Evening star., 1916-11-12

at a most sensible stage of apparel.
We attempt to keep moderately cool
in the house by insisting upon thin
clothing, we have at last abandoned
flannel underwear and We cover our
selves with thick things when we step
outside. Even the foolish fashion Tor
floating and transparent evening wraps
has disappeared, and we follow the
French fashion of wrapping ourselves
to the eyebrows over decollete gowns
You know for yourself that there is
no Sartorial misery worse than pelhS
compelled to keep to the same SUIT or
costume in all weathers. The ther-
mometer is the arbiter of a choice
of gowns. Gone are the days when a
woman did not contemplate even the
idea of changing the weight OF ralment
according to the readings of a little
glass tube.
She put on certain raiment or
bunch of it, when the calendar an
nounced the arrival of winter ana She
took it off when the same scrap, OF
paper announced that summer had
come.
Now the doctors and modern educa-
ton have thrown this tradition on the
dust heap along with thosuand oth-
ers that are found to be outworn. our
climate between the oceans is as diff
ferent as our accent and our habits OF
mind, and if it refuses to be stable,
why should We?
Again we err but it is in the oppo-
site direction from our former erring:
we are apt to keep in clothes that are
too cool rather than hold to those that
too warm.
::
But the fashion of the hour is to
relieve this temptation from straining
our common sense. We are provided
with daytime frccks that are suitable
for the hottest summer day. then VIC
given luxurious topcoats to slip
over. The struggle for the Standard
Ia ton of the topcoat has been going
on underground. as it We're. for several
years, but it appears to have more sue
cess this season than ever before. The
reason is commercial, not artistic or
hygienic. Paris and New York were
short of tailors, one on account of the
war, another on account of a prolonged
strike. and the two nations, therefore,
took up the fashion of a one-piece
frock that did not require the services
of skilled workers in heavy cloth and
perfection of seams
Most people think that the change is
due to the continued devotion to after
noon dancing, but while that may have
had something to do with it, the main
reason is lack of workers.
Strikes and rumors of strikes have
not only increased in frequency, but in
volume and those who now believe
that the sympathetic strikes may cause |
a succession of idle months at any mo-
ment have reasoned that the only way
to be unhampered and driven, proba- |
the clothes that can be made at home |
fashions that are above such troubles
as far possible.
The last season has taught those who -;
sell apparel a grave lesson and uttered
a graver warning, and it may he that
the clother that can be made at home
or at the shops will take the place of
that vast bulk of garments heretofore |
turned out al the factories, made only |
by a certain type of workers. 1t seems |
to be the present solution of the clothes |
question.
The woman who goes a-hunting win |
ter clothes this week. cannot fail to be /,
surprised, even though she thinks her |
self prepared for it, at the amazing |
assortment of indoor gowns offered !
1t is not possible to carry through |
the cold weather with any of the new
clothes unless one adds topcoat to |
the wardrobe, and a smartly turned out |
one al that. SO. unless one is willing
and able to buy a new coat-for it is |
improbable that an old one will do
the American uniform "a coat suit |
with a separate blouse.
=
What appeals TO the economy and |
satisfies the pride of being well dressed |
in Il thin one-piece frock of satin or
cloth is the fact that it serves for
every occasion when one must enter
into some form of gayety during the |
!. tl,n