Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-10

Some seasons ago a fashion authority
thought ii would be clever to introduce
colored coats with lingerie frocks.
strong effort was made to persuade
women to take the fashion up but for
some reason it did not succeed When
it was hot enough to wear a lingerie
gown it was too hot to wear coat over
it, At least this was true in most
climates and so the combination went
by default.
Last spring al the races in Paris, where
most of the fashions grow or rather have
their beginning. the idea was introduced
of wearing a black coat with a white
skirt. or a white coat with black skirt.
which ever the wearer chose. A few smart
women took up the idea with enthusiasm
and it was accepted a prevailing style.
but that was all. 1t die not go very far
| in Europe, and it stopped very snort IN
America. But designers of clothes are
obstinate or determined or impressed
with their own convictions. and so the
! separate coat and skirt was continual
! offering to the we'll dressed woman.
; At the present time the fashion is
gaining ground every week. and ii will
probably be in full bloom with the chest
nut trees Black skirts seem to be the
favored choice below these colored
Jackets, but white ones are also worn
as we'll as gray, oatmeal and seal brown
Ruby velvet. old blue, mustard ana
copper brown are among the colors chosen
for the velvet coats that partly cover
the one-piece frock These are made long
or short cutaway or straight Whatever
one wants to wear in the way OF jacket
seems to be fashionable this winter. For
some reason the variety of styles in this
garment during the last six months mas
been amazing, even to an expert IN the
business One would think that every
separate designer was experimenting with
an idea of her own, and that every wom-
an was modifying the idea to suit her
taste or her figure.
Therefore, these Colored coats Of vel
vet are not confined to any one design.
yet it is much wiser to avoid the straight
sacque shape i'm them. This is all very
well In different material from the
skirt, but not i'm a different color. The
| lines are too sharply defined for beauty
! While any one of the cutaway models
is correct and artistic the Russian blouse
/ is the favorite. 1t is difficult model to
wear, especially when made in the new
manner exploited by Paquin, with fullness
at the waist line and the faring hem.
| And the latter feature is not SO bad as
| the former as Cheruit has shown In
some OF her later models where the coat
| fits the hips and has no fullness, but owes
| its flare to godet seams. This hem is then
| featherboned to stand out from the slim
skirt. When moderately done it is not
really SO bad.
The contrast in the coats and skirts Is
often vivid. One is not shocked by a
| ruby velvet Russian blouse. with black
| fox trimmings over a black charmeuse
skirt because the Russian dancers. from
whom this fashion was taken. accus-
! toned us to these brilliant and daring
combina tons but il rather takes the
breath at first to see bright blue vel
vet cutaway coat embroidered in silver.
worn over a short skirt of white cut
velvet.
| 1t is very attractive combination
| however, and looks immensely well on a
! woman who has the proper personal ap'
pearance to wear such gown and who