The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-31
AMERICAN FASHIONS COMING
EDITOR BOK FORESEES THE
DOW NFALL or PARIS.
a General Revolt Against the Tyranny Of
French DreSsmakrrs Already In Prog
ress. tie says u Enthusiastically for
American Modes for American " omen.

Edward " BOX editor of the Ladies
Home Journal. came up from Philadel-
phis the other day, and even in this CEN
re of PARIS fashions spoke hopefully
and enthusiastically % his dream OF
American fashions
Wal YOU tell me. Mr. Box Just what
you mean hy American fashions? DO
you mean actually new fashions orr i-
mated here IA America. he was asked
NO he replied What I mean by
American fashions - exactly what IL
meant hy Pans fashions. but what the
public do"s not understand
There il prey ailIng notion that PARIS
fashions means original fashions, that
is fashions actually originated hv the
PARIS dressmakcrs out Of as Wa say, the
whole cloth; and here - whore there IA
q gross mIS"oncrption
PARIS does not originate fashions
Paris has never vet originated a single
new fashion. except IN the ON" instance
of the unCurled plume, and that was an
accident What the Paris dressmakers
do IL to adopt and modify certain old
and historic ideas IA dress to modern
conditions
For instance. the Russian blouse comes
to America heralicd as PARIS fashion.
but what Is il actually Exactly what
it's name explains, tho blouse worn bv
tho Russian peasantry which PARIS
drpssnaker adapted Tho So-Callei reach
basket hat was adapted from the Russian
CossaCk hat. Tho Direction" or Empire
gown Is not from tho French emnire
period, "a "a generally supposed hut "a an
adaptation from tho costumes 81 the
Greek
Paris creates its fashions nv adapta-
ton and modification from other sources
IL - really a question Of words or terms,
hut "" must get the right term. adapt
and not originate IN our minds II We
would understand what is meant by new
Paris fashions. They are new only as
they are adapted from something old
Then American fashions will be -
"Just exactly answered MIR Box,
what IL actually meant by Paris fashions
that IL. fashions adapted from historic
sources 10 modern American needs bv
American men and women
do YOU think wa can do this In
America
Their" was not a moments hesitation in
the answer.
we can was the emphatic reply
-No, ~ easily. I grant. because We have
not the history and experience of the past
10 fall back upon a. Paris We have not
the artistic back ground of older nations,
hut We have New World cleverness that
they have not and. above all We have a
knowle,lge Of IN" needs Of our own people
that no other nation has or can have
with those two essentials and distinct
advantages believe that Americans can
design American fashions not only better
suited TO American women hut ALSO
equally graceful in beauty Of lin.
-Th" chief adyantag" 81 American
fashions over Paris fashions will be -
what would Won saw
In thus supreme fact answered. tho
Philadelphia "~iltnr Tho French dress
makers. naturally. adapt and design
fashions for their own women The
French reopl" ar" a. "A nation pleasure
loving people DEVOTED ~ dress and Ravety.
II has ALWAYS been ~ IN their history,
II will probably ALWAYS ha 80 The
French. say what they will. are a monar-
chcal people. and monarchiaS rule and
must sway by display and pomp
1T j. in the hlnod ~ thu. FrrnChwoman
to dress. It is IN her nature and the
more money she has 20 spend the more
abe dresses Sh" loves to attract by
dress. This il not true % the French
lady; hut one fact must ALWAYS be re-
membered IN connection with French
costume. Americans never see In print
the dresses ~ the French ladies. these !
are kept sscr-d from the public eve
The average Paris FASH ion that We see
h not 81 this type ut woman. u il made
for and worn by type 81 woman common
enough in Paris hut rare ~ vet for
tunately IN America II is an unpleasant
r., l.Hft -
that IN copying the average Paris fashion
the American woman j. dressing herself
after one Of IN" most undesirable types |
of womanhood that decent women can !
well imagine Any French lady will |
corroborate this statement.
Now continued Mr. Rok thought !
fully, -th" American woman il different
from all this An inherent love ~ dress |
IL hers and rightly so: hut her taste, |
as is her nature. - simpler
Where the French woman - monarch !
ioal in nature and taste III" American |
woman Is republican in every essence :
Of her being Moreover ia" contour /
- her FAC" II different IN" Paris hat
becoming &" IN" bong. pear shaped faca
Uf ~" French woman - ~ seven cases
out of ton unbocpming 20 m" face 81 m. /
American woman
so with her dr"ss 81. has not tho |
high waist line - the Latin woman. IN. .
Direct nIr,. dr,.-s is ~ once. uusutt"d 20 her
fgur" IT," lower and l.ug"r waist In. I
j. distinctly Angles .pu and American
What suits on" docs NOT sui' another
Her. - where American fashions
come ~ and where they hay" a distinct
advantdg" over PARIS fashions for Arneri-
can women. N that each nation must
Great" ur adapt fashions for itSuwn people
No nation ~ matter h,w clever rts dress
makers can dress the p"opl" - another
nation. particularly where natures cuUdi-
lions ideals aud the very lives e ia
people are 80 radically d,Tor"rt a. are
thos.' - Franc" and America
-Hay" "" ever da~ign"d any wrmen's
fashions ~ Am"r.CJ.'
-l"s and No. waS the reply strictly