The Washington herald., 1913-12-14
Fashions at the Capital
The Well Dressed Woman of Smart Society What She Wears
The Time and Place.
By MARGARET WADE.

ID
II as a certain truly great fashion
writer declares, the distance from Paris
IN New York as measured by the clothes
worn bv smart women of both cities is
nnIy five DAYS, or, allowing for custom
bouse delays one week, Washington in
the nresent season deserves credit for
having reduced that period to still lower
terms, or to have eliminated it entirely.
All this when some persons tell us the
Capital Of the United States is just en-
tering the dullest social season in a quar-
ter of a century.
Heretofore washington, in spite of its
reputation for smart dressing in the aft
ernoon, uniformly correct evening attire
has been given little consideration by the
great Paris designers and exporters who
have been satisfied to send their best
creations to New York and the great
financial centers of the West
Washington, we were frequently re-
minded, got its fashions just one year
old and wore them into a second winter
or summer, as the case might be, with
the comfortable unconcern that Is
strong characteristic OF the women Of the
South, either by birth or adoption
This winter however, We are quite
abreast of the times, as shown with the
coming together of every smart company.
Then too We hear from far and near OF
the very chic appearance OF Washing
tonians visiting in many chimes from Lon
don TO Panama
The first conspicuous example in this
latter class is Mrs. Frances B. Sayre, the
White House bride of less than three
weeks ago, who at her first London din
ner party wore a gown of white velvet
At the same time we are being cabled
from Paris that white velvet is one OF
the novelties of the season
Young Mrs Sayre's white velvet din
ner gown, it is safe to assert, was pur-
chased in Washington, a direct importa-
ton from Paris, one of the three gowns
added to the former Miss Jessie Wilson S
trousseau when a European honeymoon
was decided upon with residence at the
American Embassy in London as fea-
ture thereof. Here, as in every other
event in life, President Wilson's second
daughter showed the unfailing common
sense that has been one of her chief
characteristics in a least sixteen out of
her twenty-siX years.
The homemade blouses, the ready-to- |
wear tailor suits, the afternoon gowns |
made by a little dressmaker around the
corner, were well enough for a modest
young matron in suburban New England. |
but when it came TO London and Paris, |
with all the eclat of her fathers posi- |
ton surrounding this much-discussed
bride, the newest and smartest of fash I
ions were none too good. This particu- |
lar dinner gown is OF ivory-tinted velvet |
with a short train, and skirt showing !
many more than the usual number of |
inches at the hem, with particularly |
graceful drapery about the hips and a |
long panel back. Young Mrs. Sayre also |
wore on this occasion the diamond neck |
lace presented by the House of Repre- |
sentatives, and the handsomest OF her
wedding gifts.
Miss Margaret Wilson, the Presidents |
eldest daughter, who shows marked |
preference for pretty soft browns and |
blues in her street suits, is equally pro- |
nounced in her taste for pink evening |
gowns
An altogether simple creation of pink |
satin worn by Miss Wilson at one Of !
last weeks evening receptions is of deep |
rose color, made without any tunic, but |
Showing a plain skirt in its most &C
ceptable form, opening directly in front |
over an insert of self-colored chiffon.
The bodice followed the conventionalIy
draped lines with surplice neck and half |
length sleeves.
Miss Wilson wore this same becoming
gown at the reception to Mime. Monies
sorri at the home of DR.. and Mrs. Alex
ander Graham Rell, when she took her
place in the receiving party.
The Countess Won Bernstorf, wife of |
the Ambassador from Germany, attended
several of Wednesday afternoon recep-
lions in an extremely chic toilet of the
always smart magpie suggestion. Her
coat suit was a black satin, opening over
a waistcOat of white satin and chiffon.
The skirt had a folded, rather than
draped, overdress, on close. quite severe
lines. The coat was a French model
much longer in the back than in the
front, and with this was worn a superb
scarf of unspotted Ermine, the hand
soonest piece of fur of this character
seen in Washington this season. This
scarf is entirely of the priceless fur,
being reversible, and, in spite of its
width nf at least fifteen inches, is soft
as an ostrich boa, or a chiffon evening
scarf.
Countess Won Bernstorh wraps this
about her shoulders, after which the ends
fall TO the knees. On the ends of the
scarf one sees the ermine in its natural
form. the long, harrow marks emphasiZ-
ing the black and white of the costume.
The hat worn with this was a small
black velvet shape, trimmed with white
plumeage.
One of the ultra modish visiting cos
tunes brought out by the several smart
afternoon receptions of the past week
was worn by Madame de Cana, the
American wife of the Brazilian Ambassa-
dor, who is just back to her Embassy