Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-10-12
BLACK Touch tho Seasons Feat

Black Touch the Seasons Feature.
"a touch Of black often makes tho
whole costume kim" paraphrases clever
New York dressmaker, the Partisan dash
and cachet of whose costumes has made
her famous. 1t ID fact that the we'll
placed black note often blends warning
colors and brings about harmony, or At
least smartness, which makes toilette
distinctive and interesting.
Black has been the fad In Paris for the
past twelve months, and the black craze
reached America last spring. Since
then We have bad black frocks, black
hats, evening wraps lined and trimmed
with black, black buttons on our linen
coats, black neckties on our colored
frocks, and goodness knows what not
beside, adding this inevitable black
touch.
Black, and black and white-or "mag-
pie' effects-bid fair to remain in high
favor all through the winter. Already
the milliners are assuring us that the
big black and white hats are smartest Of
the smart; and some of these hats show
ing combinations of white watered silk
with black velvet and snowy heron
aigrettes, with sumptuous black plumes,
are rarely beautiful. The sll-black hat
tones down q colored frsck and Is, be-
sides, almost invariably becoming
Black hats may be worn with everything
and are always wise choice for the
woman who may not invest in many hats.
Handsome black ostrich feathers, more
over, may be used again and again, and a
black hat loaded with these feathers will
be a very smart, as we'll az very sensi-
BILE selection for the coming winter.
The couturiers, also, have introduced
the black touch extensively in fall
costumes. Cheruit is using black chiffon
tunics over colored frocks of serge and
other wool fabrics, and her lead has
been followed by American dressmakers.
A charming frOck, seen in q Fifth
Avenue tea room the other afternoon,
was of shepherd checked cheviot with a
knee length tunic of black chiffon cloth
over it. The tunic fell straight over the
skirt and was finished at the bottom
simply with very deep hem. The
checked pattern of the cheviot showed
through it plainly, and at the neck was
set little yoke of white Icelande lace.
Black chiffon blouses, mounted over
white lace, and showing the pattern
through, are also having certain vogue
for restaurant wear, the fad for trans,
parent effects being very pronounced
this fall.
The smaller touches of black are in
reduced in all sorts of ways. Jet but.
tons are favorite method Of adding the
inevitable black note to colored gar
ment. Navy blue top coats with black
facings and jet buttons are very chic,
both in Paris and here, and black but
tons are seen on many of the long suit
coats in dressy style. A green cheviot
coat, with black MORE silk revers reach
ing to the waistline, is fastened by
means of three huge jet buttons, set be-
tween waistline and hips. Small jet but
tons in rows ornament blouses and
tunics and often give character to plain
colored fabrics which would lack dis.
tinction without this sparkling touch.
Jet is so becoming to younger WON en-
with fair skins and hair that it is no
wonder they have borrowed the orna.
ments once deemed suitable for dignity
and years. The somber jet makes the
kin seem milk white by contrast, and
golden hair never seems 30 golden az
when bound with q jet fillet or bit of
black velvet. There are exquisite jet
| Iigretttes for the hair, the cut jet sec.
lions, mounted on flexible wires, twink.
ling and trembling with each movement
# the head. Jet butterflies with gauzy
wings made of jet mounted on net, OF
IN fine wires, are equally effective in
| light hair, and sometimes these jet hair
| ornaments are matched by dangling JET
| earriuge, and by high "dog- collars, y
which make decollette bodices more be-
coming to many faces.
The black velvet ribbon bow at the
throat is SO familiar that no New York
woman at least need to be told of it
These bows, sometimes very tiny, some
times of quite sizib!e proportions, are
used at the top of the white jabOt or
rabot bow, where 1t joins the high collar
IT stock. They give very chic touch
to theiwhite neck wear, and the touch OF
black below the chin is usually most be.
coming.
Black tulle bows at the throat are also
again in fashion, but this tulle bow fad
is one which always runs itself into the
ground and becomes common in short
time-which seems a pity, for the airy
bow under the chin is particularly be.
coming to most faces Madame Paquin,
who is always OBJ served with interest be-
cause of her chic costumes, recently
wore white serge costume, with a big
black hat covered by white veil, a
/ hlooL tnllo cravaf and hlock earrinua -
Elk.