Evening star., 1918-08-18

sweater opened In front. with pockets
and a belt of itself.
"Once upon time" said this wom-
an, this costume was considered the
uniform of the American summer girl
1t was adopted without cavil. 1t was
accepted without comparison with the
fashions of any other country. And
yet at this moment 1t looks entirely
out of the picture"
There has been no revolution.
Changes in summer apparel have BEEN
in cities only. They are Americanlzed
French fashion today. Even this sum
mer has seen distinct change from
what has been.
The linen skirt. gored at the top,
slightly faring at the hem and but
toned down the front, Is a thing OF the
past to great majority OF women
who are well dressed by instinct, or
because they follow the movement OF
the crowds. Any skirt IL worn but II
linen one.
Certain shops say that the sale of
sweaters for the autumn is small, but
they add that the spring sale was
good. We see sweaters In every shop.
despite the conservation of wool de-
cree. We see women knitting sweat
ers for themselves and their children.
and not for the soldiers and sailors
We read that colossal department
shops have an unusual quantity OF
yarn and are willing to sell II at
moderate prices. All Of these facts
jostle each other for first place. and
like the Kilkenny cats. they appear to
eat each other up and leave nothing.
Val fndUnu fa af1 hv fa S1,
ionable folk. the colored knitted
sweater has had it's day In silk or
wool. 1t IL sometimes worn under
jackets, on days in the open that need
or an automobile tour. Otherwise It
hangs in the closets OF the homes Of
fashionable women. However, its lack
of fashion has not deprecated it's
monetary value. for yarn is an ex-
tricate and dlfficult thing to obtain.
The ornamental blouse is debat-
able fashion. 1t is worn. It is liked.
and yet 1t has certain limitations in
the fashionable world.
These are the three features that
compelled the woman who observed
the snapshot from point OF view OF
business to look upon 1t with a criti-
cal expression.
And the strange thing is that. while
economy had nothing to do with put
ting out OF fashion any one of these
three garments, 1t came along at the
same time as their elimination
through other sources.
The economical reasons for discard
ing the white linen skirt, the knitted
woolen sweater and the ornamental
white muslin blouse are based on ex-
pensive laundry and scarcity Of ma
tertal. plus scarcity of labor.
Those large sectors Of American so.
ciety that considered this three piece
costume the most reliable basis for
their summer wardrobes imagined
their taste simple and inexpensive. 1t
against non essentials and the con-
version of them into active service for
the country have caused the scales to
fall from the eyes Of thousands of
tumery they adopted.
Linen skirts and muslin blouses
went to and from the tub or the
cleaners like shuttle in loom.
The cost of sweaters has been steadily
mounting, SO that the woman who in
sisted upon an extremely good looking
one had to pay $40 for it.
There were women who paid $40
apiece for twenty sweaters for one
season: there were others. who had
twenty sweaters hanging in their
closets. ranging in price from SIS TO
$50. AS high as SIS was paid for cer-
tain types of ornamental sweaters.
One who Is fond of statistics might
state that the average fashionable
woman on the beach or on a country
club piazza wearing what was callNl
the simple American uniform had
spent $50 for the skirt. $40 for the
sweater, $25 for the blouse and $35 for
the hat. This would not include a
short satin petticoat, a pair of three
dollar silk stockings and a pair of
twelve-dollar white shoes.
AS each one of these details of her
costume. except the sweater and the
hat. could not be. worn more than once
without cleaning or pressing, the eX-
pense of that performance must be
added to the rest. And the costume
would have to be multiplied by many
other garments of the same ilk. as no
woman would wear these same ones
throughout the days of midsummer
You can figure up for yourself some
thing of the result. There was no
economy about it: 1t simply reeked
with expense.
No observer of fashion knows the
exact moment in which there came
the first feeling Of reform against this
Kind of costumery. 1t had nothing to
DO with Paris, really. Thousands Of
women who dotted the surface of
american pleasure resorts in these
white skirts and shoes, ornamental
blouses, sweaters and straight -brim-
med hats went to Paris and such re-
sorts ay nnanyi11e Vichy and Aix -lpu-