The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-04-09

10 patronlZe the modiSteS that wealthy
Americans cross the water to buy from.
If we face the matter squarely, if we
look at present conditions as they really
are and do not try to believe that they
are not as bad as they seem, we must
admit that American women of the
richer classes go to the extreme in the
matter of style. They must have the
last cry from Paris, they must pay more
for 1t than it is worth. and they put
more in proportion on their backs than
they do in their houses. more in proper
ton than they spend for entertaining
and travel. The American woman, in
word, seems to have gone quite mad
on the matter of clothes. She wears
clothes entirely inconsistent with the
position she occupies in life. and will go
hungry in body or mind rather than
economize in the slightest on the purple
and fine linen that Dame Fashion de-
crees. 1t is pitiful, rather than impress
sive, to meet woman riding in a crowded
and dusty street car in trailing lace and
chiffon, ermine and velvet, and the other
vanities pertaining to such a costume
A toilet of such elegance should never
be worn save one can afford a carriage
to go about in, when wearing il at least
Magnificence in attire is out of keeping
in a street car. 1t is better to go less
gorgeously and more appropriately clad
Every woman should be well, appro-
priately. and tastefully dressed, but that
does not impose the adoption of every
eccentric style that is introduced. A
little maiden of my acquaintance refused
to go to ball not very long ago because
she had nothing to wear" None Of
the dozen ball gowns hanging up in her
closet was fit, they were so out Of
style" What should youth and beauty
have to do with the veering of the
weather cock of fashion? Bright eyes.
clear skin. and soft waving hair do not
the better. when one can boast these
charms. Nothing so charming as the
white muslins and gay ribbons of our
Srandmothers.
i heard a heavy young woman. a debu-
tante of the past season, whose chief
asset was her great fortune, bemoaning
the fact the other day that the dress
maker she had in Paris would not make
her dancing frocks with long trains. and
that there were certain colors and GER
tain materials she simply would not make
up for her. Just think Of it, said the
girl, land 1 am quite grown up" She
was, however, much impressed with the
woman's stand, because, forsooth, she
directs the fortunes of the most fashion
able house in Paris. If. however. madame
had loaded her down with velvets and
laces fit for a dowager, the child would
have worn them quite as contentedly.
This slavish following of fashion is one
of the most unpleasant traits in the
American young woman. Not only of
women who can afford it is this true.
but women in all classes and stations
l..
avenue palace gives away thousands of
dollars worth of frocks because the
skirts are too wide the sleeves too full,
or they are bit different in some way
or other from fashions latest decree,
while the young woman who sells soap
or notions behind a shop counter sits up
to all hours of the night remodeling her
poor little frocks that they may as nearly
as possible resemble my lady's of up
town. That was a wise innovation insti-
tuted by some of the merchants in New
York that their women employees must
wear simple black dresses with white
collars and cuffs, wise and necessary
one, since it had come to the point where
the pretty young clerks gave so much
of their time to prinking and preening
and in thinking up and discussing their
costumes. those in hand and those to be
purchased, that they had but little time
to serve the customers.
I am moved to make these reflections
regarding style and fashion because 1
am told by my fashionable friends in
Paris and New York that the fashions
for this year are more extreme and &C.
centric than ever. not thinking of the
harem skirt only, for while that may
come finally, since it is both comfort
able and practical, ii will take years of
on the part of the dress
makers before it will be generally intro
duced, but of the hats and bonnets, for
are to be worn again, and of the
blouses, some of which, of one color on
one side and quite another on the other,
might have been made for Mr.. Harle-
quin himself. / am moved to these re-
Elections and to make a plea that my
American sisters will cease to make
ridiculous by affecting things
that are neither artistic or becoming,
simply because they are the style.