Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-09
BY ANNE RITTENHOUSE.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
NEW YORK, July s.-The fashion Of
teagowns comes to US from England.
where 1t has long been a feature of Eng
lish country house life. After a siren
uous outdoor day. riding to hounds,
shooting or the like. in which English
women indulge almost as freely as the
stronger sex. the welcome change at tea
time into something soft. tra!ly and fem
mime makes a delightful contrast.
1t is rather hard to decide the exact
difference between teagown and an
ordinary gown at present, except that
more licensing is allowed in the fashion
ing of the former. II skirts are narrow
the teagown may be wide; If skirts are
voluminous and faring 1t may be con-
trastingly clinging without being accused
Of setting itself up in contradiction to the
mode That 1t shall be easy to get into,
comfortable, becoming, and. above all,
feminine. are the requirements OF such
a garment.
SPORTS of all kinds Invariably revenge
themselves upon the couture, and stop
ping to redress the hair would delay the
serving Of tea inordinately. SO some
clever person has adapted the boudoir
cap for use in this afternoon hour OF
relaxation and refreshment. Riding ana
shooting are autumn sports ana pecuiar-
ly English, but there are good many
summer sports INDUCED in on our own
vast continent which are strenuous
enough to make US welcome comfort
able lounge before dinner.
A tea cap must be little more pres
entable than a boudoir one: that Is to
saw. It should have less OF lingerie.
neelige suggestion This may be avoid
ed by using more formal materials, lace
Of good quality in heavier patterns, crepes
rtF r
colors. II should be so adjusted as to
hide the whole disarranged couture. and
fit closely over the head: Close hitting
caps Of pearl beads with bead chains
under the chin are exhioited ZOE .nis
purpose. and quite gorgeous gold and
ailver, and metal brocaded ones. with
jewsled bands and edges.
Hairdressing Easy.
Certainly our manner of hairdressing
at the present time is not such an elab-
crate one as to take very long in ar
ranging it. 1t could not we'll be sim
pier than 1t is, but modern life uses so
much energy that any conservation of
1t is welcome.
1t is to be devoutly hoped that a re-
turn to Marie Antoinette fashions and
still further back to the polonaise will
not lead to q revival of the enormous
headdresses of that extravagant era,
when women's heads were built up sew
enty-two inches high. and the wearer
of such q structure looked as If her
face were in the center of her body.
Carriage folk had to stick their heads
out Of the window or kneel upon the
floor in order to accommodate their
headgear, and as kneeling and getting
up again IN the immense hoopskirt Of
the day was a difficult undertaking.
women sometimes stuck fast in their
equipages and had to be hauled out by
main force on arriving at their des-
tination.
All the political and social events of
the day were chronicled in headdresses.
and, before a great court function, the
hairdressers were in 80 great demand
TO build the latest Celebrations that
they sometimes had to visit their pa
irons the day before the ceremony.
Then the poor creature would have to
spend the night upright IN a chair, with
some one to wake her whenever, in
doing off. she endangered the pyramid
on top of her head. Marie Antoinette
herself delighted in new designs and
set the fashion of exaggeration for the
others. There were landscape head
dresses. English gardens. mountains
and forests.
Fngate inspires Couture.
When tho saucy frigate La Belle
Poule distinguished herself IN 177s she
was commemorate couture which
supported her facsimile in full sail
The Duchesse de Penthieve Is described
as having appeared in masterpiece OF
the hairdresser's art to celebrate the
birth of her first child. She wore a