The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-19

The countries who do not strictly fol-
low the French methods Of dress. The
buyer who sees these gowns gets no
further into genuine French fashion
than one who goes to the frontier of a
country and never meets its people.
What the French wear invariably in
nuences our styles even though we
copy the ideas nearly six months after
ward. That may show the expected
Yankee caution. It is foolish to as
sumo that it is a sign of sartorial
cowardice.
The women of France are never in
duenced in the slightest degree by
what the designers In Paris arrange
for the American and English buyers.
They are the Judge of their styles.
Their social life, their climate. their
FACIAL traits determine their method of
lothing themselves. They take advice
rom no one. nor do they need 1t.
She who watches them with an APP
rowing eye, who acknowledges that they
lace details better than we do. that
ley mass and choose color better than
Tiers, that they have the daring and
.riginallty that can be copied from afar
II by the Anglo-Saxon, finds that her
iewpoint of fashion Is agreeably stinu-
ted by merely coming in contact with
uch masters.
DO Things We Criticise.
We are apt to rebel at. or to criticise
auch that they wear. We insist upon
ur methods, our social environment as
he determining factors In the clothes
nh xr-o ostAA a
ourselves doing the very things we criti-
Use them for months earlier.
The adoption by us of the extra short
skirt Is one evidence of this. The frantic
manner in which we wore the sleeveless
lay frock. the taking unto ourselves of
The short vamp low shoe with multiple
traps, the substitution OF the beige
olored stocking for the black one, are
travis that show how fiercely the wind
lows from the French when we open
ne doors.
It behooves us then to watch with
lterest what the French women wear
'ofore we approach a new season. The
amy dressmakers know this The rou-
me buyer merely sees the clothes shown
e the semi-annual exhibitions, intended
or foreigners these are brought home
md offered to us as the last word in
mart French style
Possibly. very probably, II they brought
nome the exact clothes the smart
parisienne was wearing we would dis
ain to look at them. Commentaries
re not philanthropists. They go to
,aris in order to buy that which they
Jan sell. II they depended on a small
lat OF patrons who faithfully follow
trance at risk OF being conspicuous they
eouldn't pay store rent.
Are skirts Growing Longer.
Smart Americans who return from
Paris wearing the clothes that are spon-
iored there do not hesitate to advise ds
20 lengthen our skirts This advice.
when we realize we we're a year in fol-
lowing the French style OF shortening
them, comes as a quick reverse face.
we have learned to like the garments
nat nearly show the knee and are not
quite sure we will accept the verdict of
Paris. Possibly we may take another
year TO give up the fashion we so VAL
iantly defied In the beginning.
There are many smart French women
VINO wear skirts only six inches from
ne floor, but they are not for walking.
Vheir uneven hens and the effect OF
peing drawn up and under keep the OBJ
aerver from realizing Just how much
ionger they are than the ones we wear.
mat they are firm step In the dIrec-
on OF longer skirts as u universal fash
on there Ia little doubt.
It Ia not thought that the length Of
he tube-like skirt will be increased,
VIZ ~ that direction lie uglincss and