Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-17
A FRENCH GIRLS DRESSES.
She Hasn'. Much Voice in Selection
Few Occasions for Evening Gowns.

From the London Standard
Generally speaking a French girl has no
fixed dress allowance in the sense in which
IT Is understood in England. 1t Is "maman"
who chooses her daughters frocks and hats
and everything pertaining TO her toilette.
and papa" who pays for them.
Many girl, Ii Is true, receives some
pin-money, which is spent In buying rib
bons, wells, perfumery. stationery. etc. or
pays for her visits with a friend-acconl-
panied, of course. by the femme de cham
brey-to the patissie- a la mode; but in
the majority of cases, even In weIl-to-do
families, the total amount of her monthly
argens de poche could hardly buy. single
good frock, the replenishing of her ward
robe being always supervised by her moth
er. 1t would be too much to assert that
the French girl has voice In the choice
of her dress. She certainly has. but though
her wishes are consulted. the ultimate de-
cision does not rest with her.
The French girl OF the grande monde and
her English sister. the society girl. dress
very much on the same lines. as they often
patronize-or. i should say, are patronized
by the same couturiere. The differ1ce is
that the London girl possesses. as a rule,
a greater number of frocks than the Paris
girl. and that her style of dress is more
of the picturesque order-howing draperles
art colors and soft fabrics-while the teune
nile In France favors preciseness of lines
and less fussiness-or. in a word, smart
ness. Between the middle-class girls of
the two countries. however, there Is a great
difference the English girl spending more
on her clothes than the jeune file of SINH
lar station in France. She has more frocks.
biouses and costumes, but they are not
generally OF such good quality or style
as those found in the wardrobe of the de-
moiselle franchise.
~ Frav,
ingly low prices which are asked in Eng
land for a class of goods for which there
Is no demand In France. II n French
girl wants a silk blouse she will have 10
pay good price for it. and the same an
plies to the rest of her clothing. In one
respect only-in the matter OF hats--caR
one get cheapness allied to style. Millinery
In France is both cheap and smart
A great help to the girl of moderate in
come Is the Paris day dressmaker. Some
are really very clever, and nearly all of
them nave taste, and many blouse. toll
cite de Vile. and even evening dress Is
thus obtained at minimum cost, the cou-
turiere en- journee being almost always
helped by the girl herself or her maid
An important economy which Is realized
by the French girl is that an evening
dress, not being so much de rigueur as IL
is In England. is kept fresh a long time
without requiring successor as she only
wears 1t for balls and dances. Outside those
occasions to be decolletee is an exception
especially for jeune file. She may wear
low dress at the theater Ia certain seats.
and on certain nights, but II she chooses
to wear toilette montante as long as her
rock Is dressy 1t will be considered cor
rect She seldom wears an evening dress
Tor dinner, except on formal occasions
when the decoiletage assumes very modest
proporuons-but she never wears a low
dress for dinner dams Intimate, a light
oressy blouse or frock with a transparent
yoke being all that is required
mere are many unconventional gather
ings In France, which generally end in a
sauterie. Girls with their ''mamans'O and
some male friends call at Il certain house
where after cup of tea and a plemini-
nary tea talk, tour de valse is sure 10
follow. Though knowing the call would
finish with dance, the girls have not come
In light dresses, but wear visiting frocks
OF pretty blouses with dark skirts AT matt
nee dances of a more formal character
which take place in the afternoon and even
ing generally from to u light dresses,
with or without decolletage, are worn, but
even on those occasions full evening dress
is not de rigueur.