The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-02-02
IN PARKWAY CHINA.
Fashions Change Even In the Distant
Empire Of the Celes-
tlal

To be slave of fashion does not
necessarily imply that one must be Of
civilized country. America may
and railroads, but China readily leads
America in the demands of the fash
ions.
Woman, always quick to recognize
the artistic, is picking up pretty Chin
ese gowns and using them for house
gowns, and very delightful they are,
with their long, graceful lines and
soft folds. Not long ago an original
hostess with an Oriental tea in pro-
ject invaded Broadway Oriental
store in search of Chinese costumes
for herself and also her assistants in
receiving The idea is growing. and
now almost as many Chinese cos
tunes are imported for the American
woman as for the Chinese women.
Canton is the Paris of the far East,
the fashion center of that picturesque
country of lilies and tea. All the
aristocratic Celestials, in whatever
part of the world they may be, still
watch that center with eager interest
for the decree put forth every year
by that capricious authority of South
ern China.
AS in all parts of the world, the
matter of dress in China is no small
one, or 1t at once determines the
rank, the official standing, the finan-
cial worth and artistic taste of the
wearer. To the uninitiated eye, all
Chinese garments are practically the
same. Nevertheless, there are con-
stant changes, not only in the cut and
fit, but also in the various modes of
trimming, and, as in this country, it
is well for the social leader in Can
ton to keep abreast of the times If
she would hold undisputed sway.
BY courtesy of Madame WI, the
dainty little wife of the popular form
er Minister WI Ting-fang, the follow
ing information concerning the ap-
parel of feminine China Is herewith
given. Nowhere in the world has the
poetry of nature been combined in
the national dress of a country as in
the native costumes of the Chinese.
Every well-dressed Chinese woman
changes her gown four times day.
When Chinese belle or matron
wishes to order a new gown she does
not call sedan chair and HE to the
dressmaker. She simply dips a slim
little brush in pasty ink and in
hieroglyphics composes a unique mes
sage something like this: "One day
of violet in light blue" or "one day
Of primrose in changeable lavender"
This may sound like a conundrum
to the American, but the Chinese
manufacturer who receives the order
will know very well what is meant.
He knows that for day in violet he
must set his loom to weave so many
yards of silk in light blue, with the
violet design in bud, which the fair
customer wishes for a morning dress.
The design signifies that the sun is
not yet high. He knows that he must
change his loom all over again for
the midday dress, with the full-bloom
flower in design. The afternoon or
twilight dress will have the half
closed flower and in the evening
gown the flower is tightly closed. The
same dye of blue is used for all four
dresses, so the ivory skinned ,lilyfoot-
ed wearer will appear all one day in
the same shade of blue, yet her dress
will be in perfect taste, for she
watches the hour and wears the prop
er weave at the proper time, thereby
defying criticism of even the most
eXacting follower of fashion.
The most serious breach OF eti-
quette a Chinese lady can commit in
dress is to wear the wrong flower at
the wrong time of day or season-for
instance, full-blown flower at night
or spring primrose in winter. For
the spring wear there is a choice of
all the flowers in season-the prim-
rose, the violet, and also the young
bamboo Is often chosen in it's varying
developments. The autumn is gen.
orally symbolized by leaves or chry-
santhemums.