Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-03
NEW YORK. October .. 1915.

NEW YORK, October ., 1915.
n CLEAR summary of what the
new fashions are may help
~ women. The vagueness that
has surrounded the whole
4 y question since August may be
sharpened into facts. Ones
mind may be rid Of confusion. The supply
and demand may be closer drawn together
and time saved in searching among vast
variety of things shown.
skirts are wide and short. but there
is a tendency toward letting them
cover bit more of the ankles than
they did last winter. This is advo-
Gated by some houses and they are,
fortunately, those from which the
America buyers have bought most OF
their models
Plainness and simplicity in skirts are
not especially marked. more's the pity
On every side there is shown a desire
to ornament a skirt with rows OF vel
vet ribbon, with many small pleatings.
with inserted fans of pleats. with
drapery that belonged to earlier days
before the cult of boyishness and SIM
plicity began.
The hips are held down to the figure
by artificial means. such as straps OIL
ribbon. irregular yokes. large nat
pocket effects: and here and there the
natural way of making skirt cling
to the hips is reverted to, by cutting
the cloth into. umbrella-shaped cores
that flare into excessive fullness at the
ankles.
Some skirts are frankly gathered at
the hips, especially those sent over by
Cheruit. and many have small waists
outlined by puIled-in girdles of satin
ribbon. The hens of skirts are treated
in variety of ways. showing exceed
ing ingenuity on the part OF the de-
signers The scaliops of last spring
are maintained by some houses. but
they were over-popular in America:
and it is doubtful If our women will
care much for their renewal Every
where there is a strong tendency to-
ward lifting the skirt at the sides, evil
IDENTIFY to give 1t a more graceful line
than is given by an even wide hem.
This lifting is carried out In all the
pleated overskirts that are placed on
foundations of lace. Probably II would
be we'll to carry this lifted line at the
sides in ones mind in relation to all
clothes. as it is an essential marx OF
the new silhouette.
Even the strictest of cloth tailored
suits do not have entirely plain skirts
as they have heretofore had. There
are bands of peltry to ornament them.
or crisscross lines of stitched cloth, or
bits of splashing embroidery done IN
self -colored floss to hold in the fullness
somewhere.
X
Evening skirts are as full Of trim
ming as the skirts worn by Marie An
toinette and other women during the
pre-revolutionary period. Quantities of
lace ruf1ies are used. Metal brocades
and other kinds of stuffs that are rem
iniscent of Bourbon days. which re-
quire skilled workmanship to weave
and dye, are revived. Velvet, fur. metal
cloth and lace are assembled with
The effect is sumptuous and frivolous
at the same time, if one can allow this
combination of qualities.
When brocade and lace are used the
former is put into the lower skirt over
a short thin lining. which EXPOSES all
the ankles as formerly. There Is little
evidence Of opaqueness coming into
fashion. for it requires heavy mate
rails. and designers do not like to use
them except as Il contrast to the thin
ones These lace flounces as well as
the brocades are caught with punches
and wreaths of roses. usually pink silk
ones. The metal flowers are also used
singly with green leaf.
Bodices in evening gowns are slight
and often show the shoulders in their
decolletage. This line was brought out
last autumn, but had no followers be-
they look better in the square or "
shaped decolletage. with the shoulder
line sharply marked out above the
arms.
1t is. not possible to bring in looped
drapery on the skirt without reverting