The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-08-15
Curious capes rise out Of the common
place level and are hailed by MANY
women as a welcome relief from the
nnst

| coat.
NEW YORK, Aug lA,--Tho'c who
should know insist that the doom OF
the coat suit is not far off, That IS
cry that has come through the winds
season after season. There is little
reason 10 believe that II is a stronger
prophecy now than before.
Yet. when the taiors hear it on
the winds that blow from Paris they
seem to have the same feeling OF eerie
dread that the wall OF the banshee pro
duceS
It is not a pleasant sound to those
who have grown up in trade that
has been bull, to immense proportions
by the demand OF the American woman.
| This generation has produced thou
sands of men and women who do moth.
ing and know nothing but coats and
suits plain or ornate.
They would grope in bottomless dark
| il they were asked to build evening
irocks. They know as little of the
swirl and swing OF the soft afternoon
costumery as they do Of the end OF tho
war
They do not even know the origin
OF the two garments that they turn
out Ivy the thousand, year after year.
Most Of them learned their trade in
the garments uf like ilk built for men,
and for that reason and by that token.
they can iron and stitch and ilatten as
few vcrSed in other needle trades can
do.
Time was when the costume which
men loaned 20 women did not present
unusual difficulties to those who knew
I the cross legged trade The padded
coat which gave false shoulders, the en-.
tire building of the cloth on an ar
,iiicial basis, resulted in wonderfully
executed garments that bore no resem
hlance 10 the human form as civilila.
y ton has evolved It,
A Bit OF braid, few buttons placed
in the regulation manner a pocket or
4 two, was all the ornamentation de
= sired Then came the blow deal, bl
y demand for a skeleton coat. the gar
ment without foundation to lean on
win the Cape Succeed
Last season there was go much tall
about the gradual disappearance of IN,
coat suit by reason oi the demand OF
I, y man power made by the war that thing
" looked quite serious for the hosts o
e those who know only how to build th
!, uniform OF the average American
woman,
Now the .eriousne. of the si,ua
| ton Is increased, or rather made NOR
rerplexing The talk oi abandoning
clothing that is ornate hy those VIII
will work for the nation has hrough
out the contradictory situation thai
although the men arc needed for wa
hey Nro also needed for the turnin
out OF thousands OF plain manni'h Goa
suits which tho women In reiet wor
insist should he the costume OF wn
times.
To tho reporter OF conditions mi
wo- sided demand sounds full OF in
consistency. But, everyone warn
everyone else that tho times are s.
filled with half-baked Ideas Of how I
serve the country that II is well IN Z
slow on any ono oi them No on
seem. 70 have arrived at sane an
sensible basis on the question
clothes, plus the question OF setvin
The nation.
However, the winter must deveIo
rs II will In fashions, and SO will III
situation confronting thousands ,
women who have crcpt into public HI
for the first time and are, therefore.
= pit confused, The rumor that is we