Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-08

nj never goes to the coast de-
clare that bathing suits are
4 without interest.
They are too closely allied
with street and evening costumes.
They represent the ingenuity Of the
dressmaker, and they follow, II they
DO not lead, the eccentricities and
caprices Of expensive clothes for for
NAL usage.
There are beaches and bathing
houses where the average suit is stin
offered and worn, but where the mass
10 most thickly congested, there one
can see Haunting eccentricities.
The whole idea began at Palm
Beach, which Is exclusive and Is used
rs an experiment station for clothes,
but the costumes Haunted there have
not remained exclusive; they are worn
by the girl from the middle west who
has never seen Florida, and by the girl
from Canada who has come to an
American resort for her first fling at
the sea-
The beaches this summer will be as
lavishly dotted with these gay crea-
tons as a jungle forest with native
birds. While there seems to be moth
ing too capricious or too mad to be
called bathing suit, the reporter and
the public must acknowledge that all
the first features appropriated by
these beach suits are borrowed from
street clothes. Therein lies their ex-
ceeding interest.
1t would have provoked laughter at
any other season to have advised a
woman to copy her street frock from
her bathing suit Between the two
there was q great gulf fixed.
America has grown more slowly out
Of her hideous bathing suits than has
Europe. The one-piece trunk suit was
frst worn In Italy on the public
, beaches Of the Adriatic, then found its
way to Deauville on the Normandy
coast, but did not creep across the
channel for British prudery still rules.
1t has never been permitted on Amsri-
can beaches to which the public Is ad-
mitted.
Possibly the Anglo-Saxon disregard
Of 1t and the Latin acceptance of ID
rest on the fact that the brilliant bath
robe Is considered Indispensable by one
people and - not used by the other.
The French and Italians made much
Of the gorgeous wraps that are kept
ever their abbreviated costumes on the
beach and to the very edge Of the
water. Even the American wearing q
modest suit is surprised, In Europe. at
being told that the hath wrapper must
b worn until one gets into the water.
- ~
French and Italian temperament
Mkes this theatrical touch on the beach
and does 1t we'll They hike the maid
who goes to the waters edge. receives
the brilliant wrap. disclosing the figure
IN it's attenuated gorgeous suit fol-
lewsd by the plunge into the water.
This il the method that has super
seeded the tiny bathing houses on
wheels, drawn by huge white Per-
cheron horses. to the proper depth for
swimming. where the gayly chad occu-
pant stepped out and Owed.
The newer way over there Is dra-
matte, OF course. because on those
basehee bathing Is made brilliant
ceremonial but one misses the pic
lures Of the older and more lab0rious
method getting into the water.
1t may be that. II We generally adopt
the splendid hath cape In this country.
We will wear even moro Abbreviated
suits than we do this season. but there
IL no one who can say that occurrences
and sobriety are qualities Of the pres
ent costume.
1t il not to Be expected that all
Americans Will follow the beach COS
tume worn by q daring dancer Of the
stage, who parAded the sands without
her peignoir. clad In her dark Bur
gundy trunk suit which was held over
the shoulders by two threads Of the
material, topped by q superb hat OF
black satin and paradise, q string
Of pearls. pendant pearl earrings, the
hair deliberately waved. and an I'M
mense Chinese umbrella held over the
shoulders!
This was beach suit de luxe. 1t is
a wonder that the stage has not
adopted It for the chorus.
Even Palm Beach had Its shocks this
season. which Is saying good deal.
for after running the gauntlet OF Palm
Beach life one has a strong impression
that 1t could say. with Mark Twain's
chorus girl, II can blush, II I could
only see something that would make
me blush"
The woman at Palm Beach who wore
n minaref hathiytv costume did not