The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-04-02
Dame Fashion


NEW YORK. April 2.-For some
wears it has been the ambition OIL
,,,,o,:cop dressnakers and mOdistes to
o,,,rcinate themselves from the rule
of parisian fashions and to create their
.o,r,, STYLES. but it does not seem that
they come much nearer to the ann OF
,beir ambition than they were at first.
Paris fashions still rule supreme and
all the fashion artists of this country
have gained SO far is certain lnVen-
tive liberty of elaboration. The types
are imported from Paris as they were
before, but the ideas are elaborated
and to some extent modified to suit
different conditions, in our home fash
ion studios. There is something NOR
tifving in that arrangement, but 1t
seems hopeless to expect complete
emancipation from Paris supremacy.
At a time. when travelling across the
ocean. at all-times of the year was
not so common as it is now. it did not
involve any great hardship to wait with
patience until the spring models were
brought over from Paris to be copied
for the benefit of the fashionable
classes in this country. Now, however,
the situation IS different. Hundreds
perhaps thousands of American wo-
men of wealth and station spend the
winter or part of the winter on the
Riviera or IT some of the fashionable
resorts in southern Europe to escape
the rgOrs of our northern climate.
Many of them hasten home at the end
Of the spring season III those places,
which. for all practical purposes coin
cides with our winter season. These
women O.. fashion. who have had an
opportunity to see the new spring and
al Suili.iltI 81 itS- lOllS DtIol c tlicS
reach the American shores. have a
great advantage over those, who spent
are in the fortunate position to lead
their less fortunate sisters in fash
The poor fashion artists in this cOun-
Try are. OF course. severely criticised
by their customers for being SO slow
in introducing the latest styles. but it
is really not their fault. They know,
that they must wait for the dictates
from Paris and try to make the best
of the situation. Not until the new
models have arrived. does their real
mission begin. They deserve great
credit for their ingenuity and the ex-
cellent taste which they display in
celebrating and modifying the import
ed models, thus introducing an ele-
ment of charming variety, without de-
Waiting from the main features of the
approved Paris styles.
After considerable experimenting a
really new style of corset has been
evolved and the new corset forms one
of the most important and interesting
novelties brought over from Paris this
Year 1t is woven OF silk, is thin and
elastic. and does not contain stays of
any material 1t is an excellent thing
from Il hygienic point of view, but it
is more than doubtful whether it ever
will become popular. Women with
good forms and we'll developed busts
will undoubtedly adopt that new style
with enthusiasm. bat the Overwhelm-
Ing majority of women. less prodigally
gifted by nature will scarcely take to
a corset. which not only does not hide
defects, but rather emphasizes them.
The Maillot corsets, as they are called.
are just the thing for the coming spring
styles. which demand closest fitting
TO the figure.
White linens will be extensively used
during the coming summer season and
there IS every Indication that they will
he even more popular than last year.
OF course. white, in this case, is merely
a generic term. rs there are many diff
ferent shades Of white, from cream to
delicate ecru. from pearl to oyster
gray. Linen walking suits. with kilt
ed and plain skirts. boleros or long
Jackets, reaching from below the
knees, viii be worn Il great deal. The
skirts of these suits will be worn quite
short. shorter in fact, then those OF
walking suits made of cloth.
The characteristic tendency to ex-
uaNagance and elaborateness of the
coming spring STYLES is not confined tc
gowns waists and Jackets 1t extends
to large degree to other parts OF
Women's apparel. Spring petticoats