The Washington herald., 1912-02-05
NEGLIGEES MAY Be
ELABORATE OR NOT
Simple Garments Can Be Made
Very Attractive.

There is an enormous difference even
in the way an eiderdown bath robe Il
made and worn. It can At. though II
seldom does; its collar may be unbecom-
ing or becoming: a simple little guimps
of net or lace slipped inside the low ROLLINS
collar Of strong color may change the
whole air OF the garment.
A negligee to be thoroughly practical
should be washable. though cleansing is
now so quickly and cheapIy done that
anything at all dainty Is usually sent to
the cleanser and for the cheap fine
French hannels. challis and albatross
cloth are the materials usually chosen.
For the very warm robe, wadded silk or
zenana cloth is the thing, and both are
offered In models more or less expensive
and more or less elaborate. Japanese
hand embroideries layishly adorn some
of these wadded robes. The ordinary
ready-made robes of wadded silk Is a
comfortable but unbecoming thing. with
its bulky turnover collar, and the hand
some zenana robes with embroidered col
lars or collars Of lace or lingerie are
usually very expensive.
Among silks for negligees there are many
weaves and many grades. Quaint kimono
silks OF Japanese designs come in vary
ing degrees of beauty and quality, but
the silks preferred by the French design
ers are the one-tone crepes OF dull or
crinkled or satin finish.
Then. too. some attractive models are
made up in the India silks, but these
silks are more popular for summer neg
ligees than for the winter garments and
are usually made with much tucking
and lace. while the chic winter negligee
robe is OF a knowing simplicity. Where
India silk Is used II is. as a rule, over
some contrasting color which shows
softly through its semi-transparency. and
aren for these effects a very sheer crink-
ly crepe or something approaching a
satin mousseline is better liked.
BOrdered ChaIIis Popular.
The challis are extremely pretty this
season. and some OF them are very cIev-
erIy used by the designers of negHgees,
bordered effects being particularly sue
cessful. The material wears well. tubs
well. and has pleasant warmth without
bunglesome thickness; but, for some rea-
son or other. the challis negligee never
seems 10 have the cachet OF the plain
one-tone robes. and the French makers.
appreciating that fact, do but little with
the material.
The sack and pettIcoat neglIgee has
gained much favor. and many Of the
most elaborate things worn are on this
order. Crepe is usually the material,
though other silks are used. and even al
batross is made up this way. Lace Is
usually the trimming and Is applied in
coquettish frills and jabots and fichus.
often with tiny clusters OF made flowers
nesting among its folds.
Even chiffon Is not considered too fra
gile and perishable for elaborate models
Of this class, and some exquisite lowered
brocades are pressed into service. Deep
capes Of eXquisitely embroidered linen
or batiste. often yellowed to look like old
needIework. appear upon some OF the
French sacks. and fichus OF all kinds are
popular, though a fichu is far from prac-
teal in connection with any garment
actually intended for lounging. since # Is
so easily mussed and gets stringy.