The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-27
VERY COSTLY PAINTED GOWNS
NEW PARIS EXTRAVAGANZA
SEEN IN NEW YORK.

Az Much - q 900 Paid for tho Decoration
Of . COstume-Painted Gowns Not to
DC Bought At the saops-Two Kinds
OF Artists Employed to Mako Thorn.
Palette and brush are brought into active
play lust now in behalf Of fashions for
women. In other words, painted gowns
will he included this winter In the ward
robe of some of New York's most fashion
able women.
The painted gown may truly be described
as a creation. Each IL built according to
individual preference and to suit individual
taste.
So far the painted gown has not been
manufactured to place on either the whole
sale or the retail market. Indeed, 1t is
doubtful il, at the present time, one could
be found at any one Of even the most famous
private dressmaking establishments in New
York, Notwithstanding the fact that most
of the buyers for these establishments are
Just back from Paris with the very latest
autumn and winter models.
Nevertheless there are q good many OF
these gowns now In New York and In all
probability there are more to come. So
far they have hung in comparative seclusion
in the wardrobes Of Q few OF New York's
fashionable women recently returned from
the other side with their usual Pazis COM
plement Of new gowns.
The fact is, the painted gown 10 too
costly an article to turn loose on the marked
and for that very reason. probably. 1t Will
have the greater vogue among the wealthy
few.
As most people know, hand painting on
womens outside garments has to some
extent been used for long time. dozen
years ago, for instance. some OF the moro
fashionable Americans and Europeans wore
gowns and cloaks decorated with set de-
signs in water colors. The custom never
reached anything like the dignity Of fash
ion. Now It Is different.
A forerunner Of the present renaissance
OF tho painted gown was the painted ohif-
fons, 90 called. Of last spring and summer
which even now are conspicuously dis
PLAYED on the counters Of the leading shops.
These chiffons are decorated with ex-
uuisite flower designs OF artistic coloring
and after a fashion which does indeed
suggest hand painting.
But after all they arc only stamped.
The genuine article that has crossed the
ocean, draped on gowns worth good deal
more than their weight in gold. puts the
other to the blush.
The painted gown, 1t is learned, Is con-
fined to no one material. Gibbons. satin,
silk, moire, velvet are alike used In It's
composition; and the new chiffon-velvet-
fine, soft, clinging-is sent as often as any
other material to one or another OF the
Paris ateliers. Some OF these ateliers are
famous, others obscure: but whether well
known or unknown, their occupants are
bound to benefit financially by this new
manifestation Of fashion.
The history Of no two hand painted gowns
ia lust alike, and in every case 1t varies
from that Of the ordinary costume. To
begin with the material Is painted before
the gown is put together, and yet all the
different parts Of the garment-skirt. bodice.
sleeves, 6o.-must have been cut and care
fully fitted before they were handed over
to the painter.
TIA princess model is chosen, the whole
thing ia cut and basted and tried on first.
Then. II the material Is silk, satin or some
thing equally firm, the different parts are
unbasted after the fitting. rolled up sepa-
rately and then given over to the artist.
who meanwhile receives instructions as to
the designs and colors to be used and where
they are to be placed.
One gown may have sprays Of flowers
lavshly scattered all over 1t; another may
be painted only ON tho corsage tablier and
around the edge Of the skirt: third will
have trailing vines radiating downward
from the waist line. Pansies, peoples,
cornhowers. roses. lilies Of the valley, for
get-me-nots, danodils, are in turn chosen
BY the owners OF painted costumes.
When satin, silk or MORE Ia TO be draped
with painted chiffon, only the chiffon Is
carried OF by the artist. who IL instructed
to paint upon wide founce Of white chiffon
small clusters of pink rose buds, or Of vio-
lstS. perhaps. The price sometimes de-