Evening star., 1918-01-13
By ANNE R1TrENHoUsE.

D
set looks as though the wool con-
Ill servation will be up to the men.
The good offices of the French am
& b.ssador. Nj. Jusserand. were asked
~ the wool men here in order that the
French designers would gladly CO.
auerate with the American moVehoh'
1pr the slim silhouette and the ieast
Sossible use of wool.
However, 1t was not necessary TOT 'he
Srsnch ambassador to lay much stfess
Spon his request to Paris. 1t Is not easy
Gar the reporter to see just why tho
1Rrassmakers here were so anxious Tor
.srrench cooperation when they neglect
"A TO cooperate with France In her
conservation of wool last autumn.
The French government had made the
hame request to its designers as the
American government, and 1t was COM
.oliance with that request thae crea'eo
the narrow silhouette and the Snort
scant skirt which came out in Frencn
models last autumn
~
7. ia not possible for the onlooker TO
-hAe that France has tried to get around
this small measurement OF wool III d
Ssv new gowns or suits for the mlosea-
son she may have put more maeeriai
than usual. because she heard 'ha'
America would not accept the slim sil-
houette launched last August
When the new models came over from
Paris last September the reporters oi
Fashion faid great stress upon the scar
city of material and the attenuated me
but it fell upon deaf ears. as far as the
majority of manufacturers were con-
cerned. The American trade continue9
o-put out clothes that had enough WOO!
IN them to make an Army overcoae ano
blanket The American public said tnat
Il did not want to wear the short, mar
row skirt and the tiny JACKIE. ana NOV.
panic over the wool question IN clotnes'
.fhe designers insist that they need CO.
,operation with France II the new clothes
ara to be q success
needed, but from our side, not theirs.
At any rate the request for the gowns
that are made of less than four and
half yards of wool has been met IN
paris by an almost total elimination Of
wool in the new spring models.
Mime. PaQuin. who is the head OF the
association of designers over there. says
that America need have nothing to fear
in, regard to extravaganza with ma
terial in the new clothes.
The silhouette is to be as slim as 1t
was in the directoire. Every material
that can possibly be woven will be used
as substitute for wool Twine will be
used for embroidery whenever avail
able, instead of worsted-
Therefore. with the joining of hands
across the sea and no drastic excuse for
using wool it is possible to predict that
the early season will be filled with
gowns and suits of tussah. silk, crepe
de chine and artificial silk jersey.
women can wear thin materials in
spring and summer, but men can't. or
won't. Enormous quantities of worsteds
are consumed for their suits through
out the year.
The Army overcoats, which were snp-
piled by the thousands and took up a
great mass of wool. were the first to
come under the ban of extravaganza as
soon as the soldiers in France found
that they were too long for the mud of
FLANDERS and Picardy-
/. Other bits OF extrayagance which are
unnecessary are included in a long list
Published by the manufacturers Of mems
raoshinE- A reduction in yardage will
result il these certain features are elm
fhzted
: From this list it would appear that
the manufacturers OF mems costumes
nave really gone into the conservation
with determination. 1t is quite aston
i&hiag how many small things they have
found that can be eliminated without
>defrfment to the appearance or service |
abilit. of the garment.
{ Their list is lesson in thrift. Think |
OF taking flaps from the pockets Of |
vests. piping from seams, collars from |!
vests, outside cash pockets from coats. /
tunnel loops from trousers and tabs
from overcoat sleeves, and finding that |
the conservation of material in these
small features is enough to outfit a |
great number of soldiers.
IT is relief to have the burden of ex-
trayagance in clothes put over on the |
men, Our shoulders have borne it for |
two centuries. We have been preached
90 by men until we are all weary Of their |
propaganda against us.
Now. let them do the work of economy !
Let every woman have her answer |