Evening star., 1898-06-11

her lord and master to drink tea under
his roof until the tax should be removed,
spread her table upon the roof, and there
invited her Rossips and dciied her husband.
The mistress of that house today is a wo-
man Of as much spirit and more patriot
ism, who Is the head and front of one of
the wonan's clubs which are spreading
the movement everywhere to organize
against dependence on French fashions.
When the systematic purchase of Ameri-
can-made goods was advocated in this
column weeks ago, it was without any idea
that the same thought was taking root in
the minds of women all over the country
and that it would bear fruit so soon and
so vigorously. The vivacious writer's who
are lifting up their pens in horror and
calling on US to Look here upon this pic
ture. and on this contrasting French
nfceties with clumsiness alleged to be
American, would do well to consider that
a considerable share of our chiffons put
up as 'nouveautes de Paris are no more
French than association with French
dictionary can make them. They have
sailed under French colors to make them
selves salablc, but steady and trust
worthy demand for American-made
articles will reveal the fact that domestic
goods can be had on short notic. dainty
enough to satisfy he most eXacting.
What Women Can Do.
Under the British law requiring manu-
faCtures to be marked with the place of
their origin, the stamp Made in Ger
many" is not a recommendation, but a
warning that who buys is neglecting a
chance to build up, to the extent of his
trade. the home industry. English women
whose ideas of dress were the laughing
stock of the continent not many years ago
have succeeded by sheer tenacity in stick
ing to their own notions of what Is right
ana proper for them and their climate, in
making their fashions respected; more
than this. they have imposed their styles
on both France and Germany. The rid
cule that Worth heaped on the tailor gown
as stable dress awaited not particle
against 1t. 1t has come to be as indispen-
sable to the weli-dressed Parsienne as to
the Londoner. American fashions today
are more English than they are French.
American women have never been accused
of lack of taste, and what the English
have done We do.
Undiluted French fashions ara too outre
for the average American woman; we have
always modified them. English fashions
suit US better on the whole, and are certain
TO be much more popular in the imme ediate
future than they have ever been; but for
our climate We need during a good portion
of the year something that England cannot
give us and that we have already gone a
long way toward evolving for ourselves.
Genuinely American.
Summer fashions, not distinctly of the
athletic sort, but applied to muslins and the
thin dresses in which the summer girl takes
Der ease and looks her prsttiest are Amer
lean and for years have been So There is
no modiste In Paris who can compete with
a clever southern woman in handling or
CANDIES or any tranSparont mt stuffs capable
of beinS made into cool, lAce-trimmed, rib
hon-decked robes. In a lesser degree all
cur outdoor summer fashions are and
must be our own; FIenc h designs have in
mind women of much less active habit than
we are. and ara always adapted rather than
copied. English designs followed more
closely, but are almost invariably heavy.
The English tailor dress sold in London
IN July is fit for a New York December.
In striking cut upon more original lines
and with domestic materials, American wo-
men have far easier taEk than they i'm
aglne. 1t would require nothing more than
the courage of their convictions on the part
of few of the best American dressmakers,
together with the ready cooperation of wo-
nan purchasers. to make American designs
ana American fashions respected at home
and copied abroad in a comparatively few
years.
ScasonnbIe Fabrics.
Such millennial~ condition will will
not come about according as we ourselves
choose. Meanwhile the season is upon US
when as before limited, the southern wo-
man makes her genius felt and sets exam
pies well worth general study. AT any wa
tering place ask who wears the most ex-
qutsitely finished Swiss muslins. batistes
lawns, CLEANLINESS m nine cases out of ten
she halls from Baltimore, Atlanta or New
Orleans. Some of the dafntiest combina-
uons thus far worked out for the present
summer are of diaphanous white musiins
made up without Innings over white taffeta
slips and trimmed with great quantities of
a pale. pretty army blue ribbon.
washington girl was showing me q few
@ys ago the airiest tea gown heart could