New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-31
THE MOTOR COSTUME
No Becoming Type Yet EUoiUed-
What Not to Wedr Touring.

horseless carriage is used the women seem 10 nave
arrived at a different modus vivendt
In France dressmakers and miliners nave u"'o
their best to evolve suitable and becoming cos
tune for the automobile. New head coverings are
continually being invented to meet the problem Oh
combining protection against wind and dust WIN
becomingness.
The latest seen in Paris is the hood. worn IN
stead of a hat or cap These hoods of shirred silk
are mostly made to ht closely to the head. and
again there others on the lines of the old
fashioned sun bonnet. with less of skirt" how
ever Still others not far different from the
Salvation Army poke" These hoods. when they
are properly designed really the most service
able headgear yet offered the woman mOtorist,
and recall on a small scale those great silk hoods.
with their mechanism of whaIebone. which
srandmothers pulled over their heads when they
TOOK their walks abroad. ''calaches" an fact.
nut IN spite of the efforts OF two continents to
Oeautify the dress of the woman motorst. II still
remains thing OF utility rather than charm.
Automobile touring is not. for the 'coduette'
SAID bright French woman. No. indeed e is not
using the term 'coquette' in the French sense as
one VINO places the toilet and her personal appear
anee before all else-even enjoyment No one
hh""s THIS better than the chic PaFisienne who Is
motorist chiefly because motoring is part of the
social game of the avenues and faubourgs. She
guides through the Bots in the afternoon in her
luxurious car, with town costume suited its
proper season. and when she makes the round OF
the "vlles d'eau"-TrOuville. Vichy Aix-les-
Bains. or takes turn the Riviera. she does
SO ensconced carefully behind the plate glass OF
her Limousine, tightly battened against any pos
sible "courant d'sir." and with her powder-puff
always at hand 10 repair any damage met with
route.
THE FRENCH WOMAN.
AS for real touring. with the expectation of de-
irving real pleasure from It, nothing is foreign
TO the average French woman's temperament. She
tolerates motoring only IL ministers her COM
fort and distraction. When it the sacri-
fee OF her appearance. she will have OF IL.
and willingly leaves it TO the mad etrangeres to
rush about auto her belle France.
Slightly contemptuous she marves only at their
energy and thick-sOled shoes.
Even the class Of women who consider them
selves devotees OF 'Ie sport do. a rule. very
little hard touring. but occasionally meets the
French family the road. II Is all a very
thing for the French family and no precedents
have been established in the matter OF clothes.
One party which / saw at a Normandy inn
papa, mamma. a daughter OF fourteen. and two
small boys-was fitted out with fur garments. all
cut much alike possible. The wearers re-
sembled nothing much family OF Teddy
Bears" The time OF the year october. and
at midday OF that year II was as hot as August
The English credited with having originated
the taior-made suit for women. but all the same.
heart they devotees OF furbelows in dress.
and will invariably shy at the simple things In
favor OF the complex. The English woman motors
In daintier and extravaganza dress than the
woman OF any other nationality. There may be
for this the automobile In England is not
much OF a touring machins-it has really usurped
the functions OF the carriage II Is easy To
that In the little island. where distances
short and can be covered so quickly that the wear
and tear ones toilets does not have 10 be
seriously considered as elsewhere, where distances
magnificent
The German woman Is the most thorough and
conscientious Of all woman travellers by road
rail She keeps her green Tyrolsan hat firmly
held by the good. old-fashioned elastic band
rangesnent: she draws her substantial cloth wraps
about her and proceeds 20 do her duty by whatever
comes her way The German who tours
automobile thinks first Of dress that shall
be useful and durable; further than that II does
not seem TO occupy her mind. still less her atten-
ton. a consequence. her costume Is likely To
have a rather casual air about Il. ana the color
combinations are more often than not rather raw;
but the time she dress she has 90 spend
other things around her. and that with the
practical German is the chief JOY OF travel
THE AMERICAN.
American women usually dress more suitably for
the automobile than those of other countries but
the problem Is largely for each Individual 10
solve for herself. and II is hard give any advice
that Will be universally applicable. For real tour
ing. frills and furbeOws manifesty out OF place
except when put In trunks with which the owner
intends to make connections in some gay capital
where she must wear such things Floating gauzes.
foweT-laden hats and furs appropriate only
TO city parks and electric broUghams. and she
is wise who packs her latest London tailor made
in her trunk instead Of tempting fate by wearing
II on a motor tour.
No matter how carefully ones chauffeur may
dust out. how energetically the stable boy may
rub off. the automobile dresses will suffer in the
Of a tour. One may have been we'll housed
in picturesquely environed little nn rare
ly. when one has stopped for the night in out
of-the-way corner of Europe. will ones automobile
be fortunate. Even in more sumptuous hostile
ries It's resting place is likely TO have been
a stable than a modern garage, and It's neIghbors
a numbering cart horse long cared donkey
which in the course OF the evening meal licked
straw into the tonneau rubbed his nose over its
vanished surface A dog a colony OF cats or
perhaps hens and chickens may have used II as
n resting place leaving behind penetrating smelly
dust that cannot be swept away except by a veri-
table 'housecleaning." procedure ones chauffeur
does not like and usually neglects rundown
with ehamois skin and a Ticking over with a
feather buster he usually accounts sufficient Even
in well equipped garage accidents of a greasy
uncomfortable nature will frequently happen and
seldom will they be completely eradicated All
these conditions and some others besides r,Ilitate
against the use of furs in an automobile Dust and
rain the enemies of furs OF all coors and ouaIi
ties. Can anything be more disagreeable than thu
feel" of wet fur? Women generally believe thar
furs indispensable for winter touring This has
not been my experience. II one must wear furs
let IL be only coat with a fur lining the fur col
lars. boas and muffs being omitted.
Fur-lined gauntlets. large enough to draw nm
over the sleeves In winter, and loose enough to he
readily withdrawn from the hand with suede or
silk gloves at other times. afford the best possible
protection for the hands and give freedom for ths
manipulation OF camera and gldebook
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