The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-04-07

4
in America this spring and summer,
then Paris was right and our prophets
are wrong.
we have the money and we have the
! AnSlo-Saxon spirit Now. will we wear
black, standardized clothes, ugly and
cheap and reduce ourselves to a process
sion of unsmiling dullness, or will we
lcatch at the gayety and pleasure and
laughter that are shown in the new Paris
clothes. and wear them with the same
| spirit of .bravado that is shown by the
aliied soldiers in the trenches? They
don't spend their time renouncing the
pleasures and gayeties of life
i 1t will be hard lesson for us to learn.
to judge between flippant extravaganza
and good looking clothes that express
optimism and belief in ourselves and the
situation. There's not a soldier in this
country who does not beg the women folk
ne knows to dress their best and look
their prettiest for his last vision of them.
Considering all these things, is it not
probable that the American woman will
accept the French spirit as well as the
French clothes, and that we may turn
INTO season of extraordinarily good
dressing that is neither immodest nor
unfeeling?
| CHEMIST ROBE FOR EVENING
Among the new evening gowns from
France this spring the twelfth century
tunic is as frequently seen as in the
} street gowns but the effect of the two
IS strongly differentiated. For the even
ing the designers use a narrow. Slim.
primitive slip of satin or metallic cloth.
the latter preferred. over this slip drops
much wider, more voluminous. trans
parent robe. 1t is cut like a chemise; it
mas half low decolletage; the sleeves
usually cover the entire arm, but are
cut to fall half a foot away from it, and
the entire effect is one of exquisite
yelling.
! Doucet does this in the most brilliant
manner, and he shows his competitors
something in the way of an undersip,
making a corslet and then a short skirt
of soft gold tissues. which gives far
more graceful, undulatng movement of
the body when it is seen beneath the
transparent chemse.
There are chemise gowns of rare lace
also in cloudy gray. These are dropped
over slim underslip of tissue, silver
and steel as well as gold, and the note
of color is given by an extraordinary
sash. 1t may be of Chinese blue taffeta,
of splendid Chinese brocade, of deep
gold and black brocaded ribbon, and one
end of it always trails down the back
panel and adds to the brilliancy of the
short train.
THERE ARE SOBER CLOTHES
Mind you, there is no disposition shown
by the French designers, as they have
expressed their genius in the new
clothes, to omit all the fabrics that are
sensible and economical. Black satin,
blue serge, gray jersey cloth and several
shades of gabardine are ruling street
costumery.
Metal tissues and laces are lavishly
used for the afternoon and the evening,
but they are sobered by miles of chiffon
Sturdy crepe de chine, which looks fragile
and is not, is offered in the smartest
gowns for the street.
| There are one-piece frocks as we'll as
suits. and capes have superseded TOP
4
cry has given way to ornamentation by
means of wool or Irvine, and intricate
machine stitching is abandoned in favor
of bits of applied material, straight rows
OF military braid or folds of corded satin.
Lace Is used as though Belgium had
been reinstated and every one of the lace
weavers, working overtime. Founces,
capes. sleeves and panels of lace are
dropped on narrow, slim underslips of
satin.
Satin and serge are combined for those
who want to wear frock for the next
six months without feeling uncomforta-
bly, warm or cold.
Waistcoats. the styles of which were
drawn from all the epochs preceding
this one, are used in coats, which gives
the economical woman chance to re-
Turkish her last years suit and feel her
!self quite in the picture. The French
designers knew that they were Offering
a sop to the economists in promoting
this accessory.
Sturdy pique has been revived for those
who do not care to invest in handkerchief
linen, perishable batiste or expensive
Powered wolfe. These suits and frocks
of pique are trimmed with velvet, as in
olden days, and all the dyes that France
has manufactured for her own use have
been brought to bear upon white and
cream lace in order to make harmonious
costumes; and this trick again gives the
woman Of slender means a chance to
look exceedingly smart through the med
ium Of dipping yellow lace in a small
Equality Of reliable dye.
Paris has sent over multiple number
Of short, straight Jackets with fronts
that do not meet and in the space be-
tween is displayed a frilled front with
a turnover collar, and dotted fouard
cravat This little front is basted into
the coat and thereby seves one from
using whole shirtwaist. with its ac-
companying laundry BILL
VARIETY OF CAPES
We have demure capes made of gabar-
dine and serge which are as service
able as those worn by the Italian police
land those who care for the quietness OF
distinguished clothes can put one of these
i &,