SI FOR THE fIOME DRESSMAKER IS Current Events are Apt to be Reflected in the Fashions of Any Given Time By May Manton . EVERY student of fashions knows that styles are colored, if not largely influenced by current events and sometimes by events that are scarcely national not alone inter national importance. Before the hor rors of the war the theatre was the potent element in Paris, and in spite of conditions there is a tendency to turn in that direction for suggestions and for idea. On this side of the sea \nc have been hearing considerable talk about the barrel skirt. It is not a graceful garment, it has a great many objections. It has been tried in previous seasons and it has not been found satisfactory. The attempt at revival is easily traceable to the Revue, row running at one of the Paris theatres. Evidently, it is something of an extravaganza as plays of the sort are sure to be, and, as a matter of course, tendencies are to be exag gerated. In the shortage of other inspirations, the Paris designers have 6eized upon the very extraordinary barrel effects that are to be noted in the costumes seen upon that stage, and many of the advanced models seen here give evidence of the idea. How far they will succeed is an open question. They are not being met with enthusiasm as yet, and, as already stated, assuredly they are not beautiful. Better by far arc the skirts that are broadened at the hips by means of bones or by trimming or by treatments of some such sort without giving that extreme hooped effect nt the lower edge that always suggests the awkward walk. We may have something of the barrel sug gestion later, but it is doubtful if it will take any considerable hold and for the moment at least we may look only for modifications of the idea. In the hands of the expert designers, the effect can, of course, be made attract ive to a certain extent. A very beau tiful gown from a noted Parisian house is, for example, of grey crSpe dc chine with a guimpe of grey chiffon. The skirt is full and slightly draped to suggest the barrel idea. The over bodice is made with big arm-holes and is pfcttily full over a little vestee. The sleeves are quite novel at the wrists, forming loose plaits that are weighted with silver tassels. The collar of the guimpe which is of the chiffon is embroidered with silver and the silver reappears at the front at the neck edge. The girdle which is wound twice around the figure and bimply knotted is of grey faille em broidered with dull gold motifs. It is a very beautiful gown, not even the suspicion of the barrel idea can rob it of its grace, but the idea is one that must be handled by an expert to get a good result. The Empire City Sees (jostumea of Various Sorts. \A ith large partiel going South to enjoy the balmy suns of Florida and equally large ones going North to seek the snappy cold of the Adiron dacks, extremes meet here in old Gotham. We have seen silk sports costumes until wc are a bit weary [and the wool which is, perhaps, de signed for the North and the early days of the Spring in intermediate climates, makes a greater apoeal from the standpoint of elegance. Very beautiful coats of the loose sports order are made of soft woolv cloth in plaids, showing such rich colors as black and orange and worn over skirts of plain color. They are exceedingly beautiful and they are in every way distinctive. Unquestionably, the silks are attractive, they are dainty and they arc summer-like, but perhaps the fact that there is a nip of frost in the air here, makes the wool appear a little more suitable at this writing. A very beautiful costume shows a plaited skirt of plain white wool gabardine with a typical sports coat of rose colored khaki kool with collar and cuffs of the skirting material. It is exceed ingly handsome and it is brilliant enough to satisfy the most exacting taste. In Season and Out of Season. The one great drawback to this sports idea, which seems to have taken the world of dress by storm, is the tendency to overdo, and to wear out of season as well as in season. If the brilliant colors could be reserved for the handsome materials all might be well, but they are duplicated in cotton and they are cheapened and here in this big city at least, we will see imitations of the handsome cos tumes worn upon the streets for shopping, for walking and for all sorts of occasions where they do not belong. As a matter of course, cannot be * attractive. The fact of their brilliant coloring renders them suited only to the background of open spaces of the seashore or of the mountains or to the country club for which they are de signed. Worn upon the crowded street with one jostling another and in the shops and in places of the sort they are simply bizarre. Let us hope that the lesson of suitability will be taken to heart. Utility Costumes Modelled After Those Designed for Sports. What are to be known as the utility Ihe Needs of the Family are Considered Here THIS is a season at which new The afternoon gown that is shown designs arc sure to appear. away up in the right hand corner Women who appreciate such exemplifies the favor shown char matters are on the keen outlook to meuse. The entire gown is made of learn just what will and what will that material with trimming of a not be fashionable for the coming wonderful Paisley crfpe that makes a season. Tunics are to be extensively very fascinating contrast. worn both for afternoon and for even- ti. i c. i u . • „ A, i young girls frock snowb a tunic ing costumes and usually thev are .MI 1 ' C • • wnrn • i • . • . of 811,1 another sort for it is open at Tr XtsTf C ,' rCUar f°n """T thc ,ront Wring the favorite idea beinff to "'° deratC fulln^ Sl thc Redingote idea. The frock is made hTwiTh f 7 t with the skirt of embroidered o5 the tunic 3 6 net flouncing and with the under bodice to match while the tunic and the over-bodice are of tulle through the meshes of which the design of the lace appears. The frock is all white but the girdle is in a bright shade of cerise. Crepe de chine is a pronounced favorite for afternoon gowns and it is combined with satin and with silk and with various materials of such sort. I-or evening occasions, lace is liked and net and all the diaphanous ma terials over the richest silks and satins and sometimes over brocaded silks. The evening gown that is shown in the illustration is made of lace over a heavy satin, but the same model would lie good for silk net over a brocaded silk or over a silver 'ace or over any material of such sort. The metal bro cades and the metal laces are greatly in vogue and are very beautiful. The bodice of this gown is especially note worthy. costumes are made much on the lines of those designed for sports, but of wool jersey in plain colors and of gabardine and of similar materials. They really a,re ideal for travel, for shopping and for the general business of life, and they give all the simplicity of the sports idea without the brilliant coloring. A most attractive one is of warm grey wool jersey with just a touch of white pn the collar to give relief. Jersey cloth is constantly ex tending its usefulness. It is a very attractive material, it takes beautiful lines and folds and some of the cleverest designers are using.it for simple after noon gowns as well as for street cos tumes. Straight skirts arc always pretty for the younger girls and sometimes they are made all in one, sometimes in sections or flounces joined one to the other. Of course they always can be used for flouncing or bordered ma terials and there arc simple embroid ered nets that are beautiful. A plain net could be finished with picot edge and worn over a colored slip to be very charming and dainty, or it could be embroidered with a little design run in and out of the meshes. The Party Frock in Its Newest Styles The Party Frock in Its Newest Styles NO MATTER what the season of All Forms of Embroidery are the year a new oarty frock is Fashionable, likely to be needed fcr the Unquestionably, embroidery is to younger contingent dances as freely continue its favor through this anrl and as often as does the older contin- into the coming season. The advanced gent and dancing can be relied upon to models show very free use of the finish create a demand for fresh to.lets as and beads and metal threads' ami promptly if not more promptly than threads of silk and of wool all are to any other exercise known. There are be noted. Simple stitches seem to very charming ones shown in the illus- be the preferred ones and a great many tration, some for the older girls and gowns are simply finished with designs some for the younger girls, and they carried out in what we know as the give suggestions for materials and for running stitch or the simple plain treatments that will be helpful. stitches that are used for scams, taken evenly, and that stitch can be used in plain lines or over a braiding design, but as p. matter of course, if a braidin j pattern is used the dressmaker must be clever enough to vork over tissue, not to transfer the design to the cloth otherwise there will be transfer lines apparent to spoil the effect. It often astonishes one how much effect can be obtained by the very simplest little bit ofjmbroidery, just running stitch, for example, makes the most marvelous effects and repeated rows of machins stitching have been utilized to make a really distinctive finish for a tailored costume. Exquisitely dainty gowns show the edges outlined with em broidery and it is notable that .there are almost no fine stitches used for this work upon gowns. The fine needlework is largely reserved for underwear. An attractive costume of chiffon shows a border, for example, of little daisies and their leaves. They are worked in what we know as lazy daisy 6titch, but a really individual touch is obtained by using threads of floss for the stitches and putting a single long stitch of heavy silk at the center of each leaf. Soutache braid is largely used not alone upon gowns but upon hats. One sees very charm ing hats for wear with the summer costumes made of crfipe de chine with the crown and brims richly braided with soutache and straw braid is applied over similar patterns to make a pretty trimming. In every way is the shortage of usual garnitures over come and in fact obscured, for it is only those on the inside, those who have occasion to study such things, who realize what lies behind these simple embroideries and braidings and the like. Before Ion? we shall be thinking of commencement frocks and these same dresses will be good for that use. The pointed tunic that is shown on one dress is made of taffeta and the over bodice is made of the same material, while the under-bodice and under skirt are of a pretty net. and you could hardly find a more charming costume for the girl of sixteen or eighteen. You could copy it in any color that you may like but in the illustration the material is rose color with white and with little silk roses used as garnitures. Flowers of the kind are greatly used, they are very pretty and they give a color note that often makes the dis tinction of the costume. They are found in stlk and in ribbon and in chiffon. You can use lare flouncing for this dress just as it is on the figure but the net is very dainty and the edge of ribbon weights it just suffi ciently while it makes a durable finish. 'I affeta and simple lace makes as pretty a dress as any that could be offered, but you could, of course, vary the silk, or you could use a crfipe if you like a lighter effect. Crffpe meteor is good for it gives a satin finish and is not very lustrous. It is esaentially youthful and a little more brilliant than the duller crCpe. The two little pirls' dresses are sug gested for quite different needs. Ths very dainty little frock shown at the right is adapted to crfipe de chine and to Georgette crSpe and to chiffon and also to soft finished taffeta and it is pretty for dancing school and for parties. The more severe dress is de ••'jsped fo- Latest Accessories Muff chains of two inch velvet ribbon with discs embroidered in bril liantly colored beads serving as slides. Hat bands of ribbon painted, some in flower effects, some in country | scenes. Hosiery for wear with sports cos- , tumes of white silk with narrow ver- tical stripes embroidered in green. Shoes with colored vamps and uppers of white kid painted in pink roses and other flower effects. Boudoir caps of Paisley cr&pe with frills of white lace that are dainty aivd ,> ' attractive. Chemisette of net and of organdie that are cut in one with stock collars, the sections necessary for it held to gether by tiny lace entre deux. The upper edges of the collars are scalloped and finished with narrow lace frills Sports hats of Panama straw, the crowns of which are embroidered in scattered motifs worked with heavy silk floss in bright colors. Draw string bags of soft grey crepe de chine with a two-inch band ol Oriental embrqidery at the center oi each. Gloves that extend well over thr wrists of white kid faced with black and laced together at the outer edget from the wrist upward. Neck girdles of black velvet ribbon with small flowers embroidered ir beads, some steel, some jet, tsom< white, some colored. French mules tor the boudoir mad-, of Japanese silk. Sports coats of white Angora clotl with borders of brilliant colors, a orange and green and blue, each strip* approximately two and one-half inche in width. Silk stockings for wear with evening costumes that are inset with net richl\ embroidered in beads. Hair garnitures of black tulle in th( fprm of Spanish fans that are designee to be arranged at the back of the heac' to make the best effect. t Middy blouses that se serve theii name only because of the oiiddj closing. They arc made of fine Frencl crfpe, they are open over the hipt below the belt and the lower edges are finished with dainty embroidery. Veils that of comparatively simple, plain mesh over the face, but arc finished with elaborate borders of soutache or other narrow braid and arranged over the hat-s, Automobile foot muffs of leather lined with sheep-skin and finished at their edges with bands of nutria. Hats of straw with convertible lirims, that is, with outer brims of cr6pc or silk or other material that can be attached or detached as occa sion requires. Of necessity the change from the narrow brim to the wider means a complete transformation. Exceedingly smart shoes that arc made with leather vamps but with • cloth tops, also low shoes with toes of kid and sides of cloth.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers