The sun., 1919-04-06

teta gowns, immense menus, the pleat-
ing and sashes and flowers. The sump-
tuousness, insolence and the vivid
celebration of Orientalism has often Of
Tended the public more than Il has
pleased. Strange to say. II has Of
Tended man. There 10 a reason for
this. He does not like anything which
takes woman out Of the class OF CO.
quetry. She appears q bit too domi-
mating and powerful a personality in
the clothes Of Semiramis and Boa
dicea-
Dirsctoire Jacket.
There is much confusion concerning
Jackets. A variety of them are thrown
into the market. A problem OF the
public is centred upon the advisability
Of buying q short or long coat. The
details do not matter. As far a. one
can advise who has seen most Of the
French clothes, the evidence tends to
show that the public can buy what It
pleases.
The house OF Paquin advocates jack
cts that are three-quarters the length
of the figure; Bulloz turns out a d.
rectoire coat in striped material that
reaches to the knees. He embodies
this in q successful suit called the
Incroyable. which ia in black and
white stripes. The straight skirt but
tons to the belt in the fashion that
has been shown in other skirts for the
last four months, and the Jacket drops
below the knees and has ono Of the
broad conspicuous Directoire collars
that roll away from the blouse from
the neck to the waist line.
The strong movement toward this
epoch in fashion may produce an cpl
demic of long coats. II the skirt Is
narrow and short this type Of Jacket is
not ungraceful; II the bell shaped skirt
should win out or the very long sweep
ing skirt is accepted then the knee
length Jacket won't go.
Features OF French rashiens.
II might be more interesting to
women to sidetrack discussion, to drop
editorial opinion on certain fashions
and merely give a notebook summary
Of what is conspicuous among the
French gowns.
These are the features that stand
out so conspicuously that women will
want to absorb them first and then
work out the details as the time comes
for purchasing clothes. There is the
fact that the skirt lengths differ. They
run from six, eight, twelve and fifteen
inches from the floor. No two French
houses have agreed upon the same
length skirt. The Paris women are
wearing extra short skirts in the eve
ming as we'll as on the street. The
American buyers have ordered the ma
| jority of their gowns much longer
| than the Paris woman accepts them,
| and some Of the French houses have
! catered to American opinion or they
have put out ankle length skirts to
turn the tide OF French fashion.
The panel on a skirt has come back
into high fashion. 1t was brought into
| being by the influence Of the Directoire
which. in it's genuine expression. has
the long panel at the back as a part of
the jacket. Several panels are used on
new satin and taffeta models in the
form of elongated aprons; often they
are tied around the waist and finished
at the edges with pleating of the mate
rial.
There is a swirling Of drapery on the
narrow skirts and 1t is so complex that
the amateur will find 1t hard to copy;
In satin frocks this drapery crosses
itself in front and back. There Is also
a return to a movement OF fabric over
the hips in order that the tightness OF
the foundation may be hidden.
There are long sleeves and short
sleeves, 1t is true, but many Of the
gowns show a desire to compromise