The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-11
GLANCE AT FASHIONS I'm CAPITAL
Expert TELLS Of the Weowned Woman OF Smart Society What
She Wears, and when.
By MARGARET WADE.

With every day i'm the week present.
ing some special occasion for smart at
tire, there has been great activity In the
land of fashion, where every other wom-
an one meets is wearing something new
and smart, usually something becoming.
For the fashions of today, notwith-'
standing their detractors, are so varied
that no woman need wear an unbecoming
gown, hat or even boots or shoes, IL she
will give any reasonable amount OF
thought to the investment of her dress
allowance.
AS shown at the first of the White
House Garden parties on Friday, as well
as on half a dozen other less formal oc-
casions, the great change in fashion lies
largely in the skirts of the newest gowns.
rather than in the sleeves and boolces,
where one usually looks for the GATE OF
each particular garment Notwithstand-
ing the fact that nine out of every ten
gowns of the best houses show the draped
skirt. and draped in new lines at that.
the tenth is something so particularly
chic, or distinguished, that the woman
who dislikes drapery Immediately resolves
to have none of il. however urgent may
be the plea of such great artists as Pa
quin and that latter day favorite OF
American patrons, Premet, the latter be-
ing largely responsible for the fuliness
about the hips just coming into use with
several slim and graceful Washington
ians.
Those timid women always afraid OF
being out of the fashion, yet disliking
every form of the new bouffant drapery
which some importers and modistes tell
us is the hall mark of 1913, should take
courage from the ideal garden frock
worn by Mrs. James F. Curtis. This
youtbful matron and bride of the past
autumn is always in fashion, and In the
present week quite lead in the matter OF
smart dressing. In color and IN style,
her marquisette gown. worn for the hrst
time last week, shows the latest cry, yet
is NOT DRAINED at all. The foundation skirt
is. presumably, liberty satin or crepe de
chine. hung in self-colored marquisette.
There is a round waist with dainty little
fichu. the latter embroidered in tiny floral
motifs edged with lace so hne that IL
takes its color from the gown. Both skirt
and bodice are gathered into the normal
waist line. which is covered by narrow
girdle of velvet, with sash ends.
Mrs Curtis hat literally matched the
gown. 1t is soft barrett crown OF
chiffon. CT maruuisette, with a rim slight
lv draped, and its only trimming rakish
little bow of golden brown velvet the
velvet also encircling the base OF the
crown.
Another very smart garden party frock
devoid of drapery and without the sash
was the dark blue chiffon worn by MISS
Katherine Elkins. This is extremely chic,
as we'll as individual The foundation
skirt and lining of the bodice are OF white
satin. The blue skirt shows a hem or
eight or nine inches. Several inches
above this begins a series of five plated
ruchings not more than an inch Deep
which encircle the skirt to the hips.
The bodice is one of the prevailing
draped fichu affairs, of chiffon and cream
white lace.
With this Miss Elkins wore a fiat black
hal trimmed in black ospray.
Mime Van Swinderen, who, before she
married the former Minister from the
Netherlands. was Miss Elizabeth Glover
one of the acknowledged bellies or resi-
dent society, is wearing a Paris gown OF
chiffon and satin. The chiffon is dark
niue. the satin white. 1t would De I'M
possible to say just how many layers
of chiffon appear in the skirt OF TINS cos
tune. as it shows a knife-plaited hounce
almost to the waist line, a tunic also in
nlaits- and a still further drapery to give
the northumberland fullness about the
vaistline that is demanded by women OIL
slender proportions.
Mime van Swinderen, who came 10
America at this time to attend the "eu-
ding of her only brother, was one OF the
particularly smart figures at Mrs. car
isles reception at the Country Cluo On
Thursday afternoon.
The National Capital Horse Show es-
tablished other records than those Oh
horses and horsemanship. Each DAY saw
a display of dressing, good ana pao'
which. If taken seriously, would pro-
c1ai,o washington women the best or
the worse gowned American citizens IN
tho non-voting class TO be found from
Maine to California For four days the
women in the boxes and on the grand
stand. for at this third annual snow
the grand stand supplied more than d.
per cent Of human interest. DIVIDED nom
ors with the really splendid showing OF
horses and riders in the ring.
Again was the first principle OF good
taste and right thinking illustrated IN
the manner rather than the fashlon' Oh
dressing. The unprecedented heat may
have been responsible, in some cases. lor
the preponderance OF hght ana ar!
feminine attire. The average cloth
comfort. the majority of women attend
inc the show wore either silk or mus
lin Preparedness was the keynote OF
success Those women who had smart
silk tailored gowns were entitled to the
hlue ribbon in the dress contest. Sec
ond in favor came NUMBER OF shlar'
one-piece charmeuse, or SILK gowns
with an occasional smart linen suit 10
express the good taste OF the sport-loN-
ing fashionable contingent. Inc DAD
taste found expression In elaborate
demi-toilets. many of them extremely low
IN the collar with an unbecoming dis
play of ungloved arms, and likewise I'M
necessary display of gay-colored hosiery
and in some cases, much trimmed satin
slippers. The wearers of these costumes
were happily, in the minority, and not
women to be met in smart drawing
rooms, but in evidence at every meeting
of the show.
As usual, the best models were found
largely among the ladies of the diplo-
matte circle, who invariably suit their
gowns to the occasion, and never make
a mistake in the occasion.
Nine. Bakhmetefr, wife of the Ambas-
sador from Russia, who was frequent
visitor in the box OF her nephew, Mr..
Edward Beale Mclean, wore one of the
smart silk costumes of the week, soft
shade OF gray liberty silk made in a
semi-draped model and topped by self
colored hemp hat in one of the round
shapes that is quite in the mode with
out being extremely small.
Nine Riano wife of the Minister from
Spain, wore a black and white light
weight tailored suit that showed the
very newest lines of the close, narrow
skirt. which. however did not sacrifice