Evening star., 1915-02-02
THE. LONG COAT FROM FRANCE.

one one sats we are in for a season
of long coats-then the designers turn
out half dozen short coats that
women Immediately take up; one says
high: collars fraver at last superseded the
neglige turnover ones that have pre-
vailed for six years--then comes a coat
suit from Paris with a wide turnover
lace collar that exposes half the. neck,
So what is one. to.do? Refrain from
prophecy, from assertions from sum
maries, and laboriously report the
fashion of the moment, not the hour;
the caprice of the day, NOT the season
To be thoroughly inconsistent is.the
only way to be consistent when fashion
is the subject matter.
Decry Formula Idea.
The French designers laugh at the
way in which ALI Americans strive to
reduce the fashions OF. each half season
to formula They decry the idea.
They say nothing is the" fashion. No
designer tries to be consistent. or to re-
produce one silhouette, or one series of
details. They assert that 1t is the height
of provincialism to try to dress alike;
to ask, what is the fashion, and then
order it.
The distressing fact is that they are
right from an art standpoint, and they
are right from Il trade standpoint, but
the process does harass the reporter
and the women who would like TO order
clothes as they do groceries.
over from Paris has come suit OF
blue. ga bardine' for a fashionable wom-
an who goes south, then to her Long
Island country life. 1t has narrow
skirt. and "a long coat, two fashions
which were supposed to have evap-
GRATED.
The material is also a well recog-
nized standby, for gabardine is really
another name for serge, as vigogne is,
the difference being in the thickness
of the weave. to the amateur eye.
The coat is frankly intended for coun-
try or resort life; it is not modelled on
the lines that are adopted in the city;
but in the spring. when even life In
New York becomes less formal and
fashionable women seem. always TO be
these sport suits are in very good
taste.
Look at the sketch and see just how
many fashions of the moment are
broken in it. s;and yet the effect is very
good The skirt does. not catch in at
the feet as did the hobbled skirts of
five years standing, but it is much
narrower than those we have worn
all winter.
Pockets in Keeping.
The coat has long revers instead of
the higk buttoned fronts that have
prevai1e6 si,tte last spfine. The pock-
cts are in keeping with the newest
fashion, for the uniforms OF the SOL
diers abroad have inspired all kinds OF
pockets, even, on evening gowns. TO
say nothing Of coats. blouses and one
piece frocks.
These pockets are deep and useful.
They do not add to the bulkiness OF
full peplum. And you notice, sup
pose, that the fullness is as much in
front as in the back. An odd arrange
ment in connection with the belt is the
broad tab that extends from the pocket
to cover the waist line.
The designers say they are giving In
to the women when they do not insist
upon the full skirt. If women insist
upon the abbreviated skirt, short and
narrow, they must have it, that Is all.
This reason may or may not be behind
the fact that two important designers,
Lucille and Jenny, the new star in
Paris, have never yielded to the fash
ion for full skirts; the interesting fact
is that, barring the extreme hobble. a
woman can go hack to. a. narrow skirt
.;f Sbe 1ikes. II -. ~ -. - -,
Copyright, 1872