Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-06
PARIS FASHIONS.

PARIS. April Fl, 1908.
VHERE are many dismal things in
life, but / don't think there Is
anything more woefnliy dismal
than having to be thoroughly
economical especially at this
season OF the year. when the Paris shops
would make a stole envious of their wares.
But was there ever feminine stole or
philosopher? The unpleasantness of thrift
came home to me with more than usual
force after visit yesterday to the Con-
cours Hippique, which is being held at the
Paiais des Champs Elysees. The costumes
worn at this contest for the prix interna-
tionaux were dreams OF chicness culied
from ali the best fashion eras IN sartoriai
history. and SO frightfully extravagant
were these coveted creations that even
mild conjecture of the "demnition total
made one dizzy. At Longchamps and Au-
teuii the variable weather has prevented
so far much of display of spring finery.
but at the indoors equine exhibition the
weather man could do his worst without
damaging results to ctdnons.
To return to my lament. the conseien-
tiously economical woman Is to be pitied.
She always thinks it wasteful to spend
money on mere enjoyment. Most OF her
waking hours are spent in calculating men
tally how much 1t will cost to do what she
wants to do, how much she will save by
not doing 1t. and by training herself to
dispense with all the superauous trifies
that make the lives of most women worth
living She gradually develops, l reckon,
an excellent head for arithmetic, but at
the expense of capacity for enjoyment.
I never could see what there was in rigid
economy for people to go into a state of
moral delirium tremens over. 1t is an
ennobling theory probably, but demoraliz-
ting in practice. There is quite much
penuious economy In our midst today as
there Is of the Wild extravaganza one hears
so much about, but one Is not so interested
In the former. and when carried to excess
the results, I think. of excessive economy
in the long run are quite as defeterious as
those Of modern extravaganza"
In the ateliers there is being fought
free battle of styles. and II the crisis is
not reached soon peace congress of cou-
turaeres will be in order. The empire, the
1880 period and the third empire rival
each other in ruling fashions. Paquin Is
at the head of the empire renaissance, La
Ferrlere perststently pushes the 1880 modes
while Beers Is persuasive In foistfng
upon US the Eugenfe styles. / never knew
such fanciful variety as one sees at the
moment here at the capital, but to be
strictly truthful the empire mode leads all
the rest In other years a fashion was
started at the beginning of the season and
whether becoming not, was adopted. We
have changed all that, and certainly the
reform Is a good one, for is there anything
more odious to the artistic eye than the
monotonous uniformity Of presenting dozens
and Dozens OF times the same type, how
ever pretty it be7 The dressmaker who in
one season turned out 1876 dresses of the
same model for women, different in form
and beauty is now. thank the powers that
be, thing of the past. The smart woman
Of the now boasts OF having artistic
talents. Writing. painting or music takes
up part of her time. She is no longer
graceful. pretty doll clothed and adorned
by her dressmaker and milliner. She as
serts her rights Of having tastes of her
own and of dressing according to her own
style Of beauty and she succeeds per-
fectly in achieving her desire
At Carriers. in the Rue de la Paix, she
Is asserting some of her individual sartorial
rights by trying on, from a personal view