Evening star., 1917-01-21
Farly Fashion Hints From the Paris Dres
BY ANNE RITTENHOUSE.

-H HIS week. after the dullness fol-
lowing the holidays. there comes
ripple of excitement in the
q dressmaking world. The cables
are coming in from Paris. American
buyers are already on the ocean and
there are whispers and rumors and gos-
sip of every kind concerning the semi
annual exhibition of clothes which viii
take place in Paris the first of Febru-
airy.
The same old difficulties attend all ef-
forts to get any advance information
from the French houses as to what
they will exploit The laymen. mean
ing the vast masses of women who buy
clothes without any knowledge of
their source. are perpetually amazed by
the statement of the secrecy and diplo-
macy that surround the launching of a
new fashion. To these people mona of
the explanations explains. Their final
comment is that the French dress
makers should be delighted to have
any one come in and see their crea-
tions, to write them up, etc.
As much value as these laymen at
tach to clothes, they do not perceive
that the originator looks at them in
the light of an invention and reaches
out with the hand of the law to pre-
vent any one from copying or claiming 8
sponsorship for them.
There Is one very good reason why
the women over here would like to
know what the French are thinking
of exploiting next month. which is that
the sales of all kinds of clothes In this
country during this month make a
persuasive appeal to women, but they
are afraid of spending their money in
what is probably the most expensive
way it can be spent-buying clothes
that must soon be discarded.
1t is not possible TO forecast what
France will actually do in February,
but there are several things which she
Will not do which IL is wise for a wom-
an to know: and, knowing, she can
take advantage of the bargains in ap-
parel that spread themselves over the
continent today, and she can wisely
avoid the new things made in America
in December that are modelled on styles
that will soon vanish.
Fashions die hard in this country. and
the manufacturers. looking toward the
filling of their Golfers in dull seasons.
insist upon repeating vanishing styles
and putting them on the market with
the addition of few clever new
touches. Part of the public is caught
and does not care; another part is wise
enough to avoid buying new clothes
too early in the season. and still an
other part is caught and becomes very
irritated about it.
For one thing. there is every belief
on the part of prophets who have
proved true in former seasons that the
extra short skirt is doomed although
the French women are wearing it to-
day. 1t is question whether or not
the women of Europe, and even those
in America, will be able to stand the
price Of the extra high boots If the
scarcity of leather and the money de-
manded for it continue.
Another belief is that skirts will be
definitely narrower: all superfluous
drapery will be abandoned, Medieval
ism will continue to run rampant. The
frivolous fashions of the Pompadour.
du Barry and Marie Antoinette will be
as dead as the women who made them
famous.
Waists will be made to look as large
as the sculptorS would have US keep
them, and girdles of depth, rich fabrics
and ornate workmanship will be
wrapped around the figure.
Realizing that every woman would
like advance information on the styles