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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 14, 1915)
The Omaha Sunday 1 Bee Magazine Page j ... f ' '- k y , . . ' . : j mm, : I r:. .;. ' M i :,: - t s i - i . .-,. -1 L AUY DUFF-GORDON, the famous 'Lucac" of London, and foremost cre ator of faibjons in the world. writes each week the fathion ar licle for this newspaper, pre senting all that it newest and best . in styles for well-dressed Women. Lady Duff-Cordon's Paris es tablishment brings her into close touch with that centre of fashion. The New Black and Whites, the Plain New Stripes and the . Very Gorgeous New s Linings Described by Lady Duff-Gordon. V Natural Pongee with the New Black and Whit Silk Lin ing In This Case with Orange Added. By Lady Duff-Gordon. 1 WONDER if the present tendency for the brilliant linings and the more or tecs sombre garb of to-day can be taken aa a forecast t brighter timet In the future. So many of our street costumes to-day are of grays, drabs, and more often black. But open a coat, turn back a drapery, or lift a flounce and you will And yourself faced with the most brilliant of "silver linings that has ever glad-' dened the eye. In outer, dress the most attractive ef fects can be axil with Just black and white, and It is only a question ot balance of these two colors that makes them more or lens startling. I give you this week a really Interesting costume with a coat In black and white. ' The skirt is a striped effect and reminds one of the sebra more than anything else . I can think of for the moment, so curious sre the Irrejrular line caused by the pleating and draping of the skirt, which, you v.Ul eee, is amply full at tbe feet. The coat 4s of white and lined with the same material of black and white etrlpes which alto borders a little muslin blouse with trwisd neck and cuffs. A little black and white bonnet Is worn with this, and the last note is again repeated in the shoes and gloves, which are white with black markings. - Another coat and skirt, this time of gray gabardine, is faced and bloused with this striking black and white effect. The skirt in this case is composed of four enormous box pleats that are brought Into a close-fitting yoke at the top. Tbe coat Is flared with a broad cuff and a large collar, all of the palest gray gabardine and depending entirely on the black and white flowered Bilk for lta decoration. This silk is to be found in the lining of the box pleats, the lacing of the coat and the blouse, which is strapped with the same trabardlne as the suit itself. Another is a natural pongee costume which to all Intents Is plain in color from ' the head down, so long as the coat remains closed, but, hey, presto! the coat Is open, one sees a radiant lining of orange, black , r ;':, . - . . ...... . i:,i - - 4. j and mauve, while the" dress from 'below the waist up is composed ot orange chiffon, piped and buttoned with, black and white. A little black hat with, an orange quill completes the acheme. - For the last I have a violet coat of faced cloth, worn over a printed chiffon gown ot the softest gray blue, with pipings of gray. The front is open to the knees, showing a petticoat of Swiss embroidery. A double row of buttons and the belt are of black and white to match the lining and the little vest worn Inside tbe front ot the coat A llack hat trimmed with gardenias Is worn with this. The sebra effects are produced easily by J' " "' X y S - Gray Gabar- dine, with Black and White Silk Lining. "Lucile" Model. ( Gardeners Ought to Protect Toads MOST persons are unaware of the great value of the. toad. We have heard ot the gardeners ot some of the European countries purchasing toads for their flower and vegetable gardens from men and boys who catch them throughout rural sections, but the Idea of . breeding and protecting thea homely creatures In our own land, and possibly supporting toad farms, and organising toad protective associations, seems rather odd to us, but the time has arrived when we simply must take our hats off and actually toady to the toad. The time will come when, along with certain snakes which are known to be of great value to our farmers and gardeners, the toad will be glt overy protec tion needed to maintain lta value aa a wonderful de stroyer of almost every type ot. Insect that is injur ious to our great variety ot crops. One great advantage ot the toad is the fact that the family U divided Into several groups. Including those livltg in trees as well aa upon the ground. The "Mli-rent tjpes are in position to combat many kinds .-f pei!s, under widely varying conditions. A number of txjert agriculturist are now making our native tuais a tirerul study and experimenting tully to de termine the varieties best adapted to our needs. Toads foutd In diSereut countries are being imported and are ti'.cg allowed to multiply to determine their value as cou.ia.rtd to the value ot those found la this country. f ..-:r' ' ,- ' ; . m. - I ' f 1 the colore Chll season in vogue. Black and whit combine to form them. Blue and whrte appear in them, and the regal looking purple, combined with silver-colored stripes that look white in all but the revealing sunshine. Contrast seems to be tbe keynote cf the Spring costume. This teste has a psychological source, la time ot war we think of war, and our thoughts take on lta character. They are -bold, definite, clear cut in outline. Our thoughts are great, crashing chords. Ab sent from them are deli cate nuances, tender blend in gs. These thoughts are reflected in our speech. And in cur clothes. There will be this season few of the pastel shades, the dovelike tones In color, that are seen In time of peace. And they will be worn by persons little af fected by their surround ings and the world at mosphere. The sebra effects are carried Into evening cos tumes. Shunned by them -in their extreme effects by the short, stout woman, they are welcomed by the tall, elender one. More over the inventive woman and adaptable woman who is open to the charge ot being "pudgy" can Introduce a bit of the sebra effect In a touch ot trimming of her gown or in her soarf enough. I heard a bright one say, "to let people know we know it is the mde. A harming evening gown of clotQ of silver, with, raised stripes ot black satin, was regally worn by a countess from the Faubourg Saint Germain at a recent ball for the relief of French soldiers. Simpler fabrics, as crepe de chines and chiffons, are being exquisitely fashioned In cross stripes of contrasting colors. This may be said to be. the reign of King Zebra. . Contrast la notice-, able even la the lest 1 striking Spring cos tumes, la the smart costume there muet be sounded a note of con- 1 trast. For example, -en the gown of white voile, whose Irregular folds are edged with. . narrow bands of white satin, there is a 1 row ot tiny black buttons defining the front. Wlta it la worn " a belt of black and -white ribbon. A long military coat Is of black ttffle. A cult of sanJ-colored taffeta fcae K skirt that looks scant, but being finished with deep Inset plaits in front and at the sides furnishes generous walking facilities. A broad belt fastened In front and at tached to the skirt is of the same material. The coat, of medium length, has the wide skirt, and broad revere of tbe taffeta set . over a gay lining of red and brown bro cade. The loose blouse is of the same silk with which the coat is lined, and is fin ished with a rolling collar. A small turban of sand-colored straw, saucily trimmed with two red- wings, adds to the smart audacity "of the costume. Hats more brilliant than at any season I remember display sebra effects. Small, close-fitting turban or the narrow brimmed sailors are daringly made of stripes, stripes In black and white. In blue and white. In orange and white. In green and white, and even In red and white. Although I believe that their vogue will be briefer than that ot the gowns. A sebra gown, or suit. Is auda cious, but may be rich and, It well made, lend distinction to the wearer. But the wearer must have great personal distinc tion to be able to "carry off" a sebra hat. Indeed, it requires the courage ot the leader of a cavalry charge or the beauty of a Hebe to essay one of them. Heroism Is shown, too, in the wearing of the crania! colors of this season. Blue hats are always trying. Yet a hat ot the brightest blue, adorned with cherries ot the reddest, surmounts determined faces of those who. will wear tbe mode er die. Assuredly heroism is in the air. The hats shown on this page are fash- , lonable, yet not extreme. Small turbans, wide-crowned, narrow-brimmed sailors and small hata with soft crowns and roll ing brims are sure ot popularity. But at ways la the note of contrast apparent. The red hat (and there will be many of these) may have a bunch of yellow flow ers. On the black hat inevitably flames a flower of red, a quill of yel low, or at least a chou or pompon ot white. Contrast Is the keynote, and the stripe la king of the Spring season of 1915. The most general species ts the com mon toad, ot which there are tour varieties to be found almoet over the entire coun-' try. These are commonly seen In gardens and about the dooryards after sunset. Besides the common toad there are many varieties that are rare. This Is especially ' the case with the tree toads, aoma of which ir so colored as to be difficult to see, as tbey resemble the bark and moss upon bich they crouch. The tree toad la smaller than tbe ground variety, and a very pronounced vocal aae dlbtingulahes the male. The swamp tree toad, the cricket toad and the gray tree toad are the mot frequently seen. The latter are so numerous la many locatlona, especially In the great fruit belts of the Central and Eastern States, that their chirpings resemble the sound of hundreds of sleighbells. They feed upon insects be tween the hours ot sunset and sunrise. The cricket toad prevails along the Atlantic States, aa well westward - to the Mississippi. The swamp tree toad ranges over territory east ot the Rockies aa far south aa Texas. Anderson's tree toad ts so seldom seen that Us real territory is a matter of doubt It is beautifully colored, with pea-green back and purple strlpee, the abdomen being ot a pinkish white. Pickering's tree toad resembles tbe feark. moss and lichens so closely aa to render it almost invisible even a few feet distant If the eetlmate made upon the amount saved by a single consumption ot in sects in a year is approximately true regarding vegetation in general, the esti mate would be greater where certain val uable crops are grown, and as there is a y , - ' ; ; ' ; 'hi .i f) 1 . . V ' - . - y TP V "Zebra" Costume of Black nnd , White Striped Silk. The Coat Lined with the Same Striped Silk and Blouse of Plain Mus- . lin MLucikn . ' Model. tendency to conservation ot our natural resources, eta, tbe yearly loss to farmers Copyright. 1918, by the cltar Company. Great Britain Rights Keservet, by insect pests runs Into millions, despite the leg islative efforts at com pulsory spraying. An eminent authority, connected with the agri cultural department ot one ot the leading East- ' era States, says: ' 'Toads, especially, are rapidly coming to have a recognised value la the pro tection of fields and gardens. I an glad to say that the propagation of them In this country is already beginning. I may say that 1 have always maintained that toad raising waa both practical and profit able, while trog-ralring was neither. All one has to do to raise toads is to provide puddles ot water for them during tbe breeding season. In April. May and June. Tbey will take care ot themselves, and multiply rapidly If protected. LUards and copperheads are fond of Insects, as also are land turtles. One ot the latter will eat literally a handJul of June bugs with out showing a slgr ot a diminishing appetite." Cray Blue Chiffon Dress, with New Black and White Coat "Lucile" Model i