Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-10-23
CIRCUSSY STYLES
.NILADY NOW
Some Look Like MermaidS;
Others Resemble Rus
sian COSSackS
OTHER FREAKISH
GOWNS ARE SEEN
BY MARGARET MASON,

written for the United Pressl.
Maud looks like a mermaid,
In fish scales and metz
Like bareback queen Sue has
The barest back yeti
Marie is a Cossack,
But all of the town,
Has cottoned to Phyllis,
In her cotton gown.
NEW York;, Oct 23.-lt is right
smart OF a task to tell whether The
lady next YOU at the theatre or fox
trotting past your table at little,
supper dance is an escaped circus rider
or just 1914 fashion model in the new
style of striped gear. The bareback
rider effect is surely all there even ii
nothing much else Is.
The fabrics necessary for the forming
of fashions favorite frocS Tor evening
wear at present seems TO be a ilounce
OF two of chiffon below che belt, a wisp
or two above and strand or SO OF
beads with a generous splattering OF
spanglcs.
A pretty but circusy little dress along
]
chiffon. The skirt, which is full is COM
posed of one tunic falling TO the calf
and lined with banding of ostrich
| feathers with a heading OF brilliants
over plain under slip that misses the
! floor by eight inches. The straight lined
basque-like girdle of shrimp pink satin
extends just above the bust line with
J a finish of the ostrich feather fringe.
! 60 10 .N
over the shoulders, keep it from slip
ping of entirely.
Another model of turquoise blue silk
net smacks also OF the sawdust ring
with three hounccd skirt very full
and fluffy the upper iiounce edged with
la wired band of odd little purple pam
sizes. The deep girdle of the crushed
net is festooned with a garland of the
lpansies which passes diagonally across
the front and up over the left shoulder.
The right shoulder is kept IN subiec-
tion by a loosely crushed length of the
net Bands of velvet ribbon are very
effective, edging The long tunics of chit
ion and are particularly popular and
smart on q black and white creation.
With the skirt OF white chiffon very
short and bordered with two rows OF
inches wide, the upper three, plain
tight black velvet bodice cut of just
above the bust line and held on by q
band of pearls over one shoulder and
one of let over the other, the effect Is
decidedly sketchy. TO say the least
One of the most startling and freak
ish gowns up to date has a mermaid
backed into her tank. Ii has a slippery
met fish net of coursel skirt over an
underskirt Of sea green satin that trails
out into a pointed fish tail train be-
hind. This is edged with a narrow
fur banding the color of sea moss. The
straight close-itting basque bodice
which extends from the hip to the bust
line is composed entirely of irridescent
spangles like fish scales. Strands OF
fish skin pearls form the shoulder straps
This may sound fishy, but it is too true
My lady is queenly in velvet, charm
ing in silk, fairylike in lace but ire
sistible in cotton when it is donncd for
q cause. The movement on hand and
foot to encourage the use of cotton
fabrics and eschew the silk is meeting
with huge success, not so much from the
burning zeal of the converts as for the
cause. some skeptics contend, as from
the fact that the wondrous possibilities
and hitherto undiscovered beauties of
the cotton materials have thus been
brought to light and fastidious femin-
inc attention.
Cotton duvetyns and cotton merceriz-
ed ratines are very effective and Pompa-
dour lowered wolfe is as soft and at
tractive for dancing frocks as lowered
chiffon. Organizes mulls and batistcs
are also lovely for dancing gowns and
despised cotton, dubbed a king in its
raw state, may soon. by the royal road
of popular favor, be crowned queen OF
fabrics for 1914.
II seems about TO return TO the pres
tige of its glorious past in the days OF
our great grandmothers when the pos
session OF a sprigged muslin or even a
calico gown was considered a rare adj
dition to a bellies toilette.