Evening star., 1909-02-28

What the Well Dressed Parsienne Is Wearing

discovered the possibilities OF dress. 1t
was he who started the fashion of gay
and gorgeous raiment, and he only gave
1t up when he found he could no longer
compete with woman, once she had TAX
en- to initiating him. Mems clothes haV-
ing become utterly uninteresting, they
have only women's to criticise. The wise
woman therefore dresses quite as much
for man as for herself. People say
knowledge is power. and SO Il is. knowl-
edge i'm dress IS woman's greatest weap-
on. with a becoming hat and the right
shade of gray gown-gray being the oniy
color for a crss-a woman can do any
thing and survive anything. 1 know a
woman who was once on the verge or
committing suicide, when she remem-
bered she had a new pink mouSseline de
sole she had never worn She put off
poisoning herself because she thought 1t
such a pity for 1t not to be seen. and
the next day the man she was in love
with came to explain, and everything
turned out all right.
Her despair can scarcely have been
serious" I remarked.
AT any rate. her dress was said
Miss Beauty. "As a matter of fact:
people think. 1t is not only key to a
woman's character. but sign Of the
age in which she lives.
Then the present absence OF clothes
"Is a sign of despair" said Miss
Beauty"
n
sIIave you seen the new spring I'M
gerie?' 1 observed. by way of changing
the conversation after this last scathing
remark of Miss Beauty's. No! If you
have n spare minute when you are not
engaged in slandering the male sex just
go to the Lafayette and see the new
things. I do think that Frenchwomen
understand the lingerie situation better
perhaps than most women, and they GER
tainly excel in the making Of dainty un-
derwear. Long clinging lines are the dis
tnguishing marks of the latest modes.
And in spite of the popularity OF the
maillot many women refuse to be parted
from their more feminine effects carried
out in null, nainsook and longcloth. But
that the lingerie Of the day has felt the
scantiness of the smart outergarments
one has only to look at the new designs
to be convinced that this is the case. All
unnecessary frills have been eliminated.
and many of the most attractive corset
covers or camisoles are quite snugly ntteo
and finished at the top and about the arm
holes with a buttonholed scallop. Cnder
this decoration runs the line Of worked
evelet holes through which wide WASH
ribbon is drawn. 1t is very sWagger 10
have an individual mark OF some sort
on ones lingerie Either the given ndhic
in the owners handwriting embroidered
in wash cotton on each piece or small
bowknot design is sometimes preferred.
friend of mine whose name Is kosaile
has appropriated the rose as cher mark
Petticoats have all fiat trimmings. and
there is an elegant model of the sheer
est nainsook that hangs from a yoke
of all-over embroidery and is fnisheo
at the bottom with scalloped effect.
There is no under dust ruff1e to be
seen, the object evidently being to have
the skirt as himsy as possible about the
feet The new combination has the skirt
as f1imsy as possible to make these eX-
tremely MISUNDERSTANDING. garments, but
then this is not heaping enthusiastic
praise upon them.
There is every reason to believe that
the straiGht-up- -and-down frocks are