Evening star., 1915-02-21
Paris Offerings Look as if Some One Had Responded
To an Invitation Costume Ball Where the
Gowns Represented Half Dozen Periods.

of phrase, to the knowledge that this
was not the time for noisy colors.
One of the leading American houses
had announced early in the year that
it would feature soft tones that had
| been manufactured here, each of which
bore American names, such as Palm
Beach sand, Gettysburg gray. oregon
green, etc. These names would at
tract interest, but not purchasers, II
the tones had not merit in themselves,
which, however, they have.
All the gamut of glowing browns
without ugliness are especially fea-
tured in this output, and, as beige,
twine and their sisters are already
popular. this drifting toward a deeper
shade is within the general color
scheme for the incoming season. The
ly, and resembles the London smoke
shades that were far more appreciat-
ed in fabrics than in reality.
Gray will take on new lease of
life. 1t is in silver. cloud. gun metal,
pearl, fog. and in tone called moon
light when the medium is sequins.
The recrudescence of this shade brings
cut steel back into fashion. and it
is apt to go hand-in- hand with cut
jet throughout the season. and to the
latter there is, apparently, no limit
put this year.
As opposed to the fashion for dead
colors, such as gray and brown Ono
matter how living they appear by
reason of the wonderful dyes that
have been found for them), there is
also to be a strong fashion for flow
cred fabrics So look in the trunk
upstairs and see if you or your i'm
mediate ancestors have saved floral
silks and muslins from the gayeties of
other days.
Striped materials also are to be
prominent. Muslin, lawn, linen, voile
with thick or thin stripes in colors are
to be made into blouses and frocks
for morning and afternoon wear.
- o a n
everyday frocks for summer days. The
smartest blouses are of white and blue,
and white and pink lawn. made with
out tucks or pleats, with a square
yoke and front or side fastening.
Frocks are to be built in these col
orings with bands of plain blue which
act as a frame, always a good idea
when stripes are employed. One wants
frock to have a sharp silhouette,
not drift away into vagueness. leaving
the onlooker in doubt as to it's de-
signers purpose. Gowns, like per
sons. must have some strong quality
to give them character. to give them
a certain solidity that you can get
hold of.
GRANDMOTHER Gowns Again.
1t is not easy to reason out why we
are apt to term all the quaint clothes
of indefinite periods as grandmothers'
gowns, but women and dressmakers
When invitations come out for an
old-fashiOned party one Immediately
seeks out some kind of ruff1ed fowered
frock with ribbons. And this is what
the designers are giving us now to
serve as modern costumes. The idea
has been creeping in since November
and possibly Mrs Castle. in her Lucille
frock for dancing an old-fashioned
polka, gave added impetus to the
project of undermining what has passed
for fancy dress clothes.
We have become SO familiar with the
appearance of all kinds of women at
all kinds of occasions wearing what
seemed to be fancy dress costumes, es-
Arabian Nights. that anything SO de-
mure as a lowered silk gown, berib-
boned, which is associated with the
polka, looks as quiet and homemade
as a patchwork quilt.
1t is leap from what is and what
has been to these flounced frocks. but
women probably will enjoy the jump
very much. 1t pleases their sense of
contrast. They know that these frocks
will take twice as much material as
the gowns of yesterday, and this may
give them cause to pause, but it is
such a distinct victory for the work
ers who profit by the sales of double
the quantity for frock that they
should apply the doctrine of. higher
economics to the purchase and not be
disturbed by the lower ethics of per-
sonai economy, that Is What the social
thinkers tell us and they rule public
opinion in these socialistic days.
The mill people were wont to put the
lack of work and profit on the foolish
ness and vanity of women who wanted
to be clothed scantily; now we are
threatened with more material on our |
bodies than our diligently kept slen- |
derness can stand, SO let us hope that |
some one will profit. Surely, it is the |
reverse of the wheel of fashion for |
which the weavers sighed, and it |
should remedy part of the workers |
conditions if not the whole.
These grandmothers' gowns are made