Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 153, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1919 — IN BLACK FROCKS [ARTICLE]

IN BLACK FROCKS

Gowns for Summer Evening Wear Are Different Dark Materials Seem to Be In Demand—Persistence of Brown Is Also Noted. Why the recent vogue for black evening frocks? Peace has come and summer is here, the birds are singing and the flowers are blooming. There is just the right setting for colors so brilliant and colorful—and gaudy, if you will—as to suit the most primitive of us. Fact is, dark colors were put on the shelf when the armistice was signed and there was a striking showing of colors of brilliant hue. But these new black frocks that a good many smart women are getting for summer are rather different. They are as diaphanous and as sprightly as the wing of a dusky butterfly. Still they are black, and it docs seem strange that one should want to wear black when peace has come and summer is in evidence. But even odder is the persistence of the brown frock. This made its appearance just before the end of the war, and it was extremely smart, but wi{h the craze for bright victory colors it went into short retirement, only to blossom forth more interesting than ever. And this is even stranger because now that it is summer one would think that brown —which Is warm,’ if any“ color ever was—would have no place in our wardrobes. But somehow the brown frock even in the evening has a certain distinguished appearance that is hard to account for. Sometimes it is a golden brdwn that goes very well with metallic gold and bronze tissue in evening gowns, and then sometimes it is mordore, a reddish brown. And by the way there is an accent on the “e,” giving to the word three syllables, a fact that does not seem to be recognized by all who speak of the color.