Middletown transcript., 1917-11-03
Medieval Sleeve
Well Liked Here

can-designed gowns, which have OBJ
viously taken the medieval sleeve as
the chief feature.
An entire chapter of dress could be
written concerning this sleeve. 1t
has played a most historic part in the
evolution of fashion throughout the
centuries.
America was quite well aware that
some type Of leHg, flowing sleeve
would reappear this autumn. 1t was
foreshadowed by the voluminous
tulle sleeves that reached to the wrist
and hung downward in points. Every
cable from Paris insisted upon the
preference shown by the French
women for gowns that did not ex.
pose the arms, even though they were
half low at the neck. Fantastic
gowns in this country, designed for
the footlights, brought good deal
of attention to themselves by the i'm
mensity of their sleeves, but these
were usually fashioned on some an
tique Chinese idea, for their square
outline was held in place by Chinese
tassels and jade bracelets.
| Then came the first Callot gown
with the genuine medieval sleeve.
The men who were in Paris early in
the summer and who saw the possi-
! bilities in the renewal Of such q
sleeve, got 1t over here before the
actual Callot gowns were unwrapped
and displayed to the American public.
1t is not easy to define these sleeves
by simply calling them medieval. To
our American minds, they are rem
iniscent of the Abbey drawings. They
might have been worn by the daugh-
ters of King Lear. And above all,
their beauty catches the eye because
of the cathedral coors in which they
are dyed.
! Chinese Panels.
There is another important feature
in the new fashions that no woman
can fail to overlook. These are what
are known in France as flying panels
They are supposedly adopted from
Chinese dress. They are placed on
the skirt or on the bodice, and there
are extreme gowns in which they
swing from the shoulders.
Jenny uses them in a gown that Is
fashioned after those worn by Chinese
women. 1t has an oddly shaped, trou
sered skirt of chiffon that is exceeding
ly modest and graceful. Over this
fabric hang straight, flying panels In
irridescont taffeta that is weighted
with gold and crystal fringe. The waist
is loosely girdled about by Chinese
sash, and the long, floating sleeves OF
chiffon and crystals are caught In al
the wrists and are transparent.
Jenny, however, is not the only one
who uses panels in whatever way they
can be accommodated to the human
figure. Doeuillet puts them on one
piece frocks and gathers them together
at the waist under girdle Of come
ornate, glowing fabric.
Nine. Paquin makes an evening
gown that is just two panels over 6
tight. sheathlike skirt, and the two art
held in at the waistline by brilliant
ly colored sash that somewhat initiates
the American hustle silhouette by re
solving itself into bow and ends a.
the side.
Premet, who has turned out sucf
unusually good gowns this year, as
sembles her flying panels under 6
sash of Chinese or japanese embrOid
cry and arranges it in a big loopet
bow at the side which looks some
thing like hustle that has slipped
an uncomfortable and disagreeable way
that they had of doing In that 1885,
period when women wore them in al
uslier form than they are introduced
today.
Need Not Match Skirt.
1t is not necessary to go to any
trouble to have the panels match thu
tight skirt beneath in either color OF
material. Lanvin insists that the great
er the difference between the two, thu
better the style. She will use hydranges
blue and black together or golden tar
and deep purple.
Even when these flying panels arr
not converted into an entire gown
there is leading fashion which sees
to it that most of our frocks look a.
though they were split up the sides
to show the tightest skirt that We
could walk in.
Cheruit and many Of her colleagues
have not forsaken the apron gown
The little accessory which resemble:
an apron, but is intended for orna
ment and not service, appears on {
sufficient Aumber Of new frocks t.
|, proclaim itself still in fashion.
J Copyright, 1917, by the Mcclure Newspa
per Syndicate0