Middletown transcript., 1918-03-09
GOWNS SHOW AN
ALGERIAN SKIRT

toward anything that comes out Of
the East, used the skirt throughout his
years of success.
Last autumn the immense bulk Of
the American public looked with a
| shrug of the shoulders at the pink
and blue taffeta skirts that were
tucked up at the hem and caught
here and there with a formal little
bouquet Of roses. How stale and
stupid Paris Is! was the comment.
Can't she ever get 1t into her head
that America does not want that
loose, overfull skirt with its ungrace-
full line about the ankles? Debu-
tantes and young girls continued to
dance in this kind Of skirt wherever
the fiddles sounded. but women Of
more mature years dismissed it a. q
fashion from the start.
Now, here it is again, not only here.
but very much accumulated and &C.
copied as the leading silhouette
among certain houses that establish
fashions.
+, The first French gowns that come
over show it; the American dress
makers who are preparing for a brisk
spring trade speak Of it as a power
fur factor in the shaping Of the new
fashions. And the interesting part Of
it is that it entirely changes the sill
houette.
This seems to be in contrast with
the stated fact that France is persist
ent in certain things and maintains
certain line for a longer period OF
time than America. The truth Is that
France persists with a trick, but
changes the silhouette and still uses
the trick, and that is what she has
done in the new Algerian skirt.
It is difficult to say whether the
trousers of the French troops In Al
giers give the clew to this new skirt,
or whether it was the entire array OF
men in baggy trousers which curve in
below the knees to fit the legs.
Here Is the Silhouette.
The waist is normally large, the line
down the hips is either straight or
slightly bullying through the ful1ness
Of the material, and the hem is exceed
ingly narrow and tucked under. A
woman wearing the most fashionable
Of these skirts, with high boots added
thereunto, will look at slight dis
lance as though she wore baggy trou-
sers and army boots.
To the majority Of women this news
may not be welcome. They will fancy
far more sensational garment than
what actually exists. That mild rev.
olution against the sheath and the
hobble skirt may also crop up against
this Algerian skirt, but both the other
features Of fashion were incorporated
in our ordinary apparel after while,
without creating disturbance.
There is so little fullness in this
new skirt that it does not seem to be
even a first cousin to the skirt Of
Jenny with its tucked-up hem. That
skirt, which pervaded the continent
for two years. had tendency to flare
out, to fling itself away from the
ankles; this skirt goes in so rapidly
from knees to hem that 1t does not
need to undergo the same treatment
that was accorded the other skirt.
For instance, to be technical-the
fullness at it's hem is not caught up
and gathered to a short, narrow lin
ing. This is not considered necessary.
It is merely turned under and run
into the conventional hem, allowing
it's fullness, slight as it is. to fall
against the shoetops and accentuate
the trousered effect.
This extreme skirt has brought
about the narrowest silhouette we
have had in years. When the hem is
not tucked under, it is only wide
enough to provide free movement in
walking The skirts are necessarily
short, for their narrowness would
greatly impede progress If they were
long.