The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-05

|
indicated there W..
by. But not ev-
erybody is aware that Paquin, Doucet
| Rouff, Beer and Doeuillet are also O
the masculine gender. With one or tw,
exceptions, there is something queer
fussy and artificial in the appearance
and manner of these male dressmakers
as though long catering to the within:
| OF women had somehow struck in anC
| got on their nerves. But they are the
princes and rulers Of the costuming OF
women. From their kingdom in the
Rue de la Paix. and more recently in
Boulevard Haussmann. they issue
edictS before which all the feminine
world bows abjectly. Yet here is a
hint that American dressmakers may
avail themselves of for their encour-
agement: Many of the new fashions are
actually designed and contrived by
mere women. after all. They are wo-
men and girls in the employ of the
kings of women's fashions. They work
regularly for these men at small wages
and bring in new designs that occur to
them or that they study out. If one OF
these novel ideas promises to take, -
then IL is either bought or simply ap-
propriated by the male employer.
Now, if French girls can design FASH
ions American girls certainly can when
they have had the training and expe-
rience. But the American dressmakers
have a larger undertaking on their
hands than they seem aware of. They
tackle their task with the happy conf
dence of those who know not it's diff
culties, and that same happy conf
dence. based partly on ignorance
though it be, is one of the best auguries
for the final triumphant success of the
American dressmaker.
1t was the happiest thought of the
promoters of the recent exhibition of
gowns in New York 10 display along
with homemade ones an assortment of
costumes from Paris. 1t was an inval-
liable object lesson to the American
modiste. If she used her wits. she saw
how much she had yet to learn. That
is the first step toward progress 1t is
no disgrace to admit that in the tech
nique of all art, in the painstaking.
careful. mechanical making of what
ever the French undertake, they lead
the world. The English admit it; so do
all other nations
The gowns at the exhibition in New
York showed this Enthusiastically. Was
a Paris creation placed upon lay fig
ure beside an American one? The
American dress was made of splendid,
costly material. 1t was deliberately
wrought, in some instances so elabo-
rately as to be painful But the skirt
sometimes wrinkled over the hips. even
upon the dummy. there were also wrin-
kles under the arms and about the
shoulders. There was often. too,
general tumbly, 'tacky'' appearance to
the tout ensemble. There was great
and heaped up ornamentation, but
ornamentation without ar
tistic design. The very sewing on Of
that lace which is now so universal a
feature of garniture showed the differ !
ence. The lace yoke of the French !
gown was fitted as exactly as IL it had /
been a tailor made overcoat. Every |
stitch was in place. and II held. There 1
was not pucker in a seam anywhere /
The inset lace medallions were a beau !
tiful illustration of this French ex-
actness.
The French bodice upon the lay figure /
fitted as ii does upon the human figure I
when the French modis.e fits it-with- !
out a wrinkle or a loose stitch any,
where. With the French dressmaker /
there is always as much of a design be-
forehand for costume as there is with
the artist for a great painting or in the
mind of the sculptor for a marble crea-
ton To think out this creation Of
art takes time After IL is thought out
much more time is required to mate
riaIize II. American women who have
had costumes made in Paris have often
been not a little annoyed at the long
ielay before getting them II Seems 10
take a French costumer twice as long
10 make a gown as II does the Amer
AN costumer- It is because the French
nodiste is engaged in a real labor Of
owe. considering herself to be cres ting
Is much OF an art work as II she were
making a painting or musical COM
position.
The French nation are the leading
Irtists Of the world in all fields They
lave given themselves Up wholly 20 art
expression since the days OF Louis XIV.
What wonder that al the world sits at
he feet Of Paris and learns Of the
french "a matters OF art expression.
The American dressnaEer Is attempt
ng TO perfect herself n the right way
- taking object lessons from French
nodisteS- Il Is not 50 much the design
ng OF costumes that she needs 20
nov That she Is equal 70 in meas
ire. II IS the technique OF her art, TIE ;
lainstakfnz fitting. exact Joining PEI
ect 70 \ threac-yes. and the sewing
,self she needs 20 know. When 3
Dung American singer Is 70 be finished
- for the or.erz tic or concert STAG. Z