The Washington herald., 1914-02-08
FADS AND
FANCIES OF
FASHION

season but. nevertheless, there
are certain essentials that always
remain. Wise skaters wear skirts
short enough to allow the exercise
with comfort and wide enough to
avoid the danger from sudden falls.
To conform with prevailing modes,
the needed width is found in fatty
pressed or even hidden plaits but it
must exist If the costume is to serve
its end.
Corduroy and velvcteen are time
honored favorites for skating costumes
and they retain all their vogue this
season but wool duvetyn in plain and
corduroy weaves is perhaps a'little
newer and equally attractive and prac-
teal. For entire costumes, both short
coats and belted jackets in Russian
style are liked and for trimming makes
the rule, a wide band around the skirt
and fur collar and cuffs on the coat.
Before all else. the skating costumes
must allow free movement and the fur
scarf is apt to be little over-heating
for the exercise. Just the fur trimming
with a muff is better liked and more
practical: but, for the real enthusiast,
nothing takes the place of the sweater
coat and this season sweaters are 50
fascinating and so beautiful that they
satisfy even the most fastidious taste.
The very newest from Paris. for the
purpose, are of the knitted wool with
a fat fur collar and are opened down
the front in coat style. There are
Norfolk sweaters. too. and among
the newest and handsomest are
sweaters of silk and. since we all know
that silk is as warm if not warmer
than wool. they are practical as well
as handsome. Very new ones are
trimmed with fur collar and cuffs and
are shown in really brilliant colors to
be worn over dark skirts. There is a
Natter blue with trimming Of skunk
held by large buttons covered with
the fur and there are also exceedingly
beautiful sweaters both of silk and
of wool that are held by sashes Of
mohair and silk braids and often these
sashes are woven in plaids or stripes
to give really brilliant color effects.
II is a season of contrast and of bril-.
liant color and nowhere do effects
appear to better advantage than upon
the ice. A practical sweater is made
of brown knitted silk with a sash
showing Roman colors and often one
sees a sash either of crocheted wool or
of crocheted silk on a wool sweater,
so that the sweater, while it always
retains its essential characteristics
shows many variations and has been
brought completely up-to-date. For
the ice, it is the ideal garment and, in
ifs later development, it is eminently
picturesque and attractive. Wool.
corduroy and velveteen skirts are
worn beneath and the wide band Of
fur around the lower edge makes the
accepted finish. Hats must be close
fitting and, with the sweaters, a great
many little knitted caps are worn.
They are becoming and attractive
and altogether practical. They are
drawn down well over the ears. They
can be turned back from the face in
a dozen different ways to produce the
ooquetish. pretty effect that girls
always like but any close fitting turban
or small hat with trimming kept low
that there may be nothing to catch the
wind is correct. On the ice, one aims
to make all possible speed and nothing
that impedes progress is smart or cor
rect. One Of the newest costumes
that has been seen is made with coat
and skirt of velours delaine in real
emerald green with half blurred checks
of black. The skirt is straight with
sufficient number of plaits to give
perfect freedom and there is a bodice
in sweater style of thick white vicuna
which terminates at the waist line and
is finished with the belt of the skirt
while the coat is low belted blouse,
fur trimmed and flaring over the hips.
Sweater blouses are indeed one of the
newest of all things for the skating
season. They are made of thick woolIy
or velvet finished fabrics and are
somewhat in sweater style and almost
uniformly give the brilliant color note
commented upon in so many connec-
tons. A handsome costume is made
of black and white check with a skirt
which, while snug at the top, flares
almost to make godet plaits at the
hem and coat Of half length with
marked fullness over the hips, while
completing it is a sweater bodice of
yellow duvetyn that is finished with
high rolling collar of white. For
indoor skating, such costumes are,
of course, too warm but, in the open
where winds are to be met, they are
ideal and. in St. Moritz, which is of
course the skating center. they have
been seized upon with avidity. In
that high altitude. nothing can be