Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-09
In the Land of Fashion.
BY Anne Rittenhouse.

For months the designers have been
struggling to make women wear all
white. Ten years ago the effort was sue
cessful, but from that time until now
there has never been any favoritism
shown toward white or Light colors for
street costumes in cold weather.
Women do not accept the verdict of a
fashion designer at once: it takes months
to popularize any idea in clothes and 1t
fails far more often than the public
thinks 1t may be that all the efforts
toward white gowns will be useless this
winter as far as America is concerned,
and successful next winter. This often
happens. The hobble skirt, the long tight
sleeve, the open rolling collar. the shoes
with the colored tops, were all tard:ly
received.
Paris wears the white costumes and
SO do some of the smart women in the
large cities. Beyond this the fashion has
not succeeded. 1t remains for the eX-
clusives. 1t may never become a fash
ion for the many because of its extrava-
gance. Our streets are dirty and the air
is filled with smoke and dust; it is diff
cult to keep a dark gown presentable.
and impossible to keep a white one so.
j he violence OIL our Ill SullIucT
demands white, as do the tropics. and
the extravaganza of this is quite suf-
f1cient burden for women to carry.
Yet there are times in the average
woman's life when an all-white costume
is a most attractive thing to have and
to wear. 1t lends an air of festivity to
her person and serves for occasions where
a dark gown would be inappropriate even
when made on the same model.
A white velvet, for instance, Is far more
a11 n1,n n;r,ry 1<<Sl I'M hor
black velvet, and the last models made
up in the former are picturesque and be-
coming. There is one which has a short
skirt draped down the middle of the back
and slashed in front to show narrow
knife plating of brown chiffon. The hem
is edged with brown fox, and the jacket.
which is Russian blouse, has hem of
fur and wide high stock of it. The
cuffs are those new ones that look like
small muffs reaching half way to the
elbow and covering the hands to the
knuckles.
The hat that goes with this is a pages
cap OF white cut velvet pulled into a
point at top and fitted to the head with
crown band of brown fur that has a
small foxs head at the side.
White matelasse makes a most artistic
white costume, but 1t is better when COM
bined with velvet or velour de laine. This
is true with colored as well as white
ma telasse, though every one does not
seem to recognize 1t. 1t is eminently a
fabric for jacket and not for skirt.
and much of its beauty is lost when it is
| made up into whole costume.
A white matelasse straight jacket not
a cutaway one, that is cut O ffeven be-
low the hips and fashioned single-breast-
ed to the neck is at Its best when worn
over a skirt Of white velvet or one OF
velour de laine. The latter should be
this highly developed Russian craze for
la vishing fur on every garment.
The fur is used at wrists. hem and
neck of the short jacket, which. by the
sack in its entirety. Yet 1t is consid-
cred quite as dignified as the more formal
cutaway coat which superseded the man
nish jacket that has ruled for the last ten
| one described there goes hat of white
satin with velvet crown made after the
prevailing tam fashion. and trimmed at
the side with shower aigrette made Of
small fur tails and heads
! If one does not wish to be so expensive
\ ly frocked there are admirable palmer
| suits In white velour de laine. This fab
| ric looks surprisingly like velvet when II
comes in the softer weaves and like
chamois when 1t is more stiffly woven.
| One such costume has short skirt
| without drapery that opens in the back
| under a fantastic box plaft. which is
! looped up along It's length from waist to
hem. The jacket that goes with this skirt
/ Is cutaway with two long tails at the
back which show the fantastic box plait
| up the center. Each one of the coattails
! is cut to a point and is weighed down
! with a heavy rosette Of white velvet.
| There are two of these rosettes at the
waist line placed on each side of q tiny
waistcoat of black satin fastened with
crystal buttons set in silver. The revers
are Of white fur and there is a chemi-
settle of tucked white tulle finished with
a high stock made after the so-called
Sarah Bernhardt fashion.
! The fashion for white velvet is over
whelming. Every one knew at the be-
ginning Of the season that it would be
a smart fabric, but no one estimated its
| coming popularity. White plush was
madly used by the milliners in Septem-
Der and October. and this gave rise to
the rumor that 1t. as well as velvet.
! would fall into disuss before Christmas;