The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-10-14
DRESS
1919. by the Nc Cure Newspaper syndicate.)--
By ANNE RIT TENHOUSE

I
 Drecoll sends to America a certain
 suit which sells for three thousand 1 five hundred dollars, which is the
 record so far, and it tells the tale
 of high prices
 lshop in New York which has a coat and skirt of moleskin for which $500 is asked. | It is from the house of Drecoll, in Paris. No statement has been made as yet as to whether the gown has been solds or whether this price has been paid for it. However, it makes a new high record. 1t reaches the top note of prices.
 1 Never in the days of Catherine de l Medici,/of Marie Antoinette. or. of Queen 1 Elizabeth was such sum paid Tor d l-single gown. There are statistics on the prices of Catherine de Medicis rousseau gowns, including the magnificent frocN l which she wore when she was married ! to a French king, but they do not equal ! this amount.
 1 There are gasps of astonishment when-
 ever the story of this suit is told, so IL should be quickly added that the ma | terial is moleskin. Furs are expensive. Molesk,n is especially so. It is perish able, it is caprcious, it is difficult 10 handle. If woman wants suit oi 1 it, she cannot expect 1t to last long enough to give her value for the money paid; but there you are.
 The skirt in the suit has two flounces, the coat reaches well below the hips, ana
 there is a belt of silk cord weighted With gold ornaments. When the coat ia re- moved there is long Jeanne dare blouse, of cloth-of gold tissue, whicn | snugly fits the figure.
 The Americans who did not know that New York was offering a suit for nearly s400O were shocked by the prices Tn tne I Paris houses, and particularly so at tne 5000 evening gowns show..eHt the fouse of Callot Half a dozen of these were l worn by the manneQuins, at one ume' which cost 5000 each in American money on that day. counting the excnanse a' eight francs to the dollar. !. l These were the Byzantine gowns tna' created ~so much comment. They were operatic. The colors were opalescent' not vivid. They reminded one of Constanti- nonle at sunrise. The embroidery was as exouiste as a painting. The mauve' pink. yellow and blue tones shmmered m the light. The American buyers felt thal they were far too expensive Tor tiiei' country. but even when they turned tneir attention 10 minor frocksSthey found they were forced to pay five or six thousaho ! francs One short evening wrap "as I five thousand francs.
 These figures give some idea Of what Paris asked for her models. and it may explain ana excuse the prices asked Tn | America, for 50 per cent duty must ne added to the original price. and also something of ehe vast expense buyer incurs in going abroad to purchase clothes. A room on a Steamer that was sl25 is now $225. and one pays s25t for one berth in room for two l if a hath is included: and this is on the 16-day boats.
 There is far more labor to be had lin America than in France. but taere lis no disposition to charge less TOT
 American than for French models. II is a season of extraordinary prices The dressmakers are confident of a brilliant and prosperous future. one
 that is coming quickly over the hori-
 zon; and yet wherever women are iore-
 gathered they talk necessarily of -he
 fact that they could not afford to get new frocks this year.
 l How will 1t all end?