The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-23
DRESS AND SUGGES1Tl NJ 'Op ANNE ~,44a,~ov.. FOR WOMlEl .
The army overcoat has suggested an informal top coat for women, and is built in that old fabric called covert cloth.

I
 New York. August 22.-It Is rather a pity that meteorologists have not been l sent to the French front. Units from every other scientific body in the world have gone over to study conditions, but representatives of the science of the weather seem not to have found possibili- ties of study over there.
 This is strange because the majority of people are thoroughly convinced that the weather within the radius of the war zone has been affected in an extraordi- nary manner by the artillery Whenever a neteorologist is interviewed, the re- porter always quotes him as saying that l it is ridiculous, and then gives him a hearty laugh as a part of the picture
 Yet, sea captains who have seen a life time of service in European waters; longshor remen who have spent their years on the English channel and the coast of Holland, as well as several millions of in- habitants of France and Flanders insist | that it has rained more in three years in that country than ever before in it's his- tory.
 It would seem to the layman that the scientist who desires to get reliable infor- 1 nation on weather conditions might well have betaken himself to this country and either verify or disprove the belief of ex- perienced people. Every other tradition is being overturned why not the weather? Those who live in Paris say that there has never been such fogs in that city. That is another point of interest That the weather has changed in that country very few people doubt, but what has changed it is left to scientists to say.
 RAIN AND RAINCOATS
 Now, all of this talk of rain in Paris is directly connected with fashion. It is not rambling dissertation cn meteor ology; it is a preamble on climatic condi- tions to explain the turn of fashions in Paris.
 For raincoats are now made there by the hundreds. Remarkable umbrellas have been invented. Waterproof suits have been perfected for men and women New materials have been created to shed water. Shoes have been built to give service on muddy roads and wet pave ments. Paris has been thinking seriously about the three years of rain and fog; and whenever Paris thinks about any thing she translates that thought into clothes. America has followed the lead or France and is taking raincoats with a seriouness that she gives to evening wraps.
 The tailors who turn out high priced coats and skirts are rolling up quite good patronage in new inventions in ra1ncoats. So far as We can see, there has been no material change in our cli- mate since the war, but it rains enough to suggest to each woman that she must own good looking, waterproof coat.
 AS matter of fact, we take our rain m much the same careless way that Eng land takes 1t. We slop around in it trust ing to luck not to have pneumonia and that someone will loan us an umbrella We have not gotten to the point of talk Ing our meals on the pavement in the rain. as the French do. Neither do we wear white leghorn garden hats to shield our heads from it, as London women do. But, we are not prone to buy or wear raincoats. They must be quite enticing to lure the coin from the purse
 RIVAL OF COVERT CLOTH
 There was an epoch In the dress of this material when each woman thought