Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-24

president of the Ladies' Study Club of Old
town, who comes abroad every year and
buys several dresses at a time at this place
IN Paris then the unique, internal agony
caused by the clothes question in Paris for
the Ohio woman begins She is conducted
into a smaller reception room where mir
rors on all sides reflect her solid respectable
self so many times, from many points OF
view, in such bewildering contrast with the
svelte, elegant Vendeuse and the ravishing
mannequins, that confusion takes possess
sion. first of her mind, and passes presently
to her very soul. word of direction from
the vendeuse, and the manneauins, young
women of fesh-and-blood forms more Won
derful in their beauty than any plaster
casts of Grecian goddesses adjoining the
museum of art in Oldtown. are silently
slowly, with sinuous movement, astonishing
grace, filing in front of her, dazzling pro-
cession; this one is In a gown Of white
cloth, fitting her like a sheath, the skirt
falling In folds that seem fairly to melt into
the lines of her body, so wonderfully does
1t follow the movement of her hips and legs
While the corsage-a further melting effect
displaying to perfection the faultless form
Is adorned with curious embroidery employ
ed with beautiful lace; another is in a sin
guar creation of pale blue cloth marvellous
ly combined with Persian lamb fur and
black embroidery, forming a contrast as
poid ana plquant as that made by the black
lines marking the mannequn's eyes and the
req paint on her lips and cheeks; still an
other is gliding by in a combination of mink
ana yeHoW OF shades unknown to the most
glorious sunset in Ohio, SO mysteriousIy
blended that the whole effect moves the
American woman as the dream cakes in q
great patissier's show window move the
pis-eyed urchins, everlastingIy choosing and
never tasting them, outside. Impossible
aWfully impossible, every one of the gowns
that she is seeing-fancy wearing the pink
ana yeliow one to church or to pastors
reception IN Oldtown! But while the wom-
an from Ohio. feebly struggling to escape-
tells the yendeuse that this is NOT exantlv
What she had set her heart on-she had
thought of taffeta, a black taffeta. trim
med with little lace or OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
,Ies ahythins at all In black, or. say, dark
piue or gray?-while she is thus seeking
to retreat from this revelation of the
frenchwoman's glory which, unsuspect-
lngly, she has brought upon herself,
~ ara i9rmless as yet, and speechless.
with which, in one shape or another. the
american woman who lives in Paris has
continually to grapple. She boholds what
a thing of art and of beauty a woman may
be made. and little by little she begins to
yearn. gently at first and fercely after a
while-she yearns to be thing of art and
beauty, too!
Art and beauty are inseparable in the
French conception of what makes woman
attractive. Paint, powder, tight lacing,
hair dye, false hair are more than per-
they are admired In Paris, pro-
vided only that perfect art be manifest
In their employment There was a por-
trait of Madame Rostand In the last Salon
IMPLYING French taste in
woman OF moderate height accumulated
by the slenderness of a form extremely
elegant, she appeared In gown that was
shall one say dream or a delirium of
Made of soft white mousse
line, it hung from the bust. unbeltsd. in |
long shimmering lines of light which, q |
certain distance from the bottom of the |
skirt that traiIed ell around, were cut |
sharply by founce of black. jet-spangled |
tuIle. Her arms perfectly bare from the |
shoulder fell not quite naturally--there |
was display Of art in the straight lines |