The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-08

= hem Paris round about and al
low not so much as one s.lken
ilounce to pass their lines.
american women need not 40 frumpy
LAST weeks American fashion show at
,h" RITZ proved that fact. IL it needed
proving
Not that tho monarChs of the Rue
do ia rniN have been dethroncd. No
crusade has yet made a dent n, ,'ari-
an fashion supremacy. 50 far as the
or gioatiou of modes is concorncd; hut
THIS lust exhibit Of American dressmak.
,rs work demonstrates very Conclu-
-Nclv that 40 such a time ~ this. when
Paris as y fashion source has practically
run dry, there are American designers
tul drcssmakcrs qualified to meet tho
emergency and turn out frocks credit
bio IN every respect.
Many Of the frocks exhibited at the
show we're very successful. Many were
unsuccessful Practically all were but
oicvcr adaptations Of the ideas which
Paris. even in the grip of war. found
lime and Ncrye 10 evolve and send out
as the basis for this winters modes.
And there you have It. We have. be-
yond doubt plenty OF dressmakcrs able
n adapt French IDEAS 10 American
taste, able even IN some cases to Inn
provo upun the original French express
-.on Of those ideas. hut. 10y force OF ira
diton. experience. atmosphere. IL not az
.,A.
speak the decisive words on the FASH
enable Silhouette colors and materials
Our lesser dressmaKers. even som. OF
n" greater. are prone to fussiness when
put upon their mcttle In their efforts
10 achieve originality they are too
likely to sacrifice simplicity. Because a
hing Is queer or has not been done be-
fore II u no, Of necessity admirable o.
chic. because handsome materials are
crowded into frock, the frock Is not
necessarily elegant.
Many American dressmakers have
hose truths still to learn. but one might
say the same of the average French
dressmaker Not every Celeste or The
rese who goes in for dressmaking in
Paris evolves mast arpieces: and the
american woman who listens to some
dressmaker-"Over on the rive eauche.
ny dear. \ wonderful find: so cheap
Md such taste, "-usually repents thar
she did not either patronize one Of tho
'amous houses or wait to hav. her
lothes made at home. Paris has a
handful of dress artists Wei. New
York has some dress artist, Of it~ own.
nd they are stepping into tho breach
oly and valiantly IA this Tim OF fash
m turmoil.
And though Paris N the very face Of
he enemy wig waggad orders a. To- new
slhouettes. color~ INA materials. no
season has ever allo~ed more latitude
20 individual taste in. these matters than
ioes this season. This happy state OF
MARS has given American designers
more play than usual for their own
IDEAS within the very elastic lines pre-
sribed.
woman may, generally speaking.
hooSc her own shape for the winter.
she may b" quite Straight up and down.
she may pinch herself in at the waist
md let her skirt flare wildly at the
bottom. She may be straight as a boil
sier down as far as the hips and there
oegin flare that, aspiring enthusiastic
'alv, loes heart at a tuniC hem and col
dpses into narrow undcrsirt.
She may curve in ever so gently at
.He waist and cling down the front. but
sweep out regaily at the skirt sides and
. the back. she may wea- short
oat or a medium length coat or long
oat She may he Moyeu Age or Rus
An or DirectOirc or 1879 ONLY one
hing Is taboo. She positively must not
wear her last years Erocks. 10 that
'Ud short tunics, punched hip dr. peric.
ma plain, very tight skirts are pu,
ndor the ban. for the French dress
maker is d business man as well as an
artist. and even in his indulgent mo-
ments does not entirely forget himself
And yet, probably by accident rather
han design, Paris has this season given
Womankind such opportunity for blithe
and successful making over of old
rocks as has not been enjoyed in many
"rar
F'aring doomed IA light sNir, hy de-
re- ing Skin, fuIness. insisted upon Ions
sleeves instead Of short ones and set in
sleeves in place of kimonos; the de-
>.gncr relaxed his vigilance and smiled
kindly upon sleeveless overbodces tu-
1ics and underskirts and combinations
OF material and color. For 50 much