Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
By w. G. FITZGERALD

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A1OT wars nor revolutions, nor the rise and
IN fall of Empire or Republic, have shaken
the absolute supremacy of fair France
in the domain of fashion. Here is seen the
strange spectacle of great nation practically
living and thriving by catering to the female
vanity of the civilized world.
1t is well known that houses on the Rue de
la Paix, such as Worth and Paquin, Felix, La
ferriere, Doucet, Rouff, and the rest, set the
fashions for the world. To their gorgeous sa-
looms come Expresses and great women from
every corner of the earth-New York and
London, Buenos Ayres and Sydney, San Fran
cisco and Rio Janeiro. 1t is the same with
women's hats. Here are houses like Vlrots
and Carriers, with Marescot's, Georgette's, and
the rest, imperiously handing out new models
every season, all of which are meekly accepted
as the thing" by every woman and girl in
civilization.
1t is little wonder that all the silkworms in
China and every other part of the world seem
cities of the great Republic are given up to
frocks and frills Thus there are two hundred
and twenty great factories for unwinding the
raw silk cocoons on ten thousand pans; thirty
seven immense establishments for card1ng and
combing, one of them with three hundred
machines seven hundred and eight huge shops
for throwing, with nearly two million spindles;
and nearly three hundred factories for spin
ming, with something like five million spndles.
Government Encourages 1t
elk culture is carried on throughout the
~ country, with Government encouragement
in twenty-eight Departments, but most ex-
tensivey in the Gard Dr6me, Ardeche, and
Vaucluse. Last year there were upward of
one hundred and fifty thousand persons EN-
ployed in the French silk industry alone, and
the product of the cocoons was over eighteen
million pounds. France exported two and
half million francs worth of cocoons, and
nearly six million pounds of raw silk, worth
about two hundred million francs. One entire
quarter of the city is given up to making arti-
fetal flowers for womens hats, and another
section is given over exclusively to the ribbon
dealers.
The man of modes cuts figure in State
politics in France such as mere business
people find it difficult to realize Thus a dress
maker like Felix is decorated by his Govern
ment with the Legion of Honor, just as King
Edward or the Car would bestow an order
upon some great diplomat.
In the first quarter of last year Paris alone
sent us more than million francs worth
of frocks and lingerie, and more than twice
that value in hats and artificial flowers; not to
mention fans and trif1es that come under the
head of ARTICLES de Paris" to the extent of
another two millions.
Several times a year ENJOYS or ambassadors
arrive in Paris bent upon buying models of
hats and frocks; and how much money they
leave behind them can be only dimly guessed
at. 1t is had on the authority of Felix himself
that hats alone mean fifty million dollars year
to the City of Light. This can well be believed,
for in the vast, opulent saloons of the Rue
de la Paix-discreet and hushed-one will
meet not only Expresses and Archduchesses
of Austria and Russia, but keen eyed buyers
from every nation in Europe from London to
Belgrade and Vienna, before all of whom
manikins or living models trail their simmer
ing glories.