfly" Books play an inlpor
tant part as topics of conversation, and
theaters are even more warmly discussed.
Whatever the subject of discussion, If it is
serious the guests are morally certain to
put each others back up. If it isn't impor-
taut they are bored. Under these circum-
stances it will be seen that ''hen" lunch
is neither a wild debauch of food or drink,
nor yet very stimulating intellectual dis
sipation. Indeed my feelings upon leaving
feast of this description were to this eff
feet; How jolly ii would be to go to a bach
elor teal
But all this is not fashion talk. To dis
cuss styles. though. just now is somewhat
similar to the operation of making bricks