Evening star., 1914-07-26


of STYLES for summer use after
the Americans have spent mil
lions in buying summer clothes
there But on sober thought there is pos
sibly no reason for finding fault
To begin at the beginning. the great
French designers insist that there are
now four seasons instead of two. as the
Americans count They design new
gowns for the trade in August and Feb
rlIary for the rest of the world. and this
is done in entirely gnor faith. They
give their hest at these Semi-annual ar
rangements. and they are not certain
of any change from these before the time
comes to use them.
They claim that the smart women are
responsible for the invariable change that
takes place in June. They not only de-
mand something new, hut they help ere
ate 1t. They ask for new materials. or
a new combination of fabrics that exist.
and they contrive to put different en-
phass on the lines that We're brought
out in February.
The great artists of Paris freely ad-
nit that the semi-annUal shoWi1gs 10 the
Americans are experimental They are
not sure that the French woman will
like them when they are shown to her
for the spring season. which is the
season over there. and they welcome her
advice and Judgment and freely act on it
They tell tales of how the women of
fashion come into the atelierS and try
a dozen or more different comhna tions
and lines until they get one that is eX-
actly suited to their figures. their purses
or their caprices. They have no hesitancy
in taking two or three DAYS to the work.
for the purchase of a costume is a seri-
out expenditure to woman who regards
gcIi INN MT Chn
deuSes assist AT the work. They appre-
ciate and delight in a task such as this.
for they know that the gown will do the
house credit-at least. it Will give it an
immense amount of advertising.
Discarding this. accepting that getting
advice here and there. all artists work.
Ing together. the result is an entirely
new type of costume from anything that
was sold to the Americans in February.
And. to go further into the history. that
gown is worn to social affair such as
the races. when the Danish Sovereigns
We're in Paris. or the opening night of
the Ballet Russo. or any of the perform
ances of Strauss Legend of Joseph, =
of ''Scherhera Zade," or the Russell opera
when Melba sang.
Where Fashions Are Made.
All the world of fashion goes to such
places in Paris to see clothes as well as
to see the stage and hear the singers
and at once at such places a new fash
ion is created
The French designers. therefore. have
not broken faith with the Americans
They never pretend that the styles which
were originated in February have a
chance of lasting through the Paris sea-
son. much less the brilliant summer sea-
son of Deauville. Carlsbad, Homburg
Vichy and st. Moritz
Possibly the American women are quite
Nf
spring into August; but not so with the
French woman and her close followers
In England and Russia About month
ago they were tired of the pleated tunic
and the Short-waisted tight basque with
the broad sash exactly at the waist line.
So they discarded it in a measure and
turned around to look for something else
Usually they invent this something else
themselves and the world follows their
lead instead of following the fashions of
last February. A reign of individual
styles begins over there. which is not
possible over here, where even the dress
makers do not create, much less the
women themselves
Nothing so delights Frenchwoman as
to create a style. She has the same feel
ing that an American has when she is
the first of her set to receive a Paris
gown and put il on before the department
shops get it. which. parenthetically
speaking, is a rare experience except out
of the season.
1t is this struggling to get away from
the commonplace and the well known
that the third and fourth seasons in
fashion are originated They happen al
ways in June and December, and every
French designer aids and assists them
She will not show these clothes to any
until the wearer has worn them. and
usually they are named after her when
she is sufficiently important in one of the
three worlds that rule Paris. as far as
women are concerned.
If the American wants these clothes.