The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-18

MAflNIAtlEl A.sON.
l(Written for the Topeka state Journall
Mark! Mark! In war times dark
The fashions are coming to town
None in rags, none in tags,
But all in velvet gowns.
New York. Aug. 1s.-In spite of
committees and boards aid common
sense and patriotism and all that fash
! ions for fall don't seem to let up in
their orgy of ornateness. Velvet, that
/ fabric of rich and rare and royal: is
the favored material for suits, separ-
! ate coats and wraps. evcr.ng gowns,
| afternoon toilettes and ABOVE every
thing hats, Gaping a velvety climax.
| Already coming velvets cast their
| shadows above and many fashionable
feather brains are abroiling under
| August suns and hats of velvet Black
velvet tams, draped turbans of vivid
| cerise, emerald green or royal pur-
| pie velvet, usually adorned with
/ silken tassel, and large broad brimmed
velvet shapes in black, wire or purple
are the most ubiquitous. Straws
no longer show which way the fash
ionable whims go-its the velvet lid
| that's on.
No Dye Shortage Apparent.
As for the gowns ana suits and
| wraps of velvet the advance models
in the way of beauty to offer as an
! extenuation of their flying in the
face of conservation and economy in
war times. Dye shortage seems to
have no power to dim the gorgeous
| hues, nor the divergence of facile fin
gers to knitting, bandage rolling,
canning, gardening AMI munition
making to have lessenel the hand
embroidery with which they are
adorned.
Smart and cunning little trotteur
suits have short box coats of velvet.
! preferably black. and short rather
tight plain skirts either of the same
! or of check, striped or plaid serge.
| White satin waistcoats outtoned up
high and mannishly complete a de-
cidedly swagger outfit. Now that all
our best boys are in khaki it adds a
bit of relief to see our best girls in
such erstwflile masculine toggery.
Varied CoIors Predominant.
The wonderful and colorful velvet
! evening wraps of last season will
again enswathe your shoulders this
| year, cOllared and cuffed deep in fur
and lined in exotically hued satins.
Loose separate street coats with fur
collars, cuffs and deep fur bands
around their hens in the more SOM
Der tones of gun metal, black, tete de
nigre, Russian green and navy will
vie with the garments of all fur.
Even in negligees and tea gowns
velvet will play its regal part and loose
NANTES of pastel tinted velvet over
inner TOpeS OIL IlOunCeQ lace Will
brighten many a hearth and home.
Long loose Turkish coats of velvets in
Oriental co1ors, caught in with cords
and tassels of silver or gold and worn
with full Turkish trousers of black
satin will keep many tired business
man at home nights.
Metal Embroidery Latest.
Cleans of metallic embroidery are
again Tightening up the sartorial out
look and metallic laces and materials
of all sorts are to be used in conjunc-
ton with the velvets. Velvet suits
broidery, ornaments and. buttons and
the afternoon froeks show pockets,
yokes and cuffs picked out with sill
yer threads among the gold.
The more formal evening Gowns
have ankle length skirts of velvet with
of velvet may be allowed up a short
way on one side of the bodice but
ordinarily the realm of the velvet
seems to lie below the waist while the
bodice, altho there hardly seems
enough of 1t to warrant a regular
name, is of gold or silver lace or
metallic net. Cascades of tht. wide
metallic lace or flounces of it often
form the ankle length skirt entirely
50 that only an overdrape and the in
evitable train are of the lustrous vel
vet.
Munitions and Fashions
1t is said that the manufacturers
of metallic fabrics and ornaments have
been forced to seek the scrap heaps
of the munition plants for the bits of
metal scrapings and filings of the big
shells for the where with all to sup
ply the Unsuitable demands of Fashion.
There's more than one way of going
to the 'front.'" philosophically cogitates
bit of brass filing that has come
off of a shell en- route to somewhere
in France as it is picked up from the
scrap heap and converted into part of
gold lace apron for the front of
debutante's dancing frock. 1t is
hardly a comfortable thought tho
that sister particles of those cleaning
in the meshes of golden lace that COW
er Beauty's satiny flesh at the ball
may be cleaning in fragments at
Bravery's tortured, torn and bloody
flesh at the battle.
At any rate there is also comfort
ing thought as well which goes with
this close metallurgic bond between
munitions and fashions. The same
stuff that shells and laces are made
of will make both Beauty's and Bray
: ery's conquests complete and victor
. iouS.