Evening star., 1928-05-27
New Vogue Smart Dress Puts Emphasis Formal Quality
RY MARY MARSHALL.

r NFORMALITY is passing -- the
comfortable disregard of the old
rules of good form in dress that
characterized the war era is go
ing. Rules of correctness in such
matters that would have been con-
sidered prinn and mid-Victorian few
seasons ago are assuming Importance,
and the new younger set is taxing upon
its shoulders the burden OF setting up
8 code of good and bad taste in dress
that would have been considered Old
fashioned by the set that was called
younger" two or three years ago.
If YOU want to get the latest data
about this new conventionality--aSk
your II or is year-old daughter.
/ was much interested to hear from
the lips Of one of these young women
the other day the announcement that
It wasn't good form to appear with
bare neck except for really important
evening affairs. Yet she didn't wear
f1tgh-oollsred frock. I was somewhat
n1ystified until she explained that
neck was not bare" If a necklace or
choker was worn. and that any sort of
scsrf-even a fox Scarf--Saggilg over
one shoulder would answer the purpose.
For afternoon affairs indoorS-when
wraps were removed-some sort Of
Snoker or necklace was essential. or else
= frock that is cut quite high under
tfe chin.
Some Of the young oracles, have
noti ed. are becoming rather fuSSy about
gloves They don't wear them in the
evening. but they are much less apt
TO appear ungloved in the street even
on warm DAYS than their older sisters
or their mothers. Perhaps with this
new conventionality there is an element
of SnoboiShneSs-a distinction drawn by
the girls Of better circumstances and
better training between what is good
form for them and what is usual with
the less favored majority.
You will see in large cities groups of
carefree, Sinartly dressed little workers
going out bareheaded and gloveless dur
ing the luncheon hour on warm days.
Most Of them. fortunately. do not bother
their pretty heads about what certain
other girls consider good form. Sheer
silk stockings for every day. the right
sort of makeup and smart coifure
still mean smart fashion TO them. and
1t ts only the Snobbish ones among them
WHO are concerned with the fact that
few girls whose names are in the social
register or who attend some exclusive
girls school or other have decided that
bare heads and bare hands. and even
bare necks. won't do in the street.
And perhaps it wouldn't be worth
noting. anyway. If it were not part of
general tendency toward greater regard
for conventionalities that may before
long have quite wide application.
You may have noticed that during
the past Winter men have been much
more inclined TO wear the formal eve
ming coat for formal affairs. instead of
the tuxedo. which since the war has
been adequate for almost all evening
occasions. Even the younger men who
would have scorned the spike tail"
few seasons ago seem. 10 have been Bit
ten with the new idea that formal
occasion demands really formal dress.
Women have followed suit, and the eve
ming frock that suggests a sports frock
has been much less seen save for really
informal evening affairs.
1t is usual TO put the blame or the
credit for less formal dressing among
men entirely on the war, and have
heard the statement that men got out
Of the habit Of wearing cutaway coats
and other dress 6av clothes at the time
Of the great upheaval AS matter Of
fact. It began before the war. as part Of
a general tendency toward greater COM
fort and convenience IN dress.
But wars are usually made the scape-
goats for all sorts Of tendencies and
CVGAkAIlECAlL&Es Will WHICH lfAEN are Only
indirectly connected. The passing of
the formal eighteenth century dress for
men and powdered wigs and
stately rIlffsed cour. dress-is very often
looked upon as an outcome Of the
French Revolution. But the type Of
costume IN vogue during the French
Revolution really dated from 1880, and
the revolution did not really take place
until nine years later.
AL Of which hasn't much to DO with
the present situation. except to indi-
cate that the recent negligence In mat
ters Of dress may have been on Us way
regardless Of the war.
fCopyright. 1921