New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-24

neaVlneSS
by dead white chiffon. These two materials
divide all the honors. Taffeta has its claim
ants, but artistic women know that the stiff
ness of this fabric does not lend itself easily
to the various ways in which wedding gown
is made.
Crepe de Chine is the third choice. We have
remarkably good weaves Of it this summer,
and the fiat pleating, the loose girdling and
the attenuated droop Of the hem can be got
through crepe do Chine as we'll as satin.
Once upon q time ultra-fashionable folk
thought that it was high time to adopt some
of the primitive methods concerning wedding
gowns. They introduced sea green, pale
blue and rose pink into the white draperies.
They borrowed from the peasantry of other
countries the glittering gold and silver en-
broideries. They flched from the Italian
days of Catherine de Medci the metallic It's
sues and soft and brilliant tinsels, and they
borrowed from Russia tho massive laces and
deep toned white and cream velvets.
Not content with this, they had subtly
woven lace gowns, the patterns Of which had
been originated for royalty. Doucet once
made an entire lace frock dropped over ivory
young girl in Washington.
A thousand dollars was paid for court
trains of subty woven lace, which were caught
on the shoulders with diamond ornaments and
held out at their extreme length by tiny
pages in white satin and Louis XIV hats.
The daughter Of great banker paid $4,000
for wedding gown Of old Italian tissue,
woven with crystals and embroidered in silver
threads, with deep tunic of old French lace
that had once belonged to royalty.
The Rising Tide
of Prices
These gowns were worn at time when
such prices were considered monstrous, and
that was only few years ago. The war
has pitched the price of women's apparel up
to the skies, and when a dancer pays 5000
for fragile frock of tulle, and an actress
pays S400 for coat suit to wear in the
second act of a new play, and moving-pcture
idol pays $500 for an evening gown to flicker
over a film, then the public can get some faint
idea of how the level of prices has risen.
For the last three years this extravagant
idea of wedding finery has passed out 1t is
family possible that the war may have some
thing to do with this condition, but probably
not.
The actual reason for the Discrimination Of
women to use colors is that they prefer white
for the wedding day. 1t is tradition that
dies hard and may never die.
No bride of to-day will consider an ex-
travagant wedding gown. She may pay
reasonably high price for it at a good dress
makers, but there will be nc lavish display
Of lace founces, metal underskirts, jewelled
court trains or gorgeous girdles.
The Russian influence is still being strong
" felt in all wedding costumery, but it is
content in expressing itself through the head
dress. Every bride has looked for something
new in the way of headgear. She has ex-
perimented with all manner Of crowns. from
the coronet of countess 70 4 copy Of the
royal crowns that are sufficiently obsolete to
be placed in British museums.
The rather splendid headdress Of the Rus
sian, which is used for court cereronas by
royalty, as we'll as the folk of the middle class