The San Francisco call., 1909-04-11
By Alice Cowderv

F you have souI that scars above
the mere so siaI or commercial or
artistic asTects OF life; in other
words II yoAs are a woman, you must
have noticefs the revival OF many di-
'rectoire fe ehions. Short waists and
long lines OF limpness, inclinations to-
ward ira hy abandon. an almost print
tive Intolerance OF what is technically
known as lingerie, negligent scarfs,
oangl AZ reticules Cor ridicules). Greek
nlets. elongated profile coiftures and
weirfL madness OF millinery character
lie I, with many other fancies of that
per fod between the fowery furbelows
or Marie Antoinette and the apotheo-
sifS OF the crinoline. That was a high
ySaisted, petticostless epoch-to express
tistory IN terms OF real Significance
and the directory. the golden age OF
Partisan vice. introduced it.
II would be hard TO imagine pc
rod more open 10 suggestion from past
ages and strange countries than our
own IN the matter Of woman's dress,
but the directory was just such an
other 2 composite ensemble Of Gre
clan Roman I'm English-Turkish military
and political influences on A French ba-
sis OF frank fndecency-if you admit
that frankness can ever be indecent.
Short wasted. limp slirted decolIetage
zlides around our bathrooms, conscious
y discreet, but imagine the same type
OF gown on a Nerveilleuse OF the d.
rectorate. OF mousseline or linen Of
che thinnest, with bodice OF the lowest
snd sleeves Of the briefest and absolu-
ment rien underneath-the French
sounds more refined Zone wonders does
Il to Frenchman ?)-that is. nothing
but flesh colored mailIots, a species of
lights Cf
dropped at the elbows and little heel
less slippers with extravagantly
long pointed, slightly turned UP toes
Influence OF visit from the sultan's
envoy. Fashionable Paris seems to
have gone quite mad over him)-and
sometimes ribbons bound about the
ankles.
go TO the library and take down the huge
volumes OF the Costume Historioue
Rscinet, I think dancing with every
appearance Of extreme satisfaction In
company with member Of the ieun-
esse doree Of the time, an incroys HE
mufied with admirable suggestion as
70 his partners shortcomings in a era
vat OF white rnoUsseline that folded not
only about his chin-if one may sup
pose the wearer OF a costume such as
his TO have had one-but also over his
mouth. Il was called La Folis du
Jour-" the print. and the dance was the
waltz Just introduced from Germany
and even at that convivial time heaped
with opprobrium for its immodesty by
English and French writers alike.
An Amazing Ball Gown
II that costume was nothing, listen
70 the description Of this pleasing lit
lie ball gown. Greco-Roman IN effect:
a thin tunic OF tulle or gauze or NOUS
seline. OF white, with jeweled clasps at
the shoulders. held tightly under the
bust with a girdle or ceinture a Ia
Venus (again absolument rien but the
snaillots) and the long tunic caught
up directly over the left knee with a
third clasp. exhibiting the antique san
dals or cothurnes. and jeweled rings
on all the toes; rings also massed on
the fingers. two flexible bracelets of
gold and pearl on the right arm. hair
4 Ia GreQue with llets and one large
hoop earring nice idea for Diana at
a full dress banquet OF sae gods. One
hopes that II was particularly warm
season in Paris or. yes, / remember
that the immense shawis which were
so popular a little later had already a
few daring advocates.
90 far, our only adaptation of this
particular costume has been the sug-
gestion OF tunic and the dlets in the
nS Every costume Of that period
recalled the antique in some way. II
only in the draping Of the scarf. Par
enthetically. one is quite forced to be-
lieve that there is really nothing alb
solutely new IN fashions Take cor
sets. for example. One has vague
ideas that horrible cages OF iron or
steel or wood existed back in the me-
dieval times or that the ancients used Z
some kind OF leather supporters and
imagjna ti0m goes no farther, but L