Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-15

because Of this new ruling, which
comes through the federal regula-
lions, there is. an entire output of new
types of house gowns that we once
thought impossibfy old-fashioned for
It is whispered that the flannel pet
ticoat, ornately scalloped and EN-
broidered. has made its appearance.
There are women who say, unblush-
ingly, that they have bought flannel
bone to ankles. What we once called
"stuff" gowns, belonging to an era
when the houses were heatless except
for hearth or stove fires OF coal or
face burned, and when the chicken
was hardened in it's own gravy be-
tween the kitchen and the dining
room-these "stuff' gowns, belonging
to those days. have been revived.
X x
Do you think they are old fashioned?
Do we sneer at them, as we are apt
to do at the customs and apparel of
our near-ancestors. We do not. We
snatch at them as contributors to our
happiness. We realize that our near
ancestors were wise women. and that
they grew to a good old age and
brought up large broods of children
to be sturdy men and women, because
they did not wear chiffon in a room
with a temperature below fifty. as it
was last winter in nearly every
stretch.
We are delighted to agree with the
fuel regulations. We are willing to
save food for those who are starving.
We realize the Importance Of sending
coal to France and Belgium until
their great mines are reOpened. But
we have made up our minds to be
warm while we are doing 1t. and the
only possible way Of keeping warm is
to wear enough clothes.
We threaten to take the Eskimo as
our glass Of fashion and our mold of
form. The other day woman was
looking at the pictorial section OF a
Sunday newspaper, which gave the
costumes Of the native women who
helped the explorers during an Arctic
expedition. and she exclaimed that 1t
was the best fashion page for this
winter that she had seen! France has
model and turn a garment into some
thing fascinating, and we are on the
point Of doing the same thing. We
may not be able to buy peltry while
we go on providing money for our re-
turning soldiers comforts. and taking
care Of millions of refugees in the
devastated lands that must now be
reconstructed, but we can buy warm
wooden materials. even with the re-
striction the government has put
upon them.
And it is well to remember that the
Chinese use paper. Women doing war
work in cold cantonments are using
thick paper chest protectors. Several
layers of thick paper are pasted to-
gether and b0sted by quilting stitch,
and these are put on as waistcoats OF
as broad medieval breastplates.
1t is an old story to talk about
France and the medieval cuirass blouse.
but it Is q rather new story In America.
Those who preached this doctrine OF
dress last year were not regarded AZ
sincere prophets. and We did not 90
into the exploitation of the thick
cuirass blouse until this autumn. AT.
ter France had had eight months OF
steady usage Of the idea.
Now we are quite enam0red OF the
whole scheme Of dress. The necessity
for being warm has brought about
the necessity for wearing something
in the house and in the street that !:
J more protection than a wash shirt
waist.
Georgette crepe, Chinese silk. hand.