El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-07
IN TOUCH
WITH FASHION
Whaf the smartest Dressmakers Are
Now DisDlayfng-Hints That
May Help the Undecided.

A WOMAN who makes a point of
~ exquisite and distinctive dress
ing came into one Of the most
/ exclusive shops with dragging feet the
other day Her usually lively eyes
were burdened. Her mobile lips
! dropped. Every feature. her very car
riage was asking Of life the old, old
/ question. What's the user She had
been TO a dinner during the week ana
yer Paris model had sat down in the
immediate neighbOrhoOd Of four others
exactly like it.
The Artistic With Ideas.
Lucky the American house Of styles
Z that does not have to depend on Paris
exclusively, that has at its head its
own artistic Of artistes, capable Of orig
mating exclusive models Said one
such artistic the other day-she hap
pens TO be the commercial as well as
the artistic head Of her house: When
my people tell me that there has never
been anything like what / am prOpOs-
ing, I tell them they could not give
me a better reason for going ahead
with II. What has never been before
Is what I want OF course" she added.
quoting from herself thoughtfullys
never having been before isn't quite
all There is more to the story than
that"
And when you see some Of the gowns
she is showing in the new supple taf-
fetas, YOU agree with her. A good deal
has been said about 1912 styles for this
year. But why 1892 Nobody seems
able TO remember anything thrilling
about 1872 ways Of gOwning. Madame
has left 1912 to others and has harked
back no further than 1850 for the spirit
OF her movement You are not to
gather from that. however, that there
IS anything warlike about it On the
contrary, SAYS the New York Evening
Sc nd
daintily feminine. Tt has expressed it.
self IN fOuncss and fringes and sleeve
flares and fichu effects that are Just
the least bit like quaint, gay remind
ers OF our mothers at their Quaintest
and gayest
In spite Of the little fringes and
flounces, the skirts in this year OF
grace 1912 are miles away from the
skirts of 1850. They are slim and 4
tapering, though not quite so slim and /
tapering as they were few months I
back. and that is why that even with 1
1850 flounces and fringes, you get dis /
tinctly 1912 effects.
The additional width in slCirts-it /
amounts to only q few inches-is [
enough to allow the Wearer 10 step O.
without the jerk-back that was some 3
what discOncerting feature OF the ear
lier modes. Tailored skirts, in partlcu-
lar. are showing this feature Of in I
creased width. The draped and bounced
Overskirt IS growing IN popularity,
and the pronounced panier treatment
IS In evidence. Skirts Of soft material
are boned at the knee and sometimes
slightly gathered at the waist
The succession Of round flutes that
are now to be seen in some Of the coats
may be borrowed 10 limited extern
for skirts These flutes start at the
hip curve and unfortunately their eI-
feet is weird rather than charming
Is There TO BE a Waist Lines
That question VIII not be fully and
fairly decided for some weeks yet
60 far as the waist line Of the moment
5. concerned, the empire styles are stllL
PERHAPS a little more popular than the
formal waist line effects- But you Z
Zee both. And it is very likely tnaI
-ou viii continue 10 see both for a / !
God while to come As a matter OF :
act. nberality and flexibility, not
igidity Of style, are coming 10 pe ]
more and more the pass words with ]
-ood dressers- In all metropolitan
one sees exquisite gowns
ef1ecting highly varied Individual
aste and fancy, and al IN gooo styIe.
{ is only in the smaller places that I
ne finds the do-or-die determination {
o stick TO the letter Of the law In the Z
natter Of modes. I
Sleeves and Collars.
Sleeves are growing longer. For the
most part they are close and tight, but 8
here are bizarre new sleeves in some I
f the gowns. A sleeve, be 1t remem- c
eEEQ. viii eaten the dLLE4L4o4 u q W. Z d
lan sooner than almost any other de- Z
all. Much or little character can-be q
mparted TO gown by the sleeve n
evelopment Knowing this, fashion a
lOngers pay great attention to the I Il
tenn. Some Of the new sleeves may / s
ecome popular, but they have by no Z
leans made their case as yet The
lbOW sleeve is frequently adorned
nth the under ruffle, which falls over O
trim young arm with adorable effect y
oats are made with Close-fitting long U
leeves. and long sleeves are also in d
avor for reception gowns, and even a
or evening gowns. s.
The high collar that tickles the ears / b
definitely the fad OF the hour. Il / a
lust be stiffened or il viii not be chic. I
D spite Of its vogue, many women I "
ling TO the comfortable Dutch neck ( y
nd the large round collars for all / III
1itable occasions. al
Durbar Has affected CoIOrs. bl
Blouses and lingerie gowns are made ! II
p with one eye on the tub Leather I d.
lttOns may be very effective but they / W
re a great nuisance on tub dresses
emi-dress blouses are made up in
wolfe. and there is a dis
net tendency 10 button down the
ont Little lingerie gowns to be
sed as tlllers-in" when one wants F.
be dalntily but simply dressed are
rowing the double skirt and Danier oil
IecIs 10 some extent They are lust I tn
ie thing tor the trip south Their ] CO
eneraL utility is a fine feature. and
i'll another point in their favor is
-e fact that packing does not crumpIe
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