The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-03

age as 3nylnlDS u1ueI SlBuLy % or ninety, fifty is really little more than the halfway point But neither is fifty young. At thirty, even at forty @ woman may contrive 10 keep up the semblance of youth, by her manner of dress, by her move ments and actions and by innocent -sor less nnocent-artfices of the toilet; but at fifty she must yield to the inevitable and it is a wise woman who yields gracefully and makes charm her winning card instead of physical attractiveness. At forty her intellect ual powers are sat their best, her in- terests are keen, her sympathies are or should be--broad, the enjoy ments of life in the way of music, books, art, the drama, travel, and the like, are all for her, and she is not yet so lost to feminine coquetry that matters of dress have not still zest.
 Breeding. intelligence, sympathy, charm-these and not physical at- tributes, are the qualities that make the woman of fifty adorable and at this halcyon age one may at last relax and be gloriously ones self No more striving to look younger than one knows one Is; no more worrying 
 Jest they be "too old" setting one in the ranks of the middle aged instead of the ranks of youth; no more being bored by things that have lost their interest, lest one be accused of the attitude of the middle aged. One is fifty and admits 1t, youth is past, but there is a long time ahead to enjoy the things that make the world worth while and. unhampered longer by a strenuous effort to be youthful, one may have as glorious time as one pleases just being one's self.
 Present Fashions Kind to Middle
 Aged Women.
 The draped skirts, graceful, not too severe coats, flowing wraps and mod crate hats of the moment are espe- cially becoming styles to women past first youth. Severe effects of all sorts should be avoided after forty. The mannish tailored suit. heavy soled tramping boot, negligee shirt with four-in- hand tie and untrimmed soft felt hat are all very well for the
 ksh young girl to whose rosy pret-
 this rigid garb lends certain
 lresqueness; but such raiment on
 oman over forty makes her look
 a militant suffragette and robs
 of every atom of grace and
 hrm. Soft colors, soft gracious
 les and soft. rich fabrics are the re- 1qhirements of the older woman; and never did current styles fit in more perfectly with middle aged needs than they do now.
 The tailored street suit, for instance, that is pictured on today's page.
 '. anf, charming and more appropriate to its fifty year-old wearer be conceived? The suit is made of plum colored broadcloth and though the lines are in perfect accord with the modes of the moment, they are not extreme in any way. The coat is loose and graceful and the wide. low collar and flat revers of silk give touch of grace and dressiness, and also soften the effect at the neck. Most well dressed women of fifty or whereabouts prefer the three quarter sleeve under which a long wristed glove is drawn softly over the arm. Such sleeves are mucn more becoming than long, rigid coat sleeves that meet a short glove-espe- cially when the figure is not slender and youthful. The loose, three-quar- ter sleeve gives a wrap suggestion to the coat and is moreover. much easier to draw on and off than the long, close fitting coat sleeve. Gloves of em- broidered silk which come in lus- trous texture heavy enough for winter wear with a huff. are worn with these open sleeves for they are easier to draw on and off quickly than long twisted kid gloves. A very long glove, worn in well wrinkled nous ouetaire style on the wrist is more distinctive than a smoothly drawn shorter-wristed glove.
 About Colors.
 Every woman past forty-five has an instinctive knowledge that the bright ealore of youth are not for her. Too