Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-18
HOW WOMEN SHOULD
DRESS BECOMINGLY
By Mime. Simone,
The Best Dressed French Actress.

The Best Dressed French Actress
The other evening l went to one of
your American theaters. The play was
good, the performance excellent and the
actors and actresses interesting But
these things did not appeal to me so
much as the audience-not the audience
in general. but two girls in particular
They were not girls of the beau monde,
nor yet Of your great working masses.
Ihey belonged to that comfortable middle
class which one sees so much in America
and though they were of the same sta
ton of life they were so different in every
other detail that they offered a study in
contrasts which might interest any OBJ
server. One was tall, svelte and blond
the other small, dark and piquant II
was not this difference, however, which
attracted my attention. 1t was the man.
ner In which each was dressed
The brunette had chosen a gown in a
fascinating shade of cerise, which UNI
doubted1y showed to advantage her own
rich coloring. Had she been content to
depend upon this color for her only orna-
mentation she might not have Jared SO
badly, but unwisely she had loaded the
own with fringes, frills and furbelows
until its original beauty was lost in a
maze of misapplication. The effect pro-
duced was one of business and an over
training to appear fashionable
The other girl? few words will suf-
flee to describe her costume. 1t was a
simple gown in black. cut with a Dutch
neck and trimmed with a single frill of
lace which fell In soft folds at the throat.
There was no other thing on the gown to
mar its supreme simplicity. But what it
lacked in ornamentation it made up in
perfection of hue. One knew immediate
ly that an experienced hand had cut the
frock that chung to the tall, girlish fig
ure.
And what did this study in contrasts
teach to those who looked and in looking
learned? That clothes make the woman
or mar her, whichever the case may be.
One girl had studied herself as she might
have studied a picture and had decided
wisely that in gowning herself she would
choose simplicity which was of the best
rather than ornateness Of cheap sort.
The other had chosen to satisfy her love
of gay colors and quasi.fashionable ap-
parel at the expense of her own good
looks and her common sense.
There are great many women in this
| world who are doing the same thing every
day.
Correct costuming, always serious
question even to the woman of ample
means, assumes the proportions of a
problem to the girl Of limited income.
To dress well on a small amount of
money requires a good deal Of thought
and still more taste. The first point to
| learn Is that one good dress Is worth half
a dozen ones that have been cheaply
made.
Il
only two gowns in my wardrobe l should
choose the walking suit we discussed the
other day and the black evening gown
] we are about to consider now. A black
gown for evening is always in good taste.
Even the most elaborate entertainments
do not require frock of more brilliant
hue and on account Of its complete ap-
propriateness black is to be recommended
to the girl of small means. A good quail
| ity of satin. silk crepe or chiffon, or even
the more elaborate velvetS, should be
chosen for this dress. Cut 1t slightly low
| in the neck. a mode which lends itself to
various treatments. for when the gown is
needed for sem-elaborate affairs fine
bit Of lace may be used as yoke.
Simplicity of line should be its chief
beauty. and the mode in which it is made
depends entirely upon ones coloring. To
blondes all black, with only bit of white
lace on the chiffon introduced at the
neck. is Immensely becoming; but the
| brunette who fears a sornber effect may
relieve the black with q good deal of
transparency about the waist.
In selecting such q gown each person
must study herself and her needs, and
supply them only after careful considera-
ton.