The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-07-16
Dame Fashion
Observation-Disclosures

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NEW YORK, July 16.-Present
fashions may have their faults ana
drawbacks. their incongruities ana
unreasonable points. but they possess
one great .redeeming feature, when
co2-Deneates to a great extent FOR all
shortcomings; they possess artistic
Qualities that delight the eye of an
artist. Present styles show much
greeter appreciation OF beauty in out
line color. proportion and general Ell
farr than any fashion of which we
have any record. Whether the arts
rio .aste Of the makers of fashions has
improved. or whether the artistic quail
tiles Of the present styles are merely
an accident. the result of happy in
nuences working tremendously to-
gether to produce, unconsciously, an
almost perfect result, l cannot decide,
but. the fact itself cannot be denied.
The prevailing styles show remark
able understanding of proportions,
simply marvellous appreciation of the
fitness of certain materials to produce
certain effects, keen insight into the
mysteries of artistic combinations of
colors and delicate discernment in Sc
Letting the most effective lines.
of course, not all makers of fashions
possess the qualities of the eye and
taste which make the artist, but the
number of artists in their profession
seems to be increasing from year to
year. These creators of fashions have
raised their profession to the dignity
of an art and it cannot be denied that
there is as much artistic merit in
many of their modern creations as
there is in a great many works of the
painters or sculptor's art
The artistic instinct which seems
to govern fashion at the present time
manifests itself in various ways. First
in the beauty of the lines, which are
as delightful to the eye as the lines of
a fine piece of architecture. The beau
tiful curves of the healthy and normal
human figure are not disguised or mid
den but rather displayed without ac-
centuating them too much. The har-
mony of proportions is carefully con-
Sidered and preserved by various in
genuOus articles. OF colOrs there has
never been a greater nor more beau
tiful variety than at the present time
and the fashion artists display a re-
markabe taste for harmonious cOmbi-
nations. one of the most striking
features however, is the exquisite
harmonizing the general effect of Wo-
mems costumes by establishing close
and artistic relations of lines and col
or between the various parts of the
costume, including not only the skirt,
waist or bodice and perhaps the coat
or wrap, but also the hat, the parasol,
shoes, gloves, belt, etc.
There is probably no better place
for studying new fashions, at least
during the summer months. than at
the Grand Prix," as the great French
Derby is called. on that occasion
every woman who can afford it and a
great many women who cannot af-
ford it. appear on the race track in
new costumes and it is quite astound-
ing how gorgeous the display on that
occasion can he.
The display at the recent Grand
PriX was unusually interesting and
never before was a greater number
of beautiful and artistic costumes dis
played at a similar occasion than then.
Perhaps the most striking feature
was the beWildering variety of detail
which, Notwithstanding the fact. that.
in a general way the costumes were in
perfect harmony with the present
style, each one of the costumes rep
resented a distinct individuality
Ribbons as decorative features of
skirts and frocks We're rather con-