The San Francisco call. [volume], April 08, 1906, Page 13, Image 13

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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The Picture Coat
Is Dame Fashion's Latest
Beautiful Little Summer Coats
of Silk and Llffht Cloth, aa
Worn by airs. Lonjf-rrorth,
Mrs. W. K. Vanderbllt Jr. and
Other Pretty Young Leaders
of Fashion— Pointers for the
Woman Who Wants to Wear
a Separate Jacket With Her
£prln]; Soli.
AUGUSTA PRESCOTT
n v o sooner does the fashionable
/\ I woman don her spring suit
I than some one suggests that
V V the separate coat is fashionable
. and away she rushes to take
off her neat little coat, only to put on
one that contrasts with her suit.
The separate little coat is now the
ultra-fashionable thing, and, as is
often the case, the modish woman is
outdoing herself to get new little sep
arate coats and a sufficient number of
them to fill Dame Fashion's bill. Pic
ture coats they are called, and very pic
ture-like they are with their wide
tleeves and smart trimmings. They are
made of smooth, glossy cloth and they
are short, fitting the figure very neatly.
Mrs. W. K. Vanderbilt Jr., on her re
cent arrival in this country, wore a
deep granite gray suiting made with
circular skirt, with panel effect in th«
front. There was a suspicion of the
tailor-made finish in tiie seams and
around the hem. But the gown was
quite spring-like and feminine with its
pipings of white.
The skirt was unlined, and £rom be
neath it there peeped out a pair of
granite gray graiterettes of exactly the
.same shade as the material of the skirt.
N<» : petticoat was visible, although the
skirt was lifted as she came down the
gangplank.
This matter of wearing no petticoat
at all is one that is engaging the atten
tion of women abroad, who are consider-
A :.:g the idea at omitting it altogether.
The idea is that the effect is better
without a petticoat than with. And
that is the reas.on why one sees so very
many pretty costumes in ParJs, with
no petticoat worn underneath, and with
the gaiterettes plainly showing when
the. skirt Is lifted. Many of the skirts
are lined, this being a revival of an old
fashion.
Of course, the petticoat it; silH fash
ionable, and ,one sees the most beautiful
spring skirts in all the lovely new
shades of silk. But on the other hand,
there has arisen a Parisian* fad for go
ing without the petticoat and women
wli© fall int'» fads easily have for the
moment picked it up, only to suffer,
in all probability, a groat reaction later
on.
A French gown went up Fifth avenue
tiie other day. It was in deep blue
chiffon velvet made princess, the most
charming gown one could imagine for
a calling tour. Jt fitted like the, paper
on the wall, without seam or crease,
without bend or break and almost with
out a ripple, even at tiie foot. It was
long and had to be he-Id up.
But, though it was held high enough
to display a very charming pair of
• Kilter tops .in olue silk, and a neat
pair of patent leather boots, there was
no sign of a petticoat. The effect was
decidedly catchy and Parisian, even
though the style is not one that will
last more than for the moment.
Quite to the contrary was a navy
blue velvet suit, made with circular
.skirt and panel effect, the sides laid
in very flat plaits. The skirt, which
was full around the foot, and slightly
long In the back, was lifted and. from
under its edge, there peeped a silk
petticoat, which was in no less than six
.shades of blue, from very light to very
dark, and all finished with tiny cording*
of' pold thread put on bo daintily that
tfie flounces were not weighed down by
the braid. :The effect was very pretty
indeed, and very feminine.
The petticoat was of the very fluffy
order, while the boots were patent
leathers, high In the heel, with tops of
navy blue, embroidered in the self -same
color.
The Pretty Spring Coats.
Mrs. Longworth, who came back from
her tour looking very charming, wore
the other day a little shopping suit
which quite mirrors the new spring
style for the contrasting coat and skirt.
The skirt was a pavement gray, rather
deeper than the usual tone of pavement,
and the coat was a pale gray, one of
those little separate coats which are so
pretty always, and %vhich make the
figure so youthful. This little separate
coat can best be described as 'natty,
for it makes the figure look neat around
the waist and jaunty, and it has the
merit of always suiting the occasion.
It can be worn with almost anything.
The little spring coats are divided,
into three separate styles, • all equally
smart. The most popular is the little
pony coat, which is short and straight
in the front. The back is close-fitting,
and there are sometimes neat little side
pockets, but the pony is generally cut
without pockets and is made with the
straight front effect, unbroken by cross
lines.
The pony coat is, a little English coat
and its trimming usually consists of
braid put on in English fashion, run
ning straight up and down. Its lines
are unbroken and the effect is that of
making one taller. The most particular
thing about the pony coat, from Dame
Fashion's point of view, is the length,
which must be exact. iThe coat must
be Just the right depth over the hips
or the effect is spoiled. If too short
it looks bobby; if too long, it is dowdy.
To get It just right requires the prac
ticed eye of an expert tailor. "Just
over the hips" is the rule.
A very popular little coat is the sum
mer blazer. The blazer comes out new
this year. This season it is made with
out a collar and with a flat band ap
plied to the neck, extending down the
front in rever fashion. The /coat Is
ebort, scarcely hip length, and it is cut
away in the front so that it has no
fastenings at all, being merely a little
open front coat with sides flying. Still,
in spite of its careless appearance, it
is a smart litle coat and one that has
the respect of those who aim to dress
well.
Gertrude Vanderbllt's Gowns.
Miss Gertrude Vanderbilt, who is the
leading debutante of the year, as well
as society's richest girl, wears a little
peach colored cloth blazer coat lined
with pale pink silk. At the front there
Is a glimpse of a lingerie shirt waist
in tho most delicate lawn worn over a
pink lining. Her skirt is a dark cloth
one. a pretty little English tailored
skirt — Just the" thing for trotting and
for all street occasions. The material
is very smooth as are all cloth models
of spring.
The Eton coat is one that must not
be forgotten, for it is here to stay an
other season at least; and; many of the
new suits — in fact the majority of them
—are cut in Eton fashion with the Eton
more or less trimmed and the girdle
matching the eton. This suit Is almost
necessary to the woman who
well, for it fills up a gap in her ward
robe and supplies her with a gown
which can be put on when there is
nothing else in view.
Three little summer coats must be in
every wardrobe and their colors and
materials should be about the same.
The material should be smooth and the
shade should be light. Otherwise the
choice Is left to the wearer. And the
coats should be In. Eton cut,: or in pony
shape, or in the popular blazer effect.
The best shades ere peach, butter color,
( THE SAN : FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL.
cnamois, pean,: Alice gray, tan and bis
cuit color. And the best material is a
soft broadcloth or one of the novelties
that approach broadcloth arid give the
same general effect. ;r; r
The rough goods seem, for the - time
being, to have gone out and everything
points toward the smooth* materials.
Broadcloths, smooth faced serges, cash
meres and Panama c cloth and alltne
other soft smooth faced goods; are here,
while the rough goods .seem -to. have
stepped aside and invited the smooth
ones to take. their places..
Smooth Materials of Spring-.
Serge, that friend of the .traveling
woman, is very fashionable, but it is
a serge that- is . smooth "and hot the
rough, heavy \ serge,' nor yet the coarse
kind, but rather a "soft ; stuff which
greatly resembles cashmere in its qual
ity, yet^whlch preserves all the durable
properties of serge Itself. ; .
Checks are also fashlqnafle, and here
one comes to the new* color,ischerhes.
A checked suit was made of blue ;and
pink stripes upon- a gray'ground,'.giv
ing a very pretty. tone., The sult,:which
was an Eton" .suit, was piped with
green and there were, little frillirigs of
Valenciennes" lace, upon the* Eton coat.
The girdle was piped with green and
trimmed with. lace. , •\u25a0.l-- L - ; ty'';;.V
, Checks were never quite. as fashion
able as now, and 4 the, fearj expressed by
the leading dressmakers istthat they ;will
Uje overdone. They, come •In i all -grades
of .material and It. ls possible to get a
check for a few" cents, which, will "make
up prettily, -wear well| and * present a
very good ; appearance ; all I the /season
through. In the' silk ; taffetas ; and "silk
voiles they are'very. handsome and here
they offer a really good investment," for
they will \u25a0 clean,', make- over ! and come
out as good as new. ' . •.-.'.-. _.. N .:
When one comes to the . best ; color,
for the f. checked :. gown .one : nius'tv fall
back upon one's own taste/ 'Upon k Fifth
avenue one sees *a great : number of
black; and;. white checks^ and blue and
white ones,. with the blue and white in
the majority. Again, on a pleasant day,
therg' are the little coral checks
and the very, fascinating red and green
effects, trimmed with": green, and s worn
with a green j and blue straw sailor hat.
It Is 4 largely a matter of paying, one's
money and using one's judgment.
:.-;f: ;: '*- :\ .The : Fancy, Silk Coats. <
\u25a0 In every wardrobe there "must be a
fancy silk, coat.'' There are lovely, coats
that ;come with wide sleeves v of ' three
quarter length,"" cutoff at just the, right
point twixt "wrist* and ;; elbow/,?; 'And
there are the most; adaptable little silk
coats with sleeves of vvvrist length,"fin
ished very wide, and terminating; in -a
broad velvet band trimmed with\ lace."
The silk coat, while not a necessity,
is very useful, and -pretty. It is 'not
strictly V a shopping : coat, j yet , its / uses
are manifold.' It Is. made easy 'to the
figure arid' as such it Is just the -thing
to wear 'over the soft frilly t dresses
which will , not bear / crushing,' and 'it Is
the'Jvery coat'to' puton over ,thel fluffy,
waists .which are so much , the fashion
th is , ; spr in g : : and V which are .worn ;, r e-*
gardless of time; season* or weather. -
It is a bleEsecE thing that the summer
materials clean well.' Otherwise there
would be trouble; with the finance com
mittee, j for, gowns are light, ..coats ] are
lighter, and the separate waists are the
lightest; of ; all. 'White 1b woriitbyithe
majority; of .women ;• and; theu," white
goods Tare % so"; easily soiled ;; that \\ they
can be 'worn; only a couple, of times bef
fore they, must be put out to the cleaner
for. renovation. - :\u25a0:\u25a0\u25a0'' , /
.'• The 'cummer, .woman is engaged- in
at : ha'nd : torhand v ; struggle -with ' \u25a0 her
neighborsjto see who shall ,'wear /the
whitest fand of "summer 7 shirt
waists -and •?. it"- f has % about reached" the
"polhtlthat ; the 7 best ; dressed v, woman ? of
the* summer] is <the ;one who shall .wear
the - handsomest and ; freshest of lingerie
Waists/ ;; / '-• "y-.V" ' '\u25a0 '• -, : '^'";"'-'-- -.'\u25a0\u25a0 «^'
: The ; newest j waists ; are i made with
trimming running straight across "the
front from side, seam .to side; seam.
Piece needlework is used for this pur
pose and the waists are made up ; with
the trimming 'running round and round
instead of up and down. The effect is
very ; pretty j where ; there , are openwork
stripes through which the ; pretty lining
can be seen. '\u25a0 .'\u25a0',- \
• The \u25a0'. wearing of the -colored slip, or
under lining," is almost universal. One
can buy these, slips, with elbow sleeves,
ready.' made, in " the ; stores, and In most
places one . can get them in either lawn
or in \silk. . The, favorite colors . are
flesh ; colored \u25a0. pink,* pa.le2.blue and a
pretty shade of corn " color." L The . last
makes the lacework look very rich and
adds. much to the apparent cost of the
waist.; ' \u25a0/ ' '\u0084-..'\u25a0 ... ' \u25a0
> Fitting: One's Self for the Summer.
?If you are a society a girl and; are fit
ting yourself out* for. a 'pretty summer,
be, sure '.to Invest \u25a0'\u25a0 in what; are called
the* pretty;. things of summer and be
careful that they match.. There is some
thing ! about a : match that "is very
charming. ;?";;;:!. \u25a0 .'-..,- * -V
There is the fluffy, lingerie waist with
its pretty pale gold colored'linlng. -Then
comes .the '\u25a0 skirt; of -.butter 1 colored broad
cloth, made In plaited, circular or gath
ered effect. ,/ Finally there Is the \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0_ little
Eton / coat or the .; pony. ; ' coat, • made to
match 'I the* skirt, and ;with ?it all ', there Jls
a* wrist bag, 7 a .parasol f and ?'a'f handker
chief, while the hat, which Is a black
straw.*"* Is / trimmed U with . gold - colored
roses. ;* The effect is light and feummery,
yet -warm'; enoughj f or ' any fine ..weather.
; .- The " : little"; separate) coat -fills in many
a chink ; these days," and it ,< is , worn for
many Toccaslons^ .: :. One * can* do '] so 7 very
much (with; it." j Suppose , it to beialfash
ionable -little cream ;broadcloth
coat iwith Vwide /strappings *of self-col
ored braid and etltchlngs of black."' The
lining is pale pink and the coat, which
has -: no *. buttons, '* is i trimmed .iwlth tiny
little V braided > loops \u25a0':•• and fastenings.
Such -a •; coat : as -. this I can :\u25a0 be .worn ; with
seal brown, black,' navy blue and dark
green. And, If there Is a hat of Just
the shade of the coat,* then one is
pretty well - equipped as to a runabout
suit. . .
Dame Fashion Is quite generous this
year In that she allows her girls to
dress pretty := much, as they ; please, pro
viding; they are smartly attired. They
must be -dressed in the new. materials
cut In the new ways. But- when it
comes to the. smaller matters of dress
there- Is some latitude. Coats can be
mixed upa -trifle, skirts can be inter
changed, and, as for waists, . there is
a wide field In which all handsome lin
gerie waists are "equal favorites.
\u25a0 There, is a story told of a New York
woman in this town who went shop
ping the other day to buy her summer
wardrobe. She needed almost every
thing that a woman can need at the be
ginnlng of the season; Unfortunately,
or fortunately — no one can tell which
— she entered the store and. went first
to the shirt waist counter. At the
close of the day she was still buying
shirt waists, and though her money
was all gone, she had not stirred a step
away from the waist department. "I
can; do without other things," said she,
"itl can, have all the waists Jf want."
And \u25a0 many women feel the same way.
The Intricate French Waists.
The matter <• of tubbing the waist is
one over which woman Is shedding
many tears. V Laundries , have, for • the
most part, gone up in their prices and
It is no unusual thing to find a bill of
a dollar awaiting you for the- washing
of one single shirt: waist. Nor is the
line drawn at that. ; One handsome
French waist .was so intricate that it
took :a \ fine laundress ' a whole day to
iron r it, . and 'after, the , ironing was done
a lace mender/ -went over It repairing
any small rents In the lace. But this
is one of the situations a woman has
to meet : and she must prepare for it
early. |
Duck-green Is one of the fashionable
colors of spring and this and currant
re*d quite occupy the center of the stage
in the summer calculations of many
women." They are good tones and they
go well with many _"\u25a0 other shades; sso
well, ; in , fact, * that ; one might base one's
summer trousseau upon them.
\u25a0„\u25a0 One Yof» the prettiest -suits : of -this
month Is built of duck-green , Panama
cloth made with ' a"; pony /jacket ; effect,
the : ; only ;; trimming .being many and
many a row. of * braid. The • coat is cut
off j Just 'at the hips and the back- is
closelyf fitted while the front - hangs
straight. ';. ;' ,
/;V,The ."pony*/. In this case is semi-fitted
even in the front and is so. snug at the
sid«s that. It quite follows the line [of
the figure.- The sklrt>is one -of those
plaited affairs \of :. which .one eees .so
many V and • * 'which, *\u25a0 while _'. . not • " novel,
shows novel features, this spring. The
front was finished in panel effect, ; .while,
around the hips/: there l was a wide swirl
of 'black sllkbrald put^onlVery flat and
pressed Into the cloth until it seemed
a f partof it. V "
: Many. " of ; the new braids - are used in
this manner, namely, by pressing Into
the cloth until they seem a part of- the
goods. No attempt Is mada- to mak»
the braid stand out. In fact, the richer
and silkier and heavier the braid the
more energetically la it pressed into the.
goods. It makes the material look Ilka
a French pattern dress, and In many re
spects It is to be admired en this ac
count.
v A suit that was quite charming from
Its novelty was built upon empire lines.
A skirt, quite plain. wa3 worn with a
high girdle, while over it was hooked
a coat with an exceedingly short waist
front and back. Tho coat had full
elbow sleeves, while the wide flat belt
securely girdled the coat higher up
than the waistline originally goes by
four inches.. The coat, while not with
in the reach of the fat woman, was
delightful upon the slender woman who
wore it.
Just for the month the little separate
coat is both comfortable and fashion
able. Its colors are new and It comes
In every shade, there being no limit to
the hues in which It is built.
This is a season of novelties and the
number of these to be found in Dams
Fortune's domain would surprlsa those
who have not followed the trend of thai
new fashions closely. Something new Is
continually cropping op and It taxes one's
brain and one's purse to keep uj> withi
them.
The elbow sleeves called for the locs
glove and gloves of elbow length are as
numerous a3 the gowns of the season.
Each frock must have Its pair of gloves
and with most frocks there must be
three pairs. The necessary gloves are.
the black glaced kid. which are worn
with street dresses and for. all occasions
not strictly dress. Then one needs a
pair of white gloves, elbow length, and
to these mu3t be added tho gloves Just
the color of the gown, be the gown Alice
blue, violet, heliotrope, coral or green,
for kid comes In every shade.
But the Tend of the novelties la not yet. ,
The gloves are long and require support.
Ldke one's hose, they must be kept upv
and here there is presented aa oppor
tunity for a new scheme In dress.
A little garter-lika attachment comes
for slipping over the arm. It Is made of
elastic, precisely like the garter upon the>
lesr, and over It Is shirred a little satin
ribbon. The name of the article Is a
gartlet. "Gartlet'* la a recently coined
word. - a lid It means a buckled band of
velvet worn with long • gloves above the
elbow. "It is strongly advocated for day
as well as evening wear, because when
the arm Is bare, which is cold and danger-.
ous ! in winter time. It keeps the glove so
close up ' to the sleeves that the ; wearer
feels Just as warm as If the aria were
covered with a long sleeve; moreover,
the gartlet does away with any fear of a
red elbow being visible. It also dresses
up the arm. It Is, In fact, a glove garter,
doing the same kindly office for the glova
that the garter., did , for the stocking be
fore the susuender drove It out of the
field.
The cartleta are sometimes made of
velvet, sometimes of ribbon. - fulled over
an elastic foundation, a little .buckle : or.
rosette hiding the Join and giving a flnl3h
to them ; the buckle, however, permltj
their being adjusted, to anjf reo,tttr«d aiae.