The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-11

Paying Only Slight Attention to
Hin Distension, and Continue in
the Straight, Narrow Path, Regard
less of the August Exhibitions in
France.
Copyright. 1919, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)
New York. November 1o.-There
were many Americans who shook their
head in negation when they saw hun
dreds of distended hip gowns parade
American woman. was the constant
comment.
When October arrived and the Amer
lean exhibitions were ushered in, 1t
was quickly noticed by the observer
that few of the exaggerated hoop
skirts were shown and that much of
the drapery on the hips was of the
kind offered by such conservative
house, as Worth and Doucet, and such
new houses as Madeleine and Made
lene.
America had modified the hip dis
tension. Her buyers had not been sure
that the American women would accept
anv of It, They seemed to have judged
rightly The present hour proves tnat
the public would have omitted the hip
distensions entirely if it had had the
courage.
The straight. narrow path in clothes
pleases them. One does not mean by
this statement that the Americans still
desire the chemise frock to the exelu-
sion of others, or that they like the
unbelted gown and the box coat with
out change or variety; but the majority
of our women have an objection to
building up the hips.
Neither do we like the corsetless fig
ure showing the pronounced, rounded
abdominal curve We are against
curves as race. 1t is prejudice
that is deeper than fashion. The for
eigners say that it is engendered by
our Indian ancestors. for even their
cultivated men are not always con-
WINGED that we do not descend from
the Six Tribes. Where the prejudice
comes from is too difficult to fad
out, but it is strongly rooted. 1t is
supposed to be the prejudice of artistic
nations.
France, 1t is true. rs the ~most ar
tistis of all modern nations, but her
prejudice is toward curves and it. has
always been So She prefers the infini-
tesimal detail to the smashing brush
stroke: she prefers the ingenuity OF
exquisite accessories rather than The
plain surface. She is only Grecian
and Roman through caprice, never
through cOnNlCllOu Ut lnnciitdnCc.- 4 ne
truth is she works according to her
type of women. and the Americans
must work nearer to their type-which
Is that Of all young nations In the
making-all nations that have not been
whetted down by elimination and over
cultivation.
BACK TO GRECIAN STANDARDS
There is an odd return on the part
of the Americans to the draped gown
with long. sinuous lines in the very
teeth of the pannier. the hoopskirt
and the crinoline advanced by Paris.
Not that Paris sponsored only sucn
silhouette for there were notably
lovely gowns in the ancient art of
drapery especially by Worth. Cabot
and Madeleine & Madeleine
Now that women have begun to fore
gather in full evening regalia, it shows
how they have been secretly working
and choosing. The pannier and the
hoopskirt are absent among the gowns.
Skirts with long Grecian drapery, bias,
sinuous lines that drop from one hip
downward over the figure. are in fun
evidence. They are placed beneath
bodice that Is almost shockingly SIM
Pile: when 1t is not low. it is nearly
always transparent
The sketch shows a gown that en-
bodies both these features. the skirt
with its age-old drapery that was N
fashion long before dreSsmakers had
arrived at the art OF accessories that
disguised the figure and the bodice.
This skirt is Of black velvet. made from
one piece of material. which is carried
around the figure in negligent man
ner and caught at one side. The bodice
is of gold lace, as simple as chiffon.
1t is unlined. almost to the waist in
back and to the bust in front.