The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-26
By ELEANOR HoYr BRAINERD.


While II was the mode to undula.e
sinuously through society. to wear
clothes that Clung. and very few Of
those. taffeta WAS under IA heavy han
dicap. II had a will OF it's own. II
would not droop andJt would not cling.
n 80 II stood aside for charmeusc
n the other limp silken stuffs.
That vas "a long time ago. as fash.
o are measured. F'ulness and as
%sertiveness began to creep into the
skirts. one heard rumors of crino.
lines and quaint" became a shaving,
overworked adjective. Tafetas rustlcl
their wal to the front. The crispness
M fare which had been their re-
proach became their virtue, and. TO cut
a long story short, the taffetas are
having things very much their own
way this spring.
Everywhere are the two rs. taffeta
n tulle. and this is particularly r
among evening frocks.
Satin. faille, poult de sole. r de
LOndres. crepcs and other silk stufrs
are used; but where there is one
dress in any Of these materials there
are a score in taffetas. and among
sheer stuffs tulle is apparently first
favorite still. though various other thin
materials are popular. SILK nets Of
many kinds, etamine. silk wolfe. crepe
GeorEette. chiffon. grenadine-all these
are much used. and laces. particularly
the fine black laces. are lavishly used.
These black laces figure %conspicm.
ously-in every collection Of imported
dresses, particularly In connection with
UpItNo md ,,.t.f't. .e.t. .,-l ..~.n
exceedingly charming models on this
order have been sent over by various
French houses. Agnes. in particular.
has supplied some delightfully."- wear.
able and attractive things in white
and silver and back lace. Drecoll has
lone soine admirable THINGS in the
same genre. though this house has
u rather to black relieved by white
lace. and Bulloz has handled black lace
skilfully in combination with metal
and color.
To relieve the sombreness Of black
lace hounCcs "A ruchinp or scant frill-
ing of narrow ribbon in metal or
color is sometimes applied to the lace.
running straight along above the edge
Or possibly applied in fcstoons caught
~ h'fy ''NNfFs " tsiNS
of ribbon. too. may bc p~unctuated by
sma1 flowers or n~osegays.
II the mesh e the black lace Is fine
enough such ribbon and flower trim
mings are often placed beneath the lace
n6unce or drapcry rather than upon Il,
and throughout all the field of evening
models one finds much of this vciled
flower and riboon trimming. Embroid.
cries In metal. too. are frequently APP
piled to an ulderskirt. while the outer
frock OF tulie or lace is unframed,
and So many arc the understands In
some of the models thai there is ainpl4
opportunity for grddltion in lightly
n heavily yelled dashes OF color.
Oh. the amount Of materia! thai
goes into some Of thos" tilmy. youthful
looking frocks of tulle. The woman
who buys thirty yards Of material for
the outer layer OF her evening frock
and then provides a layer OF chiffon
and another layer of metallic gauze
and some sort of foundation drops-alI
full n floating --sighs for the good
old days when four yards of charmeuse
draped n rather too ~swathingly
for modishncss. ana the only way
she a economiZe upon the
AMOUNT of material used is 10 abardoa
thin stuffs. There is literally no way
Of making IA frock of tullc or other
sheer material truly chic without using
the stuff prodigaliy and giving it a,
least two foundation layers.
II you are not prepared to do this
make your evening dress Of tsffeta
-, -x,n .,l-r ri,ls chat utI' HnlA ~
bouffant lines without too much added
%stirening. The six frock will not look
so cool. So airy. so cleverly %icgenuOus
u 1t will stand harder usage and i,
will cost less. and II wei. made II will
be Immensely chic.
II the silk Is OF good quality the
silk frock will also be expensive. Al
silks are high priced this year. and
sad to relate, are steadily mounting In
prico. How can things he otherwise
when the demand is far greater than
usual and the supply far smaller
Manufacturers Of ready to wear gar
mcnt arc having their. sleepless
nights because OF this situation
Drcssmakers. too: but the dress
makers can calmly. dictate the amount
Of material II customer must have
tell her the price of the material AMI
await developments. The manufac'
turer. OIL the other hand has educated
his public to cheap prices, is cxpecte,
TO supply desirable frocks at sucl
prices. and wien quantity and cost Of
material both soar appallingly It Is
hard to make an $3.50 frock take or
the lure 1t once had.
Everywhere one learns the same
story. A manufacturer Of tub sill
bluuees, who does an enormous trade
Wal all but weeping the other day a!
he turned away orders.
II want 5000 yards Of crepe III
chine to-day-at once, must have
IT,. And ! can't get one yard at whole
sale. Not one yard"
All of which has nothing to do Will
our evening frocis save az It points
the prevailing moral. Your trul,
smart evening frock will cost yo'
more than usual this season, madam
and II the Cassandras fOrctell trutl
1t II likely TO cost you still more in tn
autumn.
However, sufficient unto the seaso,
Is the grief II not the silk thereof
and, II evening frocks, both In u
and skirt length, come high they a
least offer considerable charm by wa!
Of compensation.
Probably II is because we hav'
grown used TO the outlines Of thr
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