The sun., 1915-10-24
IT STREET CLOTHES A FEATURE OF FASHION SEASON
Something for Every
Woman. but a Walk
Down Fifth Avenue
Indicates She Has Not
Always Picked 1t
n, ELEANOR moYr DRAI>ERD.

IVY rbENNOV uONT URA1NERD.
+ a woman does not look smart in
her street clothes this season L
Is because she is incapable of
looking smart or because she hasn't
the taste to choose the things In which
she looks we'll
The same thing is true. Of course. in
any season. but not always does the
woman have such latitude of choice ~
she has this fall. If everybody hap
pens tn he wearing one particular type
OF street suit, as is often the case, and
little else Is To he found in the Shops.
woman has some excuse for resign
ing herself to an unkind fate and dom
ming the things in which she looks her
worst, but this season there In some
thing for every one.
a walk down Fifth avenue ON "A
sunny afternoon is likely to leave a
pessimist with the impression that
thouga there may he something for
five, II not nine out of ten. have bought
the something that was intended for
some one else. But that doesn't affec,
the truth of the original proposition.
The designers have done their part.
The fault is with the women.
And right here at the risk of being
called unpatriotic We may say that
there Is an extraordinary lot of non
sense talked about the American wom-
ans taste in dress. The well dressed
American woman carries her clothes
as we'll as any woman in the world
not well dressed. Rank heresy. of
course. We are told over and over
again in spreadeagle phrase that we
are the best dressed women In the
world. Even Paris critics are quoted
to the effect that American women
wear their clothes better than any
other women. Well. American women
are good patrons of French houses
ard American women. like all women
dIt loilu VI IldlltIN, Dul tHt
quoted differ vastly from the things
the French critics say when they are
talking chez cuX. not for publication
nor FOR the stimulation of American
buying.
one of these same French critics. n
man who knows his subject and who
had for publication sung paans IL
praise to feminine America a:.d its
clothes. said over an excellent dinner:
"Iour women are worderfulaso many
or them pretty or with AN air. | long
10 dress them all. to pick up models
from among them but how they dress
! have seen wonderfully well dressed
women in your America. but on Fifth
avenue | have seen more caricatures
OF fashion than | have ever seen on
one street In. my life. They clutch at
anything bizarre. They overdress
The me no sense of the individual.
We IupT'y the extremes. 1t is our
business. but they are for the few.
American women seize upon them dis
tort them. You should do something
vous autres."
There you have ii.
We should do something what
SUbNS, III WD4tH the most
extreme and costly of clothes are ex-
kibited to the eyes Of Covetous women.
most OF whom would look like freaks
H. the things even If they could have
them are not likely to do much for the
general education and uplift. They are
interesting, these fashion shows. They
are apparently profitable. They supply
some women and many dressmakers
a1d manufacturers with valuable IDEAS
and inspirations. so they are perhaps
things To he cucouraged but AZ to
their influence upon the dress ideas of
most of the women who attend them
well. the remark OF one sensible look
ing, we'll dressed woman who was leav-
ing the latest Of tn" great clothes en-
hibits was Illuminating:
Il couldn't afford such clothes If I