Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-12
SIMPLICITY OF LINES
SHOWN IN new GOWNS
Blending of Color is Another
Achievement Of Designers IN
Women's Apparel.
<;cr,rudc I,cimbach IN Baltimore sun.


When Weber and Fields Joined for
times again and endeavored to gather
the old troupe together once more Tor
their first appearance, Lillian Russell
visited the, ,dressmaker and said she had
been 'commandeered" to appear with
the "old gang -,
'Tm a human clothes rack, said the
peerless one. "My voice is gone. Now
Lillian Russell mel
Those who remember her appearance
at that time still speak with bated breath
of the gorgeous gowns which she wore.
The woman designer, who can Lillian
Russell" the average woman, has become
n fixed part of the clothesmaking indus
trv. Lady Duff-Gordon, New Workers
will tell YOU, has done more toward making
a fine art of dress than most people realize,
and in her steps have followed score of
clever women to whose inherent good
taste and knowledge of the defects of their
sox. if YOU please, must be credited tho
artistic note which prevails IN the spring
modes.
When | asked Mrs. Valera Meyers,
fashion publicity manager OF one OF the
departmentized speciality shops on Fifth
avenue, why it WAS that womens gar
ments were so beautiful, IN the lace oi
an increasing simplicity and tendency
Mrs. Meyers said:
at is due entirely to the advent OF
the woman designer. The great majority
of pretty things which you see IN New
Nork today have been woman s work.
The bizarre il is always a sure bet, has
been the work of the male designer.
Take an afternoon dress, for example,
which | saw among the garments being
made for Norma Talmadge. who Is get
ting ready for trip to Cuba. IL was
in the main quite simple; ITS rare beauty
was due largely to the use OF real lace
which formed a bolero effect IN the
bodice and an apron effect IN the SKIRT.
The lace was selected by Miss Talmadge
herself and its placing dictated by her.
The lace alone cost $3.50. 1t was not Its
price. however, but the clever manner in
which the lace was handled, which made
the simple dress so marvolously stun
ming.
In the use OF colors, too, the woman
designer has done surprising things.
There is never any "hatness" about the
soft, neutral tints, which abound for
spring wear; always a striking, but not
startling, contrast Is achieved with the
addition of lighter or darker tones of
the same shade, or. equally soft shades
in opposite colors.
IT
the foremost fashionable spring dresses.
Practically all of them have been pro
duced by the woman designer IN odd
shades. such as apricot, nile or orchid
One such model, following the lines OF
the modified barrel outline which rs the
prevailing silhouette, had only q real
lace scarf TO give 1t finishing decorative
touch. Another had tiny buttons at the
t,ottom, in contrasting shade, TO give 1t I
distinctive finish.
Another stunning dress OF lowered !
,Seorgette crepe in tangerine had Its ef
icctiveness enhanced by loops of deep
blue running down the sides OF the skirt
from hips to hem
On a particularly attractive model of
The Fan-ta-sie cloth, which makes up so
.hic In one piece dresses, there were
white organdy cuffs, sash and band
which looked very dainty against the
rose color of the model itself A hand
embroidered silk Canton crepe model had
j,rst a little touch Of color IN the plated
yirdIe which frightened up the entire
costume to an immeasurabie degree.
While fewer foulards were seen than
usual at this season. they were more !
than attractive Black and white and !
blue and white were not as much IN evi- /
tience as In previous seasons, as there /
design. One very simple dress, with q /
closely printed design ID blue, red and |
white, had an oblong opening In the /
front extending from throat TO knee and |
Round In contrasting shade OF blue. In |
another foulard dress OF blue and white /
this deep opening also extended from /
the neck to the knees ended In q wide |
accordion pieated fiounce Of blue chiffon.
Drop stitched tricolettes In staple dark
shades of black, blue and Others are much
In evidence In the showing for spring
They continue TO conform to the figure
and frequently have crepe and wolfe
combined with them TO give them a new
and dressy touch.
Tricolette is also seen in the pastel
shades dress of pale pink drop stitched |
tricoIette having frills of embroidered
pink batiste running down the bodice,
which opens on one side, and around the
top OF each sleeve.
When skilfully handled, there is prob
ably no dress more dainty than that Of
spotless white Some. of the white trocks
while others have q touch of brilliant
trimming such as red or blue and some
times both Girdles of leather flowers, or
other decorative motifs in leather, are
frequently noted and invariably pleasing.
There are dresses OF white tussor and
white crepe also OrDamenteG WITH q touch
of brilliant color, and one white satin
dress was made with long sleeveless
tunic of coarse mesh fiiet net, run with
ribbon. while in the corners were en-
broidered flowers, forming large, SOLID
As a plentitude OF summery frocks is
Indispensable to the Palm Beach ward
robe, one sees great many of these thin
dresses ut the early showlngs. While
organdy, cotton crepe, handkerchief
linen, ginghams, and the well-known
Rodier cottons are much In evidence,
Dame Fashion is whispering that it will
be dotted swiss season. One of the
prettiest wash frocks in this material
was made OF navy, dotted with red. The
overblouse OF white organdy was piped
and stitched in red, and smart loose
iather belt completed this girlish dress
White dotted swiss will absolutely pre-
inmate, II IS whispered further by Dame
3lion that organdies will be next In
9r, and linens combined with voile
also be much in evidence.
me must not forget TO mention dresses
ie OF the new thistledew fabric, which
eng featured for sports coats as well.
loose, irregulariy woven silk mate
reminding one of the ratine which was
popular few years ago. 1t predomina-
lates IN rich and lovely colors, is adapta-
lie both for drawnwork and hemstitching