Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-09

of full skirt in the horizon. or. rather,
a wide skirt, for there is plenty of full
ness swathing the hips and knees. The
new models show a stepping length of
less than a yard and some of the French
skirts are not as wide as this, although
they are opened at the left side to allow
a woman to walk.
The prevailing fashion for side drapery
that extends from hips to ankles Is al
ways accompanied by a slashed opening
in front. and the fact of showing ones
ankle, which created such an uprOar in
the beginning. is now considered COM
monplace that no one even turns his head
This opening has certainly improved
walking, and women no longer stumble
along like geishaL girls projected into an
American thOrOughfare.
The plain skirts are fastened with large
buttons and buttonholes from knee to
ankle. and a woman can unfasten as
many as locomOtion needs and decency
permits.
You may remember that Cabot intro
duced this winter the slash at the back
which the very smart women Immediately
took up. 1t was used in various ways,
some ugly. some artistic. but it is prob
able that it will be incorporated into the
spring fashions 1t is not as good as the
opening in front. 1t needs to be filled in
with some material. the effect of
uncovered ankle showing from the back
is never good, no matter how perfect the
ankle.
X x
a skirt can get the needed width by this
slash at the back which has pIeats laid
beneath, and it is a novelty, so therefore
we will see a good deal of it, Another
argument i'm its favor is that the slash in
the front has been Overdone. for it was
empIoye ed on readymade gowns that sold
for SlO as well as elaborate evening
gowns that sold for 5000
One of the fashions in skirts that Paris
made much of last autumn and America
took little stock in was the transparent
effect from knees to ankles. Even the
sedatc Worth designed such frocks. al
though the transparency with him was
softtned by layers of chiffon or sauZe. At
such houses as Poret's and Prenets
there WAS no attempt for trans'ucency:
it WAS cmphatically transparent from the
satin ribbon above the knee to the
buckle of briliants on the instep. There
fore, to jump back to the original dis
cussion of narrow skirts, il coats are to
be moderately short and skirts the same
width as heretofore, economical women
need not worry very much about the good
clothes they have left from last spring:
They will serve well for the first part of
the coming season, even If they do not
last through the summer.
Early in January it was announced that
yellow in all it's shades. including tan,
would be the fashionable choice for
spring. and evidently the rumOr was cor
rect, for one sees flood tide of cloth in
this color on every side. 1t is interesting
to watch its development with black.
Where white was used last spring tan Is
now employed. One Of the new suits
made of soft black cloth that hints of
popularity has the long sleeves of the
coat slashed with yellow panne velvet, a
lining of brilliant yellow satin and
piping of it on the reVerS.
An afternoon gown Of black crepe has
Ia draped skirt caught with fat bows OF
gold braid laid on yellow satin: the bod
ice is cut high at the back and opens in
front in a long V, which is filled In with
yellow and white tulle arranged after the
manner of the Romney and Raeburn por-
traits. There is high standing collar
at the back of yellow lace and the sleeve
has panel of yellow satin running from
elbow to wrist fastened with gilt buttons.
The gown Is not as distinguished as 1t
would be If it were black and white, but
for those who like change and who
follow the fashions 1t is worth trying.
Because of the fashion for black and
tan there has come about a vast number
| of null blouses in this shade which are
| finely tucked. have Robespierre collars,
| long sleeves, small turnover cuffs and
crochet buttons down the front These
are to be worn with black coat suits OF
| thin materials such as serge. Shantung,
| orepe de chine and satin. They will be
IA change from the universal white waist
and when touched off with black at the