Evening star., 1919-04-27

pull the hair back from the forehead
and paint slight point in front, and
then varnish 1T with some kind OF
brilliantine An extreme fashion like
this usually runs quick course, and
If we accentuate the Japanese infiu-
ence in so drastic a manner that 1t is
copied from one end of the country to
the other it will soon cease to be of
interest.
The eighteenth century presents
more variety in style, less that Is OBJ
jectionable, and more that is pleasing
to the mass of women. 1t has coquet-
ry, frivolity, futility. These have been
the main symbols of women's clothes
since time began, and any departures
from them represent phase and do
not suggest permanence.
Now that we are through all the
:. hullabaloo created by the various
forms Of immodest dressing which
were projected in the February exhi-
bitions and exploited by large sectors
Of French society, we have arrived at
the conclusion that the American pub
lie is pretty safe and sane after all.
True, we have adopted some atroci-
ties in dress, but their atrocity has
had more to do with ugliness than in
decency. Women with huge, matronly
figures who band themselves horizon
tally with colored embroidery, arab
esque white .braiding, or silk and satin
in violent contrast to the surface of
the gown, are seen everywhere They
have taken up the worst features of
the new fashions, and 1t is these very
women, and not their thinner and
taller sisters, who seem to have availed
themselves of the permission given by
the designers to cut the skirt to the
bend Of the knee for the evening, or
to wear the new French bodicss, which
are un!ined. except for tulle, and worn
over a corsetless figure.
Certain phases of dress suggested
by these amazing directoire fashions,
have been brought about. For in
stance. skirts that are irregular at the
hem are entirely acceptable for even
ing. although the convolution Of the
drapery sometimes exposes more of
the leg than is usual in good society.
The bodices Of the hour are quite thin
and often Of finer material than the
skirt, and they outline the curve Of
the bust as plainly as though the figure
were undra ped.
This is not a new fashion. howe YER,
and those who shrek aloud at it would
do we'll to 60 back into the past that
is still at our heels, when it was ex-
ceedingly smart to pull in the waist
so that the bust might be more round
ed, and then fit the material closely
to the figure. This was considered
dignifed by even the most conserva-
tive members of society. The objec-
tion that is made to it's return is the
fact that the waistline is still left as
uncorseted as the bfst.
At dinner party the other night
two women in evening dress sat near
each other, and the coStrast IN their
costumes was so curious tina. no one
missed it.
One woman. famous in New York
for her figure, wore black velvet
gown sweeping the floor, cut princess,
tightly fitted to an eighteen-inch
waist, with a square decofletage that
extended almost to the top Of the
corset.
Her companion wore an opalescent.
translucent tulle frock in rose and
mauve which dropped in a negligent
manner over corsetless figure that
was as slender and supple as that Of
young Indian girl.
And here's the interesting part of
the story: Those who could be
shocked at anything professed to be
shocked at the 1880 figure while they
considered the uncorseted young In
dian quite adorable.
1t looks, however, as though the
threatened indecsncies have been
snnoothed out, to judge by the clotes
hat women now choose and wear.
There IL no doubt that the corset Is
steadily disappearing on the figures of
those who are not thick and heavy.
The girdIs placed below the waist is
the corset OF the moment. and there is
nothing Objectionable in this IL the
woman Is slim and supple, and these
are qualities which the ma jority Of
American figures posssss.
Sedatness rules. Our clothes are
not shocking. The japanese posture
Ia prevalent. 1t Arouses interest and
comment, and it has changed dancing
more than walking. for there is an on
tirely new method of dancing which
seems to have been created overnight
by the necessities of this japanese
gowH