Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-29
TO Women
SPRING FROCKS OF WARTIME MATERIALS
BY ANNE RITTENHoUsE.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
NEW YORK. April 27.-Never would
the psychologist Of America have be-
lieved that we were people who would
accept with patience and docility all the
various and complex laws thrust upon
US over night during this war.
1t shows a will for war. for victory
and for self-discipline that one does not
expect of young people. Our indul-
gences have never been chastened be-
fore. Only that section of the south
which was overthrow by the civil war
knows the self-abnegation that goes
with restrictions on food, drink, cloth
ing, light and comfort of all kinds. The
women have been called upon to suffer
the most. 1T seems, and the least Of
their suffering has been to dispense
lcheerfully with the amount Of material
in their clothes.
They were asked not to use more than
four and half yards of wool. They
have voluntarily reduced the usage to
three and half yards. In this they are
aided and abetted by the designers.
which is natural for the price of a
gown has not gone down. although the
amount of material has been lessened.
Scanty, Attractive Frocks.
what frivolous extent the women of the
country use all that vast yardage of
fabrics that are designed purely for
femininity. 1t only asks that they go
carefully with the materials that can be
used by men. But. in order to set them
selves lesson of thrift, women have
gladly spread the doctrine of conserva-
ton over all fabrics. and in thousands
of sewing rooms throughout the coun-
try. where the seamstresses have joy
fully come back to their old vocation.
there is as much excitement and in
terest in working out gowns on a close
schedule as there is in games of chance
and skill.
Those who object to the over-slender
silhouette find that they can float ma
terial in complex and devious ways over
the scanty pencil outline Of the lower
gown and turn themselves out in an at
tractive, If scanty costume.
1t is significant fact that the women
of the country seem to have left the
ose-fltting wooden gown or suit to
the skill of the tailor and the ready-to-
wear shop. Both have done their best,
and because women, individually and in
mass, especially among the richer
classes, object now to the payment of
eXtravagant sums for clothes, there is
race among those who cater to rich
people, to provide gowns at small prices,
made of good material and carrying out
the law.
1t is the dominant discussion in fash
ion these days-this struggle between
high priced and low-priced gowns. At
the moment, it looks as though both
will win out. and this would not be an
unusual trick in human nature.
A New, Cheap Frock.
One of the most important houses
here in the making Of American clothes
has thrown a bombshell into the COM
munity by creating two war gowns
made from three and a half yards of
material each, the price to begin at
$3.50. These gowns will be sent out
to every ready-to-wear house in the
country that wants them.
Another shop which has channels of
power running throughout the CONT
nent has devised three gowns to be sold
at $50 apiece.
These two significant items give every
woman an idea of the leaven that is