The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-03-16
FLOUNCES and PLEATS
in THEssSPRING STYLES
IDEAS OF THE LOUIS XIV AND
XVI PERIODS ADOPTED. FLAIR
ING SKIRTS ON JACKETS
BY Sara Marshall Cook

NEW YORK.-Special correspond
ence: Paris dressmakers are again
caught in the whirl of flounces and
pleats. In the effort to make some
think new they have reverted to
many old fashioned favorite methods
of gariture. The successful use OF
leaf edge ruffles on taffeta dresses,
first launched by Lanvin, has led to
quite general acceptance of this idea
as an important note in the February
collections. Just to what extent
these shaped ruffles will be accepted
remains to be seen. For the moment
it is sufficient to state that they are
being used
The shapes of these leaf and petal
flounces are greatly varied, some be-
ing in very deep bands and others in
slightly rounded or blunt leaf designs.
An extremely old fashioned idea IS
the use of rocco embroidery at the
edge of these Enthusiastically cut
flounces The impression is almost
that of lamp shade skirt, but with
the stiffening omitted.
This style of embroidery, known as
Outrage des danes or rocco applique
ribbon and chenille relief work, is so
characteristic of lamp shades and
fancy boxes that one hesitates to
recommend its acceptance as dress
trimming. However, no less lmpor-
tant and tasteful a person than Marie
Antoinette was pleased to adopt this
very feminine type of embroidery on
many of her costumes now historical
ly classified as Style Marie Antlnette,
Nine. POmpadOur Lives in Fashion
Nine. Pompadour also lent her APP
proval to this type of decoration, and
therefore this relief embroidery is
sometimes called Pompadour. She
affected it in combinations of pink
and blue. just as Marie Antonette
did, but in the time of la Pompadour
the colors of these embroderies took
her name and that of Natter, the
famous painter, and were called Rose
Pompadour and Bleu Natter.
/ have just seen one OF these leaty
ruffled dresses developed in the new
lightweight taffeta known as damon
tine. 1t is jade green, with embrold-
cries of the dominating silver tone. In
addition to the ruffled skirt, this mod
ern model has also the old fashioned
bertha, developed in taffeta, with leaf
scallops at the edge.
Along with the gathered and shap-
ed flounce has come into prominence
also the pleated flounce in cascade
form and in graduated tiers. All
sorts of pleatings were used IN olden
times, when dressmakers did not go
in so extensively for applied decOra-
tions. 1t was not to save time that
this was used, for in those days the
pleating machines of today were un-
known, and each pleat was laid with
the greatest care and then pressed.
There were, it is true, all sorts OF
complicated irons for doing this work,
and it was so difficult to make some
of the most complex pleatings that
the work became a highly paid occu-
patton.
In the days when the pleated ruff
was not only considered an extreme
mode, but a necessity among those
who made any pretense to being fash
ionably dressed, pleating and starch
ing were considered an art.
Cascade Skirt Flows Into Style
The cascade skirt has been devel-
oped in a very light weight new tat
feta and also in chiffon. To form the
cascade folds the pleated fullness
turns back on itself, the length be-
ing cut on a diagonal line, which in
passing around the figure makes a
double tier of cascading flounces. To
complete these costumes there is oft
en- worn with these pleated skirts a
charming little sleeveless casaque or
Jacket of taffeta of the same shade as
the skirt and springing slightly over
the hips.
Other new models showing knife
pleated skirts arranged in three tiers
and having jacket bodices in a style
which suggests the periods of Louis
XIV and XVI are sometimes developed
in two shades of one color. The jack
ct is in the darker tone. The pleats
of the skirt are very fine and the
flounces are mounted on a narrow
foundation; thus, the skirt does not
give any appearance of excessive
width AS no jacket model of the
periods mentioned is complete without
its jabot frill, so does this 1920 taffeta
Jacket have its tulle and lace cravat.
Recent models show another use of
pleats in the form of straight, close
~ fitting panels about six inches wide,
alternating with a nine-inch unpleat-
ed panel. There are three of each.
The plain panels, which flank each
side of the front and form the center
back of the skirt, are from one to
one and a half inches longer than
those that are pleated. With skirts
of this character one sees also the
Louis jacket, considerably modified
but unquestionably of that period.
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