Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-07-01
Exaggerated, Youthful Styles
Will Give Way to These,
Says Americas Most Serious
Designer - The Time Has
Come for Fluffy Ruffles
to Go Into Eclipse-Skirts
Will Grow Longer When
Autumn Comes-Chinese Eff
fects Gain in Importance
Thru Advocacy Of Great
French Designers.

Lucille firmly believes that the time
has come in American faShlons LOT
women to wear long, flowing lines Oh
dignity and abandon the half bodices,
lack of sleeves and short, transparent
skirts which have ruled us for three
years.
She is definitely committed to this
idea and is designing all her autumn
clothes in Paris and London to meet
the purpose.
The reason that her statement has
such force is that no one denies that
she reyolutioniZed ballroom dressing
as the Vernon Castles revolutionized
its dancing and Irving Berlin revo-
lutionized its music.
The Castle Berlin Lucille combina-
ton has been, in Europe. the SYMBOL
of America. But with Vernon Castle
in the aviation corps, with Mrs. Castle
not dancing in public, and with Lucile
stating her far-reaching purpose TO
oust frivolity and bring in seriousness
In clothes Irving Berlin, with his rag
time music, is the only one leIt Oh inc
symbolic three.
If the women of America follow the
dignified gowns of Lucille as they fol-
lowed her hoops skirts, girdle bodices,
bObbed hair and tango slippers, we
will see continent OF women VINO
look as serious as the times.
The few models that have been ad-
yanced as forerunners of what is to
come this autumn have about them
dignity and seriousness that the men
of the community will applaud and
endorse.
There is no display of legs. no un-
due showing of the ankles and shoul-
der; the bodices are subdued in the
decolletage: the long, winglike, me-
dieval draperies cover the arms and
fall to the knees the clinging skirts
start at slightly high waistline and
fall against the figure and cover the
feet in the manner of the eighteenth
century.
1t is not a gown for the type Of
youth that we call flapper. or. as one
Of the dashing young editors OF the day
has termed 1t, poulet la Ziegfeld.
The Graceful Long Skirt.
There is nothing startling new In
the gowns which will be worn during
the late summer and autumn. II the
prophecies of the experts come true.
They have been shown in America
ever since January. and in certain
blaze of oriental splendor they have
been worn by smart women at cere-
monial functions
1t is not however. the gorgeous
ness of the byzantine era. that is to be
repeated in the newest style of dress
Ing for the second half of the year
1917.
Soft satins, brocades that have no
body. georgettes that look like net.
chiffon that resembles tulle. and the
crepes of China that cling to the fig
ure, are the fabrics that will go
toward the making of the dignified
gown for the serious epoch.
There are inky black gowns to be
worn, which are made of georgette
that has no sheen. These gowns re-
semble the costume worn by Ethel
Barrymore in the tableau where she
represents Belgium, tableau which
brings a sob to every throat and tears
even to the eyes of the actress.
There are gowns OF silver gray
charmeuse that swirl and cling to the
figure from shoulder to floor. The
folds Of the skirt are softly pushed
aside by the slippered foot, as the
wearer moves.
About all of these gowns which are
to come and which are beginning to
make their appearance among women
who dress well, there are no ostenta-
tious ornaments, no sensuous girdling
Of the hips in the oriental manner, no
faint reflection of the bazaars of
Delhi.
The colors do not clash like symbols
OF victory. There is nothing triumph
ant about their procession.
These are the clothes of women
whose hours are given to war charities
and war relief, whose leisure time Is
given to reading literature that keeps
them abreast Of the tremendous move
ments on this planet, and whose thots
are turned not to Raging the scale,
but to the lines of khaki on the west
ern front.
Mind you, they are not poverty
stricken clothes The American peo-
pie are in arms against unnecessary
saving and economy that means ruin
to others. But they are revolt from
what we have been wearing.
And mind you, also. they are not
ugly clothes. They do not conceal
the figure in bulky masses or i'll
drawn lines. They cover the figure,
but they give due emphasis to its
graceful proportions. They cover the
ankles and feet. but they add length
and dignity to the line from shoulder
to heel.
These clothes have been launched at
the right moment. and 1t Is very pos
sible that the mad desire for frivolous
costumery will disappear as the au-
tumn comes In.
stu the Chinese Touch.
Over from Paris, where those who
represent us are watching every twist
and turn in fashions, comes the state
ment that the Chinese touch grows In
strength and Importance. 1t is no
longer advocated by the few, but by
the many dressmakers.
There is no wholesale repetition Of
Chinese costumery in these modern
French gowns, The single garment
that is taken in its original form is the
Mandarin coat. 1t is used as an eve-
ming wrap. In America, or in that
eastern part Of 1t, where many smart
social affairs have been occurring in
June, there has been superabun-
dance of Chinese coats worn after
candlelight.
One extremely good looking New