The New York herald., 1920-01-18

There is really little that Is new in the
shape Of the hat itself. but the novelties
are in the wells and the various tricks that
are used m making them appear unique.
The ''Reveillon" parties outdid them
selves in the way of fashion displays. The
old days of Christmas parties at the Cafe
de Paris were recalled, when everybody
wore their festive spirits both within and
without. The chic thing to do was to go
to the opera for the early part of the eve
ming to see the Inauguration of the Ballets
Russes, and then the feters scattered tc
the dancing halls and Claridges and the
Ritz.
The elegance Of the audience at the
opera was absolutely staggering and 1t
would require more than the brush of n
master painter to describe the marvellous
picture it presented. The gowns of metal
cloth, combined with the richest of colors
in their panniers and the wonderful ORR
ental and paradised head dresses, empha
sized the splendor Of the entertainment
There has probably never been any thing
like it in the whole history of the opera
It was interesting to note as a fashion
a
the audience who did not carry a huge
feathered fan that made the place a per-
pect blaze OF color. The ostrich fans have
been so popular for the last year that
desperate effort has been made to launch
the lace fans. but they are not nearly so
picturesque. so the effort has been a dis
NAL failure. The fans made Of rare old
OF fans. but the plumed lans set the pan
niered dresses off to such an extent that
there Is little danger of their meeting dis
aster before there is a change from the
present picturesque type of dress. The
plumed fans are made In such wonderful
coiors that they can be carried with the
most ordinary dress and make It appear
most fashionable. And they are especially
picturesque at the opera The marvellous
display of jewels likewise added to the
scene. The rich old days of the eighteenth
century sank into insignificance as COM
pared 20 the days Of this first peace Christ
mas. All of the old family Jewels Of the
formerly rich families of France were
there on new owners. for there has been
the war; Many OF them look entirely out
OF place on their new owners. who have not
yet had time to become accustomed to
their new riches. but that fact does not
detract from the quality OF the jewels. ]
noticed one fair creature wearing head
band made OF a diamond necklace and
hanging from II was a pear-shaped dia-
mond that was truly the size Of a small
one of the fruit itself dangling over the
forehead She wore another diamond neck
lace in its proper place, with four strings
of pearls that hung down both her back
and front. 1t was said that these Jewels
formerly belonged to some of the Grand
Duchesses of Russia. There were also
sable coats that had once warmed some
Of the Russian royal family to be seen in
the possession OF the nouveau rich. And
there were not two or three of such neck
laces and coats, but hundreds. until one
could hear more than one remark. And
this is poor starving France"
The "Reveillon" celebration al Claridges
was no less startling in its elegance than
was the opera More than two thousand
guests sat down to supper and the marvel
lous costumes were the topic Of conversa-
ton. The scene was so elegant that it
was almost alarming. The high prices
counted for nothing. There were not six
tables in the entire picture that did not
mean a thousand francs and many of them
were five or six times that amount There
were six at the table where l was guest
and the bill was something over thirteen
hundred francs, with four bottles Of cham
pagne at sixty francs . bottle.
The costume that was attracting un-
limited attention was one OF gold cloth
brocade. with big lunches Of fruit designed
in ~ In the brilliant italian colors. Eruclcs
OF srcen tuile with just tiny peep Of very
fine gold ace hung from the waistline az
intervals. The decollete was low enough,
but not dissustingly 10. II was one Of the
few frocks without hoops In the panniers,