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Show I Parisian Lenten Fashion Novelties 1 l w itrr a7 (Ti rt if7n if fr ft Tt zO iTf"?, iffs r? SX aH? TTi rt rK, fft sv ft ftr rTv irtx r2 if a, iffa trT HT tf!T sTs f7 (fZ ST T i7Z ct?i ifi. elr trt?s fT aT if, g-ARIS, March E. To have her j U-J' portrait hung on the line at the j portrait exhibition at the club I in the Rue d' Anglais Is the am bition of the social climber here in Paris. In fact, this accomplishment Is considered the first step on the rung of the ladder which may carry one Into the Faubourg set. If one's purse is not equal to the strain of so expensive a step tho next best thing Is to mingle with tho smart crowd and In a "to be i heard" voice give one's opinion upon the "dear duchess' taste In dress and tho excellence of the likeness." Vul-! Vul-! gar, Is it not? Bi unfortunately It's the way of what is called the smart ! set. The sensation of the show has been the portraits of the children of the Count and Countess de Castellane, nn4 firmlrl nnlntnrl v r?rrrliin-T)nrnn I I The work Is a beautiful study In har-4 har-4 monlous coloring and portrays the pretty children in a natural manner. A garden forms the background, and the three little ones, two of whom are boys dressed in scarlet Knickerbocker ' suits, stand on each side of -ti baby girl, j who Is seated comfortably in a chair. The American countess showed her appreciation ap-preciation of the art by appearing at the club rooms early in the afternoon. . This petite lady caused quite a ripple of sartorial excitement In her charming costume of soft white cloth. The skirt, which was becomingly full, had a broad insertion of an elaborate design in white silk braiding outlined with green silk thread. A high white suede belt embroidered with green silk seemed to hold a simple blouse corsage to the figure. Over the shoulders an original cape effect was produced by a lose tabbed and braided bolero. Pipings of green taffeta sepai'ated each piece of cloth, while a green velvet collar above the braiding finished the ensemble. A , large white hat trimmed with pale I green plumes shading to white was very becoming to madame's brunette j beauty. The salon contained a small world of women beautifully "turned out," and every one of them seemed to be most industriously making use of the looking look-ing glass panels which at Intervals separate sep-arate the walla. It really seemed to me ! as if every other mirror had at least one woman In front of It arranging her ; hair, her hat or her complexion. Per- , fectly gloved hands wero forever at the i back of artistically arranged heads I feeling If all was right with the prct- j j tlly dyed hair. You will doubtless murmur. "These people were not well i bred." Most of them certainly were, but I acknowledge that the Vere de Vere repose was conspicuously absent, i ! m Pity 'tis, 'tis true, but the manners of ,the cloakroom are being, transferred from their proper abode, and every 1 ; room Is becoming a cloakroom to the ' modem smart woman. Even in audl-j audl-j ences at the theater and opera may be -1 bbscrved this distressingly obtrusive blgn of vanity. At "Herodlade" Just I now the rage here in Paris even when ' Renaud, who Is also the, rage, was singing exquisitely, tho feminine por-; por-; Uon of the audience looked clothes, breathed clothes, and, I am sure, thought most about clothes. That all the acts of the society mon-dalne mon-dalne are not given over to vanity Is attested by the vogue housekeeping classes are having Just now during Lent. My lady Is spending her mornings morn-ings learning to gracefully manipulate There are several coats which share honors with the ever present bolero. One Is the strictly tailored affair worn with a plainly built skirt, and tho antithesis an-tithesis Is found In the long, loose coat and shawl-like wrap. The dernier crl In regard to the loose coat Is a three-quarter three-quarter length made of souplc cloth In one of the new pastel shades. It Is Bllghlly full from tho shoulders, with sleeves modeled after the Chinese mode that Is made In one with the body of the coat. Some of the more elaborate of these coats have about them an old world air that is very alluring. They are particularly nice as summer wraps, to be slipped on when the weather forgets for-gets Itself and tries to be frosty. Ecru or putty white Is a good color to select for this utility garmept, as it looks well with any gown one may happen to wear, and the new heavy grosgraln pongee Is the correct material from which It Is fashioned. Wool lace eighteen eight-een Inches deep Is Inset hi tho bottom of the coat, this lace exactly harmonizing harmoniz-ing with the cloth. Silk will be worn more than ever thlf summer, and if the war keeps on the oriental varieties will be very high In price; consequently perverse women will think more of them than ever. Tiny glace checks made up In shirt waist dresses will be Just as popular as ever, and a neat, attractive design for one of these Is to box plait the skirt, letting the plaits flare out wide at the bottom to about the knee, where they gradually narrow up Into the waist. The blouse Is also box plaited and has for Its only trimming a lingerie ruffle edging the . enter plait with wiiat riii.i o the same. A sailor tie of black soft satin Is edged with the lingerie frill. Speaking of shirt waist gowns, tho newest material for this useful frook Is the old time scrim of which wo havo made curtains and dressing table covers cov-ers for years, I suppose tho craze for Russian cross stitch Is responsible for the elovatlon of scrim to the realm of gowndom, and, ancnt cross stitch, It will be welcome news to the tired worker thereof to know that this much liked trimming comes with many light summer fabrics as a border and Is sold separately In any length tho purchasor requires. Pinkish gray Is a favorite spring shade, and when trimmed with pinked out ruches combining tho two colors a t;own of this tono Is most attractive. A dainty costume In pink gray voile has a touch of black and silver In the "scrolly" braid heading the flounce, and i unlquo feature Is a hemstitched frill f fine white muslin as tho dofinlng line f a cunning llttlo bolero which clips he figure In just abovo the line of tho ivalst. Here in the French capital young Tlrls are affecting frocks of nunllko dmpllclty In gray cashmore fastened at he waist with an art nouveau buckle ,ind finished at the neck with a collar vand cravat of fine plaited muslin or old the chafing dish, to concoct dainty desserts des-serts and to find out tho economy of gas stoves. She Is even being Initiated into the mystery of making fires In furnaces and stoves, to say nothing of the more congenial occupation of how to make the home beautiful. Dressmaking Dress-making classes will, I suppose, be the next Venture, and this Idea suggests to me the advisability of talking- about what Is planned and about to be accomplished ac-complished In the bona flde dressmaking dressmak-ing establishments. Tho distinctive feature of the clothes of teday is the preference for picture gowns. These frocks are almost without with-out exception representatives of a past epoch, although modernized by the skill of the Parisian couturlere. In this present phase of fashion we pick from the gardens of the paat, mating the whim of one period with that of another an-other In a daring but successful spirit There never was a tlmo when picture galleries, old prints and magazines were In such demand, and a second class book dealer told me he could get 25 francs (about $5) for every old fash-Ion fash-Ion paper with empire styles In It, PARISIAN SPRING BLOUSES, SKIRTS AND HATS. WW' V ' aJ embroidered lawn. One of these simple dresses deserves especial attention. It Is of soft gray veiling Instead of cash-mere, cash-mere, the skirt arranged In full plaits on each hip and falling in long graceful folds around the feet. The quaint little bodice Is caught up Into a deep corselet band of silk, laced up the front with black velvet over antique buttons. Fold- Ca Uvcl tlJU .L.o. . .. . L.....1 i ..ka...i.,i, In a fichu of cream embroldorod lawn edgod with tiny val lace above a ohem- , isetto and high collar of plaited muslin. Around tho neck Is a band of blaak velvet tied In a chic bow undur the chin. Tho elbow alcevos are finished with frills of accordion plaited Gray ohlffon, and the undorcuff la of embroidered em-broidered lawn tied at the wrist with small bows of black velvet. Another simple llttlo gray gown Is of crepo do ohlno, and Russian lace Insertion appears ap-pears In a band on the skirt and on the bodice. The ohlffon muff Is an airy fairy finish to the spring toilet approved by the fair Parlslenno. Sho finds It a useful resting rest-ing placo for her bunch of violets, and, again, there Is a certain amount of warmth In Its dainty folds. To wear with tho chiffon muff are fluffy fichus of tho same fabric, which are moro becoming be-coming and elegant than tho square stoles of last year. A charming demlnoason hat Is a flat toque of crumpled taffeta trimmed with a double border of amall pink rosea In j festoons covered with a long, spottod veil of dotted brown net reaching to the waist In the back. Tho long falllnc veils look old fashioned and, in my humble estimation, nothing moro. The new way of wearing tho hair will soon do away with tho veil whloh hangs down tho back, as ono Is not given to hiding a novelty. This coiffure le rather intricate to "do," though simple in effect. The hair Is formod at the back Into two looso French twists, which meet In tho center, whero they aro held together In three places by slim, long pins made especially for the purpose. Tho ends of tho hair are prettily pret-tily colled above tho pompadour. CATHERINE TALBOT. |