Las Vegas optic., 1912-03-04


spring season viii see revival Of
the taffeta fad The spring models
shown in the shops include large
variety of taffeta frocks and they
seem to please the fancy of the buy
ers. Women. who are compelled to
use strict economy in matters OF
dress, win do well, however. to think
twice before they invest in taffeta
frock. In the first place only the
best grades of taffeta look well and
last through the season and fine
grade taffetas are not particularly in
expensive; in the second place taft
eta, although undoubtedly beautiful
material when of good quality, is not
suitable for every kind of frock. as
it lacks the soft and clinging quality
which the present fashionable silhou-
ette demands. For elegant costumes
for afternoon wear it may be used to
advantage either alone or in combi-
ntaion with some other material, but
for plain tailored costumes it is en-
tirely unsuited.
Apropos of summer possibilities
and taffetas, the gay hued taffeta
coatee worn with lingerie frocks last
summer and even the summer before,
has lineal descendants. With an ador-
able lingerie froclk of embroidered net
and lace a French designer has pro-
vided a sort of belted Russian blouse
in changeable taffeta of the luscious
watermelon pink tones. This coat or
blouse or tunic, or whatever one may
choose to call it, is sleeveless, cut a
little low and round in the neck, opens
down the shoulders with rows Of
small buttons in an odd shade Of
green which harmonizes beautifully
with the pink, and has little embroid-
cred imitation eyelets of green. There
is the very narrowest of embroider
ed lines in green around the neck,
the arm holes and the blouse tablier
which rounds up to the belt at each
side.
A double row of green buttons and
embroidered button holes trims the
front of the blouse down to the bust
line. though the blouse fastens invis-
iblv under the left arm. A narrow
folded girdle is of the silk with a lit
tie shirred and corded ornament OF
the silk for finish, and the tablier
falls well below the hips. Such a
blouse could be worn effectively over
any sheer white frock and something
on the general lines but less hand |
some might be very attractive.
There are, too, little taffeta boleros,
usually draped, corded and shirred so
that they really take the place OF
bodices accompanying frocks of sheer
lingerie material, and sometimes one
sees a draped bodice of the taffeta
with no pretence of bolero about it in
company with a sheer skirt and
sleeves or undersleeves and collar or
fichu. Such a model had skirt OF
finest white cotton crepe with bor-
dure design in corn color, white be-
tween. The bordure was the only
trimming on the softly fulled skirt.
The bodice was a little bolero of corn
color taffeta over a high girdle of the
taffeta and undersleeyes and tucks
were of tulle. A big black velvet rose
was thrust into the girdle top.
Although light weight coats are not
quite seasonable in the northern eli
mate just now, many of them are pur-
chased by women about to go to the
south. The majority of these coats
are made much like those of the win
ter. but with slightly more skirt width
toward the bottom and, of course, in
light weight materials. The line is
unusually straight instead of narrowing
toward the bottom and, perhaps for
that reason, the rounded front corn
ers are seen less often than upon the
winter coats. This applies, be it un-
erstood, only to the practical cover all
coat of wool for motor and general
utility service. More dressy models
in taffeta, satin and even certain wool
lens are often on the mantle order,
with much emphasized rounding away
Of fronts.
Perhaps the most interesting of the
new coats, though not the most prac-
tical, are the all covering, ample
we'll tailored garments in white, white
and black or white and gray, which
figure prominently among the early
importations, 1t is hard to pick and
choose from among these, as they are
all equally charming.
The smart white serge coats are
numerous and of many styles, but the
best looking Of them are rather Sc
we're of line and tailoring and the
same rule applies to the other white
woollens, cheviots, cords, ratines Of
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