The Washington herald., 1913-06-01
GLANCE AT FASHIONS I'm CAPITAL
Expert Tells Of the Wesned Woman OF Smart Society What
She Wears. and When
By MARGARET WADE.

Washington women are again In a
position to congratulate themselves on
their taste in dress. By recent de-
cree of some two hundred of the fore
most manufacturers, designers, critics
and reviewers of woman's apparel, as
sembled in national convention. it is
solemnly set forth that the fashionable
and well dressed women of the sea-
son of 19l3-l9li shall have their clothes
made in the following fashion. The
normal waist line is to be wiped out
by dropping the girdle to the hips or
raising the top of the skirt high. The
Russian blouse is to return, and all
jackets are to be of the cutaway model,
much longer in the back than in the
front They are also to fasten high.
Combination suits are to be given the
right OF way over one color costumes,
Mandarin sleeves are to return, and
the sash IN various ferns to receive an
extended favor. Skirts are to continue
narrow and slashed slightly at one side.
All of which may be accepted as good
advance information in Toledo, Ohio,
where this ambitious conference was
held. but is not regarded as a fashion
prophecy in Washington, where the
features most emphasized as coming
fashions have been worn and in many
cases discarded by the best dressed
women of polite society.
fOE the SldSneQ Sk1rt mas
entirely disappeared from the ward
robes OF the women of good taste,
while the sash. in its new form on
tailored suits, is an atrocity that was
refused recognition from the start.
The irregularity in the waist line
made its appearance in Washington
last autumn, to be accepted for the
excellent reason that It affords great
latitude in the matter of skirt or
waist, which each woman can follow
in her own style. Some well-made
gowns will show the belt almost to
the arms, others as many inches below
the normal, yet all will be in good
form. The normal waist line will also
be in good form for the woman who
has a normal waist line, and, as has
been limited before, she who has II
not is making desperate efforts to re-
cover this asset. for from Paris comes
the prophecy that the normal waist
line is 10 be the standard of fitness
next winter. And Paris. rather than
Toledo, sets the pace for Washington.
While our patriotism may lead us
to hope for a bureau of American
fashions and a national style of dress.
our common sense bids US pause be-
fore committing ourselves to the guild
ance of any national style club, in
whichever of the forty-six States that
ambitious institution may seek to es-
tablish itself. Even the woman who
wishes to dress simply does well to
take her cue from Paris, for there
even the humblest of women dress
with taste. As a certain well-known
hostess remarked on returning from
her first trip to Europe few years
ago, Why in Paris even the little
children speak French" So this col
umn may be pardoned for saying
in Paris even the poor and the mental
dress we'll. They do not, however. all
dress alike, or attempt to dress alike.
which latter unworthy ambition is the
very root OF the evil of extravaganza
and bad taste, standing as an indict-
ment against the women of America
from Maine to California.
The time is at hand right now for
a simpler style of dress for women of
every station in life, but. as frequently
happens, the woman of large means
is less extravagant than her less well
endowed sister, and the extravagant
fashions to which mere men and comic
supplements love to point with scorn
are accepted and worn by those who
can least afford them. Which puts
the responsibility of bad dressing on
the individual woman, right where 1t
belongs, not on any class of women or
any school of designers.
The costume suit, which has supplant- |
ed the elaborate. tailored gown in many |
wardrobes, is shown to advantage in |
black taffeta worn by the young Countess |
de Chaulnes. who is again visiting Wash |
ington. This is a utility gown, mas |
much as 1t is worn in the morning and is |
absolutely untrimmed. Its great style lies |
in the close, folded drapery that appears |
between waist and ankle. Whether il is |
a one or two piece gown. nobody but |
its wearer and her maid can tell The |
semi-jacket effect given the top by draped |
revers and the turned back cuffs on the |
length sleeves bring il into |
the class for street wear; jacket. or no
jacket. There is a slight line of white
or jabot, also a high. while
collar No French woman,
even by adoption, would be guilty of the
round neck in a street costume. A small
black hat trimmed with satin ribbon and
a Numidi aigrette at the back is worn
with this
The skirt Of this costume escapes the
ground fully three inches. showing low
shoes. or half shoes, of plain black kid
tied with black ribbon bows. the bow Of
ribbon having supplanted the former all
prevailing buckle with many women.
Miss marguerite Symons' taffeta gown
S broken bars of blue and green with the
occasional thread of gold. and a susricion
Il crimson, is one OF the smartest, as
we'll as one of the most individual cos |
.umes Washington society has to its
,redit this season. This is a costume
suit with perfectly plain tube skirt hung
With one single width of drapery. the lat
er starting from the waist line and turn
nE up in uniform height about the knees.
The top of the gown is a modified Rus
sian model II cannot be called a blouse
because it fits smoothly above the waist
line. while the skirt is a regulation kilt
plait This top and bottom join under a
'olded girdle four or five inches deep, of
iull green silk. This garment, of course !
opens in front. showing a smart little
white waistcoat and collar, while the
COLLAR of the jacket is the embroidered ,
Oatiste, now first choice with the modish ,
In contrast, and contrast appears to be /
me test of snartness this season, Miss ,
symons wears a round hat trimmed in ,
crimson velvet ribbon with roses to
match. and carries crimson parasol.
rhe latter, like the plaid gown. shows its ,
Paris hall mark by being one of the new
affairs, with quaint little
1laiting forming a motif about its edge. 9
Miss Gladys ingalls, has succumbed to ]
he separate skirt and jacket idea in a
mart cheviot of one of the mustard
,Olored cloths. Her skirt, which is sec
ional cut, closes at the left front with
,ut any drapery. This is of a white and ]
an check, narrow enough to be meas
lred in inches, not yards. The coat is !
Il the tan shade, a short semi-ftting I
Norfolk jacket with belt of itself. With .
L.