Show OF EASTER FASHIONS Washington ladies on Summer and Fall Dresses HOOPSKIRT REVIVAL PREDICTED Indian Bilks JJnch WornMrs Senator Davis on Tight Shoes and High Heels pencral Gossip WASHINGTON Fob 2G 1S9L Special correspondence of THE HmtlLDVIash ington is fast becoming one of tho dressiest cities in the country You could carpet Pennsylvania avenue from one end to the other with thocostly satins and silks worn hero of a winter and there is enough velvet and plush at every White House reception to drape the capitol from one end of it to the other and from its basement to the dear Goddess of Liberty who stands on hertip I toes on the dome A number of our leading ladies design their own dresses and I Know one ortwo who wear ttho most beautiful costumes here who make their own dresses On last New Years Mrs Senator Davis I wore at her reception a Greek dress of pink plush out of which her magnificent form showed in all its voluptuous beauty As I stood beside her I whispered in her ear that she looked lovely and that she had tho I prettiest dress in Washington I both designed and made myself she replied and it was certainly as beautiful as any of the Worth productions Ihavo seen this winter A number of American women give ideas to French warnerI there are some ladies hero who aro even I bold enough to predict the fashions of tile future During these giddy Lenten days for society is apparently more giddy now r than in the wintermany of the wives o f our noted men have been expressing their I opinions as to the toilets and dresses of the future Many of them have numerous new dresses which are to come out after Easter and I have today chatted with a number of ladies on tho dresses of the summer and those which will beworn next fall MRS GENERAL SPINOLA ON A HOOP SKIR REVIVAL Mrs Spinola wife of the New York representative was the first seen Frequent Fre-quent references are made to her toilettes which are considered among the most magnificent mag-nificent worn here It is well known tha most of them originate in Paris and on that account are allowed to be well in the lead Although of Paris make much of their attractiveness at-tractiveness is due to their wearers own taste Mrs Spinola has very artistic ideas and the gowns most admired are frequently those which have been altered to conform to her own instructions As her own gown are so far ahead of the reigning m gownS easy to judge what is in store for us bj them Mrs Spinola said I am sure women in this day dress much more sensibly tha they have ever before but these plain skirts are becoming very tiresome They mak women look so skimpy and there is so littl chance for draping that women feel awkward awk-ward On the last new dress that I received re-ceived this week thero are four ruffles about the foot and during the coming season LI expect to see skirts ruffled and trimmed t 0 the knees widely worn The tendency is i s to carry the ruffling clear to the waist an das d-as the frills come I already hear fain rumors of the possibility of the revival o Sf hoop skirts They never will be as larg as they once were Women never would submit to that 1 do not believe but small ones are on the way Doctors will welcom them I believe for I know of physician La who consider small hoop far less injurious than tightly clinging skirts tMy lates Parisian gowns show that sleeves will b e puffed to tho elbow often in several puffs and a great deal of fullness and trimming will continue to give size to the tops and fronts of the bodices Art dresses will not be so numerous and trains will not b e lengthened There is a new style in India silks which I expect to see much worn since it is so cool and graceful For young L ladies tho simpler style of gowns ruffle about the skirt and with a profusion of chiffon and mulle about the neck commend itself and will be the prime fayorite We women give so little attention in Washing ton to hats and bonnets that have as yet formed no conclusions as to the feature for the coming season in millinery In I dresses however Paris gowns are always a year and in cases where one is we li known as to be able to secure the choice designs they are at least two season ahead so that I am able to judge by that A very fine Parisian novelty if discreetly handled and worn with care is really good for three seasons on this side SENATOR SAWYERS DAUGHTER ON JENNESS MILLER Mrs Howard Whyte the daughter of the presiding genius of Senator Saywers Washington palace is known as a most magnificently gowned woman Her artistic tastes result in the production of toilettes that are symphonies in form and color and several of them worn this season are admitted ad-mitted to be faultless in every detail while marked by great originality Mrs Whyte bad hardly decided just what direction fashion would exploit itself this summer She thinks that the present mode is the greatest advance yet made and that the plain drosses are most suitable for general wear She said MI am a believer in Mrs JonnessMillers system and styles and advocate ad-vocate their adoption Mrs Millers styles run to no extreme and I do not believe that what ever change comes this summer that women are going to adopt anything so exaggerated ex-aggerated as to be unnatural I hope they have too much good sense now The bustle was unnatural skirts tied tightly back were immodest and too much drapery was uncomfortable From the little thought I have given to the matter I should conclude there will be very little perceptible change from the winter modes which will bo ropro duced in summer materials THE HEAVY BROCADE THE FUTURE FAS ION ABLE DRESS Madame Romero wife of the Mexican minister is another faultlessly attired lady and one who while not a devotee of fashion always keeps well ahead of the reigning style choosing rather to illustrate the ten dency than the mode Sho said I am very glad to see the approach the heavy brocade It must result in tho most perfect simplicity of form since tho large designs and heavy goods are not adapted to a con fusion of drapings or trimmings A a recent re-cent dinner party I was unable to resist admiring the appearance of one of the guests Her gown was a magnificent brocade bro-cade The skirt fell in graceful folds to her feet while a full demitrain swept behind The corsage was also plain highnecked and long very long sleeved The contrast was almost startling and every other woman was in decollete toilette yet among the entire en-tire company there was no more distinguished distin-guished looking womanthan she who wore I the highnecked brocade I can see no in dications of any decided changs for early spring or summer Plain gored skirts i trimmed about the bottom andbig sleeves with pretty s arfs and a great variety of ruffled neckerchiefs and big flowered hats I will cover the style without going into do tails I most sincerely hope that we shall L not be driven by fashion into any preposterous prepos-terous extremes again We havo been I dressing with at least a moderate amount of good sense for some time and it seems hardly likely that the Louis and Pompa dour styles will be able to cajole us from still displaying regard for our comfort WhAT THE MARQuISe DI IANZA THINKS I fear The novelties imported here in ball owns creep into thin summer dresses and unless rigid English styles prevail once gain exclusively finally affect the street gowns It is hardly probable that the invasion in-vasion will show any very pronounced re suIt till fall and tho summer girl will still flaunt tho long swaying skirt of the winter girl but with al her ruffles puffs and long waist elaborated She will bring our great reatgrandmothers styles out in sprigged silks and muslins and by next winter we hall look moro like beuowerod ancestors ances-tors than ever and there is no telling where itan will stop Yes I am sure that the small and long waists will continue and it is note th not-e fault entirely of society women either Tpr no dressmakers seem leagued together to prolong its existence and no matter how mphatically a woman protests it is almost impossible to find a dressmaker who will not insist on making evening gowns from one to three inche smaller about the waist ban walking dresses They say But all omen lace in the evening and no matter what a woman says when a gown is sent homo the dressmaker has had horf way If a dress reform is to be successful should fi rst convert the dressmaker AIERICAN DRESSMAKERS AND LIGHT WEIGHT DRESSES The gowns of Mrs W D Owen wife of he Representative from Indiana are characterIzed char-acterIzed by a dainty grace that commands sincere admiration Whatever it is visit ng reception street or ball costume the purest and most refined suggestions are illustrated in the composition of it Mrs Owen believes firmly in the encouragement o if American talent and commits the design o if her costumes to a Detroit artist In addition ition she is in constant correspondence with one of the highest authorities among fashion writers in England a woman who makes a study of the possibilities and probabilities bilities of tho coming season and the evolution ution of styles Mrs Owen said I earnestly advocate that grace in dress which is only obtainable obtain-able through strict observance of the fundamental funda-mental principles of health Loose fronts draped fronts a moderate amount of ornamentation orna-mentation and light weight materials are most m accordance with my taste But I realize that within the coming summer and winter a struggle for supremacy is to take place between such styles and thoso of the brocade regime with its unhealthful train of ideas Brocade and poplin are so stiff and harsh in texture and lend themselves with such ill grace to draping and looping hat they are unbecoming to all save a few I am advised by my London correspondent that the soft clinging materials ara bound to win in the end and to remain true them o them They will be worn almost exclusively exclu-sively during tno summer with foot decorations decora-tions of puffings ruchings and ruffling of the goods and lace Art dreses I know fn must hold over because so many women find them too becoming to relinquish I am one of those who believe that the majority of women will wear most waists short or secure a long effect by bringing the fullness down and confining it with a belt or girdle There can be little question but that sleeve s puffed above the elbow and close to the hand will be the favorites Plain skirts will have an increased fullness the back and one underskirt will be worn with such dresses That does not look much like hoops does ill Traveling dresses will still be plain and I suppose a French touch will be added to the English cat in the shape o lle llf the skirt attached by hip seams to the basques HOW OUR DAUGHTERS SHOULD DRESS Our daughters attire themselves too much like their mothers Mrs Owen continued con-tinued in these latter days and the brigh lining l to the brocade possibility is tha there is only small likelihood of its adoptio by young women and once more girls would be distinguished from matronsby muslin and chiffons and simplicity which eve give to their youthful beauty opportunity to assert itself in all its effectiveness MRS SENATOR DAYIS IDEAS The hostess at11 fecent tea party ap pearedin a Greek gown of palest shell pinK brocaded plush which attracted endles notice and was admired by every lover of art gowns It was simplicity itself and t o tell the truth consisted of four straight breadths of plush stitched together and then draped on the statuesque form of th e wearer The designer and owner was Mrs Senator Davis of Minnesota whose gown are all noted for their faithfulness to th sy se foundation principles of health Not only was this one gown of Mrs Davis design but she originates and moreover cuts ali of her dresses and trims her own hats She also has opinions which are held std dear and best of all possesses force of character char-acter to put them into operation She said I shall do everything in my power to com bat the invasion of exaggerated Froncl styles I like the present modes and b rnad lieve that the long lines havelong life ahead of them They will continue through the summer although the lines must be somewhat what broken by the foot trimmings Princess Prin-cess gowns are going to be greater favorite than I do like esm ever puffed sleeves and a m glad to see they will linger with us As to waists I hope women will continue grow more sensible and not make themselves unnaturally un-naturally long and slender Tight big heeled shoes go with the powder and pate age and no woman can bo healthy and good natured in tight shoes I never wear tight htr shoes and for that reason am able to unde go most exacting social demands and stand to receive from 2 till 10 without feeling nda particle of fatigue I shall certainly resist any such enormities as seem to menace us now I am of the same opinion as many others that the summer will see mainlv nya repetition of the past three months Small hats I hope have nearly run their race and at all events large ones will have their way during the summer Tho small hat has been very unbecoming to women with large faces I see it is predicted that black will hold no place in the summer wardrobe but it is universally becoming and is so general a favorite that I doubt if it can be successfully success-fully abolished in one or even two seasons But with the present variety of shades no one who studies them carefully need lack for a color thatshall bo quite as becoming as black H MRS REPRESENTATIVE FLOWER ON THE IMMODEST IM-MODEST PULLBACK Mrs Flower wife of Representative Flower of New York appears in toilettes that are considered marvels of elegance They are creations of Connelly tempered by Mrs Flowers own convictions of what is most in accordance with her style but whatever the essence of the latest ideas characterizes it Mrs Flower is not an ardent admirer of very plain and scant skirts and has a reason for it They aro immodest said she particularly so in windy weather While a moderate amount of severity in cut is commendable the win ay w-in which some of the skirts are robbed of cloth in the front breadths is a pity I have just received a dress which T think combines com-bines the ideas which the best dressed women will prefer this summer The gored skirt has some fullness about the hips and the trimming is pleating with lace looped and extending a third of a yard from the bottom for the heading The vestis rictily embroidered and the jacket extends halfway half-way to the knees The back is a full detrain mi de-train and Iconsider a long bustle necessary with such a dress I havo seen a number of dresses intended for early spring and summer wear and thev are made after I such a style Yes sleeves will be very long and I think one deep flounce will be preferred to a number of tiny ruffles on tho skirt Tho simpler styles aro the sweetest for young girls and fashion inclines that Wf13 wayThe differences of opinion among these I ladiestend to prove that no fashion can wholly destroy individuality in tho American Ameri-can woman of this day and that particu larly while there is a struggle between any two schools of fashion every woman can assert her independence A good rule in trotting dresses this spring will be when in doubt as to which is the more stylish buy tho one which suits your own self and at least you will have that satisfaction Miss GItUNDY JR 1 |