Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-22

CIV
Special Correspondence of The Star.

special Correspondence of The Star.
PARIS, June 8. 1907.
To shop in Paris is the ambition of the
well-dressed woman the world over and of
the American mondaine it is said that in
stead of the oldfashioned notion of seek
ing rest cures for tired nature at fashion
able santariums she now comes to the gay
capital at this season and buys frocks and
furbelows for the late summer social cam
paign at Newport, on the principle, doubt
less, that a change of work is rest The
mere outside Of the houses occupied by the
great artists in dress has a charm even
to those who may never hope to don a
creation designed by one of the noted
Partisan modstes, while to the fortunate
beings who penetrate into the beautiful
rooms dedicated to Nine. la Mode the in
terror presents a dream of rest and ex-
quisite apparel.
The Great Felix.
Some of these houses are really paatial
the great Felix for example He is quite
a noted and historic parsonage. His house
has been connected with royal and beautiful
women for years. and it was the super
stition of his client, Empress Eugene, who
persuaded the elder Felix to change the
number of his house in the Faubourg
this establishment are perfectly stunning
The large windows are draped with costly
lace hangings, the walls covered with gobe-
I'm tapestries and the long gallery panel
with dainty paintings by Jan Van Beers
The patrons of the Maison Felix are for the
most part French society women, although
he has an enormous clientele composed of
smart Russians. This clever and artistic
trenchman is no lover of extremes in Sar-
torial matters and he frankly dislikes the
tailor-made and signs for the old days
when the life of the fair Parisienne was a
whirl of amusement and her frocks were
correspondingly numerous.
The House of Worth.
Then there is the house of Worth, which
for the past century has been the authority
for all that Is perfect in the world of
frocks and furbelows. Seven Rue de la
Paix is the mystic number of this atelier
The firm is presided over by two brothers.
NJ. Jean. who looks after the artistic part
OF the concern, and NJ. CASTOR, who repre-
sents the business side. They uphold in
every way the tradition of their father, in
whose administration the house gained it's
reputation for the beauty and artistic
qualities of its gowns The elder Worth
influenced silk weavers to produce his
designs in their fabrics, and he revived
modern lacemaking and created many love-
ly frocks for exhibition.
Not a stones throw from the famous
Worth establishment is Paquin's dis
tinguished by its flower -decked balconies
Here noted actresses of almost every ma
tionaiity under the sun. with NJ. Paauin's
help, consider their frocks and there Is
little doubt that the stage now leads fash
ion. To get the proper prospective as it
were. NJ. Paquin had constructed mnia-
ture theater. and here one may see at
various times Rejane. DUse, Ellen Terry
Langtry and host of others watching the
effect OF the dresses as the manikins parade
the stage before them.
Each great house has it's own especial
admirers among wsll-dTesscd women and
the distinguishing features of each are so
apparent that a connoisseur in matters
modstic may easily note the frock that
has emanated from either Paquin, Felix,
Worth or Doucet
An Englishman's Opinion
Mr.. Calthorp, the English artist and critic.
in a recent article expressed the opinion
that women do not know how to dress.
This severe artist says that men can dress
women with much greater art. and when
one visits the salon of one of the couturiers
| have been talking about one Is apt to
agree with him. Mr.. Calthorp also very
pertinently remarked that IF men can do
much in beautifying the dress of fem
mime attire. why do they not reform the
abominable thing that passes for mems
dress?' Whenever | lecture on Greek dress"
supplements Mr.. Caithorp. II never let an
opportunity go by to repeat that If Pericles
returned to this world and saw me hold
forth in the evening suit of modern lee