The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-13
By MARGARET WADE.

BY MARGARET WADE.
The opening or new Congressional ses
sion on Monday the first at-home OF tn
Cabinet hostesses on "Wednesday after
noon, and the continuous round of lunch
cons. teas, and dinners to welcome thu
incoming administration leaders have al
had their effect in the matter of feminine
attire.
In spite of the Towering shrubs in tn,
Capitol grounds, many of the wives o
the lawmakers who drove to the hill OF
Monday and Tuesday wore fur coats ovel
the new spring gowns that otherwise
would have been a conspicuous featur,
in the opening of the Sixty-third Con
gress, which found almost as many new
faces in the galleries as on the floor OF
House and Senate. This retaining of ful
wraps with spring frocks and millinery
is sensible foreign fashion quite un.
known a few years ago. when velvets ard
furs used to be packed away in camphoI
as soon as the crocuses appeared. A seal
skin coat for one who rides about in ar
open motor is quite as comfortable In
April as in December, while nuns and
scarf, usually of soft light-colored furs,
were as much in evidence at the Capitol
in the past week as were the smart new
hats that completely surrounded the visit
ors' gallery when President Wilson made
his famous speech.
Another place that saw the fur coat
or scarf in commission and a part of
many a smart toilet. was the National
baseball park on Thursday. where
large feminine contingent of fans APP
plauded the first game of the season.
Mrs. Champ Clark, wife of the Speaker.
whose reelection took place amid much
applause, occupied a seat in the front
row of the private gallery. Mrs. Clark
wore a tailored gown in blue serge.
opening over a white blouse and topped
By a round hat of violet straw. The CON-
bination of blue and violet in one of the
much-featured color schemes of the
spring Endorsed by the wife of the
Speaker.
Mrs Victor Murdoch. wife of the newly
accepted Progressive leader on the floor
of the House. also occupied d seat in the
reserved gallery to hear the speech OF
Representative William Chandler of New
York in nominating her husband for the
Speakers chair.
Mrs Murdoch wore a charming gown
along very smart draped lines in one of
the 1913 taupe shades. This is a new
character gown adapted either to morn
ing or afternoon wear, which is Crowding
the tailored suit of the more elaborate
nature out of many fashionable ward
robes.
Mrs. Murdock's gown had the modish
long. close-fitting sleeves and closely
draped bodice. With this she wore
round hat of dark Milan straw trimmed
in French blue ribbon and clusters of
small flowers. The hat and its treat
ment were both smart and becoming,
the French blue Of the ribbon being par
tcularly suited to the prematurely gray
hair of this young matron from Kansas
On leaving tn Capitol Mrs. Murdoch,
who operates her own electric motor.
wore a handsome long coat of sealskiu.
Mrs Lurton, one of the few women of
the Supreme Court circles present. wore
a black cloth suit, with scarf and nun
of lynx, and particularly becoming
demi-season hat of black satin. This had
a drared crown in the reduced proper
tons of the present season, with round,
narrow brim. Its trimming was a black
numidie, the latest thing in tall, spindley
feathery, placed at the back.
Mrs. William Bailey Lamar is wear
ing an attractive demi-season costume
of black satin. with A very modish
Milan straw hat. in taupe The latter
has low, and in view of the present
mandate Of fashion, a rather broad,
crown. The brim, however, is narrow,
with its greatest depths at the left and
back, where its turns up sharply to hold
A naumidie of the same color.
This smart accessory, in Mrs. La
mars case, appears to be fully four
teen inches long. and of very graceful
proportions
Mrs Shields. wife of the new Senator
from Tennessee, one of the interesting
visitors at the Capital. wore a black
serge tailored suit. with a particularly
l.
red The outer blouse was of narrow,
striped white and black chiffon, on a
foundation of white satin. The turnover
collar was one of the new modish shapes
of white satin, revealing a guimp and |
stock of unfigured net. Below the white |
satin collar came an empiecement of |
the several tones of dull red embroidery |
This application of coloring appearing |
in nine out of ten OF the new blouses, |
must be placed by master hand to /
achieve success, consequently it not |
for any but first-class gar
ments.
Mrs. Shields, who is a distinct acuuisi- |
ton to the official circles carried out |
the rich red tone in the trimming of a |
round black hat with a single red rose |
forming a high, slender line at the back 1
Nine. da Cana, wife of the Brazilian 1
who occupied a seat in the |
diplomatic gallery of the Senate early in |
the week, wore one of the most modish |
black gowns seen this spring.
This is a satin-faced cloth, possibly We
lour de laine, as it is clinging and |
drapable, and being on this modishly at
tired matron. draped according to the |
latest fashion. The top or the gown Is
cut in deep v, revealing one Of the
smartest chemisettes and stocks of net,
In the unfrilled ecclesiastical model,
with double row of small buttons ex-
tending its entire length. Nine da
Iama's hat is the finest Milan in
neutral tone. that is neither taupe nor
gray, but reminiscent of both, with its
only trimming a tall skeleton ostrich
plume slanting upward and backward on
the left side. Nine. da Cana was &C.