The Topeka state journal., 1919-10-25
Fashion Letter
Written for The
Topeka State Journal
BY
MARGARET ROHE
MARGARET RoHE

The dear dead ladies of the past
Seemed resurrected now at last
Parading down the Avenue;
Or at the restaurants view,
You see Marie de Medici
Or Queen of Sheba and maybe
Fair Beatrice by Dante sung
And Pauls Virginia pure among
That dashing dame La Pompadour,
OF course it's just the way they're dressed
From every age we've picked the best
From peasant plaything, slave and queen,
To make the mode nineteen nineteen.
New York. Oct. 25.-It's n bit of a
shock just at first to glimpse a me-
dieval maid and a mid Victorian
charmer having tea together at the
Ritz or a Ruma nian peasant girl stroll
ing down Fifth avenue arm in arm
with a pagan princess. But you're
bound soon to get used to these little
discrepancies in rank and periods.
As a brfdger of years and a leveler
of rank Fashion has no equal. Such
conglomeration of fashions from all
climes, ranks and ages make up the
latest model modes for 1919-1920 that
you pays youf money and you takes
your choice" according to your fancy
and your figure or perhaps their fig
ure when it comes to a decision.
1t would seem that there is to be
fight to a finish whether the slim
straight lines of the past few years
are to win out or the round bodiced
bouffant hip creations that are strug
Cling so hard to make over our sill
houettes. The straight, narrow lines
just stubbornly refuse to be ousted and
for day wear the plain chise frocks
are quite as ubiquitous as the pam
niered bodiced ones. For evening, al
tho the airy insouciance of the hoop
skirt is the newest note. still the
swathing straight hung lines remin-
iscent of the Italian renaissance
glorified in gold and silver brocade
cling to fashion and the form divine.
About the only point of unanimity
between these warning factions of
what's to be what in the modish out
line is embroidery. You find it al
ways and all ways on every smart
gown, suit, wrap or blouse. Russian
and Rumanian peasant embroideries
in brillient hued woods, gold and sill
yer from the Orient-it matters not a
whit what kind or color just so there
is some of it somewhere about you
Bead embroideries are a bit paSse eX-
cept on the evening gowns and then
all over solid masses of iridescent
globules make up the entire gown
rather than a mere garnishment of
beaded motifs.
Entire gowns OF glistening black or
gold pailletes sheath the wearer so
frugally that you shudder to think of
the consequences should a spangle or
two drop off.
Lovely pompadous silk and change
able taffetas in pale shades turn you
into a Neritable Dolly Warden with
puffed panniers and flower garlanded
underskirt or a demure Victorian
damsel with lace trimmed fichu,
pointed boned bodice and raveled
ruchings. The hoop skirt models are
developed mostly in lace, garlanded
with ribbons, fur or flowers over un-
derslips of metal cloth in cleaning
gold and silver. In gold or silver lace
these bouffant creations are exquisite
and in the black cobwebs of Chan
tilly she is a pretty poor little spider
that can't entangle many hearts this
season.
There are so many ravishingly
feminine accessories to make up your
costume these days too. The quaint
little clusters of false curls that the
milliners are sewing in our broad
brimmed hats to bob seductively over
each ear which are already adrip
with large and ornate pendant ear
rings turn you indeed into an old
time "hairoine.' ColorfuI and bar
barrie necklaces of beads and scarves
of lace and gauze and fur add to the
shoulders burden and odd and orig
inal rings and bracelets, lace mitts
bags of beads, embroidery or metallic
brocade furnish an arm and handful
and startling new belts and girdles of
metal embroidery or any old odds and
ends lets everything go to waist. With
such headful and so much on hand
you wonder how the fair frail feTni-
nine can hope to have any headroom
left for politics or a free finger left
to stick in the ballot box, but I'll say
she does.