The Omaha Sunday 1 Bee Magazine Page
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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
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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.
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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
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"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
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