Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-05-25
CLOTHES LACKING
IN ECCENTRICITY

thousands upon thousands of women
who buy material for their own gowns
will see the advantage in dropping the
extra-full skirt and adopting the slim
line of the new silhouette.
The Straight silhouette.
Already the exclusive dressmakers
are insisting that the pegtop skirt, or
the drapery that is pulled out at the
hips, Is mediocre. The first fashion,
they insist, calls for straight silhOu-
cite from shoulder to heels without the
break given by the pannier effect at
the end of the corset.
What is known as the barrel skirt,
pure and simple, has few followers, but
the skirt with the kangaroo extension
at each side is admittedly the popular
success of the hour.
Against this skirt is the one called
Egyptian, which has been described by
all the fashion writer's until the women
know most that there is to know about
it. 1t is the straight, anticipated
skirt dropped from the waist or from
shallow yoke, and is supposed to
have been worn by the fashionable Al
exandrians at the time of That's and
Aphrodite.
There is so much that is Egyptian
in the spring clothes that it should
not surprise the OnlOoker to see this
straight. plated skirt win cat above
all others before June arrives. Bull
lOz, for instance, has met with singu-
lar success in this country through a
gown which he calls Aphrodite, and
| which was originally made for Mile.
Chenal when she sang the title role
in the opera last autumn in Paris.
Bulloz has changed the gown some
what, but everyone who was in Paris
last autumn remembers it. 1t is made
of black chiffon in three long, Egyp-
tan tunics that hang Imply against
the figure, each one embroidered with
wide band Of silver bugles in an an
Gent design. The upper tunic is longer
than the rest and hangs in drapery on
the floor when dropped; but it is skill
fully manipulated by the arm, which
can pass through a long, embroidered
slit and drape the length of the chif
fon and silver about the body as one
wishes. Chenal was given to the pos
ture of extending her arm in dramatic
gestures, bringing about somewhat the
same effect which she gave to the
drapery which made her famous when
she sang the "Marseillaise" in Paris.
With this gown goes a tall Egyp-
tan headdress of fine silver bugles and
beads set on black.
Egyptian Touch In Wraps.
Another Egyptian touch In costum-
cry is shown in the evening wraps for
spring, which are quite luxurious, but
light in weight ana texture. Taffeta
is used for this garment more than for
any other. The wide, draped collar
which rises above the ears and folds
itself down on the shoulders is the
preferred one, and 1t is used for street
wraps as well as evening ones.
None Of this is Egyptian, but the
touch of Cairo is seen in a great
square Of bullion-embroidered silk
which is placed fatty against the back
Of the wrap. On some garments 1t
looks as though brilliant, ornate cush-
ion cover had been picked up and
neatly tackled at each Of its corners to
the loose back of the taffeta wrap.
The Egyptian Phoenix wing, which
was decOratively used at one Of the
fashion exhibitions in New York, sup
plies color for much of the new cos
tumery. The blue, green and coral Of
this symbolic bit Of Egyptian life is
copied in gowns, and especially in jew
elry.
With all this atmosphere of the
East. of Cairo and Alexandria reflected
in the clothes of the hour, it seems
probable that the straight, plated skirt
that hangs plumb from the waistline
will outlive the one with the side
drapery at the hips. But even if both
remain equal in value and fashion, one
thing is certain-that there is no
chance for the skirt with the wide hem.
Since January, skirts have lessened in
width below the knees, and although
the public refused to believe that the
wide, flaring, umbrella skirt belonged
to a day that was done, the dressmak-
ers have insisted upon its use.
. In Paris they diminished the width
Of skirts gradually, but over here the
change appeared to come overnight
although the prophets and experts had
been insisting upon this revolution for
three months. The trouble with the
public is that 1t win rarely believe
what it reads, but relies on what II
sees. This is good, sound wisdom. but
it often keeps a woman from being pre-.
pared for a change when it comes.
The shops have the canny business
instinct to supply the old with the
new as long as they've got both on
hand, but 1t is the duty Of the reporter
to tell Of what Is coming more insist
emily than what Is going.
(Copyright 1917, by the Mcclure Newspa
per Syndicate.)
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