The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-30
WOMAN(S
WORLD.

and bring home the French styles and
the French gowns If one is going TO cater
TO the women of America says the wo-
man importer to a writer Of the New
York Times. The trouble is that women
are like a flock of sheep. What one wo-
man has the other must have, and so
they follow each others fashions, have
everything made along the same lines,
and are happy. The best dressed women
wear French clothes TO a great extent
and the other women who are endeavor-
ing 70 follow in their train copy the
French styles when they can do nothing
more, and as soon as they are able get
the genuine French gowns for themselves.
That is not because We cannot do the
best OF woi k in America for we can. The
actual work done here is much superior
to that OF the French coutouriers and
unodistes. AS for the sewing in most of
the French gowns, it is nothing but bas'-
ing, and the frocks are cut with but lit
tie regard for exactness. You take a
French gown and pull it apart, and you
will very likely find that one side
is several inches longer than the other.
Still good effect has been attained, and
that Is all that is asked by the French
women.
Americans need more confidence in
themselves. If they would only think
that they could do what the French are
sure they can do they would have no
trouble. have a clever little artist who
makes original designs for me, and am
willing TO pay her big prices for them,
for they are always good. l showed her
some material that l have had i'm the
house for some time the other day, and
told her that l wished a design for it.
She brought me a charming one There
is nothing startlingly original about it,
but the bands of trimming are used to
the best advantage, there is touch of
color that is smart and the lines are
good.
mo, 1 would not be willing as yet to
give up my French models for those of
home design, but 1 would be glad to be
one of the first to take a step in th3t
direction. It is change that could not
be made in a day or in years. but we can
do some thing to prepare the road for an
other generation. As far as 1 am person.
ally concerned, from a business point Of
view, it would be impossible for me to
give up French models and French styles
now. If should give up my semi-annual
trips abroad, my clientele of customers
would think that was degenerating.
would lose caste, and altogether II would
be impossible.
Then France is the center Of the fash
ionable world, the whole world of fash
ion. With conditions as they are at pres
ent, It is a necessary part of an educa-
ton In dress to go abroad; it widens ones
horizon. One advantage that the French
have is in the materials at hand. For the
most beautif : silks and ribbons and
everything that is needed or can be mag
ined they have only to take a dozen steps
to find it. 1t is in the effect that the
French excel and the little touches which
they give to their work which make them
chefs doeuvre.
''Fhere are many women who are never
quite happy unless they can obtain the
real French model gowns. 1t will make
no difference If others are made exactly
Ike them on this side of the water. with
the only exception that they will be better
rsade, better cut, better sewed, and PEI
haps made with better materials If it is
not the original French gown with the
name of the French maker in the inside,
they do not appreciate it. Some women
are willing to pay fabulous sums for i'm
ported gowns. much more than they are
worth.
There is no money made, however, as
a rule on imported models. One gown
that I bought over on the other side cost
me $ls5, not counting the customs duties
which add 60 per cent. to the cost had
to sell that gown for $50. The average
woman knows practically tine cost OF q
gown, and she is not willing to pay $50
or 500 for a simple foulard. A gown for
which pay 500 In Paris will cost me
SEQ to get it over here, and in importing
it there Is no certainty that II will be
sold. There would be no possibility of
getting the money back on imported
models II they were not reproduced.
Sometimes they are exact reproductions
of the French model, or again we i'm
prove upon them. AS a rule women pre-
fer TO copy the French gown exactly.
selves. they cannot quite trust any one
over here, but they feel that anything
that comes from Paris must surely be
correct.
American women are acknowledged to
be the smartest dressed women in the
world. They not only have beautiful
clothes, but they know how to put them
on-those women who really dress well.
They have the chic of'the Frenchwo-
man. They may put on simple shirt
waist, but they know how to wear it and
how to carry themselves. But the aver
age woman needs more individuality. She
needs TO assert herself.
Il believe in making clothes to suit the
woman always rather than to slavishly
follow the styles. If big sleeves are fash
ionable and small ones are mote becom-
ing, i believe in the small sleeve or vice
versa. Many women are perfectly willing
TO dress along individual lines. Take ii
all together. there is a growing tendency
to individuality. There is more of It than
when ! was a child, I know At that
time, IL bangs were fashionable, every
child wore a bang. whether 1t was becOm-
ing to her or whether she looked better
with her hair drawn back from her face.
AS a rule, when a woman is having her
gowns made, II she feels that every eff
fort is being made to give her the best
results possible, she Is willing 10 abide by
the advice OF the woman who is making
the gowns.
There are two types OF women who
aim to be well dressed. One of these is
the woman who is not quite sure of her
gowns She does not entirely trust IN ad-
vice, and Is never fully satisfied with her
clothes unless they bear a well-known
French hall mark OF some kind. AS a
rule, a woman OF this kind will have no
improvements upon the French models.
IL she cannot have the model for which
she Is willing TO pay much more than for
the reproduction. she wishes 10 follow It
IN every particular. IL may be necessary
TO give them better materials aud hand
sonsr than the French models, but they
1. tlasaVra A. aFa