Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-08
New Silhouette i'm Paris
With Curve i'm Front
While American Women Are Not Ready to Take
1t Up Now, They Are Accepting the Skirt With
the Gathered Drapery Drawn Up to the
Waist Line in Front, Giving the
Effect of Backward Tilt

full in front. the dressmakers make II
appear so by putting the drapery over
the abdomen and across the front of the
waist III such manner that ii is not
possible to be slender there. There was
fight i'm Paris las: spring between those
who wished the drapery lifted at the back
and those who wished it lifted and gath
cred in front. and the result was a COM
promise which We see today on many
gowns: both lines are used. with the ac-
cent given to the punched drapery in
front.
The skillful dresSmakers are using wide
feather bones at the front waist line of
house frocks and evening gowns in or
der 10 keep the material in a straight line
from below the normal waist to within an
inch of the bust. This gives the square
effect which Is considered fashionable,
and the few women who have not the
flesh to fill it in find that the whalebone
does the work of Strengthening the line.
\
The young and the slim may not care
for this line. although. quantity enough,
a large number Of them are using it with
enthusiasm because it is novelty. but
to the older and stout woman it proves
boon and a blessing. Any woman who
has not been able to bring down the di-
mansions of her figure and has acquired
"a
her worst in a skirt that had waist
line. and especially 50 in suit where
there was a separate waist to skirt.
Any combination of garments like these
gave TO her waist an ungainly thickness
which could hardly be classed under the
name of fashion: it also gave her short
ened underarm effect. and it took a skill
full dreSsmaker to cut off the top of the
skirt in such way that the right pro-
portions were given to the figure and
tNff fnr t,JN hi 49,
mains with us whenever the summer
brings about cloth suits with white shirt
waists. for extension skirts are the only
Fashionable ones to wear and in connec-
ton with the white shirt waist they
thicSen and shorten the lines of the fig
ure.
In France they are attempting an ex-
traordinary high WASTED skirt. which is
cut lower in the back than front, and
gives to the thin blouse which Is worn
above 1t the appearance of an empire
bodice. There is one very good lesson to
be learned from this skirt If one does not
wish to accept it in detail. which is that
an irregular line above the waist is inf
nitely more becoming than a regular one.
X u
When women had small waists and out
lined them with tight belt, the straight
line was all very well. but as soon az the
waist line was lifted and outlined a thick
part of the figure over the ribs and the
! muscular part OF the back. then a
! straight line was ugly. Few women rec
ognized this fact, and they were not
aided BY their dressmakers or their
| tailors who did not seem to catch the idea
that it could be obviated by any pleasing
irregularity.
The first method was to lower the line
in front and heighten it in the back, but
,, this did not serve well. Then the bib
shaped front came in. along with all the
other frontal uplifts. and women were
not disposed to accept it. except in some
kind Of elaborate house or evening gown.
Then came the pointed 'front.' which was
much better. as it was cut away under
the bust, and gave an exceedingly grace
full line.
a high-waisted cloth skirt for a suit, and
II is to go about q heavy figure. that one
must he excessively careful about that
straight line under the bust.
The wearing Of the wfde-open collars
is not novelty, and 1t does not impress
one so seriously as the new Silhouette
because the road to the fashion has been
gradually assembled. The Robespierre col
lar was an artistic device to put the bare
looking Dutch neck out of commission.
with its difficult square line below the
base Of the neck.
This was the first attempt to hide the
back of the neck, for all other collars
which were low in front had exposed that
very attractive line from the base of
head to the middle OF shoulder blades
but it was line better exposed in the
house than on the street.
The Dutch neck. which had elbow
sleeves in combination with it. was the
preferred fashion for the ma jority of
American women on the street in hot
weather and it fell into bad repute be-
cause it was overdone and gave a dis
orderly air to the costume
The Robespierre collar was a decided
improvement. for it gave a better line
10 the back Of the figure and produced
a white collar that could be turned over
the coat collar. and keep that rigid line
OF dark cloth away from the skin.
II was the forerunner of the new kind