The Pascagoula chronicle., 1918-10-19

/ braid, embroidery or other ornamen
tation for gowns. One finds that man
ufactured articles are becoming more
and more limited.
Once upon time this world, when
| dearly loves phrase, twisted ano
turned the words ''irreducible mini
mum" in fantastic ways to sui: va
riety of meanings. This phrase was a
sister in popularity TO President Cleve-
lands famous 'innocuous desnetude.
Today the expression that hts super
seeded all others Is the elimination OF
nonessentials," and there are thou
sands of women who will tell you that
that means both "irreducible mini
mum" and 'innocuons desuetnde.' IL
is well for an eXtiavagant continent
that the irreducible minimum can be
arrived at through compulsion.
Trimmed With Bits OF Themselves.
A report of what women have done
in deyisine ornamentation for their
clothes would read as an interesting
bit of war history. out from the
depths have come some of the orna-
mentations. The designers, however,
have found that the best way to trim
a gown is with itself. There is very
little Danger then of its becoming
patchwork quilt.
Tucks have returned, therefore.
They have been launched on the new
auutmn gowns as something of nov
city They are not permitted in wool
en- clothes, because the government
asks us to omit every inch of super
huouS worsted material, but we are
emitting it by the yardage instead of
the inch. and are finding ourselves
quite content with composition gowns
that have only a dash of wool in
them, and often none at all. woman
depends on furs. capes and top coats
for warmth.
As for the materials which are
available today, they may last through
the winter. There is much talk OF
wearing satin, raffcta, pongee and va
rious heavy Chinese silks throughout
the cold weather, making them com
Portable for the open or for heatless
houses by the addition Of warm I'M
derwear and top coverings.
The designers have banked heavily
on the usage of thin materials for next
winter and therefore they have
brought about this resurrected fash
ion of trimming Il gown with itself,
which is quite easily done when tne
is soft and pliable.
When tucks are used they are ar
ranged horizontally They do not con-
fuse themselves with pleats, which are
vertical. 4 few of the new skirts are
tucked from the bone of the hips to
he hem the tucks touching each 9th
er and made from an inch to two
inches write. Sometimes ff1is ee1sti--
tutes the entire trimming of a gown.
But when the skirt is extra narrow
ut the hem the barrel effect is more
striking than it has been for two
years.
Affecting the Waistiine.
There is no possibility of reducing
our waists TO a small measurement.
The planked-shad type which has pre-
vailed for eight years can wear its
sashes where it pleases, hut what
lbout the thousands of other women,
thin and stout, who have allowed
heir waists to broaden out into sculp-
tural measurements? These waists
nave muscles that are strong and I'M
Dliable, and they will not be squeezed
IN by corsets. Therefore, only the
willow type-the slim, little, homeless
poungster-can pull in her waist and
lie a sash around it with impunity.
One thing is practically certain: If |
he tight, draped skirt brings back the |
normal waist, women will allow the |
straight line of their figures to con-
inue, and they will merely drape the |
waist in its new, large measurements, /
without an attempt TO make them
selves uncomfortable.