The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-31
ATTRACTIVE AMERICAN FASHION FOR AMERICAN WOh1Er
Severe Tailored Suit Which We Can Make Better Thar
Any One Else, Is Becoming and Adapted to Spring
Needs and Its Use Is Urged by Expert

her morning suit for afternoon than &C
out In the morning fussily dressed
There's no excuse in taste for the latter,
and she's conscious that In nothing she
wears is she more fetching than In her
manInishly tailored footing" suit with
its adorably feminine accompaniment
Of dainty and immaculate blouse, neck
wear, &c.
Months ago. when the covert suits
first made their appearance THE Sun
uttered hope that they might lead
the way toward renaissance OF the
severely tailored costume. It would be
a fortunate thing II Miss Walls theory
would take fast hold upon the imag4na-
tons of the American folk who make
clothes and the American women who
wear them.
AT a popular shop on lower Broadway
there was this week a little showing of
costumes meant to illustrate some OF
the possibilities in domestic designed
costumes Of the smartly plain tailored
type. 1t occurred too late for sketches
of the models to be presented here to-
day. but the display. though not put
forward as vastly important. was in
some respects very interesting.
Ono suit OF black worsted with q
hatrline stripe OF white at inch intervals
was particularly successful and an ex-
cellent commentary on the doctrine ad-
vanced above. The beautifully tailored
coat was built on ono button cutaway
lines, sloping gracefully from the bust
In an almost straight line to point
becomingly below the hip curve and
merging into a hack that rippied slightly
In the middle.
The coat was comfortably loose. yet
fitted just a trine to indicate gracious
curves at the waist line and above. Col.
lar and cuffs were plain, with just q
note OF white In the facing. The one
lozenge shaped wool covered button al
the bust had n white centre. borderet
heavily in black.
The skirt hung smoothly over ths
hips with a clever arrangement OF plaits
and circular cut that gave ample fulness
without too much fare. Every line was
good. The designer had considered the
profile as we'll as the front and back "a
thing too often neglected just at this
period of changing silhouettel, and the
stripes had been handled to excellent
advantage. both for purposes Of trim
ming and OF line
The good looking nannerGin who
showed the suit wore with II a tailored
blouse of barred dimity with high turn
down collar and clever black cravat,
rather mann.sh patent leather shoes
with white spats. heavy one button white
gloves with black stitching and the
jauntiest and simplest OF small straw
hats Contrasted with the women In
fussy street costumes who watched her
progress around the room. the girl
looked phenomenally we'll groonled and
modish.
Done az welt as that, the severe tailor
made Is all right, no matter what hap
pens in Paris. Mss Wall as the French
themselves would phrase II. has reason.
There was another clever tailored cos
tune In the exhibit that, though at
tractive was too spectacular for or
binary wear, yet had Its message. The
spectacular element was due 10 the fact
that a loose coat OF English red. which
is but the hunting pink of long usage
was combined with skirt of midnight
blue, nne twill serge OF gahard!ne. On
certain summer occasions this theatri-
cal note would pass, but not for more
sober wear. All OF which the designer
doubtless understood perfectly. but dis
regarded In order to make his point
and he made il.
The skirt, without relaxing its air OF
severity. was just Bit draped, and the
grace OF the broken lines was attained
without any suggestion Of fussiness by
the device Of following, at a discreet
the lines OF the nodish riding
habit skirt There was no clumsy
punching OF material. no pronounced
about the hem--just little
lifting Of folds In the right places and
the suggestion was there.
For country or resort wear in summer
ikable models were shown in which
the skirts were of white hroadcloth
or serge or gabardine or cheviot and
the coats In warm color. and. while tn
these colorings the costumes were effec-
tive for exhibition purposes. lines and
details recommended the same models
for plain tailored street costumes in
more conventional color.
In linen. monte cloth and silks easily
crumpied were several suit and sepa-
rate coat models in which the coat
tails were by one mode or another
1Nn