The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-05
IF %NOTPAR1SMODE Whats.
a DRESsMAKER'S view OF WoHrAN's
PROPOSED BOYCOTT

PROPOSED BOYO0TT
ana ir women BOycstt French styIes They
viii Have to SO without Any-Honasn'
Gowns Tee Dreadful to ne Theunht OE.r
One of the proposed methods of Indicating the
displeasure Of American women at the sympa-'
thy expressed with Spain by France has re-
ceived the Endorsement OF many OF the sex.
They arc willing to show the state OF their fool.
ings by refusing to buy any clothes made in
Paris or wear any made In this country after
French designs. The designs from Paris are
practically those of the whole civilized world,
and the thought that any revolt against them
would be difficult to keep up lod a Sun reporter
to question a well.known drcssmaker on this
point. She is an Irishwoman, has a great repu-
tRtion In New York. has lived in this country
for many years, and goes to Paris every sum-
mer. Her point OF view may DO colored from
that fact.
when 1 first heard Of that talk, - abe said, "I
looked in the papers to see the names ot'tho
women who wero talking about a boycott Of
French fashions. l did not know them, but I
saw that tho women belonged to a lot of fcder-
atoms. clubs, and societies, 30 1 decided that,
after all, they were not going to have much Of.
feet on fashions of any kind In this country.
These are not the women who mako the fash
ions. You may be sure Of that. II had heard
from Newport, for instance, that a certa in mum
bcr of women there had decided to have Moth
ing to do with French fashions, It would have
been different. But the well.dressed women Of
this country do not go to women's societies to
see what is best in dress. II they want to see
smart gowns or hats, tn icy do not look for them
in such places.
Another thing that occurred to me when I
heard of the boycott was the question where in
the world l would go for fashions IL II were
seriously decided to have none from Paris. II
l went to Berlin, / should find copies Of Paris
fashions changed only by North German condi-
tions. for dressing is very crude there. All
that Is tolerable in German dressing comes
from Paris. Some of tho gowns made by tailors
are highly MISUNDERSTANDING hideous. Amer
lean women would never be satisfied with their
rigid cut and stiff lines. All tho rest come
from Paris. At Vienna the situation is not exc
actly the same. There some of the dress.
makers turn out gowns that bear so strong
ly the mark of Paris that they might as
well have been bought in the Rue de la Paix.
These Vienna gowns are sometimes exquisite
and possess a style which is distinctive. Any
body can see that in some of the pictures of tho
Austrian court beauties. Several years ago
here was u Viennese singer at the Metropolitan
Opera House, and her gowns were more beauti-
full than those worn by any of the other singers
there. Berlin in these respects Is simply pro
vincial Paris, whereas Vienna has developed its
own IRREGULARITIES OF fashion. But the number
Of these is too small to meet any very large de-
mand. The original styles are few, and in the
majority OF cases the Paris fashions, with little
or no change, are used. So the American styles,
IL they were imported from Vienna, would be
quito as much of Paris origin as if they were
brought directly from the French milliners.
London would never do, although it is the
place least contaminated by French influence.
E~nglishwomen seem to think that they occa.
sionally wear French fashions or some imita-
ton of them. That is the most mistaken idea
in the world. One would suspect it only from
the signs in the windows announcing that the
goods were made in France. Regent street in
London is filled with shops displaying articles
claiming a French origin which would never bo
owned in France. Some of the high-class places
do initiate the French fashions and make up
garments presumably on French models that
have little or no suggestion OF the original.
These fashions are really English, for the modih-
conr9ns aye e Thssy are ap enf EhSlis she' ap Gh1aSdier
Another type OF the English works
Tithout any idea OF following a French model:
methods and would never be appreciated here.
for American women have been too long edu-
Gated in the Paris ideas to take an interest in
clothes SO utterly different. Olga Nethersol0
used to wear some of tho works of these dress
specimon is Of sP' stage GSsH WaTd Go6 .nS they sSf are eu mads
chiefly of the soft Liberty silks, and all of them
fashions. ~ They fhssI may be every very beautiful. and I've
no, doubt they are,for England. But l do not
would take even more than war to drive Ameri-
can women to wearing those things. Every
ishes her friends by bringing one such dress
back, from London. but only one. Even the
English fashions in rough gowns or tailor.made
popular here. Their make as well as their cut
Is not liked by the New York women SO much as
the tailor.made garments OF this city. Practi-
cally none of these is imported as the French
dresses are: The New York t~aiIor-nade gar
ments, fashioned on the best of French, English
and Vicnsese models and made with more
smartness than any of the tailors in these cities
can impart, are the best in the world. These
garments are sometimes the establishment Of
European women who see the Americans wear
ing them abroad.
There is no question of designing fashions
for this country. Many of ours are already dis
~tinctive. The best fashions OF other countries
made our own fashions to that extent. The
position Of Paris as the source of all of the
original fashions can never be changed. 10
will always give the fashions to the world, and
hundreds of influences unite now to give IL
prestige. l do not believe that We will ever
see it .supplanted. In every. department OF
w VIC Mans. dress Or won ii Is pre- %Ts:em hntIH + There be Do !:
sibly the shoes, that is not decided upon now.
adays by Paris. There they originate, and
what is the newest and best in fashions. No
other nation has the same genius for such
right at the head in such matters of taste.
Iii hard for me to realize that the French
IraueSpeople are fuue 10 American CustOmeres
for | know how proud they are to have Ameri-
can patrons. The small dressmakcr or MILL
ner who works for Americans is delighted.
The first thing she does is TO tell the fact to
her less fortunate rivals: Only a few days
ago / saw a letter from a French milliner who
has not yet come to be- one of the well, known
ones. She was writing to her sister in this
country that she had got some American GUS
toners at last and was so proud to be working
Cor them. That is the attitude OF all the French
shopkeerers, and am certain that they have
ways be willing to let us have their fashions.
and ! have the idea thai well-dresscd women
will always be willing to take them.'