The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-04

Unusual frock of knife-pIeated chiffon,
which has been advanced for chill
dren. is low-necked. with short
sleeves, and is worn with white shoes
and socks and a white and black
Chinese cap.
It is not necessary to approve of
everything that is offered, you know.
There is the fashion for the wearing
of black by juveniles. You may not
approve of that, but it is founded on
the reasoning that colored clothes are
economical and that black and white
is an attractive combination.
This is not the first time in the his
tory of the world that children have
been clothed in black. It was a color
not taboo in olden days. There were
whole cycles, you may remember. in
which the tiniest youngsters were
scum to illustrate pageant fashions.
They wore stiff brocades, pointed
| bodices, Medici rufus and jewels. The
people followed the court in these
fashions.. The child, who was dressed
fort q festive occasion must have been
| it -awoke and found itself bound in Its
| wrappings
Black and White Frocks Introduced.
/ The effort . to make children's
l. frocks enconomical by not having to
submit them to the washtub every day,
has not been an easy task for the de-
| signers, a1tho they have take it up
with immense enthusiasm because OF
! it's novelty
Great houses that once devoted all
| their genius to adult fashions, have
now embarked on juvenile fashions as
a successful by-product. The entire
| world is determined not to revert to
| the cumbersome clothes of other cy-
cles, so there is no intention of mum
| mifying children again. The costumes
| of the little Spanish princess will new
er be repeated. The creed of the hour,
more so now in war than in peace. Is
| to give freedom to children's bodies
/ and harden them into physical fitness.
| This is done thru the right clothing.
Lone ago we resolved to take hold
| o fthe French fashion of uncovering
| the legs of our children in all wealth
| er; then we undertook to follow the
French in putting the burden Of the
frock on the child's shoulders. not on
| its waist. Today we are asked to take
up the most advanced frocks. of black
| and white chiffon for children and
| dress them up in these whenever So
| cial festivities occur.
| Little Frocks without Weight.
| None of these new gowns have any
| appreciate weight. 1t is true they
are in somber colors, but they have as
much solidity as soap bubble.
AS an example, the sketch shows an
| actual child in an actual frock. 1t is
not a make-beliexe. 1t is not the
| caprice of a designer put on paper. It
| moves and has its being on a we'll
i placed child who is usually dressed at
1 the top of fashion.
| 1t is of fe-pleated chiffon, the
pleating done by machinery, SO that it
| remains in place without constant at
tention from hot iron. It is cut out
low in the neck; it has negligible
| sleeves that leave long, brown arms
| exposed, and it is worn with white
shoes and socks and a white and black
Chinese mandarin cap.
1t would be impossible with black
shoes and stockings, and it is in this
jrxtaposition of the black against the
white that one finds pleasure. The
lining beneath this knife-p1eated black
chiffon is knife-pleated white chiffon,
and the tiny little apology for under
wear keeps the child utterly cool and
thealthy, F-s = = - = f,