Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-15
OflntpreSttO Women
CHIFFON FOR WINTER WEAR.

I !or afternoon frocks. Paris, like Amer
lea, suffered 30 intensely with the coal
less cold of last winter. that her best
weavers invented shaggy fabrics which
were taken from the lion and the orarig-
| outang, while the heaviest velours and a
new kind of blanket cloth taken from
the coverings worn In the shelter ca yes
during air raids were two of the fabrics
oHered as novelties in Paris in August.
But even these weaves. symbolic as
| they were of the discomfort Of MANKIND
Wnen the weather and the lack of ref
| combined to reduce us to the freezin
point. did not prevent the exploitIti.;
OF chiffon frocks.- One looked upon Their
WIN pathetic and reminiscent eye
they belonged to those happy Elysiai,
days when the coal was in the cellaf
| and the steam was in the pipes.
Foundations for Fur Coats
The cold weather that spread over
this continent during September made
| these chiffon gowns seem even more
| reckless than ever. One could not even
| wear them in the house during the third
| week of September, unless there was a
| reckless expenditure of stored coal and
wood in the fireplace. The only place
| where they were really comfortable was
under long fur coat in the open.
Yet, these chiffon gowns were adj
mired, and for reasons that the trade
KNOWS far better than the average
woman. They gave inspiration. Such
| IS the measure of power which the Paris
clothes have and which is never accred-
TIED them by that vast public that mere-
iy thinks that our buyers go to France
| to get gowns to sell at enormous prices
TO women who would just as soon have
American clothes.
This view is a densely ignorant one
!,arls clothes are worth millions of
francs to the American dressmakers
even if they are never worn in their
original state by a single American
! woman. Every turn and twist of the
seam, of the complexity of drapery, of
the manipulation of fabric, the place
ment of button. the novelty of bit
OF embroidery, the hang of sleeve, is
separate bit of inspiration that pro-
vides weeks of well paid work in the
workrooms of this continent.
SO France sends over her chiffon
gowns, which have already been copied
in this country in the heaviest velveteen
and velours and put forward as the first
of the autumn frocFs.
An admirable model was made in
heavy satirl-the new kind which the
French use instead of serge-in ifnita-
ton of the taupe chiffon froels which is
sketched today and which is as full of
. Interesting features as an egg is of
meat.
Borders of Fringe.
This frock, like many of its imitators,
is loaded down at the hem with fringe.
No matter how popular this bit of orrla-
| mentatio: may be, it is not excluded
from the most exclusive houses. You
| may see it on gown for SIS and on
one for $3.50, which shows that it is in
full swing and will not be denied, for the
autumn at least.
The frock itself is from France and
| is of taupe chiffon tucked and trimmed
I! with narrow silk fringe at the hem and
| around the wide belt, which gives the
appearance of fiuffings of marabou. The
| tucks on the skirt form a plaid effect,
and the wide collar which Grapes the
neck is somewhat after the manner of
those invented by Lanvin and taken
from the Moors and Arabs. The belt is
fastened in the back with two buttons