The Washington herald., 1914-09-15
By GRACE VAN BRAAM GRAY.

While the great ocean liners, 50 ae-
curately and aIliteratively described as
huge humming hives Of humanity" are
still carrying thousands Of tourists en-
route TO food Europe with American
money; and while Brtishers on their
summer holiday strive with those Of
other nations to secure that particular
seat at the corner Of the Cafe De Ia
Paix made historic in many best sell
lers," that mysterious inner Paris reigned
over BY dame fashion turns her back
upon summer and proclains the COM
ing Of the autumn season,
No matter how hot the sun which
beats upon the BOis ana the long as
Il phalt streets; no matter how many sum-
II mer girls are splashing in the surf wet
ting their gay satin bathing suits; no
matter how. much the ubiquitous tourist
L proclaims that II never was so warA
as this on the coast OF Maine, the little
world of fashion smiles and turns ITS
thoughts 70 furs and satins and the
tailored suits which women wear when
the first frost silvsrs the fields. =
How closely the secrets of these new
styles born mid the heat Of summer are
kept. only those who have striven to
secure them may know, for Paris does
not like TO issue rumors, she likes her
style TO spring full grown into the world
like Minerva tif I remember my myth
ology correctly. iE -s.
Sweeping Changes. ~
Sometimes with subtle cunning dame
fashion and the artists that she rules
vary prevailing styles so slightly that
Il is no more than an extra plait or two,
changing line over the hips, that marks
the transit Of the summer styles into
those Of the autumn, but this year there
is a sweeping change that eliminates al
most all the salient features of the sum-
mer with the exception of the long tunic
overskirt. This skirt deserves to re-
main since II has proved universally
/ becoming. Made fairly short it reduces
! the height OF the awkwardly tall woman;
made long and straight it adds height
10 the short woman; il lends slender
ness to the fat and fatness to the thin.
and in consequence We shall see 1t con-
siderably during the early autumn.
though in Paris il Is strongly limited that
It's gradually increasing length means
that before long the narrow underskirt
will disappear and We shall once moro
be wearing long, straight-plaited or
gathered skirts.
Ther9 is a strong tendency in all the
new costumes for autumn to be wider
at the foot. the inserting of fan-like
plaitS or splits in the skirt about the
ankle half hidden by the long Overskirt
being q feature of some ef the smart
models for the early autumn.
An this, of course. means that much
more material will be required, for the
costumes especially since capes are
70 a great extent TO replace coats. but
Paris continues to demand the use of the
most beautiful and expensive of fabrics
and the whCie tendency of the moment is
for extravagantly lovely clothes but OF
somber shades Futurist and cubist have
had their day and plain blacks, SHIN
mering bronze and dark blues are the
most IN favor for the autumn gowns,
while metallic embroideries and jet are
much in evidence for trimming.
IL. RuHled Skirts,
The Introduction of any color in these
novel costumes now comes either in the
rufies OF the skirt or the quaint vestee
under the cape and by ruffies 1 mean
real rufnes, for the front panel of one
Of the newest skirts noted in Paris was
made of hve, hounces, the skirt being
quite plain IN the back while the long
basque blouse had buttons to match
the color introduced as q border to the
rufieS
That such costumes are startling must
be admitted, that they will be in fashion
must also be admitted since already the
mannequins, those walking advance
fashion notes" have been seen in them.
The basque is in fact declared to be
most in vogue this autumn. Nothing
could offer a wider contrast to the loose
blouse and kimono sleeve Of the past
season than does this bodice, and per-
haps the interest in it at present is due
70 a. great extent to this contrast, but |
most OF the famous designers of Paris
show one or more models with the
basque.
II Is not quite so tight-fitting as its |
predecessor of many years ago, and in |
fact has almost a straight line to a /,
little below the waist. but it's sleeves |
are long and tight-fitting and it but |
tons severely down the front. Some
OF these basques are seen in colored
satin with black satin buttons and are