Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-07

Gordon pleated black net ruff1es. each
one edged with four inches of black
velvet
The bodice was draped in a v-shaped
decoletage and there was huge sash of
Chinese yellow taffeta tied in large bow.
at the back. with one loop and two ends.
and finished in front with bit of Chinese
embroidery from which dangled Chinese
crystals.
When commenting on the new fashions
recently a leading artist asked me why
the Americans insisted upon such narrow
shoulders this summer when the French
women were broadening the gown in
every way across the back and front
She said that the fashions struck the
Frenchwoman as very peculiar and in
artistic and that all the Americans who
were here this summer and fashiOnably
dressed, looked as though they had
gowns that had been cut too small for
them at the shoulders.
She went on to explain how impossible
the new skirt would be with its out
standing drapery between the waist and
knees when worn with the narrow cor
sage and the small sleeve. This mistake
is certainly not made in the French
gowns, for the bodices are immense.
They are so wide across the back that
they fall in folds from shoulder to waist,
and stand out over the belt without re-
gard to the figure.
The new sleeves have no armholes, and
as they are cut as part of the bodice,
theys have the appearance OF not touching
the body They fall from the shoulders
in huge folds and are sometimes fitted to
the wrist or held in below the elbow with
large cuff.
One sees nothing narrow or fitted to the
figure except the foot line of the skirt.
Above the knees the drapery entirely
conceals the figure beneath and often
does not give a hint of what it is like
until the bare neck is reached.
The new clothes shown at the openings
this week emphasize all of these details.
One might look back on the gowns that
were worn at the June races in Paris
and sent to America in fabric. or by
sketches. and see them the actual fore
runners of the gowns Of today.
Unless there is some drastic change
before January We may be able to wear
the gowns we possess until next April.
There is no doubt that certain portions
of the styles will change later on. but
probably not until all the Americans
have bought their winter clothes. And
what the Frenchwomen put out in De-
cember will be copied in thin materials
for the spring openings.
Just what the American woman is 60
ing to do with this silhouette Is hard to
tell, for it was never intended for her
kind Of figure unless she keeps on get
ting slender and short The most amaz-
ing number of Americans seem to have
developed this kind of figure since the
fashion began, and 1t begins to look as
though the fashions created the physical
type.
Oyer here there are no large women.
They seem to be quite as healthy as We
are, but they are physically small and
all the fashions are primarily designed
for them. Once II would have been con-
sidered impossible for any American to
have worn them, and yet Europe is
flooded with young Americans who carry
on these French fashions with quite an
air. because they seem to have adopted
the French figure in some way that is
still a mystery to the onlooker.
These young women belong distinctly
to the generation that has not yet come
into its own. l have not seen a single
gown at any opening vet that is de-
signed for the American woman OF forty
years old who has the height, the
breadth and the stateliness OF her gener-
alton. What is she going to do? 1t is