St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-08-19
OUR FASHION LETTER.

OUR FASHION LETTER.
Society Among the erKshires-Smart
Gowns Worn by Society Women in
len0X-A Pale Pink GOwn-The Ultra
Sheath Skirt Not WOrn-The BYZan-
tine Evening GOwn-VOgue of the
Scarf.
August among the Berkshire Hills is a
fascinating time, and although the
height of the season in Lexox and Stock
bridge does not begin until September
fogs drive society away from Newport,
yet this year the charm of the mountain
air and perhaps also the extreme heat OF
the seashore, early in the summer has
caused both these celebrated Massachu-
sets towns to become filled with visit
ors at an earlier date than usual. All
the large country houses in the vicinity
are opened and most of their owners
have arrived, and the big hotels are fill
ed to overlooking. OF an evening the
display of dress is magnihcent-all the
latest Partisan modes are shown, as we'll
as the creations of all the well-known
New York dressmakers.
Some very smart frocks were worn by
several well known New York women at
a bridge party that took place the other
afternoon at the Hotel Aspinwall A
rather dark young woman with very
pretty figure appeared in most charm
ing dress of soft pink marquisette. The
high shaped Gibson stock collar and
square yoke were OF tucked white net
unadorned with either lace or insertion.
The gown itself, made in Princess style,
extended only in corsage outline just
above the waist and in straps over the
shoulders. Worn under this and cut out
at the neck to show the square yoke just
referred to, was a blouse waist of heavy
cream colored hlet net embroidered in
pale pink silk floss and made up over a
lining of pink chiffon. Another really
stunning get up at the same affair
was a long Directoire coat Of bottle
green satin worn over a white lace skirt.
With this costume was hat of the very
softest, palest shade of pink, made of a
supple straw and trimmed with a
wreath of roses and big bunch of pale
green paradise aigrettes,
The ultra styles as they are called,
that is the extravagant and, il truth be
told, rather vulgar sheath skirt slit up
one side. and some of the closely draped
and very daring evening gowns that
Nine. Paquin, the great French contour
iere has lately designed are not worn,
except in greatly modified forms by the
ladies of the best society here. For these
toilets were invented to be worn upon
the French stage or by Parisiennes of a
certain class to make a sensation, and
to predict, as some of our fashion
authorities did, that these styles would
be adopted by well-bred and well-born
American women, was and is manifestly
absurd.
Something absolutely new and rather
theatrical and daring in effect is the
Byzantine robe for evening wear, the
front of which is simply complicated
mass of embroidery gems and metallic
decoration. At the last big dance given
here, a wealthy young woman with very
black hair and immense dark eyes was
almost over-poweringly handsome in a
creation of the sort, il such a bizarre
garment can rightly be called "a
creation" There is no bodice and no
skirt properly speaking. There are IN
the garment two side seams that cease
beneath the arms, after which the
material is simply raised and held by
jeweled clasps at the top of each
shoulder. The only thing in the realm OF
dress that ever appeared at all like this
garment-it can scarcely be called
gown-were the costumes worn by
Sarah Bernhardt when she appeared in
this country in Theodore" and similar
PLAYS several years ago.
Tussah royal is the latest in dress
materials made by the Priestley Mills at
Bradford, England, and is being eagerly
bought by high-class dressmakers for fall
and winter gowns. Though it looks
like heavy silk fabric it is really half
mohar and half soft. fine wooden thread,
which gives it a clinging texture. 1t
comes in wide range of desirable colors
from the palest evening tints to darkest
street shades, so that it is adapted tor
all sorts of occasions.
At the summer resorts this season and
especially at Lenox where the evenings
are cool the scarf has made itself ublquit-
Gus. Society women have gone wild
over scarfs, using them not only in
colored chiffons but also in beautifully
embroidered and metal ornamented
effects of the Orient These useful articles
are draped in various forms serving all