Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-31
FRENCH WOMEN.
HELEN cAxPBvLL CONTRASTS THEIR
CosruMKs WITH THOSE OF AxERT-
CAN WOMEN.
Paris the Source Of FASHIONS Inspiration.
bat the French Woman poss Not Dress
Well-A Compliment for Amsri-
can Women.
Correspondence of the Richmond Dl,O.,cAl

correspondence OF the Richmond Dl.patch.l
PARIS, March 10. 1899.
~ rs Enghsh-speaking peoples, other
wise English and Americans who have
Tor generations been reproached With
having no ingrained sense of what con-
sututes toilet For the Englishwom an,
save some notable exceptions, the re-
proach yet holds good. For the Ameri-
can we shall presently see how far she
1nust be forced 10 still bear such odium.
(ot alone these two nationalities, but
that come under the head OF civilized.
~tutn 10 Pans as the source OF ali inspi.
ration, where stuifs and silks and all
mysteries that go TO make a women's
gown take such forms a. enter no mortal
minds elsewhere. and whore every point
that Is good is made best, and every ono
TINT Is less than COED disappears alto.
geiheT, coujured ont OF sight as deftly
and thoroughly as the child in the famous
HindoO trick. Color, form, grace, suits.
bility-all that is involved in these words
is the inheritance OF the French woman,
who from babyhood, rs it were, knows
10y instinct what best harmonizes with
complexion and figure aud age, and is
never at fault.
THE STAMP or PARIS.
With this conviction part also OF her
inheritance, tho American woman enters
Paris and gazes with bated breath as she
makes her first entrance i'll society. or,
If time and opportunity for this he lack
ing, into the great shops. thronged from
morning 10 night by eager buyers, con-
WINGED that whatever bears the Paris
l. a..
that the thing bought III Paris shop
j. inevitably becoming suitable, beau
tiiul-in short precisely what one has
sighed for always and ut last crossed the
wide sea 10 obtain. Often this proves
true. for it would be quite absurd TO
maintain that the tradition is simply ira
di,iJn and that Paris has forfeited her
old place as leader and expounder Of
fashion for the civilized world. But az
ter some months of close observation
certain facts have so demonstrated them
selves that further question of their truth
would be impossible. 1t is these facts
that propose to outline in this column
to-day. leaving the deductions chiefly to
the reader.
TIE MODEL FOR wOMANKIND.
unexpected and surprising rs | studied
the toilets at one OF the first receptions
attended after arriving in Paris. Pretty
gowns ! have always held to DO one Of
the inslienable rights Of women, though
pretty never necessarily meant fash
Ionqble, and usually the reverse. Tho
dress reiormers have failed deservedly
because beauty was ignored, though one
now in the field has succeeded III
uniting for the first time comfort and
beauty, and Will, it IS hoped, in time
find more converts than at present range
under her banner. But tho blending
and harmonizing Of tints and stuiis IN
such fashion that the dress would seem
simply the natural and necessary express
sion of the wearer-this was an art,
hardly known outside Of France, and 10
he studied quite as seriously as other
phases of art There had been certain
inward questionings. French art as
whole had demonstrated itself for these
later days as SO purely Il matter OF sur
face finish, nine times ont of ten without
the shadow Of q soul below. that the
wonder grew if vitiated work in these
directions might not mean vltiatlon IN
others also, and II the dress OF the
- Parlsienne was necessarily the model for
ali womankind who we're bent upon
knowing and reproducing the beat.
PREVAILING HARMONY.
What did / see? That is no part Of
nv mission 10 give in detail, since shapes
aud patterns have 10 place IN my
scheme. But. setting these aside, 1t IS
very certain that the beautiful rooms,
whose rare simplicity OF decoration still
admitted all that Was necessary to I'LL
and satisfy the eve, were not outraged
hy any lack of harmony in the toilets OF
the graceful women who came and went
about the hostess. On the contrary,
harmony WAS the prevailing characters
tic. and though a costume might hold
many shades 1t was gamut OF color
which the eye followed as naturally and
as well satisfied as the ear in the recep-
ton OF genuine melody.
OPPOSING STYLES WITH SMALL WAISTS.
This was the first phase, and covered
fhe question of tints, of general compo-
sition and method but presently having
decided that finish had reached ITS high
est point and summed up as perfection,
one turned tho figures which displayed
these confectlonS With two exceptions
they we're all OF one order. Waists re-
duced t. the lowest possible terms, tho
average apparently eighteen inches Tor
the largest and far less for the
smaller members of the party high
shoulders emphasized by the style OF
trimming and the generally scrawny
and angular effect produced by the
slender type of French women. These
are in minority. As rule the ten
dencv ID towards stoutness, strictly sup
dressed nj waist, bat exuberant at all
other salient points, and the two classes
had nearly equal representation, both
leaving the impression OF concentrated
discomfort. The two exceptions we're
no less perfectly dressed. Every detau
was charming. and dOubly SO from the
eaev grace OF movement as well as APP
pareut unconsciOusDess of anything that
could copstrain. Both we're brunettes
Roth n,oke French perfectly, aud 1t
needed moro than one observation to
determine fact which presently was
made plain 10y the hostess.
TWO AMERICAN GIRLS.
81 don't wonder you re puzzled. Shut
your ewes and you would swear they
were Partisan. But they are American,
my dear. and Ike many others OF my
countrywomen, ere the best-dresSed
women in the world. That gray cash
mere with its exquisite silver embroidery
* one Of Worih's, and the mothers
toilet also. and he declares that Amerl-
can women know how 70 wear their
clothes better than any nationality that
comes under his hands. That beautiful
GIRL has a natural waist and she wears an
american shoe, having discovered like
lie rest Of US. that our countrymen
make more satisfactory one than any
other people. She can breathe and she
can walk. The rest tOddle. A French
80 .fi, "a q GOOD deal like the