Evening star., 1915-12-12
special Correspondence Of The Star.
NEW YORK, December II, 1!

w 7HEN three ultra-smart wom-
NAU en walked out on the
\V\v floor of a ballroom to dance
and each deliberately stopped
and arranged long, square train into a
mug position over her left arm a
ripple of excitement passed through
the onlookers. One woman voiced the
sentiments of all as she said: so trains
are really in"'
1t is true that the court train is the
last caprice of fashion. 1t came with
out blare of trumpets The cables
only mentioned the fact that it existed
in the autumn. The first gowns were
made without it, and yet here it is as
the very smartest part of a dance gown.
Callot, probably. was responsible for
it. She has held to the conviction that
every woman over twenty-five years
old should wear a skirt that has the
dignity of sweeping the floor at the
back. Those who live and die by CAL
1ot-and they represent many of the
hest American women-have had gowns
with slight trains throughout the pc
riod of the short dance skirt, that has
grown to such absurd and ungainly
shortness.
At Newport during last summer it
was quickly evident in the bathrooms
that certain women were dressed by
Callot. The hallmark of this house was
shown in the alligator train that tum-
bled after its ,wearer in queer convo-
lutions. In itself it may not have had
dignity, but it made possible a long,
straight drapery at the back that gives
to every figure a graceful and impress
i've appearance.
Newport is apt to launch new gowns
In midsummer. but it did not launch
the square train. Its first reaching out
toward this appendage was the alli-
gator train. And Newport also wore
the narrow skirt in connection with it.
At a dance at the French chateau of
Mrs Herman Oelrichs there were sew
eral narrow skirts worn, which caused
astonishment among those who had
come to expect that Newport would
always cling to the ultra fashiona BILE.
Newport did cling to it. The trouble
was in the mind of the onlooker These
women We're wearing the new Callot
frocks. which had no vestige of full
ness at the ankles or knees, were not
ornamental with fiounces- of pleatings
and held to the Tanagra drapery that
fell from shoulder to ankle in series
of slightly curving lines.
At the dances and at the opera last
month the dance skirt with moderate
width at the ankles and it's splendid
appendage in the shape of a train was
worn by several dozen of the women
who lead the way in exclusive fashions.
A slight description of few of them
may not be tedious to read. although,
as rule, one rarely gets a concise
idea of how gown actually looks
from any written account.
One frock, worn by a woman with
gray hair. black eyes and eyeIashes
and dead white skin, was of black
velvet and tulle. The top part was
exceedingly fragile, the deep decol-
letage outlined by string of crystals.
Reaching from the knees to the short
hem of the skirt was an immense pleat-
ed ruche. standing well out from Che
skirt at each edge and lined with black
chiffon This trimming gave the effect
of the unusual fullness that prevails
on the ma jority of skirts. A new method
of introducing color was carried out by
huge red velvet roses that caught the
rche into folds here and there.
The train, which was of black velvet
started below uhe shoulders, was
caught in at the waist line, then swung
free of the figure and strailed on the
floor for foot or more 1t was not
lined with American beauty satin to
match the. roses, but dressmakers who
are copying this model find that wom
en- like the gorgeous lining better>than
the plain one
Another gown had ruff1es of black
chantilly lace over petticoat of cloth
of silver. The fullness of the lower
founce was caught with small wreaths
of fame-pink velvet roses, quite small
roses. and the edge of the hem was
about six inches from the floor. The
badice had very little of the silver
cloth in its construction. There was
just enough in the way of high gir-
die beneath the black lace and tulle
TO give the CLINT of metal. The sleeves
rather the arm drapery, for IL did
not attempt to cover the arm-were
straight pieces of lace caught in Gre
clan fashion at the middle of the shoul-