The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-10

| New York, May 10.-This is the
| coming out season for feminine backs.
| In fact it's a sort of backing out.
| The bareback queen of the circus ring
as she breaks lightly thru paper hoop
| to cantering equine back has nothing
on the bareback queen of the social
| circle, as she lightly breaks all prece-
| dent of bodice backs and doesn't give
a whoop for the conventions. For. in
| truth, the naked truth, the queen of
: fashion has nothing on herself these
| evenings-at least in the rear-above
| the belt.
Paris, of course, is back of these
backless evening gowns. Goodness
knows there isn't anything else back
of them, except perhaps a strap of
silk or a string of jet.
Gorgeous as an Oriental dream are
| the fabrics and trimmings used to
| fashion these marvellous evening cos
| tunes. They CLEAN with all-over en-
broidery of gold and silver threads,
| iridescent beads and pailettes, moth
er-of-pearl sequins or white and black
| jet. Metallic brocades and simmer
| ing satins, encrusted heavily with gold
and silver appliques. are used to cre-
ate those models which are turning
the vacillating feminine from her
straight and narrow chemise-slip lines
into Vatican Marquise. with puffs
over the hips, flamboyant fullness of
| skirts, well defined waistline and
yet withall well defined lack of back.
| The all-over sequined and pearl
beaded gowns still follow the straight
chemise effects and lack sleeves. as
well as rear bodices. The former def
icit is often made up by flowing
| lengths of tulle that float from gilt
tering shoulder straps and. weighted
with beaded tassels. swing and pulsate
at every move. What the back of the
| gown lacks above the belt is usually
made up by g trailing bit of train, that
swishes its cleaning length behind,
below the hem.
A shimmering little straight slip of
a gown of silver gauze, hung over
with splashing cascade of cleaning
4 dew-drop beads of crystal, shows a de-
corous bodice to the fore that comes
up so high as almost to have its wear
| err by the throat. Alas, she barely
turns her back to cold world, how
| for two twisted ropes of the silver
gauze that glide, shimmering, over
each shoulder and cling desperately to
a shred of sequined girdle for a rear
support. The turning of a cold Shout
der on a persistent swain these eve
nings is almost too literal to be pleas
ant to the turnee, for a May breeze
| is apt to be a bit chilly on a wholly
unprotected surface of bare skin.
decidedly daring and barring little
/ dance frock of black chantilly lace
and chiffon has a bodice composed
| solely of two equally wide bands of
the chantilly. that pass from the high
| corsage girdle of chiffon in front,
over the shoulders to the low girdle
behind and have nothing between
| bands but cleaning flesh tints, au
naturelle, except for tiny strand of
jet across the shoulder, blades, that
holds the lacy straps in place. The
skirt is short. fluffy and just one ruffle
of lace and chiffon after another.
| while a glittering rope of jet wrapped
| around the waist, falls to the knees
| in front and swings and sways.
Tho the up-to-date charmer scorns
! to cover her back, she has taken to
| covering her head and with her ORR
entail evening gowns she now swathes
| her coiffure with metallic gauze, Sc
| quined chiffon or brilliant satin
lengths in contrast to her gown. This
| fashion is sure to be an awful blow to
| the hair dresser
But to get back to back, these new
! est backless evening gowns at least
make it perfectly obvious why you
| can't refer to a damsers skin behind
her back, as hide.