The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-27
DRESS AND SUGGESTIONS ANNE ~4gza,Hov.s FOR WOMEN
It is now considered fashionable to wear velvet jackets in the evening over thin frocks with trains.


 New York, December 26.-There is Sc only looks for it, that the hope has sprung anew that we may become a nation which depends somewhat on itself for sartorial inspiration. 1 Of course, no one wants to take away from Paris the supreme achievement of the world in clothes. She has held the ! high place for more than five centuries since she wrested it away from Spain Ind q grateful people should do every thing in their power to hold up her ! lands in her hour of distress. France will continue to give Us. the in- spiration which governs our clothes in mass. and for that we are happy and comforted. In the years of war, if Paris had failed the world in designing new silhouettes, new movements of fabric new colors and materials, there would have been an economic crash in this country, the echoes of which would not yet have died down. It was Paris who held up our hands through the war and kept hundreds of firms from going into bankruptcy
 All of that we comprehend, and in our comprehension, we do not wish to take a single iota of praise or gratitude from this great achievement of France, but it is always a delightful sensation to feel that American women are cultivat- ing individuality.
 DRESS ACCORDING TO TYPE
 There is no reason why a continent which is chuck full of intelligent and artistic women should not develop an important strain of courage in clothes There is no reason why one woman Ef T f1rn 6fI, when it is most unbecoming to her to do so.
 Light is now breaking along the hori- zon where there has been dense dark ness and on every side we hear women experimenting with colors and combina- tions in a way that would please a criti- cally artistic mind.
 The use of the velvet jacket is a. strong bit of American work during this winter. The garment came out as a substitute for a sweater, then it devel- oped into a part of a street costume, and it has been so well liked that it has reached outward and upward until 1t has arrived in the realm of evening costumery
 Its ambitions are. well merted, for a woman who cut out a velvet jacket in the neck and added it to satin skirt produced q costume that was looked upon with enthusiastic eyes.
 An artistic woman in the set that never goes by rule in fashions had a velvet dinner gown fashioned with a long train and cut-away coat of black velvet, with the deep square decolletage in front showing a high girdle of fine old filet lace There was sweeping black hat in addition and you may wis ualize one of the most individual restau- rant costumes of the year.
 THE JACKET IN THE EVENING
 A sketch is given today of the costume evolved from a satin evening gown and a blue evening jacket. It is quite dar- ing and successful
 The skirt of flesh colored satin with girdle bodice that leaves the neck bare. There are no sleeves. The blue velvet jacket is cut away In the front to show the bare neck and the girdle bodice It is belted with blue cameos, and there is band of ermine around the edge of the Italian decolletage. A necklace of blue beads is passed under this ermine band and drops into the