Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-15
By ANNE RTTTENHOUsE.

fabrics. We have been given a
comprehensive outline of what to
expect in the new fashions, and
we have made up our minds to accept
or reject as we choose.
The details of autumn clothes have
been digested by us. The long skirt,
the continuance of sashes. the grow
ing importance of collars and cuffs
and the relinquishing of the attempt
to make stinf high collars fashionable
have filled US with the assurance that
we know enough to make start.
Women are divided in opinion as to
at this hour. They also question tho
extreme decolletage- that has been
adopted for the daytime hours. They
protest rather violently against the
effort to continue short sleeves in the
fashion.
They found their objections on sound
basic principles. They insist that war
activities are hampered by long
skirts; that deep decolletage in the
daytime does not look businesslike,
and that short sleeves are an absurd
1dSHlOH dI d IlIIC WAcH OIO IhVSI pay
SO for a two-button glove and far
more for one that wrinkles to the ell
bow.
x
Why are these things done? Is the
question of the majority of women.
The soothing answer is that they are
done for the same reason that one
substitutes an entree for heavy meat
once in while in the menu. Women's
taste in dress, as their taste in food,
becomes dulled and satiated by con-
slant repetition Of severe and whole
some diet. A bit of foolishness now
and then, such as an entree or q short
elbow sleeve, q souffle or deep decol-
letage in a luncheon gown gives q
like dressing up and going on again
with more buoyancy. 1t is merely
question Of stimulating the appetite
in order that more activity may result.
To the onlooker it does seem absurd
to bring about such things as short
sleeves when there Is q scarcity OF
gloves, and q long skirt at time of
the most intense activity among
women, but the comfortable assurance
is that no woman need choose these
fashions unless she so wishes.
Once upon time there were arbiters
of style. All women ran after bell
Wether. Certain women advanced Ger
tain fashions created by certain de-
ordered the clothes that had been
successfully worn by these certain
women; they were given out In mass
to the American woman. and she
bought .,at them at any price between SIS
The war caused Decentralization
Of style. Designers created. shops Of
fered. women bought according to
their purses; but the certain selected
women who had held in their hands
exploiting them with every grace of
bodily gesture and facial liveliness
disappeared. Maybe they went into
munition factories: maybe they be-
taigne who suggests that all woman
kind is divided into three classes
those who belong to the cloister, the
hearth or the street. and that some
only find their true vocation through
q cataclysm?
Discussion does not stop at the de-
tails of the silhouette or at the incom-
ing and outgoing of certain selected
fashions; it shuttles to and fro
through the web Of women about the
winter.
Philosophy, psychology, history of
wars and peoples at war enter into
these arguments. All discussion of this
SHOCH ID OdSeU OIL higher duU more
complex reasons than personal likes
and dislikes. and the rejection or ac-
ceptance of certain fashions in wom-
ems apparel gets into this CONVERSE
tional environment as quickly as any
other patriotic movement.
X X
At the moment, the discussion con-
corning colors is whether or not they
should be worn for the duration of
the war. Something quite marvellous
has happened to the dye system of
this country, so that women do not
have to base their choice Of colors on
what they can get. Limitations and
restrictions are. to a large extent, re-
moved. We seem to have mastered the
art OF dyeing in three years with more
skill than the pessimists believed was
possible. 1t was on this rock that
much of the commercial shipwreck in
Women's apparel was prophesied.
Well, the commercial mariners have
had this rock blown up by the chemi-
cal engineers, and one now sails
smoothly on the sea of colors.
1T Is the psychological quality in hui
man nature that is back of all this
argument about accepting colors.
Masses Of women think that black and
blue and brown should be worn until
peace is declared, with ourselves
among the victors. Others insist that
this Is the very time to brighten the
moral atmosphere by adorning our
selves with the plumage Of paradise