Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-03-18
THERE are some dressmakers who

EHERE are some dressmakers who
are still holding out that they
will not reduce the width of the hens
in frocks or suits, but isn't it rather
foolish to hold out against a Paris
fashion that has been accepted by the
American buyers?
Naturally, change in the silhou-
cite Of the skirt is a drastic thing
1t cannot be lightly regarded by dress
makers, tailors or the public. 1t is in
this garment that fashion takes its
most serious somersaults. The wrong
cut of skirt puts one more complete
ly out of the fashion picture that one
likes. Even the stole and the phioso-
pher among women cannot success
fully stand this test. If woman can
not buy new skirt cut according to
the new pattern, she will cook up
some scheme in the sewing room by
which an old skirt can be let out or
drawn in.
The voice of the prophet was lifted
early in the winter, foretolling the in
coming of narrow skirts in the early
spring, but few listened The dress
makers shrugged their shoulders, the
ready -tO-wear manufacturers kept on
making skirts with four and five
yards of material at the hem, and the
high-class shops offered to women
the skirt that was gathered at the
waist and elaborately trimmed from
the knees down.
The reporters kept hammering at
the fact that the woman of wisdom
should not indulge in bargains that
were offered in full and flaring skirts,
but great number of women insisted
that if the silhouette changed, it was
easier to take fullness out of skirt
than to put ii in.
Even as late as the middle OF Feb
ruary, high-class shops We're offering
skirts that measured from five to
seven yards at the hem. True, these
hens did not flare; they hung Imply
against the figure, but they were not
cut according to the prophesied sill
houette which has come true.
1t may also come about that the
greater number of women will not
take up the narrow skirt when it ap-
pears in most of the French models,
but If the past is any forecast of the
future, the narrow skirt will grow in
strength as the spring advances and
will become the accepted silhouette
of the summer. Women of judgment
and advance taste in gowns already
consider the five-yard hem a second
class fashion.
The openings in Paris. as they have
been outlined to this country. can be
summed up briefly as advance infor'
nation to those who are already look
ing for new spring clothes
A vast number of separate skirts
were turned out by the best design
ors, thru the request of the American
buyers, It is said. This fact argues
that the American woman Will take
up the separate skirt with n sport
IL. %
as she once INDUCED in a tailored suit.
There are fewer tailored suits
turned out than usual. The deficit is
due to the fact that the men who do
this kind Of work are under the col
ors. The one-piece frock, the three
quarter top coat, the separate skirt
and the chemise blouse are the gar
ments that are offered instead of the
usual coat and skirt of cloth or silk.
The majority of one-piece gowns
carry loose wraps with them. These
apelike garments are made of same
material and faced with an opposing
color, and again, they are of another
material and color.
A dignified house like Worth has
put emphasis upon sharply tailored
skirts to be worn with separate
bouses and topped by jackets that
are shorter than any we have worn
for two years. These jackets are not
fitted to the figure, but are a COM
promise between n cape and coat
Worth uses a great deal of serge.
also gaberdine and the new kind OF
alpaca which France has been ex-
plotting for two years with little sue
cess in America. He also uses very
thin voile and several kinds of Chi
nese pongees under their various
names, such as shantung and tussah
Worth never goes in for an ecCen-
trio silhouette, but this season he has
thrown in his lot with those who are
making narrow skirts. He has pro-
duced the peg-top skirt, as we are be-
ginning to call 1t over here.
The American buyers are doubtful
concerning the fullness that Is put
into the waist line of this skirt to
make the barrel effect at the hips; the
older American woman does not care
for a thick. bulky waist line, so our
shops over here are working on the
idea OF eliminating the pleats which
are used now at the waist belt and
are thinking out a scheme of sub
stituting yokes and applying the full
ness to the lower edge of them.
The High Waist Line.
Jenny. Doeuillet, Worth and sew.
eral of their colleagues have intro.
duced the high waist line into after
noon and evening frocks. This Is al
most as serious a change in the sill
houette as the narrowing of the skirt
hem. II one Is adopted, the other
must be, for the low, medieval waist
line. which is at the hips, connecte
with n melon shaped skirr, Is too Ugly
to think about.
Whenever n skirt has been full De-
low the hips and narrow at the an
kles. II has been high wasted. Th!s
waist line has been obtained In many
ways: sometimes, the material is-eat
TO fit deep inner belt and corded or