Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22
BY ANNE RITTENHoUsE.

@RoBABLy, the lack of eccen-
III tricity in the spring apparel IS
it's distinguishing feature. TINS
q is an admirable trait in time OF
war, but France did not foresee war
with America when she designed the
Spring clothes that have been universal
~ accepted in this country.
Paris keeps its wartime clothes for
its own people and has never failed to
send to the rest of the world fresh
batch of newly invented gowns bearing
all the marks Of frivolity and extrava-
gance.
Many reasons have been given for the
i. lack of eccentricity noticeable in the
French gowns, but whatever the cause
IL is a matter of satisfaction that tne
condition exists Women are compelled
10 buy new raiment at each change OF
season, but in time of a national CRISIS
they do not think it fitting or seemiy
TO indulge in the peculiar caprices OF
dress which have marked recent eras.
1t is a common cry to say that the
existing generation is always the most
provocative of criticism We forget
what has gone before in history, in hui
mainly and in religion, as well as in
dress. There are critics who cry aloud
over a certain fashion. consider IT
monstrous and wonder what our young
women and girls are coming to that
such a fashion should be unblushingly
accepted.
They speak in excitable tones of the
respected dead and refer to our grand
mothers as women who insisted upon
dressing in q SeemlS and modest man
ner. But, just as Agnes Reppiier has
forcibly and brilliantly told of the new
women among the old women-the bril-
liant, insurgent characters that were
the pioneers of our race in Americas
some student could tell of the eXtrava-
gances caprices and indecencies in dress
which our sainted grandmothers be-
3onged and which, In their time, were
denounced by the pulpit and the press.
There were days. even in colonial
America. when women dipped their In
Gia .luslins in water in order that they
wouH cling to the figure more closely
and seveal every curve and line. There
were seasons when women went In the
streets with gowns cut low of the
shoulders and without sleeves, and
skirts excessively short to show white
stockings and low-heeled. black slip
pers. There was the ugliness of the
enormous hoop with its irregular con-
volutions.
Take. for instance, the biting criti-
ClSln lhdt mas Deen leNeIeu on women
who go about with pet animals. There
was an actress with her monkey; there
was the young girl of fashion at New
port who always carried a linnet in
cage dangling from her finger. and the
Palm Beach idea of dragging Florida
raccoon after one, an animal, by the way.
which made its appearance the other
day at smart dance in New York and
created the sensation of the hour. 1t
was the mascot of young soldier on
the Mexican border. and il was trained
to behave itself indoors as well as out.
Now. all the criticism directed against
young girls for their amazing frivolity
of mind to do such things. coupled with
the eternal reference to the dignity of
the ages past, is not founded on
knowledge.
Copley and his colleagues show
through their painted canvases that the
highest strata of English society in
their day carried squirrels attached to
jeweled bracelets and rings. and it was
considered quite the proper thing to
carry to a social function a brilliant
bird in a gilded cage.
Even as late as the period preceding
the civil war. women wore costumes
that owed their eccentricity to the
presence of stuffed animals. Old
sketches taken from that period of
dress show us gowns in which squir-