The sun., 1905-10-29

gown quite unsuited to her style. Last
spring. for instance, one of my wealt hest
patrons who is about feet in ches Ia I'll and
really stout, Insisted on having a costume
of naauve vole, the skirt trimmed with 70"
after row of wide white lace insertion, Put
on horizontally, the last row terminating
only a few inches frcm the belt: and the
waist finished with deep white lace yoke
and wide silk girdlc.
Il actually .groaned when saw the gown
tried on. The design might have heen
worn with good effect by very tall. slight
woman, but worn by the woman in question
it accentuated her breadth and her lack Of
inches.
II told her she ought never to wear f1ounces
or horizontal trimm ings of any sort or
sharp contrasts of color, that she must
stick to vertical lines. to long, plain effects,
If she would look slight and taller. might as
well have saved my breath
But think This gown is very becom-
all tone. and to show how much she valued
my advice she ordered two moro gowns
made on precisely the same lines, though
OF different materials.
u only hope that woman's friends do not
know her gowns are made in this establish
ment."
When these views We're repeated to n
now celebrated New York dreSSmaker who
began at the foot of the ladder, she did
not resent the French woman's structures.
UnuOuDteQly, Sne aRTePu, lnS SlpTeln-
acy of the Paris designers whose chief
busi ness is clothing rich women, is due
much more TO the fact that they know how
to make the most of the American figure,
Of its good points, than that they origi-
nate new models every few months | am
toners, not of the American dressmakers
and buyers for department stores The
latter are not interfered with. They select
the models which suit them best.
For instance, when l go over. which !
do twice year, ] purchase the models
which in my opinion / can best adapt
to the figures OF my American clientele,
and find that No not always select models
which other buyers rave over.
"ln no case, Of course, does the seller of
the model gowns seek to influence buyers
in the trade. But with private customers
it is different. 1t is almost impossible
for an American woman. be she tall, short.
stout or lean, to go to Worth, Paquin,
Doucet or any other of the Paris celebri-
ties for costume, and get ore which is
not suited to her lines, provided she is
willing to abide by the artists decision.
at is impossible for you to wear Direc-
toire gown; YOU have not the lines for it, ;
! overheard a specialist tell a well known
time was in Paris He did not say You are
too stout and not tall enough, but that is
what he meant.
4'You may have a modified Drectoire,
however, the specialist added, and then
went on to suggest this, that and the
other change which when carried out
would practically wipe out any resemblance
to q Direotoire costume, but would be q
hundred times more becoming to the
wearer.
sThese specialists seldom make a mistake
They really are artists. l can't say the
same OF most American dressmakers. If
customer want, Directoire gown, the
New York dressmaker, ten chances to one,
will say Certainly whether she thinks
it will be becoming or not.
But times are changing. Fashion, s
rules are less and less arbitrary and Amori-
can women are paying more and more
attention to the becoming. instead OF