Evening star., 1919-02-23


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 majority of these United States
there has been tendency to dress in
summer in way that seems to defy
the calendar. Hundreds of these wom-
en- 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
without excuse.
~
There was 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
tendency to avoid cool simplicity, even
though July and August demand
clothes that will give comfort The
average Paris woman, even though she
may be young girl working for her
living, never appears in the street or
at shop in separate white shirt
waist without coat. and none of the
Paris women go about the streets in
muslin or linen frocks
1t was this French custom in sum-
mer clothes that governed the Amer
lean output for the last decade or so.
OF course, women did not always
cling to the style, for in evaporation
they wore thin gowns without orna-
mentation, when life became unbear-
able in thicker clothes, but the tend
Il .ls I,NN. tn
was SO strong in Paris that it reached
over mere, and al all the resorts. from
June till September, one saw dur
ing that phase of fashion hand en-
broidered handkerchief linen and
batiste, frocks dropped over silk or
satin Innings that could not beguile
any observer into thinking they We're
simple or inexpensive.
After that fashion in clothes came
the unbridled desire to indulge In what
is known as sport clothes. No one
knows where this idea sprang up un-
less It was on the beaches at Deau-
vile during the racing season, A we'll
known French woman made her for
tune when she inaugurated such
clothes and saw to it that her most
conspicuous clientele exploited them
where they would do the most good.
Youngsters who have indulged In
these clothes during four or six
months of the year may think that
they have been with us since time was.
but 1t Is quite easy to remember their
Introduction the summer before the
war. 1T was at this time that the silk
knitted sweater leaped into fame. and
all manner of clothes that We're sup
posed to be worn at outdoor sports be-
came the common costumery of this
continent. Old and young adopted this
style. No occasion in spring or sum
mer was too formal to forbid it. SO
far the bell that rings it's doom has
not sounded In the ears of a large ma
jority of women, but the bell is ring
Ing, and those who are near TO 1t, un-
derstauding its import have FASTENED
TO discard sport clothes, except for
such occasions in the open as demand
them.
This movement away from the in
formality of apparel was started last
summer in Europe, where the sport
clothes originated. strange to say,
among class of women who would
regard a tennis racket with horror.
golf BAH with dismay and n long walk
through the woods with timidity,
sport clothes, as fashion swings away
from every type of costumery. The
thing was run to the ground. 1t had
been overdone by vast masses of peo-
pie. 1t had absorbed all other kinds
of apparel.
Its popularity dismayed the tailors
and dressmakers, for 1t caused women
to cease spending money on various
sets or costumes IOf warm "PatNet, IL
permitted them to appear in cheap
rament on much the same scale OF
fashio4 as their richer sisters, who
paid S75 for n sweater and $f00 for a
sport skirt and jumper. AS long as
fashion Kept the sport costumery on
high scale of prices no one In the APP
parel business complained, but when
the whole1a}ers turned out everything
by the hundred and every suburban
village was dotted with the same
clothes that were sold on 5th avenue,
then those who make apparel thought
Ii was time TO restrict this output.
iH X x
Those who are at the wheel of fash
ions insist upon giving credit for the
introduction and the abolition of sport
clothes to one woman whose name is
Gabrielle Chanel. She lives in France.
She has q sumptuous place, which she
bought out of her sale of sport skirts
and sweaters and Jersey clothes. In
this sumptuous place she decided to
make other kinds of costumes. and
those who frequent Paris and keep
their hands on it's pulse, say that sport
clothes fell apart like a house OF cards
when Chanel witharew her favoritism.
This may or may not be so. The world
itself may be tired of sport clothes, for
the true fortune maker Is only step
ahead OF the public. She or he senses
what the masses want and gives it TO