The sun., 1919-10-05

HAhlo IaSnlOnS nave reached
what may be termed the eclec-
tic stage. Old orthodox meth
DDS have been swept away in the
changed requirements OF modern
times. There are only few Of the
antiquated school left, and these are
on their last legs. Women no longer
stay indoors as they did in the days
Of our grandmothers, and women do
not submit to the idea of growing old
There are no more "old ladies'" and
while the couturier has helped with
the eternal juvenileness of the sex he
probably did not reckon that the wo-
men intended staying forever juveniles.
Now he has his troubles, for they in
sist upon dressing as though they
were still gay and twenty. The man
nequins in establishments are girlish
looking, and decked accordingly and
so far as the public is concerned they'd
better not be anything else
The general impression is that the
couturier rules the mode. Nothing of
the sort! He proposes the style. but
It Is the woman herself who settles
that-another case of man proposing.
woman disposing. AS proof of the ar
gument, has not the couturier been
trying for years to get rid of narrow
skirts and replace them by voluminous
skirts of prosaic box plaits and ruffles
In. cd ror nj he, l...lq n
Not at all. Every season regularly
bait has been cunningly laid to trap
woman into the trimmed skirt una
wares, but nothing save disaster for
the designer has been the result. The
poor couturier is so sick and tired of
the tube skirt that 1 believe should
the man-for of course it was man
who invented the hobble style bob
up in Paris he would be hustled out
Of town.
The Worst Yet to Come.
80 far, so good. We have now
reached the second critical stage or
woman's existence. that wherein man
has accepted woman imperfect,
though she be sans whalebones, sans
hoop skirt, sans ten petticoats; in other
words, woman has gained the entire
freedom of her torso. and she is fight
ing now evidently for the liberation Of
the neither limbs. One more kick of
the skirt and it will have disappeared
altogether. which Is only telling YOU
that Paris skirts are shorter than ever.
The various establishments have many
individual points OF difference, but with
one exception they shake hands on
the length of the skirt. However,
those hostile to the short skirt may
cheer up. The worst is yet to come.
There are quantities of evening frocks
being shown that have trousers as
foundation skirt, and the only sort Of
a skirt is a filmy draping OF net or
tulle, and these things are admired.
Coming events. you know.
Some of the houses, to all appear
ances ashore for ideas. have launched
crinoiine or strong suggestions of x.
but they have had no success. There
are thousands Of women who have lost
husband. brother. father and near re-
lations in the war. and women are still
doing mems work in France. II one
woman wears crinoline all will have to
follow in line. and nothing is further
from actual modes this moment. These
ideas, put forth the commencement of
the season, are to try the pulse of the
buyers as much as anything else. The
American buyer has the strongest
pulse Of the party, and what suits him
the Paris trade bows to. and the Amer
leans were bored to death when the
few crinoline mannequins stalked
forth.
Striking m balance.
Having been snubbed repeatedly in
their attempts to wrestle the narrow
skirt from women. the French coutu-
rier has struck a balance this season
by creating the long redingote, which
covers the offensive skirt more or less.
The skirt is left alone. though short
ened a bit; it is straight up end DOWN.
untrimmed. with just enough fulness
at the hips to make II rest nicely. The
fulness of the long redingotes or jack
cts is all drawn to the sides. The
back like the skirt, is left pretty much
10 take care Of itself. consisting gen.
orally Of long, plain piece falling
from the neck in a clean unbroken line
to the end of the skirt. which means to
the calf of the leg. And that is where
the best skirts reach.
The high Directoire collar is every
where in evidence, even on afternoon
or evening frocks. The word collar"
is a trivial word that might lead to
error as to the Importance this part OF
the garment plays, for the collars are