New-York tribune., 1918-04-28

discussion that is going among themselves.
1t has to do with the importation of French
clothes, with the prices asked for all kinds of
apparel, with the threatened abolition of the
famous French semi-annual exhibitions, and
with the tendency of the public to ask for
American clothes.
The Situation :.
In France
Only handful of buyers went to Paris for
new clothes this year. That did not lessen
the number of gowns bought from the French
designers, however, because all the resident
commissionaires were at work. But the disap-
pontment in Paris at the lessened bulk OF
buying has been summed up on both CONT
nents in M. Worth's now famous phrase "In-
stead of American buyers, we had American
sls:tors this season."
And shy did the Americans refuse to buy?
Because the prices were beyond their limita-
tions, for one reason; and, another, because Of
the fact that there was not enough striking
novelty exhibited to make it worth while, and
several of the houses displayed an ostenta-
tious gayety and barbarism in clothes that
was not suitable to our mood.
The house of Callot, for instance, showed
at an enormous expense three hundred and
fifty gowns that were as Orientally exotic as
those worn in the Russian ballet The de-
signs might have been for Cleopatra in her
glory.
These gowns would irritate Americans this
season, and Callot should have been quite
aware that they wouldn't have been worn by
French women. She misjudged the American
public by the extravaganza that it displayed
in Paris in the question of money You may
remember that this question was taken up in
this department at the beginning of the
winter.
The house of Premet was more subdued,
although one expects it to be eccentric; and
while the simple gown worn by Nine. Renee
received two hundred orders the rest Of the
exhibition was patronized by the newly rich
Parisienne and the Riviera set, not by u.s. It
would be tedious, however, to go into the de-
tails of the great houses.
Another absurdity which Paris insisted
upon was the short sleeve. She initiated the
Directoire with the four-nch sleeve for after
noon, and the loose elbow sleeve for other
hours Of the day, and she did it at time
when, as a woman of wide information and
social power wrote from Paris, gloves were
almost impossible to get by even the very
rich and were sold at absurdly high prices
Again, Paris produced stupendous amount
OF jet and loaded our evening, morning and
afternoon gowns with it. 1t is too heavy for
ornament for the hot American spring and
summer, so few of those gowns were amiabky
received by the buyers.
One could go ad infinitum Gossip, in
formation and discussion, if repeated, would
I'LL page or more with interesting details
OF the situation it has been thrashed out
by those who have finished up the spring sea-
son in French clothes
But all the straws of discussion lead to two
supremely important points: Paris feels that
she will have to abandon her exhibitions of
clothes for the duration Of the war, and Amer
lea believes that she is capable of supplying
her own fashions from now on, because the
American women will encourage the work
There is no belief that Paris will discontinue
the making Of Clothes but there is strong
feeling that the exhibition of last February
will be the last until peace is declared and
commerce resumed on its normal basis
There are two reasons for this: The enor
nous expense attending the arrangement of
these exhibitions Of gowns, which was great
loss to Paris this spring, and the frenzy con-
nected with the effort to get workwomen No
one IN Paris wants to sew or cut or fit or en-
broider when a thousand new industries are
open to women where the wages are equal to
those of a man. France would be acting
only according to wisdom, therefore. if she
abandoned her semi-annual exhibitions
What Is the .x
Substitute?
During the French Revolution Franco sent
out doll with new fashions to show how
women should dress, and this manneouin wa.
copied and initiated even on the frontier line.
in America
Next summer she may send out crinol;ncs
not hoopskirts, as the layman thinks. h;,.
gowns made of soft cambric which can b.
packed in tiny bundles and mailed 20 n.
American buyers. This is the best solution
OF the problem that has offered itself to all
the merchants of the world.
These crinolincs can be shown to the Amer;.
can women, who will order gowns from thar,
or they can be copied on this side in cloth
and produced in great numbers. If neither
OF these methods is necessary, they serve az
inspiration and render verdict. This method
would save millions upon millions Of francs
and would serve to sober and steady the an
parei business. 1t would put it on sensible
basis and keen il within tho ho,,nd. - 44