The New York herald., 1920-12-26

children and their immediate successors,
the schoolgirls. Babies of four years
old wear violet, girls of eight years old
wear mauve therefore it is to be ex-
pected that the girl of sixteen accepts
the verdict of the nursery. She is yet
too young to think of middle age. And
she scorns the idea that anything in
wearing apparel can be kept from her
grasp. She now wears black as a mat
ter of course. not only on the street but
in the evening. Mrs Wharton In her
age of Innocence" reminds US how
New York society Of the 70's was agAast
at the unwarranted social act of
young girl wearing a black satin even
ing gown a. her debut ball. This might
cause a ripple of gossip to-day from the
older conservatives, but the younger set
would give vent TO their beloved ex-
preston: SAY. that's great" Maybe
they might use that brand new affecta-
tion which is floating out of the
mouths with a slight drawl: How
perfectly piquant." This Is the newest
lisp of the most sophisticated crowd.
They Grasp mt Everything.
Now that there is no limitation to. the
colors that a school girl can wear, she
insists upon all those things that were
ffnCG0
her methods of being perfectly piquant
Two years ago she would have rejected
gray, mauve. black. because her mother
and grandmother wore them. To-day
she grasps at T. sn TO show how much
better she can appear IN such neutrality
Probably that is giving her credit for
bit OF uncharitableness she does not pos
sess. She merely wants to make the en-
tire world hers, therefore she flaunts
forbidden fruit with the air Of an unDun-
ished Eve.
Gray looks very we'll on the school girl.
II should be adopted by florid women,
by large women uy women with red
hair, by women who look vivid. This Is
a truth that II would be well to spread
broadcast. The reason the young girl
looks so attractive in gray Is that she
has this quality of vividness as rule.
she wears black as a BIT of artistry.
One might add that II she were sallow
and her hair lacked lustre she should
avoid black; but alas and alack the
school girl does not need 10 be told how
TO change her complexion into one that
is vivid.
But where the young girl swings into
true briliancy Is in the wearing OF
Chinese reds. Of Egyptian greens. Of
Directoire yellow. Red frocks for the
etreet. red coa-s. red evening gowns in
tulle and taffcta, IN satin and even
velvet, though she should not wear this
fabric. make her holidays glow like a
Christmas tree. IL is the appropriate
color for the season; and as Il Ia in
fashion, che wears II whenever she de-
sires The henna tones are good but
commonplace and Il Is wiser for her to
select the gorgeous lacquer reds. She
can combine them with gold or silver,
she can wear them with gray fur on the
street, and sho can wear them with
silver gray slippers and stockings at the
dance.
For the street. which includes after
noon affairs. she will wear the one
piece frock instead Of n coat suit. Thus
does fashion change. The passionate
desire of the school girl OF yesteryear
was to get Into n coat and skirt with
n fanclful blouse as soon as she changed
the school desk for tho soda water foun-
tain during the holidays. Now che con-
sidcrs the suit old fashioned She Is not
permitted TO wear the accepted princess
frocl5 with It's slight wrinklng over the
hips and the drapery lifted high at
one side. For her the chemlse robe
stlll rules
The struggle between the short and
long skirts which distresses her elders
means nothing 20 her. She wears them
short. shorter. shortest. This Is her
rght and privilege. She would not