Evening star., 1917-09-23
BY ANNE R1rrENHousE.

AT is often said that the fashion ex-
I'll perts dwell too much upon line
and material. and are given to ig-
- noring the extraordinary value OF
1eolors.
= Tho charge Is true. At least. tho truth
-ef It dominates the majority Of dress
7naking houses and Is present In the
-enajority Of women's minds. Color 10 in
reality 80 vastly important that It
should rule every department Of dress.
There are colorists who overestimate its
value to women. and they are the ones
1who actually frighten the majority
3nto q conservatism that often borders
5on ugliness.
. -
The trouble with tho artists lies in
=the fact that they do not seem to have
any tenderness or courtesy toward the
.coloring of the woman who is to wear
-Ghe garment. They assimilate and put
Unto 5uxtaposition colors that have ex-
lraordinary beauty In themselves. but
when they are placed next to the hu-
3nan skin. hair and eyes they kill what
at tho os shs s
n way that Is not fair. Tho gown is
5psedominant; its beauty draws all eyes.
me woman Is 1OSlSniuCAuts tn0 only
Sime she comes into the question is
when the observers think how unat-
.eractive she looks in that glorious
Brock.
greater than the one offered by gown
built out of exquisite harmony OF
colors. 1t appeals to every woman but
The one who is shocked by a thread
of scarlet" as Mrs. Stuart puts it in
one of her stories. Mind you, these
women who feel that drao colors are
part of the respectability of life and
who have a traditional and mystic be-
lief that the color Of the scarlet letter
used by Hawthorne was in itself an
acknowledgment Of sin are not out Of
Although 1t may be in Montana. Texas
.or Alaska, instead Of q small New Eng
land village.
: But outside Of this we'll defined seq
1earlet As the color Of all that should
hot be and upon black and gray as the
-colors that spell respectahility, emo
taonal limitations and the straight and
.Women who are attracted to colors as
goldfish to water They hnd in the brill
3iancy Of tone kind of mental and
physical stimulation that the savages
probably feel.
: So it is that when the gifted artist
dressmakers, weavers and dyers throw
.cut to the world bits of colored bait, as
aour forefathers did to the Indians when
they wanted furs, large segment of
Swomen snap up the gifts with de-
Hight.
~
i. The world is wiser and better dressed
when the great artists produce glorious
Solors as accessories to gowns of SOM
-ber tones. Even then, there are a thou
seand women who go astray to dozen
cwho go right.
: The helpful artists in dress will ex-
plain to women with intelligent pa
Hence that any kind Of color can be
managed In costume II 1t is not
placed next to the skin. It Is for this
reason. and this alone. that those who
deal in evening gowns have made an
artistic success In choosing the most
dificult color for the skin, If they so
wish. and then building a bodice Of
tu1le or crystals that rests against the
skin Of the neck without doing 1t any
harm.
Tho fashion which was exploited in
Paris at the August openings and which
Is already in America. of wearing a
Separate evening bodice with a brill
liant skirt, Is sure to succeed because +!
3t allows q woman to indulge that saw
dead and which calls for gay colors.
Black panne velvet and tulle. as well /,
- jet, have been the fabrics chosen for
these separate bodices which are put |
above Algerian skirts of satin in any
of the blues, greens, reds and purples [
that the skin will not tolerate
The accessories which fashion will |
spring upon US this month are gorgeous .
in coloring. All that need be said is