The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-08

well as in the boxes, and that in this feature
we are away behind the English even now
How many low cut gowns will one find In
a New York theatre audience? Very few
even in the boxes. and at the opera moi
more than one-third OF the women in the
orchestra seats wear full evening dress.
Probably had not some OFFS the season
subscribers to orchestra seats purposely
sot the example of always wearing a de-
collete gown and made a point of talking up
the desirabiity Of promoting the brilliancy
OF the house, not one-tenth of the orchestra
section patrons would appear in anything
but high bodices Seven or eight years
ago IL took some courage to wear a low
cut gown outside Of a box at either the
theatre or the opera in New York. know,
for | have been there.
AT the present lime even visitors from
Europe comment on the many women in
ordinary street costume occupying high
priced seats at the opera. In London
the comments made on Americans who
throng 20 the opera and the play in travel
ling toys are not complimentary.
Every n who travels knows that as a
rule Europeans are far more keen on the
question of appropriate evening clothes
than Americans are. An ~Englishman in
good society. for instance. never dreams
of appearing in anything but evening clothes
after dark in his own house or out OF IL.
the best society put on a dress suit only
when they must.
For years the more fashionable women
OF New York nave done theirbest to make
New York less provincial in this respect
they have succeeded. Oo-an now to be
told that decollete gowns are a demoralizing
factor is almost funny! Certainly they
are not so regarded in England"
perhaps English women are more con-
sentative as TO the cut OF their evening
gowns?" II was suggested.
III you mean that they are more modest
and that they favor a style Of cut which stops
at the cOllarbone all ! have TO say Ia that
nothing could be further from the truth.
In New York society every now ana then
a woman may appear in what is called a
daringly low dSoolletaRe. and Immediately
he fact IL advertised in some mysterious
way all over the country, n instead OF
being put down az an exception-which
is really the case-the m il taken TO be
the rule so far as New York is concerned.
Leaving out these exceptions the decollete
gowns worn by fashionable London n
fashionable New York are exactly alike,
except that the latter are hhndsomer.
Il for one think New York ia more in
need Of a club to encourages the wearing
Of low neck gowns than OF a club 20 suppress
them"
-Curiously enough. : said another woman.
my grandmother. who was brought up In
Scotland, was telling me the other day
OF the vogue low necked and short sleevod
n for children had when she was a
youngstsr. She herself wore low neck
dresses all her life-not the collarbone
variety. either, but the sort which Is cut out
well over to the shoulders and in quite adeep
square or round. according to the fashion.
IL don't believe she would understand
what was meant by low nook gowns being
demOralizing. understand 10, though.
Even In good society there are women
who occasionally 60 beyond the line Of
modesty in their evening gowns--a very
fsw--but, that doesn't prove. II seems 20
rihced altogether.
-Cut out only to the c~ollarbons7 I
don't know. I lever wore that style OF
govn. M the fact that such q style has
never been popular for any occasion owl
srSrss wears Nc 7 mad. . "Trip around