The Jasper news., 1919-05-08
BACK TO-NATURE
STYLE IN GOWNS

IDENTIFY expected American women to
burst into wild extravaganza. 1t Is
doubtful, however, IL the snowy, SPAN
gled and embroidered dresses dis
played by the Paris designers will be
adopted by our American women for
this summers wear We In this coun-
try like simple models. Then, too, the
exorbitant prices charged by the
French dressmakers made the purchas-
ing of models almost prohibtive. Con-
sequently we may not expect any price
reductions In clothes for some time to
come. But It will not be for long, for
the poilus of France are returning to
work. The looms at Lyons and st.
Etienne are again busily whrring and
new wenves of silks and other fabrics
are being made for the wide, feminine
world.
The Short Skirt Advances.
At this moment there 10 with us a
great uncertainty about the length Of
skirts. The dictum of Paris is for
short ones; very short ones. All the
French houses stand sponsor to them
and we in America believe that the
short skirt is advancing upon us again
-stealthily, step by dep-although its
ultimate fate here still hesitantly
hangs in the balance. One of the
most difficult clothes questions we have
to settle is what compromise shall we
make between the skirt measuring
from IL to 10 inches from the floor,
which the Parisienne is wearing, and
the long skirt of purely American
origin. There Is no doubt about 1t,
French models cannot be altered to
meet the demand for skirt so much
longer without material change of the
original lines and much of the style
being completely lost by this change.
Some Of the evening gowns at the
recent openings had the skirts draped
so as to show the leg almost to the
knee, and the shortness at the front
and side accumulated by train. One
clever designer has done some very in
terestlng things with her skirts. She
has given an appearance of length by
putting transparent laces and embroid-
cries at the bottom of the skirt. She
then makes the underskrt several
inches shorter than the outside, there
complishing this on lot Of her eve
ing gowns, she Is using the same treat
ment on lingerie frocks. For the trous-
seau of bride she has made sheer
lingerie frock Of old lace and rare en-
broidery, ivory In tone. The petticoat
is of pale pink satin with knee-deep
flounce of navy blue chiffon. This gives
the desired background at which the
designer Is aiming.
Abbreviated seeve--Echo Of 1880.
No wonder the makers of clothes
have at last turned their attention to
sleeves No part of the dress allows
freer play to ones creative fancy.
In 1880 dressmakers went quite mad
over sleeves and cut up all sorts of
insane antics with them. And, since
this is the period from which the new
short sleeve takes its inspiration and
marks the difference between this
years frock and last, we may expect
present day modistes to do things
equally rs amusing. That there was
hiNiiOu ia iiS HluNilcSo Va lhCSC Oid-
time dressmakers is attested by the
beautiful effects obtained. We see
this in every old daguerreotype and oil
portrait Of that day. What Is loveller
for sheer fabrics than these abbreviat-
ed sleeves Tat belong to a period
when women dressed more picturesque
ly than they do nOw2
There is little doubt that the short
sleeve has come to stay. 1t will re-
main for the summer, at least. There
were few gowns or blouses shown at
openings that did not have short
sleeves, and some Of them none. Even
suits have three-quarter length sleeves,
permitting the hands to be carefully
gloved. Martial eft Armand sent US an
| afternoon gown Of biege colored crepe
de chine literally covered with silken
embroidery In the same tone. Very