Evening star., 1914-12-13


to those who depend upon
the selling of women's ap
parel for their bread and
butter-and cake one adds in
remembering the luxury commanded by
the dressmakers. But to the average
woman the month is one of peace in
clothes. for she is not torn by dissen-
sions and new ideas and conflicting
fashions.
She has well made up her mind just
what she likes in the realm of cos
tumery, which, since September. has
unrolled before her vision like NOV
ing picture show. She has seen every
style tried out to greater measure
than before, because the dressmakers
brought home from Paris in September
d tumble of styles. whatever their
fancy chose from the wartime openings,
and throwing them upon the public,
found no recognized leadership
Those who dispute and argue for and
against the american designs aues-
tion leave out of it the most important.
because the controlling factor, which
is that the fashions are not made by
the designers They are made by the
signer may be as great as Paul Poiret.
or Ca!Iot or Cheruit, to choose those
of opposing schools. and yet. without
the guidance OF woman OF po"e''
these designs fall fiat
Paris recognizes this controlling fac
tor in the launching of a style. but
America has always had tendency
to put the power in the hands OF the
man or woman who desired the frocks.
Naturally, much credit goes to that
source. The inspiration lies there But
the final success does not lie there II
rests absolutely with the woman or
women who exploit 1t before d curious
and admirinS public.
The actress who wears Callot
frock in new play is responsible for
The fashion for that frock i'll Europe
as well as in America later on. though
America may be unaware of II. II is
the celebrated woman of pleasure who
starts the vogue for the hat that Su-
zanne Talbot created. 1t is the leader
o. smart Paris society who begins the
popularity of the evening wrap ere
ated by Cheruit and copied in dozen
wholesale houses in lower New York.
Eve IaVallicre gave the cachet to the
slim boyishness of Poiret's brain-chiI-
dreu and Isadora Duncan is suited to
the large figure of many modern
women.
No designer. no matter how great he
or she is, is great enough to be indie
ptlOenl OF one or more women VINO
are in the public eye. This fact is tcs-
titled to by the Importance attached
TO the appearances at events attended
by society. or of the various mani
kins who wear the design created by
some celebrated house But it is well
Known that any house, possibly eX
cepting that of Worth. will strive to
the utmost to present their clothes on
a celebrated parsonage rather than sell
them to any one who wants to buy.
They realize that in this manner. and
in only this manner. IS a fashion made
II is the fashionable women in smart
European society VINO. getting their
IDEAS from Paris and co-ordina ting
there with the designers. and choosing
a line from one frock. a silhouette from
another. sleeve here and a sash
there. arrive at an individual concep-
ton of a gown that Immediately be-
comes the fashion
1t is this ensemble that the American
dressmakers take up later in the sea-
son after they have spread broadcast
the first and untried designs brought
over from the August and February
openings.
All the various styles shown at the
Paris houses are shown in America be
cause our buyers are not sure in their
own minds just what the American
woman Will like. but are quite sure
that 1t is question Of SO many women,
so many minds. so they want to be
ready to supply vast variety of peo-
pie with the kind of thing thev NAV
fancy.
If in this country there was any
real hardship. such there is in
Europe, no matter through what svs-
tenn then the autumn and spring
would see shifting down of these
styles INTO one or more that ruled the
rest This is done later in the sea
son. but il is done through the me
dium of the buyers who have kept
in touch with Paris, and therefore
nave found out what the leaders over
there have chosen to exploit.
We have no concourse of people here
TO meet the forecast or settle the
styles such are called out bv the
races in France, the Sporting Club at
Monte Carlo. the tennis at Cannes. the
Casino at DeauviIle We have gavety
a-plenty and all the fashiona BILE rccrea-
tion that is good for d yirile healthy
people but We do not consider that
fashions are launched in q serious
manner there unless woman wears
something that is the newest thing in
Paris.
and even if she does this. there arc
not the designers. the drcsSIna kers the
s'rusts, the Photographers to take
Hotlce. 10 exploit, to copy. New gowns
are noticed only by people in society.
VINO may not even go to the trouble of
borrowing a single line of furbeIow.
ana where interest may end only in
comment "
There is no leadership attempted
NO one woman has worked over Il new
gown with her dressmaker and heIned
create a hat with her modiste and
who then appears in the costume con-
scious of the fact that she will be
copied in every dressmaking house in
the city the next day. and set a dozen
designers to work initiating it,
The will is not lacking for as long
as women's interest in clothes con-