The Washington herald., 1913-11-30
Fashions at the Capital
The we'll Dressed Woman Of Smart Society," What She Wears
The Time and Place.
By MARGARET WADE.


bassadors and Ministers and the uni
forms OF our own army and navy officers
at the White House on Tuesday after
noon, the very distinguished company
witnessing this thirteenth White House
wedding ceremony would have been in
rather sombre attire. That the ENJOYS
attended in full dress by reason of a note
from the dean of the corps, the courteous
and careful Ambassador from France,
issued on the eve OF the marriage, is
taken as a sign that there are to be no
informal relations between the execu-
tive OF a great nation and the members
of the diplomatic corps.
Every one of the thirty some ENJOYS
and pIenipotentaries attending the mar
rage of Miss Jessie Wilson and Mr..
Francis B. Sayre went there as the rep
resentatIve of his sovereign, his ruler,
or his nation, and by his uniform empha-
sized this fact. The same rule that
brought out the court dress Of the diplo-
mats, although operating in a different
way, was shown in the splendid uni
forms of the American officers present
from the most youthful and newly ap-
pointed OF White House aids, to the
head Of the national defense in the per-
son of the Admiral OF the Navy.
In pleasing contrast to the semi-tailored
suits, however handsome. of black and
dark-toned Yelyets, satins, and brocades.
worn by the majority of guests even in
the special inclosure in the south end OF
the East Room, were the formal and dig
nified receptions toilets Of such acknoWl-
edged leaders of fashion and good form
as Nine. Jusserand, Nine. Bakhmeten,
the Countess Won Bernstorff. Lady Spring
Rice, and the young Baroness Zwiedinck.
who recently Joined her husband the
rka a fafr of nSfr
his present post.
Nine. Bakhemeteffs gown was Of Rus
sian brocade velvet-gray. on a gold back
ground, made with narrow, but graceful
train. and new high drapery, showing
its Paris workmanship in every detail.
Narrow bands OF sable edged the open
front tunic, which was close fitting about
the hips. The gown, being a one-piece
costume, opened over a tabct waistcoat
of old church lace, with which Nine.
Bakhmeteff wore a necklace of emeralds
and diamonds, earrings in the same pre-
cious stones as we'll as several jeweled
orders bestowed by her adopted country,
as well as by other nations at whose re-
spective capitals this popular American
has shared high honor with her distin-
guished husband, the latter now the per
sonal representative of the Car, where
twenty-five years ago he began his career
as attache.
Nine Bakhmetefrs hat was of black
velvet but with a crown Of gold lace and
a band of the finest Russian sable to
match the gown, the aIl-black hat, ex-
cept in extremely rare instances, being
as far from the correct wedding attire
as the aIl-black gown. In keeping with
gown and jewels were the furs. cemplet
ing this toilet, a scarf and mum of sable.
Lady Sprfng-Rice. wife Of the Ambas-
sador from Great Britain, who made her
first formal appearance at the White
House on Tuesday, wore one of the
handsomest as we'll as one of the smart
est toilets, a costume of mauve velvet
which to the uninitiated sounds as sedate
and mature as the rich. but not youthful
toilet of the bridegroom's mother.
In spite OF their matching material,
these gowns were totally dissimilar in
effect. In the case of Lady Spriag- -Rice's
costume the mauve velvet was little
more than rich and beautiful back
ground for the overhanging drapery OF
lace chiffon and gold gauze that took
shape as bodice and tunic. The velvet
skirt had a train, which IS inseparable
from any truly smart toilet except the
dancing frOcks of the younger bellies and
the pronounced trOtteur costumes Of their
elders. Lady Spring-Ric wore a hat of
msuve velvet, with a single ostrich plume
in heliotrope as its only trimming. She
also wore a beautiful string of pearls
that fell low on the chiffon and gold
bodice.
For him or her who runs and reads in
fashions highways there is a plainly
written notice that the costume hat is
back in all its glory. Some say it has
never been superseded. only temporarily
obseured by the cloud of all black mill-
merry that has swept over the capital as
well as other American cities in the past
season.
1t is a notable fact that the best
gowned maids as well as the diplomatic
matrons at the White House wedding, all
had hats to match their costumes-the
all-black hat. supposed to go with any
thing. is now distinctly in lower terms
Of smart favor.
The gray velvet costume worn by Mrs.
Dewey on Tuesday afternoon was an
other of the rare toilettes suited alike
tC the occasion and the individuality OF
the wearer. The trained skirt and high
cut surplace bodice were of brocade chif-
fon velvet, the three-quarter coat OF
plain velvet, in the same shade. The
skirt with the latest back drapery opened
in front from belt to hem over a panel
Of the new metallic lace that Worth in
troduced in the early season. This is
A dull silver mesh with the pattern
picked out in gold and silver. Only an
inch or two showed At the belt, while
at the hem OF the skirt one had a view
of the full width Of the lace which is
probably nine or ten inches. There was
a short drapery about the hips that lost
itself in the back, while the velvet edges
were finished, not on down each side OF
the lace panel but around the train in
a line of mink fur. The bodice had its
edges outlined in the same fur and the
deep V filled in with a fat chimesette of
tulle. The coat was without reveres
trimmed in heavy self-colored silk cord
with a half belt low on the back, this
being held by a large genuine Louis XIV
buckle of crystals set in silver. The
hat TO match this real wedding costume
was a tricone of gray tulle with an
inch-wide facing of dark velvet, a crown
Of gold and crystal beads lined with
tulle-and the trimming tall but not
severe aigrette of tulle and several slen-