The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-18
SOCIE FIFTY
New Ideas Shown In Smart Costumes Of
 Capital Leaders
By MARGARET WADE

WASHINGTON, D. C., Nov. 17.-The President and Mrs. Coolidge emerged from their seclusion on Monday night, when they attended the premier of Dringwater's new play, Robert E. Lee.
 Mrs. Coolidge has from time to time gone to symphony concert or re- cital-usually at the National theatre, which has enjoyed the favor of the official world for more than half century, but thus far the Presidents public appearances have been limited to two official occasions at Alexandria and Arlington, respectively.
 Mrs. Coolidge is also observing a ecutive and his wife are afftcionately called by their earlier friends, have never been ay-goers-hence the qualification of the promoters. of the great southern production in having secured these distinguished first nighters for the performance of Mon- day.
 Mrs. oolidge is also observing a day at home although not exactly in the sense Washington has long under stood that term. Saturday is the day, with some 30 or 40 visitors received between and o'clock, said visitors all coming by invitation or by ap- pointment This distinction in White House visiting should always be ob- served. The visitors by appointment were inaugurated by the late ad- ministration and regulated by hard and fast schedule that many persons believe was one of the first causes of the break in the health of Mrs. Warren G. Harding.
 Mrs. Coolidges Saturday afternoons are an opportunity for her friends of past years as well as for distin- guished visitors to pay their respects to the new first lady. These visitors orn lfr1o o~f1 ixa room, which has rarely been used for this purpose, but which was really the first drawing room of the White House finished and furnished, while the great East room was serving as 9 place to hang the family wash for the Adams, and the Blue room wait ing decoration that made it the finest of all the state apartments.
 Mrs. Coolidge on these afternoons receives alone with some friend or possibly her secretary to pour tea.
 A favorite afternoon gown with Mrs. Coolidge is a French blue crepe or voiIe in heavy weave, which is made in the prevailing straight line with a panel effect of heavy em- brodery in white silk. The neck is round. lower in front than in back, but still a rather high neck, with the well covered shoulders and long, graceful sleeves that would flow to the floor if not held by narrow bands about the wrist.
 WE'LL DEFINED STANDARDS
 Several significant signs in fash ionland indicate that we are return ing to well defined standards of of dress and of manners for young and old, condition completely dis arranged during the war and very slow to right itself. Velvets and brocades, rich laces and jewels are all for the dowagers of the social elect-or at least for the young ma- tron with the debutante and her elder sister returning to soft satins in a whole range of new tones, tulles, spangled or plain, and the never out-of-fashion white chiffon or crepe. One hears occasionally of some girl who has ordered her de- butante frock of brocade or even vel vet-but time will show that the best gowned buds are keeping to white for their first formal appear ance in the world of society which is spelled with capital letters.
 As the first debutante receptions are set for Thanksgiving Day-these future bellies are confining them selves to sports clothes or an occa- sional afternoon frock worn to a matinee or informal small tea.
 .it In the matter of street clothes, the long coat, the small hat and the skirt quite eight inches off the ground are all established fashions. There is also a new coat of a heavy soft cloth that several smart women are spon- soring for motoring rather than the long fur coat of former years.
 Mrs Montgomery Blair, who is still counted among the young married women, although she is presenting her fourth daughter to society, IS wearing an ultra smart coat of this kind in stripes of gray the lines being very faint and the garment when viewed across the lobby of the theatre or club having the same tone as the deep collar and cuffs of gray fur. Mrs. Blair tops this with a round hat of black felt, untrimmed except for a narrow ribbon band at the base of the scrown and soft roll of fur on the edge of the slightly droop brm.
 Mme. Hange, always one of the best gowned women of the capital just back from Paris, is wearing a long coat of black cloth that comes to the hem of her gown and has as it's finish a seven-inch band of black fox. Coat and skirt are eight inches from the ground with the coat fin ished in collar and cuffs of the same black fur. Her hat is high black satin tufban with flat pointed orna- ment of silver across the front.
 SMART BROWN SUIT
 Miss Belle Sherwin of Cleveland, on a recent visit wore a smart brown suit in one of the new cloth weaves .-L;ol, orc dull fipish and vary soft