The San Francisco call. [volume], March 24, 1907, Page 11, Image 11

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

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The S&n Francisco Sunday Call.
LATEST PARIS FASHIONS IN
COSTUMES FOR EARLY
SPRING WEAR
p^ ETORB the Christmas holidays
I*^ are over U>« shops are filled with
| \ all «orts of new fabrics for the
following reason and the mere
enterprising modistes dispiay cos
tames for early eprlng end summer.
To the Initiated In the mysteries of
Cress these advance rtyles ara fraught
with many dangers. They tna7 In truth
be what they claim, advance styles:
they may be models that have been ex
hibited to an exclusive few and found
wanting, or they may have been fin
ished too late to find the proper market
at the proper time and have conse
quently had to be held over.
Now Is the time of year when It re-
Qulres all one's cleverness, knowledge
and educated taste to decide upon a
costume for the spring among the many
fashions exhibited" 'on the order of
these Just alluded to, the really latest
and authoritative models from the
leading bouses, as well as the rank and
file, so to speak, of the ones that are
already prepared for the multitude. Un
til Into the month of March there are
marked down bargains to be found
here -and there — gowns for one-half and
sometimes one-third the original price.
To be sure, the original price was prob
ably absurdly extortionate. Too glar
ing a color, too radical a change In
fashion or too pronounced a- novelty
often makes a gown that would be
charming for one woman Impossible
for the majority, and It Is this sort of
thing that provides the bargains.
It Is a mistake even for the chance
of securing a bargain to choose too ec
centric a model, however, and on that
account It Is best to go where the more
censerx-atlve styles are to be found. At
the same time It must be remembered
that a fashion which seems too eccentric
one season often becomes quite possible
when one* popular and modified by
more conservative rendering of the
original Idea. With all these directly
conflicting statements It Is Indeed a
task that requires good Judgment and
cultivated taste not to be led astray
-by the privily expressed opinions of
each and every dressmaker who has
model gowns ..left over that she wishes
to dispose of before starting In to ex
hibit her newest faehlona of the mo
ment.
For some months— ln fact, some years
—It has been more and more the fash
ion to wear bright and unusual colors
If becoming; and consequently women
who do »o are not nearly so conspic
uous at when the majority were clothed
in garments of more somber hue; and
while In many Instances the colors and
materials worn seem Inappropriate un
less for carriage or home wear.' the fact
that they are worn,' and la great num
ber,T. makes them fashionable. The
woman who roes about In her own
carriage can,. of course. Crcts in more
elaborate* and conspicuous style v taan
If she were obliged to travel In publl*
conveyance!!.
There are at the moment most
charming and smart street gowns la
bright colors. These can be bought at
a comparatively Email cost, and, whilo
they are In the late winter rather than
the early spring styles, are most de
eirable. Long and short coats are both
to be found among these models, but
it Is best not to choose too severe or
defined a modcl'for then It might prove
to be one that had been deemed Impos
sible, consequently the more fanciful
and distinctive fashion will be the beet.
A. costume that was rather,late for
the winter, but Is now one of the fa
vorites In. the advance styles, has a
long fitted coat, with rather fnll
skirts; the skirt of the costume is long
and rather plain in effect, but on the
coat is an elaborate design in braid
ing or embroidery put on in long bands
down the front.. The material is a
soft finished gray cloth, but the model
Is equally effective in linen or almost
any material, while fqr the braiding or
embroidery can be substituted heavy
lace insertion. The coat can be on the
collariess order, or there may be a
narrow shawl collar of white silk or
satin. This is a detail to bo decided
by the Individual taste rather than
HOW I WRITE MY BOOKS - BY MYRTLE REED, AUTHOR OF
"A SPINNER IN THE SUN"
PEOPLE have relatively little In
terest in these days as to how a
woman is wooed and won. how
che keeps house, how the brings
up her children— these are very com
monplace; details — but once she writes
a book or a ehort story they are in
terested.
The sequel always proves them Jus
tified. Incomprehensibility Is merely
another name for woman. The suc
cessful authoress Invariably. writes her
book or short story precisely, as you
would never think she would.
How, any given woman writes a book
—or a number of them^-therefore. Is
bound to be an unexpected, entertain
ing bit of new*, especially when told
by herself, Myrtle Reed's story of how
she did "A » Spinner •; In the Sun"- and
her eight other books, of which* over
200,000 copies have been sold, Is, a case
in point. \u25a0\u25a0H9MRISH
'. . _— —
Myrtle Reed
I' HAVE ' read of— and ; known — people
. who made a , business of wrltincr,
but my writing has made , a busi
ness of mtt. I do not . know how any
body can sit down deliberately to write
a book, .for I never wrote a line • that Z
didn't absolutely' have to write," nor be
gan until the thing grave me no peace.
. I am • frequently '. asked, " "How : lons
does it take to write ; a j bookr* With
eoual ;, truth : X • might ..answer, /'Two
year*".* or "Tar eft : weeks," m It: all de-
commanded by an Immutable law of
fashion.
So often the spring season is so short
that It seems as If the heat of summer
followed immediately after the intense
cold, of midwinter, and then a cloth cos
tume seems. to be quite unnecessary, as
there isreally so little time to wear it.
but the* well dressed woman takes no
chances on exceptional seasons and pro
vides herself with a smart cloth cos
tume of light weight, knowing that
there will be plenty of days during the
summer when " such a costume ,1 will
prove exactly the correct thing. to wear.'
Shaggy, rough materials and dark
pends/upon the point of • view. " ;In;a
sense, it requires a lifetime, ' since all
one's previous experience! and: training
seems but a single vast preparation-^for
the work immediately, in hand.' In ; fact,
I. consider myself at .work all 'the tlmo
I'm not asleep-^— and, '' alas, some times
even my nightmares ' are closely "conr
nccted with manuscript which,, won't
come "right." '; ', * -^"' .V . -- ''.'\u25a0'. -,^~.
Myf mind simmers, 'then. explodes.; It
seems. to be a matter o* time and sea
sons. In September -usually; a book of
mine is - published, and 2 the • postman
begins to- leave' straw-colored?en
velopes in the ; letter. box: daily.
contain clippings from various- maga
zines and newspapers ; published -in the
United States,*. England, Australia, I ro-
;In 'New. Zealand. , :< In these
.Is -J portrayed r,with ' -great - candor.^ and
frankness; tha exact -opinion' of ;myi fel
low craftsmen In s regard -, to V- my. | last
-book."^ Most of it la kind, somo of it is
amusingr, all ofit is faithfully read. I
. consider that the criticism of, one who
writes ' Is 'of ; infinitely : more [value > than
: that of .one who does motv r 'When Jit.is
pointed ; out: to : me "-. by k my /, brothers" of
the pen in what way I have failed and
.what; way. l ' have VmaWe ; good", I- can
see : it; too. - Tho generous
stimulates me ', to \u25a0• higher; endeavor ; tho
simmerlngs become more active. 7 ;; ' ', "
-\u25a0 Early/ in - December^' I : unso
ciable and .wish that Christmas might
be -'obliterated ,"; from-", the Ct calendar.
Scrooge himself ''was no more opposed
f. to . Yuletidei than- I-r-bef ore .the* Chris
tmas spirit begins: to get in Its fine, work
on ? everybody. %S: Presently^' I shop and
get things they don't want for people
who remain my friends ' in ' spite of i t,
'embroider and ? sew as faithf ullyJasJ lf
\u25a0 X j can ; do ; bo th and \ make] enough
candy to pat an entire. orphan asylum
colors do not come under this heafl,
although the light weight _'. black \ cloth
gown," made kin 'some 'fanciful: design,
even: In! the eternal, medium- length
coat "and skirt, ls'by no means'to.be
tabooed! and blue and black serge cos
tumes' afe^always to be found' in' every
thorough-outfit.. The .palest of; grays,
almost white; the' tans, 86: light as to
be -nearly ,yellow;, yellow; 'the new faint
shades* or all :. colors, come within;, the
possible and ; practical , list, -and fall •' of
these ( colors ; are suitable . for long ,, f or
short coats and -Jong or -short; skirts;
although "as ; more 'elaborate /designs
are chosen f the \u25a0 skirts '"should be long.'
7 beyond all present worries. : t About that;;
!^tlme,V too," my i, publisher, sends -me - a
,^check,';.wlth S tho 5 remark ; that.--1 "may
.wish .: - ; to ':\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0? purchase:"- some ' ;. ClirJstmas *
"PlumsV's though], it Tisn'tv; royalty-- time.;
for two or three ; months yet. \
; , There ,is v still^ simmering, however,'
r\ and 3 alivague! unresf/whlch* is .very. ,un- ,.
r comfortable. : v^lybeglq. to "sco things at
f, night." ato i.bo: possessed by do» .;
to.writc.?"! The;. typewriter keysi are *
eht|cing.'smy^thousand. - Bheetsror linen.
r paper ,* "look .good ;' to ?: me." ;Af ter ' Xew
every playjl ever; wanted to; see?
fils ; put f: oh I *; the j" Chicago \istage, ' i every 7
:-vfr!end.r; love (Invites m« -"to some highly -
;' and ; i tempting v "party, V\ v'JtheV
'I only : club I ; , b.elong^ to j. becomes *- fatally.'
f interestlng,*Anyi= telephone -wire rfairly«
* tingles "with s hints ;of' festivity.*. ;,To ail"
t n of; thls : l' must; say.- sadly, "I -am in' my,
'\u25a0aheii.*;,-: I .;',^".'-;', ::\u25a0•/,-;'•-..-: ./ :'[_.:\u25a0-\u25a0 :iy -.^
For; longidays;i.*sitUn:my i -ilttlel^en<;
alone* andlooKiout of, thej window.; One
i 'observant X pasßerby .; confided fto\u25a0\u25a0 a 'I mu
?;tual;friend^that[l*must;wrltes at^hlght,-;
since 'In * the daytime I did 'absolutely
I nothing but contemplate * the Jprogres- !•
I sive ; world; from\aj third: story iwlndowJ.
?• Gentle ;£ inquiries—^and'v royal ty<f^comaV
Jfrom-'tbei publishing ; : ;The7lady ?
? who 3' makes '< my,- shirtwaists ;*wrl tes ~* to i
* me I. that \ if ;I .want* any.? spring: clothes?
: I'll have . to ' g et (cm i now, l^ in^ the ! mean- '-
'i time Jlf am { enslaved by » an'. ldea?: formf 0rm- J i
\u25a0i less, -vague,^ unsatisfactory, inexpreas- '•-'
'ii lble-frandi torturing. \^> -z':.^- v :, ' ; ; [
'Dream people,? fragments, of I speech.'.
% haunting % blts^of % melody, t.
Cof I something flfolng S on' around • me * to"^
?,w.hlch;i ; hayejiio'key.'a' thousand chaotlo'
|. impulses ; perplex •me}bylnlght;and?day.**
* ,W| th fi two i people i tirive * me 1
t mad— ar, chanc«Smeetlngj\withlsOne\ of r
imyjbest and dearest friends, will upiet?
tiai' for^dtyi. s r Then,- some» day,>6ut of
Combining cloth ana' silk Is to -be lxn
mensely fashionable this - season, . and
"among 7 tho newest -models are to be
found ;Isome; fascinating .instances of
thls...^The cloth. skirt ito ;be worn with
silk, the soft ' finished silk; coat, is most
attractive and • absolutely - new,' and, in
fact;' were "it ; n6t that -the braidlng_an
coat!/ and skirt; corresponds exactly a It
'would be impossible to . believe that; the
two were .intended to be worn-together.
Soutache \u25a0 braiding jls < really \u25a0 one of the
marked . features • of » the season •' and ' is
\u25a0 most' extensively Used ' on' all materials
and ! colors. -; Veiling" and silk have often
been combined,' but never toHhc extent
the . loneliness and cliaos comes orte over
powering rimpulse/i a -blinding*. flash i;of \u25a0
sights in J which >2all, things 3 are^'clear.,:
After that, a 'few Iweeks pf hard work \u0084
and - then i my; book rlsVdonV-^ I*", "block:,
ouf'^ the chapters : on one sheet ' of paper. - v
as^a' guide [after! the ; first" two "or. threa :*
are written. :^ After it:is'don«;lJrewritej-
It; carefully," taking,;** carbon/land 4 re-/;'
vise 'It; forty»ori fifty -t.me3.}c : : .
• 'It ' is .; riot -.until » the J manuscrSpt^has .
gont: to ] New <Tork« that Jl* realize -that v
I i am' dead,' ' bothY physically f and'imen-J
tally.*iTwlce." x havlng;promised'a f ;manu"-X
scriptito;? my "publisher," 6n f i the 'dayiof
his '% birthday,"^ which;,- comes * earlyj- In t-.
April," l*have literally ' forced < the;cofpse i
that^once : wa3;me-to'ikeep"itss,word. I,
havo aVrcputatlon'iforidellvering^my.;
MSS.'^on- the, specified date," and I don't '\u25a0
wantUOfloselit;' ; > . . -
'It]ls;much;easler;tO:tell;hbw;aibook:
is snotlwrittenythan*howJlt\is; s 't-The '
prevailing impression appears .to &be ;,
that fan? author,jfdeslrln~g£to | writer sits
down ;toYdo'*lt;*fpreseritlyj achieves ?• hit
desire^ readily, sells ;the completed prod -%\u25a0
uct.^ an.d : Is s happyjever} afterward,; like \
people" 4who? rnarry-^-ln 5 the: falry^ tal es. ;:
wPersonally.il 'do not' think lihave^any-:.
thlngsVrorthyitobe'cailed'a^'method.", I ,'
have c 1c 1 no -.office. Ino ?. regular ' hours ? for ;'
work?; s \ Nothing Hs * done l"to I order." : *I f
write .when 'and fwhere ' and '• In '; the! man? '\u25a0;'
ner;LVthe 3 spirits *ioves.V ; * My; writing;
equipment consists of a notebook' small
enoughlto ;sHpT readily, intol an* ordinary, 1 *:
purse, « a • : pile t paper,';? a ; typewriter t;
w^lthli the ; key.f tension - loosened % to> the :
last possible point, and a waste basket
Of f generous; shut Invariably insufficient"/
proportions:^? ' " -."'" 'Z:X-' '\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0:'' '"-.'\u25a0: -"
• The • entries i in ' the /notebook* are > al- -
they wre this spring, and, as- in the
cloth and silk costume, the coat of silk
Is thought, smarter than the coat of
the same matcria^ as the skirt. Bands
of silk trimmed J- with lines of tho nar
row braid - are another fashion, and
often the silk band 'with tho dark
braiding Is used In preference to the
same colors, but- this is again one of
the details to bo solved by Individual
taste, and conservative taste invariably
decides tn favor of the all one color.
Waists to ink ten the skirts are again
the most fashionable this spring, but
almost Invariably is there a short coat
or wrap to be worn with the gown.
This Is on the order of .the short wrap
with long shoulder, effect,. not generally
becomine,;it must be admitted, and yet
decidedly, smart. As a rule this style
of wrap' has the disadvantage that it
'completely hides "any lines of the figure
and unless cut , exactly right gives the
appearance of a short, . thick waist.
However, It is not a fashion that is
generally ( excepting by a
dressmaker, whos o thoroughly under
stands her that she studies
most . wholly * titles. , for > though some
may ask. "What's in a name?" the
writerlaf fiction well knows that.the
narrow -margin between success and
failure - Is sometimes entirely fcovered
by the. title., V-'Shlps That "Pass in "the
Night", is^ an \u25a0. instance , in point.' Hun
dreds of- us hare , said to ourselves.
"Why didn't .I. think of that first?"
Usually, I have the name fof.'xny. book
first., "Lavender and Old .Lace." the
title ;, only.-* was In my. notebook for al
most'three*'years beforelthe" story cams
which .belonged with It.' -For.-practi
cally ; a"- similar, period "The » Master's
Violin. and - "A ; Spinner In the -• Sun"
waited 'for. the embodiment of the idea,
f f- Sometimes the ;tl tie; ls changed as the
book: progresses. u-VThe Shadow of Vie
tory'V.was" at* flrst^simply V "A\ Romance
of Fort Dearborn," :as Its' subtitle is
now. , "Studies ; in.; Unnatural History."
also a subtitle,- was the first name of
VThe ; Book » of ; Clever }. Beasts." .- and I al
most until the manuscript was; finished
"Their i Hospitablo * : Kolatl ve" •, was „ at
tached 'to- tne^storylpubllshed. last year
under; the" title *."At '.the' Sign of the Jack
o'. Lantern."-. • — " \u25a0 .
:» Months i: before the "".booki fs written 1 1
get : the feellngjof It. or, if I may.use'a
much abused' = word,t the "atmosphere."
Vague hints of climax, suggestions ©f
character jand plot, fragmentary ideas
aini^phrases; that i"belong"< coma unex
pectedly.i.Quiteloftenithe ending comes
first. I ?*' For ;* six months ' before ' I\u25a0\u25a0 besan
to ; write; "A' Spinner in the Sun" I knew
thd~ laet^ paragraph/by : heart. ;: ' It Is <as
though a story actually existed, extra
neously;-: and.", from j; time -to tlme,^ came
in- almost infinitesimal bits \to the one
was >to write - l&ffiSkm^mmM
lines, and she will cut the wrap la such
wise that by adding an inch or two in
tliy front or back the desired line is
given, and, presto! the \u25a0wearer o? th«
gown looks as delightfully slender as
she could- possibly desire.
Tassels and buttons play an Import
ant part in this season's clothes. Th»
buttons are most decorative, often
really artistic, while the tassels glva
a "charming finish. Lace raffles, jabots
and ties, with ruchlngs of lace so" ar
ranged as to soften hard edges and
yet for the lace itself not to ahovr.
seem to be part of the elegancies of
modern dress that suggest extrava
gance without too boldly asserting *lt.J
Buttons, buckles, lace, etc.. add ma
terially to the" cost of the gown, also,
which apparently is one of the desired
points of- modern dress: tassels and
braiding are not so costly, although
.the -silver tassels are by no means
cheap.. J?£
Shall skirts be plain or trimmed. is
a question that Is still being most vio
lently discussed, and a lot of argu-,
nieht.ls being wasted on the topic, for
In^these days no woman feels she Is
called upon to slavishly obey anyjof
fashion's mandates, but can choose'
what best suits her own especial style
of beauty. The long plain skirts areV
most delightfully graceful, , outline a'
good figure" to perfection, "and yet are
cut so wide that the flare below tho
hips" takes away any idea of the ..old
fashioned tight fitting skirt. WJtb.
one of these perfectly hung and fitted
skirts made of some handsome ma
terial 'nothing Is required to add to itr
beauty, and" yet the wide band of »om«
contrasting material or embroidery \ Is
effective and very charming. The fig
ured -or aliover embroidered materials
are most effectively : finished by tho
wide band of.pialn taffeta cleverly ar
ranged to be higher at the -back than
in front, which is , still considered •to
be the smartest line, even though ; th«
empire effects "are to be seta.
; One rather curious effect in trim
ming la -the transparent embroidery,
net or, lace put over a contrasting col
or. This' may not sound - like a ' new
fashion, but used as It is now with the
heavier materials it -does not seem th»
same as /when it waa „ used in 'thin,
transparent fabrics for summer gowns.
A pale gray cloth with a band of heavy
gray lace or cut work over pale pint
whlteor a still ' paler, shade of gray is
quite unusual and noticeably smart,
.while In any 'color the different shades
•will produce the effect. Too -violent a'
contrast is not «o smart unless ; In
black over white as trimming tor a
black cloth or \u25a0!!* roien.