Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-14
In the Land of Fashion.
By Anne Rittenhouse.

From every side one hears more and
more about the recrudescence of white
| lace for gowns. 1t has been many years
since women wore lace frocks, although
every one acknowledged their supremacy
| and durability Even if the lace was not
Of the purest quality it would outclass
| satin and could be used for several sea-
| sons over variety of slips. But lace was
withdrawn for everything except trim
| ming 1t was rarely used in millinery,
il one excerpts the overpopular ratine lace
| of last year, and it was rarely Thought OF
| for bows and rosettes.
| There was a good reason for this. Lace
is not always becoming when used for
hat 1t is better under a woman's face
| than over it. The milliners or To-Day
| have been so prolific in inventing fan
tastes that they did not need to draw on
a material that cannot be depended upon
| for style Some effort was made last
| summer to use white lace hats as rivals
| to the tulle hats that were fashionable
at Trouville and it raised mild storm OF
discussion when some one INTRODUCED the
| idea that filtered light was unbecoming
| to the eyes. In Paris, where clothes are
serious art. such discussion as this
would be entered into by all the leading
artists and milliners of the day. IL was
| a question of vital importance during the
season.
Lace gowns were the chief economy
and standby of half the fashionable
women of a decade ago. They were APP
preciated at their real value. for white
| or black lace costume always has dis
| tincton and is not as easily conspicuous
as the brilliant gowns of satin and
| spangles which have taken its place.
woman felt well dressed in such frock
| and If it was too negative for her type
she could add that inevitable bunch OF
| flowers or colOred girdle.
| A black lace gown was considered
necessary in the wardrobe of any woman
who needed an all-around frock for
emergencies. 1t could be worn in the aft
ernoon with black or white tulle or lace
guimpe to the play, to the dinner, to the
opera and to an informal dance, minus
the guimpe 1t had the advantage Of
packing easily and would arrive at its
| journeys end without wrinkles. 1T couid
| be folded into small space and would
| fit in with any color scheme.
But those We're economical days. W ON
! en- then took thought for a gown which
would be described multum i'll parvo
Today. to draw further upon the erudi-
ton of the copy book. any kind Is e
pluribus unum, for We live in extrava-
CANT times and what was luxury in
clothes to our mothers is hardship to the
daughters. Is the return of the lace
gown to fashion a sign of better times
| not rush recklessly into an eXtravagant
purchase of frocks but look well to the
ways of their wardrobe. as they do to
their household, and practice thrift in
| clothes as we'll as in coffee and butter:
Has the old lesson come back with force
| that a woman is not we'll dressed by rea-
son of the number of her clothes, but by
| the charm of the gown she wears? IL she
can arrive at this distinction In iace
| frock and use that frock for many oc-
aSions, then she is not only saving
money, but. what is more important to-
day. the expenditure of vitality, mental
and physical.
Fashion offers white. cream, black and
sometimes gray lace gowns. The pr!n-
tress fashion has no followers among
| fashionable people and even the straight
empire has lost its distinction. One must
be draped today and ruff1ed and cut OF
Into straight and into ZigzaS lines. There
fore, lace founces are useful instead OF
straight widths.
There is one new kind of tea tinted lace
over ivory satin viii IN has three Scant
| founces that drop from high waist line
to the floor Each one is caught high at
the side with a cluster of silver roses
and green leaves and the lower hounce
spreads itself out into pointed train
The bodice is first tulle. then wide scarf
of the lace which drops down the back in
two points to the knees. where 1t IS
weighted with silver roses and crossing
over the meshes, is looped below the bust
into an ornament of silver galloon: The
edges of the galloon are outlined with
German rhinestones to give brilliancy..
There is a black chantilly lace. which
is as fashionable as 1t was last year, that
is draped over deep purple stuff. The
| skirt has two f1ounces. the deeper one
draped from hips to the floor and the
shorter one draped into a kind of pannier
i over the hips and Topped up at the back.
The lower fiounce is caught high over
the left knee with an immense purple
satin rose The bodice is of black tulle
cut in the simplest Greek fashion with
all it's edges outlined with German rhine
stones sewn on black velvet ribbon. The
bodice lining is Of flesh pink tulle. There
is wide Sirdle of black velvet ribbon
| which has one streamer hanging to the
knees and "a purple rose caught in front
where the bust drapery of tulle runs into
the waist line
The usefulness of a white or cream lace
gown is thoroughly appreciated and it
can be made more artistic by sasheS
which fashion has brought back into IA
lvor. These accessories were shown on
many Of the new gowns last fall and