The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1904-07-12
DECORATED DRESSES.
Costumes Of Fashionable Women
Are Painted by Hand.
New Paris Extravaganza Catching
the Fancy of wealthy New York.
ers-Big Prices Paid for
Decorations.

Palette and brush are brought into ac-
tive play just now in behalf Of fashions
for women. In other words, painted
gowns will be included this winter In
the wardrobe of some Of New York's
most fashionable women, reports the
Sun, of recent date.
The painted gown may truly be de-
scribed as creation. Each Is built ac-
cording to individual preference and to
suit individual taste.
So far the painted gown has not been
manufactured to place on either the
wholesale or the retail market Indeed,
1t is doubtful if, at the present time, one
could be found at any one OF the most
famous private dressmaking establish
ments 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 good many
of these gowns now In New York, and
in all probability there are more to
come. So far they have hung in COM
parative seclusion in the wardrobes Of
a few of New York's fashionable women
recently returned from the other side
with their usual Paris complement OF
new gowns.
The fact Is, the painted gown is too
costly an article to turn loose on the
market, and for that very reason, prob
ably, II will have the greater vogue
among the wealthy few.
AS most people know, hand painting
on women's outside garments has to
some extent been used for long time
A dozen years ago, for instance, some Of
the more fashionable Americans and
Europeans wore gowns and cloaks dec
Grated with set designs in water colors.
The custom never reached anything like
the dignity Of a fashion Now 1t is diff
ferent.
forerunner Of the present renais-
sance of the painted gown was the
painted chiffons. so-called, OF last spring
and summer which even now are con-
spicuously displayed on the counters of
the leading shops. These chiffons are
decorated with exquisite flower designs
of artistic coloring, and after fashion
which does indeed suggest hand paint
ing.
But after all they are only stamped.
The genuine article that has crossed the
ocean. draped on gowns worth a good
deal more than their weight in gold,
puts the other to the blush
The painted gown, It's learned, is con-
fined to no one material Chiffons, sat
in, silk, moire, velvet are alike used in
its composition; and the new chiffon-vel-
vet-fne, 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 financial
ly by this new manifestation OF fash
ion.
The history of no two hand-painted
gowns is just alike, and in every case
1t varies from that of the ordinary cos
tune, 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, etc
must have been cut and carefully fitted
before they were handed over to the
painter.
II princess model is chosen. the
whole thing Is cut and basted and tried
on first, Then, II the material is silk.
satin or something equally firm. the diff
ferent parts are unhasted after the tt-
ting. rolled up separately and then given
over TO the artist. who meanwhile re-
ceives instructions as to the designs and
colors TO be used and where they are to
be placed.
Improvised Auto.