Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-30

ARTS is now in the thick of the
VO semi-annual battle of clothes.
She is preparing to exhibit the
q spring fashions to the American
BUYERS. This sartorial diversion. which
occupies the time and empires the
purses of the American merchants. has
an added FLIP of interest and excite
ment this season because of the now
famous controversy between the
French dressmakers and the American
shops.
The next month promises to be one
of high-pitched excitement. CONNER
cial adventures, and it will probably be
productive of a good deal of i'll feeling.
This is the prophetic summary OF the
situation at the time of writing. When
this is printed the whole situation may
have smoothed out. like the sea after
storm when the wind has died out so
much pressure has been brought 10
bear on each side to promote harmony,
TO avoid the friction that may result
from a meager financial output, that
pleasant relations are almost bound to
be established.
Paul Poiret, who is the president OF
the syndicate and the instigator of It's
rules, feels very sure that he is right IN
trying to keep undesirable buyers out
of the French houses. The american
merchants. on the other hand. reel that
Paris is an open market, and that there
must be no restrictions to their
purchases.
The main trouble is that the air has
not been cleared by explanation Eacn
Exhibited it's own bitterness. The defec-
ton Of the house of Callot from the
syndicate and the loophole of tecnnl-
cality through which Jeanne LanVln
escaped. by which she was able 70 Keep
open house in her millinery depart
ment, has given the American buyers
much happiness. This has been added
to by the reversal of the decision OF the
syndicate against two well KNOWN
supply houses in New York.
one of the amusing sdelights in this
fight is that the wishes of the Ameri-
can merchants have come home TO
roost and they rebel with violent feel
ing. The exclusive shops have always
resented the fact that the French
dressmakers sold their gowns to every
class of buyer from America. making 1t
impossible for them to offer exclusive
gowns at high prices to their fashion
these models by French houses to
American supply houses gave every
small shop in the country a chance to
offer a reproduction at minimum
price.
As soon, however. as the French
houses began to make arbitrary rules
regarding who should buy and who
should not, there was a high explosion
on this side Of the ocean. The Ameri-
cans felt that the decision as to the de-
STABILITY of customers had been hand
ed ever into the hands of one man. that
man. the president. and that he might
be allowed to rule as his prejudices
dictated.
We who have been in the midst OF the
fight feel that it has been a Japanese
circle. The exclusive American shops
!, do not want the non-exclusive ones 10
be permitted to buy French models.
and yet, when the French begin to
nation resents 1t.
The French, on the other hand, want
to make the largest amount OF money
they can. and are faced with the fact
that II they exclude the large supply
houses they will lose millions of francs
a year. So you go round and round to
the starting point.
The cry that the Americans are put
here will be deprived of it's chance to
wear French styles if the entire bust
ness of buying them is to be restricted
to a small group of high-priced houses
in the large cities.
This question is brought up as a
serious one. We have always taken
the attitude nationally that all our
women, in whatever class of finance or
society they were placed, had equal
access to the newest French styles,
made possible through the supply
houses that spread through the country
with wireless rapidity and at small
prices.
This is an established privilege which
our women claim as a right. AS a ma
tion, We demand our choice of the best
of everything. That comes through
youth, power and prosperity. Few
care to wear French models. but they
want to have the chance to modify
these models to suit their opportunities
There is no woman SO ignorant OF
dress. no matter how limited her
means. but she knows that Paris sets
the law. She may have but few dol
lars a month to spend on clothes. but
she insists upon knowing when mar
row skirts change to full skirts, when
round waists change to pointed ones
and when short jackets give place tc
long coats
Paris decides these things The large
supply houses give our women a
chance to choose and decide from these
styles, and she has no idea of allowing
these privileges to slip. This is hel
American houses appeal when they in
sist that the French models shall MOI
be exclusive to few houses.
Such an appeal is good business, but
there is no prospect that a large and
widespread public will lose its chance