Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-29
Umpire
Japanese Influence : The
French Woman and
Her House Clothes :
Other Countries g the
Orient Contributs their
Quota Of Inspiration :
The Empire and the
Jumper Elaborate Silk
Petticoats.

We hear a great deal about the beauty
and picturesqueness of present-day dress
ing, quaint costumes and quainter cha
peaux, but all too little of the fascinat-
ing picturesqueness of our house clothes
dainty, delicate creations of soft silks
and woolens, laces and rIbbons-for the
intimacy of the home circle and the pri-
yacy of ones own chamber.
The Kimono.
The adaptability of the kimono Is such
that designers seem to never tire Of Its
long flowing lines and Mandarin sleeves
In the modelling Of confections for the
woman Of this Western world.
Since the japanese idea has become
such a dominate feature of French and
American fashions we have gone step
nearer the Flowery Kingdom and taken
to our hearts and wardrobes the national
costume of the little brown maids, gar
ment lacking, 1t is true, the fripperles of
our American dainties. but so charming
In its utter simplicity. Speciality stores
and shops with departments devoted to
oriental wares, show the real japanese
kimono in soft Jap silks, printed and en-
themum or Eastern landscape designs,
with the obi In plain color. The tiny Jap
woman, with her small straight figure,
is marked contrast to our well-rounded
American girl, who, try as she may, can
not conceal the graceful lines and curves
Of her figure beneath the loose kimono.
For this reason the American woman
generally wears the kimono loose, and
when we discard the sash or obi we
make it a purely negligee garment, with
out right or province to life outside the
boudoir.
Our House Clothes.
American women do not dress as much
as the French-that is, we on this side
of the water all too often wear our street
clothes indoors instead of discarding
them for daintier fancies in strictly house
clothes, garments which are an important
part of every French woman's wardrobe.
A French woman may have only one
gown or suit, which must do duty for
many and various occasions, with chang
ing of accessories to suit the occasion,
but never does 1t serve as a house dress,
Born with the gift for artistic dressing,
she knows the fasclnations Of soft ma
terials, delicate colors, billowy laces and
yards Of dainty ribbons.
House gowns-we call them tea gowns
are all worn en- familie, for the French
wife and mother considers 1t her duty
to appear as charming as possible In the
eyes Of her husband and children.
The Grecian influence.
Paris sends us one of these gowns for a
Christmas bridal trousseau in delicate
green lansdowne, elaborated with bands
Of silvee embroidery in Grecian design and
motifs Of lotus blossoms and leaves. The
back, with vatican pleat, and sides are
tight-ftting while the fronts are draped
from the bust line. The neck is pointed
with a drapery of chiffon to match the
draped chiffon sleeves, banded with the
silvery embroidery. The materials and
trimmings are beautiful enough for the
most elaborate evening gown. and were
1t not for the loose fronts and back, 1t
might easily be appropriated as such
Something In the drapery, as well as the
trimmings, suggests the Grecian. which
proves that Japan Is not alone in furnish
ing us with Inspirations.
Other countries of the Orient have been
searched for what they might offer in the
way of suggestions for modern clothes,
and study of ancient history and por-
traits Of other days give inspiration to
modern designers.
The ubiquitous Empire.
But go where we will, search as we
may, we cannot ind anything half so at
tractiYe as the empire. Though ouee the