The Washington herald., 1914-04-19
Fashions at the Capital
The Well Dressed Woman OF Smart Society," What She Wears
The Time and Place.


Now that the clothes parade OF Easter
and widely criticised in the press. is
passed, this column begs to reiterate its
statement of two weeks ago, as well as
of several past years, that smart society
is in no way responsible for the extrava-
gance or the vagaries OF Easter fashions,
either in Washington or elsewhere.
In the church parade of last Sunday
along Connecticut avenue, where promi-
nent men and women from every denomi-
nation. and every circle of society par
ticipated, the wives and daughters Of
Washington's leading residents were con-
spicuous for the dignity and simplicity
OF their attire
Lady Spring-Rice. wife of the British
Ambassador, wore severely plain walk
ing suit of dark blue cloth with hat 10
match. Mrs. White. wife of the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court, dark tai
lored suit with velvet hat; Miss Helen
Taft, daughter OF the former President.
whose progress was interrupted many
times by the greeting of old friends, wore
a light brown cheviot with round skirt
and Russian coat with small mode-col-
ored velvet hat; Miss Margaret Perrin,
always one of the smartly attired girls
IN any company, wore a dark blue cloth
suit with pointed tunic of Roman silk
q. with blue jacket and small dark straw
hat
Miss Katharine Jennings, one of the
Capitals greatest heiresses and bride
elect, wore a blue cloth coat suit with
dark straw hat. notwithstanding she was
attending an IL o'clock service at the
ultrafashionable St Johns. in Lafayette
square.
There were a few slit skirts with vulgar
display of hosiery and shoe buckles even
at St Johns, while rainbowed coiored
silk and shepherdess hats by the dozen
made gay the adjoining streets and ave
nues but they did not adorn the heads
or display the ankles of women OF smart
society. as that select circle is known at
the National Capital. In view of the in
eyeasing humber of gay wigs appearing
at dinner parties, no one can claim that
the Capitals smart set is ultraconserva-
tive. Its extremes of fashion are. how
ever. always artistic. and find expression
at home or in the drawing-rooms of its
friends. Never on the streets. at the
clubs, or in the public bathrooms.
Ball gowns of the springtime show only
and afternoon frocks. The velvets and
brocades of the winter have given place
TO a wonderful variety &C taffetas, sheer
InOuSSellneS, ana SOIl III many
new shades. Satin is usually combined
with lace while the taffetas are as a rule
presented without any establishment, and
allowed TO stand or fali by the merits Of
their new coloring. ans the altogether
new line of cut and drapery which dis
tinguishes these favorites of the hour.
With a ball nearly every night in the
week. beginning with that of Mrs. RoEcrt
Patterson on Monday, new costumes for
haI InaT
usual at this time in Washington.
The orchid-colored taffeta, with its over
dress OF crystal, in the new paillettes
which Worth has presented in his sum
mer models worn by Mrs. Thomas r.
Walsh on Monday evening, is in every
particular a model gown of the season.
The color is literally orchid when Cne
thinks of the most perfect purple variety
of this flower
The material is the taffeta of today,
not the stiff noisy kind of ten years ago
which announced itself with every move