The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-25
FASHIONS MEYER
MORE FREAKISH
THAN This DAY

sIeaal Correspondents The Washington Herald
London, Dec H.-HaVe fashions ever
been more monstrous than at the present
moment? The passing year viii surely
go down TO history as the sponsor Of
freak fashions. TO the rea fashion IA
matte. anything approved By Mime. Mode
is sublimely simple and simply sublime
MOdistic maniacs recCg Dize no barrier Of
law or good taste; ii a thing is fashion
able they wear It, A woman will cheer
gully make herself as lideous as Heeate.
as plain as Becky Sharp; but If she Is la
the fashion she is happy.
Not content with saddling the world
with the horrors Of the hobble skirt.
Dame Fashion now threatens US with
the bird petticoat. In addition, we have
the little angel hat the jockey cap. the
snake hat. the coalskuttie chapeau. the
Quaker bonnet, the torpedo toque, and
the animal veil. A. if that list was not
sufficiently terrible there is also the
menaserie stocking and the snapshot
shoe, These are the latest freak fashions.
The menagerie stocking Is made of silk.
lyle. or homely cashmere. Up the Leg
and across the instep animals are worked
in natural cOlOrs. The seeker after na-
ture, pure and simple may have a croc-
Odle caressing her instep. and a giraffe
mounting TO her knee OF she may prefer
a tame Teddy Bear. or an unObsTusive
mongroOse-it's all one TO the manufac-
turer
Have women eyer succeeded in making
themselves look ugIeT than they DO to-
day? Most daughters OF Eve take French
fashion plates as their models. and the
modern French fashion artist is d genius
IN the gr0tesque. A fOrm-as unlike the
original conception Of the gentler sex
as "A notorious t. an aeroplane-.s swath-
cd in velvet, swaddled in fur. The ex-
IRENE edge of a pointed chin appears
beneath the most eccentric millinery
mode. The sweet lady is balanced on
absurd shoes. bangles a miniature dress
trunk al her wrist and boasts a thicklv
meshed veil OTnamented with insects. OF
sorts This Is the mental model, erected
by most women. With that in their
minds they pun, and push, and twist,
and turn; finally appearing-caricature
Of a caTicature.
Women have little discrimination where
fashions are concerned. The Teddy Bear.
If fashion dictated would become the
newest headgear Chautecler. the freak
lest freak, pushed his way into society
as a tOque No matter how eccentric,
ugly OF absurd a thing may be, If il
is fashiouable-it goes, Indeed most
women ha~s. convinced themselves that
nothing w-ich is fashionable can pos
sibly be ugly. II may he uncommon.
unusual. even bizarre, but ugly-neFer.
II they only knew,
We have made a cult Of ugliness. lately,
with the invaluable aid of freak fash
ions The girl who can look charming
hopping along in a h0bble skirt with a
snake hat on her eyebrows and a veil
like q grating al the zoo, dotted with
spiders and other wild fowl obscuring her
features. must be Venus indeed. We do
our utmost TO be ugly, and in most cases
we succeed.
II is doubtful If more expensive modes
have ever prevailed with such unsaus-
factory results. Silks, satins, chiffons.
yeiyets-the more expensive the fabric.
the better we like H. Yet what is the
result? Yelled Effects are an very well,
but. when there is so little 70 be yelled
it is almost like throwing limeight on
the moon.
The early Victorian miss, with her
rosebuds and dropping shoulders, made
a far better appearance on quarter
the money that her greats granddaughter
spends on hats Even the eXtravagant
age of powder and patches had no sus-
gestions OF the freak Silks and laces
were cunningIy arranged and infinitely
becoming.
We moderns. though We spend more IN
proportion 10 our incomes than any other
people, and practically put our houses
on our backs. have not the strength 81
mind 20 repulse the eccentric, TO rebuff
the grotesque We are the willing VIC
Tins Of the f0ibles of the freak
The bird petticoat-Which heralds the
return Of l0gaCes-is an ordinary petit
coat. as skinny as possible. with deep
fiOunce. This is covered with life-sized
birds Of every hue and description. Pea
cocks. reproduced in their dazzling glory;
blue birds, pink birds, humming birds,
even condescending canary birds, are in
enormous request II is rumored that
there viii be a remarkable run on tie
peacock petticoat, with stockings en-
suite: also on a black satin garment, with
parrots and Gu ,koOs in charming con-
tradistinction. Not content with cover
ing our heads with the simple SeagulL.
and the subdued sparrow. we must deco
rate our legs with peacocks We are
growing vain.
Morally, women have sometimes but
little COurage SartOrislly. every woman
is imbued with the united courage OF
Nelson, Wellington. and Sir John Moore.
In the name of lie DcTrier Cri she will
defy the world. The really brave thing
would be for womarkind 10 make bold
stand, and defy fashion 1t needs some
doing. Yet il would be So easy 30 adopt
much that is charming in modern modes,
and turn 2 reIanflessIK nnId Snnuldtr ID