The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-09-01
THEY DON'T WORRY ABOUT CLOTHES
Society Women Really Make
Little Fuss Over Their
WardrCbes
Actresses and the "Newly
Rich" Are the Ones That
Get Excited
~ BETSY SCHUYLER

is trying to get into society! :
She is more sure Of herself, usual
ly, and feels less dependent upon the
impression she is going to make with
her clothes. Some Of the older-gen-
Grafton society dowagers even ,ake
certain pleasure IN defyins the
modes, and following the Queen Mary
style Of dressing. but the average
society woman today is we'll dressed
and conservatively dressed.
The society woman's year is SO
arranged that she buys clothes hut
about three times year-a summer
wardrobe, one for winter in the north
and one for winter resort. For
that reason the smartest shops in
New York are practically idles in
July, August, and the early part Of
Septe mber. They seem absolutely
deserted, and have practically moth
ing new in the way Of models or
millinery.
Society women wear their costumes
right through the season and don't
seem to mind how often they are
seen in the same costume, or how
many duplicates of it appear.
They duplicate their own gowns
very frequently. One prominent So
ciety matron OF my acquaintance has
her dresses made up IN half dozen
lots from the same model, which she
inevitably buys in Paris. One even
ing she will appear in a white frock,
and next in its duplicate in blue.
In other words, she aims for dis
tinction rather than novelty. But
she is very careful Of the model she
chooses, and she has it modified un-
til it is her exclusive property. She
does the same with hats;
The New York society woman aims
always for distinction rather than
novelty. She lets the theatrical folk
try out the fads and fly-by-night
styles.
There was time when prominent
leaders Of society did not wear the
same frock more than two or three
times during the season for fear of
being identified with it. Today, no
| one appears to mind this in the least.
You see the same gowns on the same
| women time after time, and they bob
up the second season too without a
change. This is trick they have
learned buying their clothes in Paris.
When Americans first shop in
Paris they are surprised to see that
the most exclusive couturiers in
| Paris show the same models two or
| even three seasons. Parisians see
nothing strange i'm this, for they
reason that Il beautiful gown, like
any work of art, deserves to live.
They are not looking for novelties
so much as for beauty--except for
the Americans. They will create
sensations for us as long as we are
so willing to spend our good money
as riotously for them as we are now.
| But the New York society woman
buys like French woman, and is
acquiring much of her independence
in the matter Of clothes.
| The summer has brought out moth
ing new in the way of clothes. The
smart folk Of Newport, Southampton
and Saratoga are all wearing the
jumper sport frock and the straight
| front style that has prevailed all
summer. There will be nothing new
until the smart set returns to New
| York late in September, and by that
time the French creations will all
be on view at the New York shops.
| At the Newport dog show saw
Mrs. Waterbury Morris and her
| debutante daughter, Patsy. Mrs.
Morris has not been active socially
since her divorce from the novelist,
Gouverneur Morris, but she has been
busy otherwise.
She was one of the first New York
| society women to 60 into business,
and to announce quite frankly that
she did it for the money rather than
from any noble impulse to uplift
commerce. She was connected with
very Ritzy beauty shop which she
| has since left, and ! would not be
| surprised to hear she had undertake
en- some new enterprise very soon.
Unlike many society folk, she did
not lend her name and not her pre-
sence. She had regular hours at the
shop and a little balcony Office de-
corated in Chinese fashion with lots
of red LACQUER and black carvings,
and was always available for con-
sultation and advice on beauty.
Mrs. Morris is one of the polo
playing Waterburys, an expert horse.
woman, and very smartiy gowned
woman, never more attractive, &C
cording to my judgment, than when
she wears bright red. Her black
hair is always faultlessly marcelled
and brushed back to show her wi
dow's peak.
At the dog show she wore II jump
er costume Of Chinese damask. Her
daughter wore white crepe de chine
with a white wool cape and white
felt hat.
Debutantes are fcnd of white
wraps this season. saw Virginia
Thaw, daughter of w. X. Thaw, 3rd,
wearing a white polo coat with
collar of fluffy fur that was very
youthful and snappy.
White chiffon and satin frocks con-
tinue to be the favorites for evening
and there is growing tendency to
broidery. Fringe, too, is very smart
for evening and is being applied
most interestingly. Often the mater
ial itself is slashed to make the
fringe.
An attractive beach costume at
Southampton that took my eye. worn
by Mrs. Albert r. Gallatin, was of
peach-pink silk with large erin hat
of exactly the same color.
Black is conspicuous by it's alb
sence this season but every once in
q while it. reasserts itself and shows
Just how invincible it is. At the
Ritz Carlton l saw lovely black
lace gown with very full boutfant
skirt and close. fitted bodice. and
a lace shawl worn Spanish fashion.
It surely did distract the attention
from the simple crepes and chiffons.
always admire Mrs. Curtiss
James outfits because she has such
q feeling for color and contrasts.
This season at Newport she often ap.
pears with red parasol and red
hat that make her white hair mar
! velously striking. She has some
striped sport costumes that are very
snappy, too.
Blonde laca is very fashionable
now for evening. Mrs. Edwin Main
Post, daughter Of William G. Loew,
| looked very attractive in such an
outfit the other evening, with red
flowers forming large corsage.
Society isn't nearly so interested
in clothes now as it will be in an