The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-30
lhe Woman's Page Of The Timles-DispatclH
New Top Coats

hhe continuance OF one piece frocks
mas made top coats a feature of .ach
season. Once upon a time women In.
uuiseo " the extravaganza of a coat
or English suiting for rough and
e.oimy weather or for steamer trips;
now sne considers the top coat a ncces-
sity, and two or three of them in diff
AeIeht "eaves as a harmless luxury
~ IL really interesting work during
u "hoie day to look over the various
Inventions of tho manufacturers and
tue diessmakers in top coats. One
marvels at the new ideas. Everything
that has gotten into the fashioning
OF this epoch in gowns Is reflected in
overcoats.
The variety. the capriciousness, the
eccentrlcities. and the lovely color
combinations that will make this ago
OF dress famous has been taken into
account for the outer garments.
First there is the sturdy raglan
winch drops half way between knees
ana anhies, and has more fuldness than
any other coat of the day-only
,ouches the body at the shoulders II
mas the sleeves which give ity name.
many pockets. huge buttons. and Is
punt of black and white checks more
than anything else. 1T Is also made of
dull Srays In Scotch homespun. in
broad gray and black stripes, in rough
black frieze and in striped blue serge.
nc checks hold first place when they
are not too wildly contrasted.
There is a gray tone over the sur
race OF the best ones that softens down
inc black and white edges and makes
the cloth becoming to every. one.
Next to the raglans In style and
even more POPULAR among many ath-
icuc women are the outing coats
called Macknew, which are worn ~,
.he men Of the woods in the rough
Northcrn lands. Now that our women
go on heavy trails in British Columbia
= hunt moose in the Canadian wilds. they
need the same kind of garments that
me men do In these countries for pro-
lection and warmth Delighted with
them there they introduced them mere
me Shops quickly took up the idea
ana the women who never knew life
beyond cobblcd pavements now snort
Mackinew on a rainy morning. and
ame! arc very good blocking. too, quite
as attractive ON the women in the
narrow street as on the women In
the spacious forest
Among the other jaunty offerinys ~
the season in top coats are English
blazers. You may remember that they
zane INTO fashion last year. but they
were not taken up with any degree of
cordially. Here and there one saw
them on the beaches. where they were
most appropriate, but the majority ~
them were seen In the shop windows.
think they will meet with much
more success this year. they fiii
i, definite need. They are not lined. the
flannel is soft and porous, thcv arc
lighter than coat OF any kind cx
cept linen or ponges. and they aro
most comfortable to slip on
They come in black and white &,
eu an" w"itc ana in navy blue and
white. There is no change made in
their shape from the one Originally IN
vented for cr'cketers. they are single
breasted, have large pockets. long
sleeves. and moderately small revers
and collar
They look their best over white
ouek sPirt and thin silk shirtwaist.
and. By the way. these silk sbir,
waists are immensely popular. They
are made in the so-called polo fashion.
and come in white. in cream and in
stripes.