THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL. PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 28, 1915.
WHAT WELL DRESSED WOMEN WILL WAR
Return of the Small Waist Is Threatened Tkis
Spring Fashion Decrees Mannish Suspenders
for Women That Are Attached to the Skirt
s
J
i
" By Anne Rittenhouse.
(OtfijTisht. 1UH. Ii.v the Uc-.lur Newnpuppr
w
HEN the leading tailors of
fered cloth KBits that had sus
penders attached to the skirts,
women thought it was a ca
price of the moment, probably
invented as a thing to tide over toe
ilull PMHon. Hut it seems as though
the fashion was to be incorporated
.into the spring styles. Kvery woman
cannot wear it. The fashion demand.-
a certain figure and the semblance vi
youth. If not vouth itself. The rounded
hack and the sloping shoulders are not
the type that goes suitably with sus
penders, or bretelles. as we call I hern
When the wearer is a woman.
The present ones am usually made
of the sfcjrt material. I hey are sutt
jected to the fanciful cutting that or
nament.ed them in other davs when the
designers thought it was attractive to
run a xepnrate band across the hack
between the shoulders and two bre
telles over f-ach shoulder to join with
a fancy buckle above the bust.
The creed of simplicity that will
dominate the fashions this season ex
tends to the nci-i-KKones of dress as
well as to its foundation stones. The
bretelles urn jnannl.sh In snape and
are attached to the rather high-walsted
skirt with larg-. bone buttons run
through exaggeratedly lure button
holes. Thev mav cross In the back or run
straight down the nisurc. I hat de
ponds upon ones inclination. And it
one docs not wish them to bt. made of
the dress material tin-re is a. cnancc
to play up a color scheme by using a
bj-laht lone of silk or even velvet.
The atlih'iiu woman, or rather the
one who affects the straight out sim
plicity ot a man s attire tor the open
air is apt to choose suspenders made
of tne. fabric of which the skirt and
coat is cut. the woman who invariably
turns to the gi:W gaivs of dress, wlio
cannot or will not wear plain effects,
will choose ih ornamental kind.
Worii" Under Sport Coats.
1 lie oeiiiaiKl i r that s'cies of out
door garments tti.it. v. have learned to
all sport clotnes. has brought out.
fhose stioemler.i on t p coats, as parts
of sweaters, as brilliant adpinels to
white linen skirts worn with white
wash wa.sfs.
At the last races held in Paris the
smart women were wearing tho loos
est kind ot coats, almost like cape-",
'thrown well awav li'im the trout ot
the gown and held on bv means 01 two
straps that crossed in front arm dis
appeared in tlie back. J his fashion
prch.i-bl y was responsible lor the bre
telles we have with us now. there is
little doubt, that women will acepl
then.' with pleasure, for tnev prowl.
a pood wav ot U'oiug without a jacket !
and yet reta miliar some Iihk between
the. skirt and blouse.
The line between the two is not so
wtronglv marked when the skirt labrn
goes over the shoulders, aril through-1
out tne entire Kamut or the spring i
fashions there is ;m im-imaMon shown I
to observe this metlmd.
The new while senre suits lor tin
south have hretellcs of light blue taf
feta, and the short I a ket Is touched
llj with colic r and cults to match. The
sailor hat that is sold tor such suits
is of white straw and satin with a blue i
Dunn anout the crown
Corduroy in Favor.
It is sin prising that there are not
more white erge suits: these were
looked lor as soon as the southern ex
odus began, but cordurov m several
shades of tan, such as sand, twine,
puttv, clay, and beige were lavjshlv
offered.
These immediately found favor. I Re
spite their neutrality of tone, thev
proved acceptable. Women round
tneiTi an aiimiraole cnoice lor lu tvv , en
the seasons, and. if brightening was :
needed, It would bo supplied In a hat
Women may nave turned their
minds to ecoimmv in this vear id dras
tic readjustment and looked, therefore.
With suspicion on the white suit that
r
BROCADE COAT
Thls coat, which is worn "The
Show Shopi Is made of gold
- and black brocade from one
Cheruit designed lor herself.
jii'lt ,
needs constant cleaning, or, it may be
that these neutral colors, because of
their fashion and their serviceability
have made a strong appeal. Against
white serge there has always existed
the argument that it was rarely be
coming, and vet one can argue nlong
that lirn- concerning the various neu
tral tones that all the manufacturers
have found so beguiling.
The usual bright coloring in the
complexion of the average American
woman helps her to sartorial ly digest
many shades of dull tones that the
pate woman cannot wear. Whatever
the pros and-cons of it, however, the
main fact Is that we are to wear more
sand tones than ever before. 1 he
have ousted the much heralded covert
cloth which was such a close imita
tion of the military khatu and there
fore sentimentally exploited.
Corduroy Suit Like Uniforms
The dominating feature of many of I
the spring suits in heavily ribbed cor
duroy is the pointed fronts which the
American tailors exploited early in
the winter and put into their first
lightweight coats. Added to these was
the slightly tiighwaiste.J belt of the
soldier ooing iield duty, and later, the
cartridge belt in cloth was added.
The latter, as vou probably know,
is a strip of material m the width and
outline ol an ordinary belt with round
pleats standing awav from the sur
face in an unbroken line; into each of
these openings goes a cartridge when
the soldier has the belt, but the line is
for ornamentation pure and simple
when the American woman wears it.
it is a rather attractive idea when U
is not overdone. An entire line of
these, pleats extending across the chest
is not altogether satisfactory, but a
few such pleats placed directly acro.su
the bust on either side of the front
fastening, is quite fetching on a slim
fig ure.
It can lie nse in this fashion on a
short jacket that has no helt, but the
complete cartridge belt must no only
with a coat that carries a belt at the.
waistline, and it looks as though we
should have verv tew coats, indeed,
that did nor boast this ticcessorv.
The Normal Waist.
J nere is no eon t in ua t ion of the
Jloven-age d m the belts ot spring,
and, not even a suggestion that the
wide girdle placed between hips and
knees will bo welcomed. Whenever
there is a helt, it outlines the normal
waist, or ruses above it, but we have
done fur a time, at least, with the or
ientalizing ot the waist. In the irn
menatc future, and no prophet can
yo further than the adjective ' immedi
.ite. we are. going to cultivate the
hue ahtnit our bonies where for sev
eral decades before this one we
n ai'Kcd out a stronglv dividing line
to separate the lower and toe imper
parts of the figure.
It has been neglei led. along with
many other more serious mental and
moral dividing lines, and the world has
t way of swinging back IlKe a pendu-
lnjn to
-trainf-
me ot its sell-imposed re
'I Ins .moral swing is one ot
the most absorbing studies in the his
tory ot fashion, for it is uicjoiibtedlv
allied to moral movements.
Restraint is to he the Keynote, the
watchword, of this new decade into
which we entered last August and the
vai
th.
lever that pushed Un
moral force m a new direction, or
rather reversed it back Ml years. It is
not possible tor tile clothes ot women
to so on reflecting an age of license
when an age of restraint has set in
Every .feature of our modern life must
necessarily come under the influence
of the sfiirit that prevails already over
this planet. (.one are the ilavs of un
bridled opulence. Gone is the epoch
of licentious expenditures. (iOiic is
tli decade of contemptuous careless
ness. W e tire a wiser, sunder, saner
but a much better people.
io me is
hob) fast
lived in vain. We
to the s u ore me a
'oni-
plishments of tins riotous past- we
have laid hold of tremendous truths
and blazed the wav tor a great era The
terror oi .the magnitude of tilings we
have swept awav and those we have
established has entered our souls, and
we have set our feet in soberer paths
W e hitched our wagon to the stars and
have traveled far. and we now face a
new epoch in calmer air
What has this to do with the resnr
lection ot the normal waistline vo'i
ask? Much. It is a straw In the new
current of our lives, and straws have
ever been signs
Will Waist Decmma in Riz? I
The absorbing, practical question of
the moment, lar awav from anv his
toric connection between clothes and
moral development, is whether the
small waist is to be expected. No on
seems to be able to answer this, ques
tion with anything like assurance,
speculation is rife, Hud the experts
think that by June we will be pull'ng
in the corset strings, and the moralist
will at once ask how that condition
can be looked upon with approval a
savoring of improvement. It is un
healthy, ungraceful, and belongs to a
phase of dress that represented the
acme of artificiality
Possibjy it is too much to expect of
women and fashions that thev hold to
improvement all along the line- it i
not human to be evenly good- Original
sin must break through somewhere,
arid it seems impossible to depart from
the license of Orientalism into the
prudery of Victorianism without add
ing error to reform. The pendulum
has a way of swinging too far back.
For several months the corsetieres
have been pinching the corsets at the
sides of the waistline with a fore
sight born of an intimate knowledge
of the drift of fashions. Then they
added an inch or so to the bushline
and began to support the back muscles
by inserts of elastics, necessary to
hold in the" accumulated flesh from
the wearing of low corsets.
Now they are undoubtedly pinching
in the fronts of the corsets and the
underarm pieces are becoming more
rigid. What does this signify? Are
they forerunners of a small waist, or
a compromise in order that they may
fit the new fashion, if it comes upon
us quickly?
Straight Girdle Fancied.
The sketches that have been sent
over from Paris as forerunners of the
spring and summer styles show, a
marked tendency to straight girdles
passed around the figure directly at
the line where the old waist used to
be before we allowed the natural large
ness of the figure to have Its fullest
development there. These belts could
not be worn with the frock, or skirt
and separate blouse that shows a
small decrease of size between the
bust and the hips.
White w light muslin frocks have
- " t - '
a belt of three-inch black velvet rib
bon which is a decided return to the
days when small waists were in fash
ion. The Empire line is also accentu
ated in evening frocks and short Jack
eta, but one des not yet see it on dav
frocks; the individualist may try It
out, but the average dressmaker is
content to work out the return to the
normal waist, which no slight prob
lem in itself.
You may think that the problem of
trie women who must get a small
waist is the more difficult one. as
flesh has a way of remaining where it
has gained a strong hold, hut. after
all. the corsetiere faces the worst of
the work. Unless she knows how to
skillfully handle the shaping of a cor
set and can contrive to give it a flex
ible appearance at the normal waist
line, the work of the dressmaker is in
vain and the task of the woman who
w nt a small waist is almost lmpos-
?iujt --iKaio iiH. a. oou.y uio w oeen aean
the woman who is stout. The large
waistline was her hope to'be fashion
able, and if it is taken away, what
will she do to be rightly dressed?
Low Collars Tolerated.
There is little insistence upon the
fashion for the high collar. Some of
the best dressed women are returning
to the rolling low one, and in Paris
they are wearing a collar that is high
at the back and cut awav in front.
There is no return to the shape that
shows the entire back, of the neck, but
evidently women have thrust aside the
enveloping band under the chin. That
dire promise of an increased double
chin worked wonders in gaining a re
fusal for an uncomfortable fashion.
New blouses have height at the back
of the neck always, but thev roll down
to the bust in the accepted wav of last
slimmer. The straight surplice is also
accepted with its outline of white silk
net or fine muslin.
There is little disposition on the
part of any of the new collars to lift
at the side. They press flatly to the
sides of the Mouse, or are placed be
neath the fabric, showing as a soften
ing piping.
ADVENT OF PEACE
i By Louisa A'hmuty Nash.
Our ears are deafened by the dull thun
der of the guns.
Our eves are blinded by the weapons'
sizz and flame
i- iash-treaks from bursting slieris en
veloped in black smoke;
Our tongues are parched and dry
can speatc not e en a name.
Our thoughts take flight, thev
know not where.
What tlnn of broken hearts, all lying
shattered on the pyre?
And devils warfare bursting hellish
walls through earth?
Ave, seizing doJ s blue firmament for
b;ittle-niHi-ge.
W lnie sanctuaries divine and human
are made ruined dearth
'1 hrough wanton cannonade and
fire!
Oead bodies lie in heaps, their souls
flown up to Heaven.
W hile loved ones weep and mourn in
living death
I heir home-stay gone, while they must
starve ;nd weep!
Thank iod there are many here with
( hrist-like breath
W ho Angel-aid have given.
How long. O Lord, how long must this
! weird misery last
I his fiendish, fearful holocaust
I by servants pray that Thou Thy
legions forth will send
An i save our thousands ere they're
lost
rJ by Angel-legions of the past!
On the mountain-slopes let Thy An
gels glide
Down 1 rom Thv thrones snow
crowned, past crevasse and rock,
Hrmgirig tlie air of Heaven and God
lnspiring words.
Iet them these closed heart-path-wavs,
these self t-lastnesses un
lock. And usher in the Blessed Peace!
Mutiny Reported at Ghent.
I'liris, J?eb. -7. A report is current
here, but not confirmed, that a mutinv
occurred at (ihent early this month in
which about SuoO men, including 30 of
ficers, were involved. According to
this report, the mutineers were bound
two and twoind sent in the direction
of Brussels, Alalines. Antwerp and
Naiimr.
NEW TEA GOWN
Tea gown of yellow chiffon and
silver lace with girdle of purple
satin.
j
On the left is a frock of white linen lawn with sleeveless jacket
is? of white voile with collar and jacket embroidered in blue
the jacket and in front shows a black velvet girdle.
NEWEST TREND IN STYLES
FROM THE MARCH BOOKS
h.ach month the fashion books con
tain surprises, and net'- are .some from
the March bookfe:
Have vou noticed the skirts with lit
tle pockets on the belts? They are
very attractive. I,rather belts with
little pockets attached have appeared
in the shops, and these, too, are inter
esting. But the fashion books now
show patterns for skirt with attached
cloth belts, and hanging from the belts
the flap of the pockets overlapping the
belt, and two pockets, stitched to the
skirt. Tney are made envelope-wise,
raid the" flaps button down. They are
decidedly suitaole for sport skirts.
Scalloped hems are much in vogue.
They are especially desirable with a
full, circular hem, for every one who
remembers circular skirts when they
were in fashion before knows that it iu
difficult to make a wide, circular skirt
hang even and straight at the hem.
The patt-jrn for a scalloped, circular
skirt can now be purchased.
You can buy a pattern now for the
new long sleeve. It comes with sev
eral patterns in one for a mousque
taire, bishop and several other vari
eties in several lengths.
A pattern can be had foV a tea nap-
Child Culture
Hints for Mothers.
Most mothers, and rightly, love their
babies a great deal. This does not
mean because they love them they
should let their children go untrained
altogether, or even until they outgrow
babyhood. As a physician told a
mother when she asked him what was
the right age to begin to train her in
fant, "Right now, madam, but you
should have begun this work before
your Infant was born."
To be sure, an Infant is a tiny bun
dle of instincts, but unless you are a
great student of child nature you have
no idea bow rapidly these instincts,
aided by the nerves and brain Impres
sions, become good or bad habits.
These habits are more readily formed
than broken. .
. If the bad habits are to be destroyed
the work must be done In infancy.
Some parents boast because their chil
dren have the same weaknesses they
enjoy. Is It not bad enough that the
. ...'.- 'i-"'.'s ' ; r ;. :'. :
kin to be embroidered in satin and eye
let stitch, and with this pattern six
transfers come for 15 cents anybody
could maka a charming set of tea nap
kins, quite rivalling the real madeira
work.
One of the pretty patterns shows a
bolero jacket, a detail of fashion that
has been a feature of some of the ne-v
French models. It is sleeveless, and
maJde of silk, to wear over a lace
blouse; it. is especially pretty.
There are new designs for embroid
ering nigntgowns and corset covers or
combinations. A nightgown with a
high empire waistline, embroidered in
satin and eyelet stitch, would make a
charming gift tor a spring bride.
Have you one of those charming
round, flat cushions for your boudoir'.
If you haven t. why not make one? A
pattern for embroidering one of thehe
cushions is sold in an effectt-ve design
of cherries.
Patch pockets are much in fashion.
A young girl's coat of especially goo 1
design is shown in one pattern with
patch pocket j on both sides of the full
gathered skirt portion.
parents cannot eradicate their own
weaknesses without boasting of those
same faults in their offspring? This is
especially true of manners. Good man
ners are the easiest thing in the world
to learn, if taught when young, but
faultless manners cannot be cultivated
after one is grown.
After you have taught your baby
to pick up the things he drops, give
him the pleasure of doing the same
thing for' you, for his nurse, or for
any guest who happens to drop some
thing. The child will look upon this
as a privilege instead of a burden.
If you want your child to be a pleas
ure to you, and to others, teach him
that he has certain rights, but he must
respect those of others. A happy child
is better than sunshine, but a noisy
child is a nuisance. Therefore teach
your infant that he can laugh and
prattle to his heart's content in the
nursery and. when the family is alone.
It is far better to teach a child in
dividuality thotrgh his work and play
than to allow him to amuse himself
at all times, and under all circum
stances without considering the com
forts of those around.
Most children are irritable and dis
satisfied because they are overs tiro-1
of embroidered green linen and a
and a blue girdle. The gown on
ulated by thought and attention. Chil
dren follow their primal instincts, es
pecially where physical activity is
concerned. Do not be too anxious
about your baby's walking and talk
ing. Many a baby cultivates an ugly
disposition and is even injured for life
because some devoted mother thinks
her baby will be considered backward
if he does not walk at a certain age.
If your child is a normal child he will
walk when the right time comes. Much
injury is done to the feet, ankles and
the nervous system by encouraging
children to walk too soonv
Passport for Each Is RuJe.
Washington, Feb. 27. German mil
itary authorities now require that each
person entering Germany be provided
with an individual passport. A wife or
minor child cannot enter upon a pass
port held by husband or parent. This
government has been so advised.
NEW TOP COAT
Top coat of brown satin with black
'I vet collar and cuffs, .
wide band of the same finishing the skirt. The gown in the center
the right is of white batiste with lace jacket, short in front. Through,
,
WHAT WOMEN ARE DOING
IN HOME and FOREIGN FIELDS
Paris Running a city "without men"
is the novel etpcrienct- of Paris today.
The woman are managing the railways,
hospitals and hotels; move baggage,
serve as conductor, chiuffeura and can
drivers; and even clean streets, do car
penter work and handle the pick ami
shovel.
London Mrs. J. C. Jenkins, an Amer
ican woman from Minneapolis, aided by
a coterie of American women here, has
opened a factory where the unem
ployed are given work. It is a knitting
mill, and gloves and socks are being
turned out for the soldiers.
Ioulsville, Ky. Mrs. W. B. l)ixon,
known to every child in Louisville aa
the "story lady," has talked to over
6000 school children in and near Louis
ville. Kindness to animals is her
theme, and her work is being supple
mented in other parts of the state by
the Women's Auxiliary of the Kentucky
Humane society
Boston -One of the most int-jrt-stlng
of the European women who lit.ve come
to America in the interests of the suf
ferers in the war zone is Countess Du
mas. Althought she '.n American born,
she has lived since childhood In Paris.
Her husbi-id irf the sreat-grat-grand-son
of Count Dumas, who was a friend
of Lafayjtte and the aide of Co.mt Ro
chamoeau in the Bevolutionary War.
She is pleading the cause of war suf
ferers in France.
Atlantic City, N. J. That 100.009
babies hava been saved in the United
States throuzh a riation-wlde cajnpalun
of education of mothers, was one of
the important reports submitted to tlu
National Mothers' congtess.
New fork - Arrangement are al
ready being made for the biennial con
ventions of the Federation of Women'i
clubs, to be held here in May, 1916.
The 1915 council will be held at Port
land, Or., in June.
New York Mrs. Arcnibald Alexan
der, of Hoboken, friend and associate
of Miss Anne Morgan in her civic up
lift work, is to marry again. The
biitlsrooni wyi be H. Otto Wittpenn,
now a naval officer, and formerly
mayor of Jersey City.
The romance is said to be a direct
result of association in welfare work.
San l'rantlaco, Cal. Miss Greta Jo
hanson, 14 vears eld, who won th
world's championship for grace In high
diving at the Olymphs gajnes In 1912,
haa been appointed a member of the
part men t oC - physical education in
j L'nivwikiu ,uf cuxernia. he will
teach the co-eds the art of swimming.
The opening conference of American
women working for peace in Kurope,
and for the abolition of war among all
civilised nations will be held here July
4- It is hoped to make Independence
day more notable by the steps for
peace to be taken at tnajt tlm.
ht. I,oul, Mo. .A fashion show for
the women of the south, west and
southwest will open her on March It.
Although her father opposed, Mlss
Marjorie Pept-r Hell, known as the
"million-dollar princess," will wed next
June. Hh is only 17. She will bo the
bride of Klchard Hlnrlchs, of WU Lout:
Kprlngfleld, III. On of the most "
'sensational statements tn reaard to'
eugonlcs is that which accompanies the
bill for the adoption of a eugvnics lavr
in Illinois. Kecorda of examinations at
the Coulter iSettleinent, in Chicago,
showed that 66 to 70 per cent ot opera-
tions on women are for diseases that'
would cause marriage licenses to be
withheld. The Wisconsin law Is caus
ing a decrease in weddings, and the
Oregon law is being dodged by resi
dents who go to neighboring states to
wed. The Indiana senate recently
passed a eugenics bill, and other states
are tackling he problem. t
Wellington, New Zealand An lc
tion joke was recently perpetrated on
the politician by the brown-akinned
Maori women, who put up their own
candidate and elected him over-seven
candidates of the tegular "politicians.
The women frankly admit that tt Was
because their favorite- was young and
handsemi that they thrust- groatnesa
upon him. ' '-r' .
Wanblngtop A . statu of r William
Pitt, the great English statesman and
friend of America during revolutionary
days, will be unveiled here next Octo
ber. It is the gift at American women
living In England, ' , "
Minneapolis, Minn. One of the most
touching appeals from the war zone is
that of Mrs. E. W. Siyirtleff. formerly t
of Minneapolis. She Is devoting her
self to caring fur the blind who have
been driven from the fighting area in
France. Dr. Cyrua Northrop, 1 of the
University of Minnesota, is heading
the list of subscribers to a fund to aid
her work.
Wants His Actresses Pressed. "
Boston, Feb. 27. Mayor Curley says
he cracks two birds with one stone in,
his latest edict -calling upon "female
of the stage' to wear more clothes. He
savea Boston's morale, and the 'fe
males' . from pneumonia. -