The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-05-05
Fads of Fashion.

A jeweIry novelty which bids fair
to enjoy all the popularity of the horse
shoe and the swastica Is the feather pin.
This pin has but recently made It's ap-
pearance In the exclusive shops. 1t is
made of silver enamel, solid gold and
tiny brilliants set In platinum. Some
there are which show a tiny setting In
the center of the quill, coral being used
with gold and turquoise with silver. In
those of solid gold diamonds and other
precious stones are to be seen.
The sale of silk gloves is starting In
very early this year, showing in this way
that women learned a valuable lesson
last year. Those of us who found 1t we'll
nigh impossible to get a single pair of
black or brown silk gloves at any store
at any price last June are likely to make
our purchases this spring soon as we
see the goods on sale. There are some
new and attractive novelties In silk
gloves many Of them with the entire
arms embroidered In self-colors. Others
have the arm attached to the hand por-
ton with fancy silk stitching. There Is a
practical element to this, since the old
gloves may be detached and replaced
with a new pair with a few minutes
work. The idea has a double value, for
the long-arm portion Is even more prac-
teal than kid gloves, since In the kids
we have to use the two parts separately,
an economical but unlovely fashion, or
pay for the attaching of the old arm
pieces to the new short gloves.
Simplicity in dress becomes more
and more pronounced as the season ad-
vances. There is very definite reason
In this, namely, that simple clothes to be
right must be made by master hand,
must be of excellent material and abso-
lutely right In every detail. The home
sewer or average dressmaker who can
fluff and puff a dress into some sort OF
prettiness Is completely at sea when pre-
sented with the problem of a tailored
frock. A French shop which prides itself
on the perfection of its importations Is
showing this spring a model in fine blue
serge, and also In heavy linen, that is
nothing more or less than a simple shirt.
waist and skirt, sewed together with an
Inch and half belt. Both skirt and waist
open on the left side and are fastened
with smooth brass buttons set about
three inches apart. The only trimming
the dress boasts Is soft turn collar and
cuffs of heavy natural linen, bordered
with a narrow Irish lace and having a
ladder stitched insertion about an inch
from the edge. These collars and cuffs
button into the dress so that they may
be easily removed and Numbered, and yet
do not require any links or collar buttons
to hold them In place. A tie of the same
material as the collar with lace ends is
noted, that bows In smart style at the
throat. Nothing could be simpler or
smarter than this particular style of
dress. 1t is splendidly suited for outing
or travelling and for auto wear. In linen
1t is the proper morning dress for the
fashionable summer resorts or for town.
Perhaps no other feature of this
cos IN fao 10
length of the skirt. There is an air
about the extremely short skirt that
stamps its wearer as metropolitan me
visitor to New York from the Middle
West or up state, or Jersey, Immediately
discovers that the finest production OF her
home dressmaker does mot give her the
air of the Fifth avenue demoisselle. Ihe
general lines of her costume may be the
same, but there is something missing.
Let her go home and study her mirror,
and doubtless she will discover that 1t Is
the length of her skirt, or the fact that
it is a plain pleated skirt and not adorned
with bias bands as Is the very latest
product of the very best tailors.
"Did you see Madame Nazimova's
poser" said the girl in the striped walk
ing suit to the girl in brown, In the q
little antique tearoom just moment Off
of Fifth avenue. NO / didn't get 1T
tainly the carriage of her head is one of
her chief charms. It's positively snaky
the way she twists that long throat of
hers about isn't 1t? l have got to pose
So willy -nilly, and so will you, after you
have worn one Of these hew hats a week.
They are built like house without cor
nice and with a 16-foot back porch, and
then one pins them on the back of her
head. You positively cannot lean back
m a nr ND mi
just as well adjure the use of high back
chairs the day you buy your hat Thes-
are terribly smart, there's no dispute, but
there's not grain Of comfort in them.
Talk about hoop skirts being impossible
with your present mode of transportation.
Why, six-foot hoop skirt couldn't posi-
bly, be harder to manage than these new
wideback hats. Oh, yes ] have got an.
other one besides this, burnt leghorn,
with a long feather. No use thinking
about the discomfort They are simply
the only thing to wear this year"