least pretentious of gardens.

[Illustration: _Mrs. Conde Nast in Garden Costume_]

To return to the girdle, as we have said, it slipped from its position
at the waist line, where it confined the classic folds, and was allowed
to hang loosely about the hips, clasped low in front. From this clasp a
chain extended, to which were attached the housewife's keys or purse and
the dame of fashion's fan. In fact one can tell, to a certain extent,
the woman's class and period by carefully inspecting her chatelaine.

The absence of waist line, and the long, straight effect produced in the
body of gown by wearing the girdle swung about the hips, gives it the
so-called Moyen Age silhouette, revived by the fashion of to-day.

In the thirteenth century the round collarless neck, low enough to admit
a necklace of links or beads, persists. A new note is the outer sleeve
laced across an inner sleeve of white.

Let us remember that the costume of the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries was distinguished by a quality of beautiful, sweeping line,
massed colour, detail with _raison d'etre_, which produced dignity with
graceful movement, found nowhere to-day, unless it be on the Wagnerian
stage or in the boudoir of a woman who still takes time, in our age of
hurry, to wear her negligee beautifully.

In the fourteenth century the round neck continued, but one sees low
necks too, which left the shoulders exposed (our 1830 style).

Another new note is the tunic grown into a garment reaching to the feet,
a one-piece "princess" gown, with belt or girdle. Sometimes a Juliet cap
was worn to merely cover the crown of head, with hair parted and
flowing, while on matrons we see head coverings with sides turned up,
like ecclesiastical caps, and floating veils falling to the waist.

Notice that through all the periods that we have named, which means
until the fourteenth century, the line of shoulder remains normal and
beautiful, sloping and melting into folds of robe or line of sleeve. We
see now for the first time an inclination to tamper with the shoulder
line. An inoffensive scallop appears,--or some other decoration, as cap
to sleeve. No harm done yet!

The fifteenth century shows another style, a long sleeveless
overgarment, reaching to the floor, fastened on shoulders and swinging
loose, to show at sides the undergown. It suggests a priest's robe. Here
we discover one more of the Moyen Age styles revived to-day.

The fourteenth cent