Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-13
BY VILLA POE WILSON

The arbiters of fashion Of
1857 would certainly be dis
mayed if Mrs. Eisenhower
wore a white cambria dress
with a long train at the In
auguration Day events. or
topped her Inaugural Ball
costume with a buff velvet
and white satin turban.
However, these were high
notes of the Inauguration Day
raiment of Mrs. James Madi-
son, the first wife of a Presi-
dent of the United States to
appear at an inaugural cere-
mony and receive at an In
augural Ball. Dolly Madison's
fame as beauty and leader of
fashion has not been dimmed
by time or custom.
The Little Quarkeress' dar-
ingly left off her kerchief, so
her lovely neck and shoulders
were exposed to public gaze.
Her trailing white gown was
cut on empire lines-so much
in the fashion news today.
Her bonnet of purple velvet
and white satin was trimmed
with handsome white plumes.
1t is recorded that she
Cooked like a queen" at the
Inaugural Ball in a long trained
high wasted robe of buff vel
vet and Paris turban of buff
velvet and white satin trimmed
with two superb Bird of Para
disc feathers. She wore q
pearl necklace and pearl PEN
dant earrings and bracelets.
Set A Fashion
Mrs. Madison did not dance
but she set an Inaugural Ball
fashion by leading the grand
march to supper-with her
dainty hand on the arm of the
French Minister. Gen. Turreau
de Garambouville-as the
extra fiddlers" from New
York played gay airs. The
supper table was crescent
shaped. The French Minister
sat at the right of the hostess
and the British Minister. David
Erskine, at her left. The new
President sat opposite his wife.
The whims and fancies of
dame fashion throughout the
various periods of more than
a century and half existence
Of our Capital City can be dis
cerned by review of costumes
worn by the ladies of the pres
idential families Inauguration
Days and evenings.
Some of those who admire
Mrs. Eisenhower's gown on the
evening of January 81 will re-
call the especially distinctive
Inaugural Ball gowns of two
other Republican First Ladies.
Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt and
Mrs. William Howard Taft.
True To Her Country
Mrs. Roosevelt adhered to
her practice of wearing ma
terlals made in this country
in planning her inaugural ball
gown. She had the robins
egg blue satin, heavily bro
caded in pure gold feathers
and medallions, especially
woven for her in Patterson,
N. j. The gold added much
weight to the satin and the
court train was three yards
long. Since the gown was so
heavy the grand march had
to be limited to five minutes
Mrs. Roosevelt refused to &C
cept the committees SUCCESS
ton of train bearers.
Mrs. Taft's inaugural ball
gown was made of white chif-
fon. in empire style with a
long rounded train-a revival
OF the fashions of the days of
Dolly Madison. The white
chiffon was embroidered for
Mrs. Taft in the Philippines
In white floss and rhinestones.
Some of the $4,000 Wood
row Wilson had to borrow for
the personal expenses of his
family for the Inauguration
was apportioned to Mrs. Will
son and his three daughters
for inaugural costumes. They
all looked spring like and at
tractive in silk and thin wool
suits and flower laden hats;
but it was a wintry Attn Of
March and they shivered with
the cold as they sat in the re-
viewing stand. Some one
brought them wraps.
Each girl wore an inaugural
gift from Mrs. Wilson. Miss
Margaret Wilson and Miss
Jessie Wilson wore seed pearl
necklaces and Miss Eleanor
Wilson wore a gold bar pin
with tiny diamonds. Mrs. Will
son wore a small diamond
pendant on a slender gold
chain. an inaugural gift from
her husband; known in the
family as the Grown jewel"
Gift An Heirloom
The family gave Woodrow
Wilson scarf pin studded
with a very small diamond,
which has become an heir
loom in the Wilson family.
The inaugural ball gowns,
purchased out of the budget,
were not worn on Inaugural
ton day as plans for the ball
were cancelled.
The second Mrs. Woodrow
Wilson added a pleasing accent
to the pictures of Inaugural
tons when she accompanied
her husband to the Capitol for
his inauguration for his second
term, March 4, 1917. She wore
a large brimmed black velvet
hat with a crown of curling
black ostrich feathers with
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