The Evening Times

Mid-Summer Modes in Manhattan

New York may be the Mecca of fashion in America, but that not all the Paris fashions make their first bow in New York is proven by the smart gowns and hats worn by many of the women visitors in New York these days. The hotels are full of out of town folk sojourning here on the way to eastern beaches, or for a fortnight's shopping during the attractive marked-down sales of midsummer; or merely to enjoy the gaiety of the restaurants and roof gardens and to take little trips to the surrounding beaches of an evening. The frank and friendly burr of western speech, and the liquid drawl of southern tongues pervade the hotels, the tea rooms and the shops, and while all the real New Yorkers are at Newport, Bar Harbor, Southampton, these others are enjoying themselves mightily in the metropolis whose great white way is none the less gay because of unfamiliar faces.

Everybody is wearing linen of a morning, and the most charming colors are seen. Pale pink and a delicate shade of blue seem to be the favorites, though one notes blue, lavender and reseda green in fair proportion. All these linen frocks are in the one-piece style: that is, waist and skirt are joined at the belt. The high-waisted effect is not as much favored as it was, and with many of the linen frocks, made earlier in the season in this manner, a broad patent leather belt is now worn. The straight narrow skirt buttoning down the front or at one side of the front is the invariable rule in these linen trot-about frocks, though in many instances the peplum is introduced to give a more formal, coat-like effect.

A woman from St. Louis, lunching at Gimbel's the other day, wore a delightful linen frock distinguished by its simple good lines. It was of buff linen in the cool, smooth French weave, and had a perfectly plain kimono waist joined to an equally plain two-gore skirt under a narrow belt of the linen stitched in many rows. The belt clasped with a round pearl buckle in front and all the way down the frock, in the center-front went a row of crochet ball buttons dyed in the buff shade of the frocks. There were three-cornered turned-back cuffs of eyelet embroidery, with a narrow collar of the same embroidery finished with a small pump bow of white grosgrain ribbon.

But the feature of the frock was an unusual peplum with all the formal suggestion of peplum lines and none of the clumsiness of the ordinary peplum over the hips. The bottom of the peplum was there, all around, but the top of it had been cut away in curved effect along the line of a cutaway coat, and this phantom peplum was stitched to the skirt, making a graceful trimming at the hips.

Another linen suit, worn by a woman with an intonation that marked her from Virginia, was worn at the luncheon hour in Maillard's last week. This suit was also of French linen in the soft gray shade just now the craze, and the buttons were dyed to match the gray linen. It was the usual straight, two-gore kimono bodice, and a short peplum fell six inches below the waist which was girdled with a gray suede belt. This gray costume showed not a touch of white even in collar and cuffs, for these were of the linen, embroidered with gray scallops. A big panama hat trimmed with pansies, a purple parasol lined with gray and gray satin oxfords with smoked pearl buttons, and worn with clocked gray stockings, completed this adorable little Quakerish costume.

Dress, in the evening, is as elaborate as in the morning it is simple. Not even in January when the opera season is at its height, are more expensive clothes to be seen in the theaters and restaurants: with the exception, however, that in midsummer the grand toilette is not the rule. Décolleté frocks are seen, but they are rare, and the usual costume includes graceful gown of lingerie and lace, of chiffon, marquisette, satin or some similar material and a handsome picture hat. The roof garden restaurants are in great favor with out of town visitors and at these restaurants hats are almost invariably worn, sometimes with frocks of quite décolleté character.

Lingerie Frocks, a Favorite.

The lingerie frock in every variation is favored and some of these frocks, simple enough in line, are worth small fortunes because of the costly lace incorporated in their make-up. Two pretty young women from a city in Michigan have been stopping at the Plaza for two weeks of shopping and "doing" the theaters and restaurants; and the costumes they have worn have attracted much attention because of their smartness and simplicity. Their lingerie frocks are particularly charming and some of them bear the unmistakable stamp of Paris.

Two of these lingerie frocks, worn the other evening with immense plumed picture hats, were especially lovely. One sister wore a frock of finest batiste, having on the skirt three flounces of net, each flounce set into the batiste with an insertion of the net hemstitched to the batiste. The three flounces reached to the knee and above this the skirt was banded at intervals all the way up with two-inch strips of pintucking, set in with bands of net and hemstitching--an incredible amount of work, yet so fine and dainty in effect that the frock seemed simplicity incarnate. A panel of the pintucking edged with tiny net frills went all the way down the front from the small square décolletage to the knee, this panel widening at the top and running along the shoulder and down the sleeve to the elbow, the tiny frills of net following the edge all the way. A softly draped sash of mauve-pink satin was worn with this soft and expensive little frock and under the net flounces peeped out little boots of white satin with crystal buttons.

The other sister wore a more elaborate lingerie frock of sheer white crepe and Val. lace combined with French crochet. Over the frock was a coquettish coat of dull blue chiffon embroidered with sprawling designs in the same dull blue with dull blue embroideries on the wrist. The hat accompanying this frock was heaped with palest apricot pink plumes and had long streamers of black velvet; and black satin oxfords with buttons of white pearl gave a saucy chic to the whole effect.

Serge Worn at the Beach.

The out of town woman who visits New York in midsummer soon discovers that the lingerie and linen frocks which are the only possible things for the sultry weather in town, will not suffice for beach wear: and either she must don her dark-colored serge or cheviot traveling suit for occasional jaunts to Manhattan, Brighton, or one of the other beaches where one may get a whiff of the sea while enjoying an appetizing veranda dinner, or she must invest in a tailored suit of white mohair, serge or some other appropriate material instanter.

In early July and late June one may venture to the beach in a thin frock, unprotected by a wrap: but with the coming of midsummer the evenings grow cooler, and by August at the shore one is likely to encounter actually chilly weather after sundown though the days may be insufferably hot. Fortunately, quite delightful little tailored suits, built of fabric containing a touch of wool, yet in light summery colors, may be picked up for a trifle at the summer marked-down sales, and one may often obtain a taffeta or satin suit, or one of white or light colored serge with fetching braid and button trimming for as little as $20 or under. The ideal beach suit is of white serge or mohair, and worn with a white hat trimmed with wings, white gloves and white buttoned boots of buckskin, such a suit will be infinitely smart and knowing in effect. A red or green parasol will add an agreeable touch of color and will be appreciated on the shadeless beach in the afternoon.