Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-16

, whom STYLE means nothing, who insist
entity bank upon moral and mental virtues
to offset their lack of clothes, but nave
often wondered II 1t did not take more in
difference, or more conceit. than the aver
age woman was capable of, to be quite
content when dowdy.
Every woman does not wish French
model: neither can she wear 1t If she
had it. One must have physical traits
that go with French models which cannot
be limited to a pen-and-inls outline. Words
and phrases DO not exactly express the
qualities in many women that allow them
to wear the newest fashion. The APP
praiser can tell in glance the kind
of woman who can dress fashionably and
the kind who cannot. Woe be to the lat
ter ii she tries. The primrose path in
gowns is not for. her.
But there are American copies of
French models offered at these sales
which are admirable for the average
woman who wants to look as though she
lived in Main street and not in the Place
Vendome.
There are French models that are plain.
and there are hundreds of French women
who dress with a splendid simplicity of
which We know nothing but these models
are rarely brought to America, through
whose fault We know not. The buyers
say the American public will have moth
ing but what is startling; the public say
that buyers will give them nothing but
what is freakish-both put the blame on
the French couturier. and they retort that
they could not sell to America the gowns
that they make for the French society
woman-at least, not to the American
buyers
But that again is another chapter on
clothes. The by-paths of fashion are SO
much more attractive than the broad
highways. and yet at this season of the
year the reader wants facts, not phi
Iosophy. Well there are plenty of facts,
and here are a few of them.
If you are interested in the incoming
news of spring fabrics here is a bit of
gossip that sounds fearful at the first
saying. but 1t evidently is not as bad az
1t sounds. The new materials will have
Chinese landscapes on them copied from
Chinese vases and porcelains.
The futurist idea was never as bad as
this, although il came very near repre-
senting vineyards which, after all. are
parts of landscapes. But the futurist art
and blackberries. whereas the coming
artist will introduce trees and ferns and
lush growing things.
The most hopeful part about it is that
Rodier is making the fabrics. This
French designer is an artist and rarely
sends to us a fabric we do not wish.
He invented ratine, velours de laine silk
and cotton crepe. matelasse, devetyn, and
his record is good. Whatever it is he is
doing with these Chinese landscape fab
RIGS, they will probably not be outrage
Gus. They may be more Chinese than
landscape
None of the surfaces Of the new clothes
promise to be smooth. There are stripes
of corduroy run on a crepe background.
and they are stamped. figured effects.
However this Is enough to know of what
may happen as far as the actual fabrics
are concerned. The Interesting thing is
that China is evidently to be called upon
10 furnish some interesting fashionable
innovations.
We are so deep in Persia these days
with mixture OF Servia Turkey and
Russia. that 1t is not unlikely China will
be added to the allied forces. Japan fur
nishes much and always has. That
shoulder collar that drops outward at the
back and rolls slightly away from the
shoulders remains with US, and the wide
sash. with its bow at the. back, Is still
one Of our happiest ideas for waist drap-
cry. We now drop the bow instead of
lifting 1t up. but that is merely a trick
that Premet taught US, for 1t was at this