Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-18

i
% the leading dressmakers in
New York, ito emphasize in
q any special way the clothes
for young girls. because there are no
clothes for the middle-aged or the old.
She was right in her statement. al
though it had a sweeping quality that
all brief statements must have to be
effective Generally speaking. the
young girl of sixteen is the one for
whom the fashions of all femininity
are created. from the cradle TO the
grave.
In James Forbes new play. sweet
Genevieve.'' the star. Marie Dressler'
. says In that poignantly humorous way
which only this actress can use: All
the world loves a broiler.'
Miss Dressler is. as her admirers
know. far from slim. and as she sits
dejectedly on the steps of f1esh-re-
ducing sanatorium which she runs.
after soliloquizing on her chance OF
romance with any man at her age and
with her figure. and makes this pun
gent remark her audience shouts its
approval of this biting truth.
Mr. Forbes is right. All the world
does love a broiler. And this is es-
pecially true of the designers OF
clothes No matter what age a woman
may be, IT is compulsory in some de-
gree that she adopt the fashions That
are intended for the dashing, attract
i've. buoyant. self-confident type OF
American youthfulness that does not
mind in the least being called
"broiler" instead of sweet sixteen. as
she was in decades past.
At sixteen and at twenty-five life
does not demand a struggle for dig
nifty All that the world asks of a
woman during this period of her life
is a spontaneous outburst of joyous
activity.
But there are women of other ages
three classes-those who look young.
those who try to look young and those
who are content to look old. The ma
jority feel like beating their fists
against the doors of the temple of
dressmaking and demanding that some
kind of raiment be devised for them.
The dressmakers. however. are subtle
in their way of handling the situation.
They merely cajole and fatter and
persuade woman to believe that she
have.
What woman is made of such stern
stun that she can persistently turn
deaf ear to such persuasiveness?
to look young. although her superior
rival in that field Is a man. and men.
In the clothes line. as in most other
lines of life. have the advantage over
women. They can wear at fifty, with
out comment or criticism. the same
clothes that their sons Of twenty wear.
Man has ordained for men that their
clothes shall not divert them from the
main business Of life: and they are
only the slight attention of a visit to
the tailor and visit to the haber-
dasher twice a year.
Any suggestion for the standardfza-
tion of women's clothes Is met with
scorn and contempt, although they.
too. have become race of workers
who pick up pleasure on the side. And
yet. in this world of work. the real
workers are as entranced over chang
ing raiment as the idler who has moth
ing else to think Of 1t is their chief
and most pleasurable rec
reatfons after the nine hours spent in
earning their salary.
Looking into the near future, there
Is no hope for the revival Of clothes
for the middle-aged Two or three Of
the authoritative designers in Paris
have already given out a statement to
the effect that straight. slim skirts for
the street. and straight. empire gowns
Tor the afternoon and evening will be
In August
Well. Josephine. Nine. de Stael and
Nine. Recamier were not young when
they wore the high-waisted satin
frocks and the wrapped turbans with
which we have grown familiar through
their portraits.
II Is said that the Empress Josephine
designed the empire gown in order
that she might look young in Ma
poieons eyes. and this may make the
Idea of the empire gown more ailuring
TO those who have counted forty years.
There Is no doubt that such a gown
can be worn with entire dignity by
all classes of women. but the truth
stares one In the face that. carelessly