The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-08-24
FEWER PARIS GOWNS
AMERICAN DRESSAfAKERS GAIN
 IN ART AND SKILL.

of 1deals-North Seeks Suggestions
 Husbands and high duties are two reasons which are causing many women who dress we'll and spend small fortunes each year on their clothes to have their gowns made at home instead of abroad. This is not the whole reason, for so handsome gowns are to be found here and in advance styles, that the French frocks are no longer considered necessi- ties by all women. When a women comes from abroad and pays sS,00 duty an a few frocks it may readily be un- derstood that she might demur, but it is more difficult to understand what husbands have to do with gowns of home manufacture. The men of the family are not supposed to have much to say about these important questions, but there are few who are sufficiently considered by their families while abroad as to think it worth while to give them some time instead of devoting large part of it to the milliner and modiste. It is certain that more and more beautiful gowns are being made on this side of the water. The ideas are not all French, either. s. One woman who does beautiful and original work in this line says that her annual trips are for general cultivation. She does not study gowns, but the com bination of colors in fine old paintings, and she says that the best color com bination she ever produced she found in a stained-glass window one Sunday at church. That is a hint which might be used by the ministers who are adver- Using for congregations these days with the bait of shirtwaists and no hats for church costumes.
 PROBLEM ONE OF IDEAS.
 We are doing better and better work all the time,' says man who knows gowns. "and the women appre- ciate 1t. We look everywhere for ideas; we have people who have them. and are always looking for others. No one person could originate ideas enough to make elaborate wardrbes. The best people do not try to do 1t. They get ideas wherever they can. Worth does this have seen his advertisements for ideas, and he has shown me the results.
 "He wants for instance, something new in hats, and he puts an advertise
 
 peasant girls who can bring in the most satisfactory ones. Those girls have wonderfully good ideas, and they will bring in beautiful things, and every thing worth while will be used or adapt ed.
 Tt is the same when a new collar Is needed The peasants do marvellous em- broidery, and an advertisement will bring in exquisite designs in needelwork, which are used on handsome gowns.
 That Is where ideas for many beauti- ful things come from, and then to make them useful they must be adapted to the women who are going to wear them. Many women know great deal about dress nowadays, they know what is good in material and styles. and it would not be possible to give them anything that was not the best. On the other hand, there are women who feel that they know everything, and who are en- tirely certain about their own tastes, but if their ideas were cared out they would spoil the finest models.
 tAs rule the courier prefers to have a woman allows herself to be guided all most entirely in matters of dress. Peo- pie who make the best gowns have studied the work. It is a profession of large scope. It is marvellous what 8 change can be made in a woman who allows herself to be dressed properly. Beauty has very little to do with the re- suit. Frequently a plain woman, if properly gowned, is finer looking than one whose face is prettier, but whose gowning is incorrect.
 OFTEN HAVE QUEER NOTIONS.
 Woman often have strange ideas about dress, and 1t is hard to believe when So much thought is given to the matter that such blunders can be made. Women are continually saying that they wish a gown on the order of that of an- other woman who has appeared charrn- ing in style which would be entirely incongruous for them Short woman wish the gowns of slender sylphs, and vice versa. Once in while there Is a woman who believes in promiscuous shopping, and her costumes are apt to have the same quality I know one wom- an who has plenty of money, spends any amount of 1t for clothes, and she is the worst dressed woman know. She gets her clothes here, there, and everywhere, and looks it.
 Money does not count always. A woman who uses discretion can dress better on $1,000 or $1,500 a year than other women who spend four times that amount. A woman can be very well dressed on either of those sums. That does not mean the society woman, who only wears her gowns a few times. She will give an order for ten or fifteen at a time, and spends any amount-$15, 900, $25,000. But hard times make a, differ- ence to even society woman, and when stocks are down in Wall street she runs lover to Europe perhaps and skips a season, and the saoson's frocks and her expenditures will vary very consider- ably.
 AS TO READY MADE GOWNS.
 "There is aIways.a certain demand for ready-made gowns, and great many persons buy them but the best dressed women will probably always have indidual gowns made. There are some women who are too nervous to stand the fittings, but they are the ex- ception. A woman who has gown made to order knows what it is going to be as much as if it were ready made for