The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-23
Foulard, Chiffon,
Taffeta and Shan
tun gs R e pl &C e
Serges and Heav-
lily Lined Gowns,
the Idea Coming
From Paris
TIME world seems to have made
up its mind to wear In summer
i the clothes that are suggestive

Of summer.
This may sound like familiar con-
dition to women in those sectors of the
country that prepare for the heat in
April and do not think of warm clothes
until November: but In the large ma
jority of these United States there has
been a tendency to dress in summer in
AWAY that seems to defy the calendar.
Hundreds of these women buy thin
serge frocks and suits, gowns with
strong silk Innings. chiffon or satin
bodices that do not wash, and there is
always bit OF fur hanging in the
closet ready to be used with or without
excuse.
There was a time when even the
women of the cooler States permitted
themselves to look upon lingerie gowns
with favor This was done in Paris,
where there has always been a ten
dency to avoid cool simplicity, even
though July and August demand
clothes that will give comfort The
average Paris woman. even though she
may be a young girl working for her
living, never appears in the street or
at shop in a separate white shirt
waist without coat, and none of the
Paris women go about the streets in
muslin or linen frocks.
L.,
mer clothes that governed the Ameri-
can output for the last decade or so.
OF course women did not always cling
to the style, for in evaporation they
f. wore thin gowns without ornamental
t!on, when life became unbearable in
thicker clothes; but the tendency to-
ward elaborate muslin gowns was so
strong in Paris that 1t reached over
Here, and at all the resorts from June
till mid september one saw during
that phase of fashion hand embroid-
cred handkerchief linen and batiste
frocks dropped over silk or satin lin
ings that could not beguile any OBJ
server into thinking they were simple
or inexpensive.
sport Clothes Had Vogue.
After that fashion in clothes came
the unbridled desire to indulge in what
are known as sport clothes. No one
knows where this idea sprang up. un.
less 1t was on the beaches at Deau-
vile during the racing season. A vel
known French woman made her for.
tune when she inaugurated suci
clothes and saw TO 1t that her mos
conspicuous clientele exploited then
where they would do the most good.
Youngsters who have INDUCED il
these clothes during four or six months
OF the year may think that they hav'
been with us since time was, but it 4
quite easy to remember their introduc
ton the summer before the war. I
vas at this time that the silk knitte,
sweater leaped into fame and all man
ner OF clothes that were supposed L
be worn at outdoor sports became tn
common costumery OF this continent
Old and young adopted this style
No occasion in spring or summer wa
too formal to forbid it. So far tn
bell that rings It's doom has no
sounded in the ears of a large major
ity of women. but the bell Is ringing
and those who are near to 1t, under
standing its import, have FASTENED t
discard sport clothes except for sue
occasions in the open as demand them.
Return to Formally Begins.
This movement away from the in
formality of apparel was started las
summer in Europe, where the spol
clothes originated. strange TO -.
among a class OF women who woul
regard a tennis racquet with horro
\ golf ball with dismay and long wal
through the woods with timidit.
Fashion simply swung away frol
sport clothes as fasniot. wings ava
from every type of costumery. TIL
thing was run to the ground. 1t ha
been overdone by vast masses of pee
pie. 1t had absorbed all other kind
of apparel. Its popularity dlsmaye
the tailors and dressmakers. for
caused women 70 cease spendin
money on various sets of costumes fC
warm weather; 1t permitted them {
appear in cheap raiment on much II
same scale OF fashion as their richie
sisters who paid $75 for a sweatt
and 800 for a sport skirt and jumpe
AS long as fashion kept the spo
costumery on a high scale Of price
no one in the apparel business con
planned, but when the wholesaler
turned out everything by the hui
bred and every suburban village W;
dotted with the same clothes TIL
were sold on Fifth avenue, then tho
who make apparel thought it was tin
TO restrict this output.
Gabrielle Chanel Is Credited.
Those who are at the wheel of fasI
ions insist upon giving credit for Il
introduction and the abolition of spo
clothes to one woman. whose name
Gabrielle Chanel. She lives In Franc
She has sumptuous place, which 81
bought out OF her sale of sport Skin
and sweaters and jersey clothes.
this .sumptuous place she derided
make other kinds OF costumes, al
those who frequent Paris and Ike
their hands on Its pulse say that spo
clothes fell apart like a house of car
when Chanel withdrew her fayoritis
Ihis may or may not be So The wol
-