The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-16
PARIS FASHIONS
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION BUREAU
BY Frederic }. Haskin. Director,
Washington. ID. G.

"A
war has proved nothing but con-
slant source of annoyance, and that
is the readymade clothing trade. Dur
ing the past year of war prosperity
people have bought numerous ana
elaborate clothes, it is true, but sev-
eral manufacturers have had nervous
breakdowns in trying to supply them-
The first difficulty to crop up after
the war was The scarcity OF d+es-
Manufac turers suddenly had to create
demands for entirely new colors IN
fashions-colors that could be made
in America. These were principa lily
weird shades of brown and green that
did not haves the appeal that was ex-
pected; dark blue and black We're
practically impossible for the new
American dyers. At this time, how
ever the discouraging dye feature
of the situation was somewhat aTnei-
iorated by anew hope that was born
in the manufa curing trade.
France was in chaos, plunged into
a war for which the country was I'M
prepared. War was the sole interest
of Paris AT last, the opportunity Lad
come for Americans to design their
own fashions.
Now the American clothing trade is
older and wiser. 1t has discovered
that while the German dye technique
may be duplicated in this country by
American chemists, the center OF
fashions will always be Paris. There
are some American designers, OF
course, who have created really beau
tiful models, but the consensus or
opinion among the manufacturers
seems to be that when you want
real model you have got to go to
Paris
Thus, while the submarine bugaboo
has stopped various other 1nterna-
tional activities. it has not prevented
Am erican buyers from making their
usual piIgrimages to Paris. They are
literally Drawing death to get there
So New York is getting its regular
quota of Partisan models-gowns
from the Maison Maupas, the Maison
Brandt. the Maison Jenny and the
Maison Georgette Every ship that
leaves New York for Paris is loaded
to the gunwales with munitions, food
and other military supplies; when it
returns it is almost empty save for
| numerous large packing boxes con-
tanning feminine wearing apparel
French models are already making
their appearance on Fifth avenue,
while ready-made clothing factories
are busy turning out hundreds of du-
plicates. Fortunately. France is as
| interested in conserving materials as
we are, so that the fall and winter
fashions have been made as economi-
| cal in that respect as possible. Skirts
have been reduced to five feet around
! the bottom. and velvet and velveteen
are being widely substituted for wool
which is needed for the soldiers. Fur
trimming is again popular, likewise
| jet but the best models are elabor-
| ately embroidered.
The principal inspiration in the
Partisan fall and winter models seems
| to have been derived from China and
| Japan. Many of the dresses are long
with narrowing line at the bottom,
the waistline is again normal and the
ICl4
| with coat of the same material, is to
a large extent taking the place of
| the tailored suit, but the latter is ex-
| pected to regain its ascendancy by
the beginning of the winter season.
street clothing this season is not linn
tied to few colors. The dye situa-
| ton is again normal and any num-
| Der of costumes may be found in va
rious shades of blue, grey, red brown
and green For evening wear, black
is most popular distinct note of
mourning, in the otherwise gay Par
| isian designs
The recent fad for patric tic mater
lals and colors is of purely American
origin. This summer khaki suits and
street dresses of wool jersey of the
| shade of khaki have been worn with
great persistence; an exodus of fac
tory workers at the noon hour reveals
| bewildering spectacle Of red and
white shoes and blue stockings; while
bargain hunters on Fifth avenue may
obtain jeweled American flags worth
five thousand dollars marked down to
twelve hundred
This is the sort of thing of which
Paris could not be guilty Paris is
frank in lis sentiment, and proud of
it, but it does not exploit it Its ideals
are sacred. The clothing trade in
Paris is built on art" said a New
York clothing merchant yesterday
do in Z.
built on money. There it is the quail
ity of the article to be produced; here
it is the quantity of the article to be
sold"
But you would think that Ameri-
can manufacturers would simply buy
Partisan designers" said the clothing
merchants newspaper friend
"Ah, there you have the very thing
which illustrates my point" replied
the clothing merchant "They have
tried it, and it didn't work Not lone
ago, one firm hired one of the great
est woman designers in Paris and
brought her over to their head
quarters in New York. They paid hel
a good salary, and they minated thai
they expected at least three origina
designs a season. The poor cir
couldn't do a thing, and at the enc
of three months they had to send hel
back to Paris. She blamed her failure
on the lack of atmosphere in New
York"
The newspaper man smiled a trifle
skeptically, but the clothing D.er-
chant was perfectly serious. 1t was
absolutely true, he said. There were
not the great museums and galleries
| in New York as there were in Paris
filled with masterpieces of the ar
of all nations -confiscated by the
marauding Bonaparte but French
notwithstanding as the world:
greatest inspira ton to creative art
| Moreover, the owners of the large
, maisons did not force their designers
If they designed only one frock sea
son, the clothing merchant, said. tina
was considered enough. 1t was lef
to them.
The clothing merchant was dis
tinctly pro-French, but so, apparen
, ly, is the whole American clothine
| ira de At this mint the aditna. q.