The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-09-28

~ expert may learn great deal
~ from the fashions seen at Bar
ritz. / do not mean the fash
Ions displayed on the Grande PLACE or
the Casino. but those shown privately
In the aseIiers of the great Paris dress
makers who have branch establishments
nj This particular seaside resort.
From the point of view Of dress Bar
ritz in. the month OF September resefn-
bles Monte Carlo In the month OF Fep-
rYary At both these fashion centres
the newest and most exclusive models
ara shown before they are shown IN
Paris. And the reason is not difficult 10
find. The members of the court circles
nj spaiu all meet at Biarr!tz aud San
Sebastian in the months of August and
September, They return to Maarid
carly in October and they then take
back with them generous supply OF
dresses. wraps. &c, for tho winter sea-
snn.
Now the pretty Spanish woman IL de-
voted 10 dress. And she demands every
thing Of the latest aud newest. More
than this, she Is eclectic in her taste.
ayan though she sometimes inclines
toward brilliant colors and gorgeous
details.
CO. 50 ma rule very rich: she is
,,tways ready TO pay we'll for that which
raatfv original and becoming For
All these reasons the Spanish beauties
s,a beloved by the autocrats or the
R,ie de Ia Paix.
bava been making a series Of visits
"a the notable Partisan dressmakers and
satlors who have branch atelie~s In
Y3iarrttz. have been carefully study
ms the novelties displayed by each one
and have come 10 the conclusion thar
i IL necessary to enter, early In the
ran and winter seasons, a word OF strong
,rotest As / have indicated In sew
aral of my recent articles, we have ar
r,vca AZ a memorable moment In the
history OF dress We have quietly al
,r,e,st ,,nenusclously. reached period In
which the female form divine Is dts~
n,avea 10 perfection. because 1t Is dis
r}avsfi gracefully and naturally
IN through the summer our women
,,f fashion have been wearing tTicot
eorsets and swathed centuries Nhlch
nerrr tilted the waist to assume perfect
IL normal outline. And the corsafes, as
well as the cleyerly draped skirts when
have been adopted by the more eSctu-
siva partsiennes. have been eminenuy
graceful and even classic Not"lth-
standing all the protests when nave
naen called up BY foolish women VINO
take delight in attracting unpleasant
attention and who bear no real re'atioh-
ship with women of fashion IN the rishl
sense of the words we have arrived AT
period in the history of dress "h'ch
Is very nearly ideal
Never have women looked nrettier nor
more graceful than this year. Never
have their dresses and NANTES more
clearly expressed the feminine note
which Is SO entirely desirable. All was
well in the world of dress, and 1t Is
distressing to find that certain farasaah
aressmakers In search of startling nov
cities are giving countenance 10 fasn-
ion which can only be described as
atrocity.
am now alluding to the growing
tendency In Paris In certain circles 10
alter the outline of the figure below
the waist; to give II that peculiar and
most unsightly curve outward which
was adopted last summer by one or two
Partisan actresses and which became d.
sort of fashion.
Last summer 1t was rather the thing
In some circles to stand in loose, uis-
located pose, to throw out the stomach
for am obliged to use the real word
and to throw In the back. It was alb
surd, but as a passing fad people
laughed good naturedly at 1t. But this
autumn il Is unfortunately true that
some of our leading Partisan dressmak-
ers are trying. and trying hard, to make
this horrible and ridiculous outward
curve a permanent fashion. They are
even going SO far as to pad the corsets
in order that the figure may seem to
curve outward below the waist line In
front.
Now this Is simply disgusting! More
than that, it Is inartistic and mean
ingless. Twenty or thirty years ago 1t
was the fashion to wear a hideous thing
called "bustle" II old photographs
are to be relied on these outrageous ar
fairs completely destroyed the beauty OF
the feminine outline. But they were
quickly laughed out Of existence. Since
then we are supposed to have made some
progress in matters Of art and dress.
We are supposed to have reached a
period in the worlds history in which
true nstheticism has its own appointed
place, in which 1t h the duty, as well
an the pleasure, of the designer to fol-
low the Indications of' Nature and ~