Evening star., 1920-11-28


four seasons.
The custom of blending the country
and the town is borrowed from England.
In the southern states the custom OF
living in the country throughout the
year was never abolished after the
civil war. People journeyed to and fro,
but the gods of their household re-
manned in the plantation house. This
was the nucleus of their social ex-
iStence.
After the civil war Americas life
changed in a drastic fashion. People
gathered, and sometimes huddled, about
The places where they earned their
living. Country houses were deserted.
The town was the thing. The laborer
had gone to the city TO work and there
was no one to keep up the physical COM
fort of country life.
Then the motor was invented. 1t be-
came the universal individual means of
travel. 1t linked the town and the coun-
try. 1t revolutionized social life. 1t had
stupendous effect upon fashion.
x = !: ::
Following on its heels came the sub
way. the under-river tubes. Trans
portation because tragedy to the
solitary and delight to those who
like to change the outlook every day or
every week.
The well-to-do American began to
keep two houses, one in the country,
one in the city. The average Ameri-
can, working in a great city, followed
his English brother in maintaining
his home and family under the stars
instead of the electric lights.
Social life underwent a revolution
The week end colony became the
recognized diversion. Except in towns
with the attractiveness of country,
the social life was transferred to the
open on Saturday morning and main
tanned until Monday morning.
1t became less and less common to
give social entertainments in town on
Saturday or Sunday. They were given
in the country. Today the fashionable
restaurants in great cities, the dance
places, the theaters are given over to
tourists, to the immense crowd that
does not go out of town on Saturday,
to the continuous cliff dwellers.
Fashion is SO powerful that 1T can
stretch tentacles, octopus-like, into
the furthermost recesses OF the social
strata and gather the people in these
stratas into it's mighty grasp; there
fore it holds in its grip the woman
who works, the man who slaves, the
in society by sending
them to whatever country spot that
offers a safe refuge over the week
SuN- <AA0 thSAS VIC S0AtdoAC
clothes.
, When an entire nation takes an out
11ng from Friday night until Monday
in open spaces where there is skating,
1sieighing. or whatever other diversions
the winter offers. along with the in
formality Of rapidly arranged dances
and card parties, there is bound to be
an extraordinary demand for sport
clothes.
Much that is offered at the shops is
searcher after what is new can get
away from that is banal because there
are new ideas, cleverly carried out.
= 1t is difficult to say whether the
English or the French excel In the de-
signing of these sport clothes Amer
fca has done little in this line.
France has become a country of out
door sport, it is true. but it's fashion
able women still take this phase of
life seriously and dress for 1t as did
the court ladies who wore volumiRous
velvet riding habits with plumed hats
and embroidered gloves and carried a
falcon on their wrists when they went
forth to hunt in the tiny forests to
the fanfare of trumpets.
The English wear the clothes that
suit the sports. They are very apt to
be worn and somber. When they ride,
they rid, and when they play tennis
they are thinking of the game and not
OF their hair. Therefore the absolute
spoftswomen are not apt to lead in the
fashion, but there Is q host of English
women who believe in country life,
and dress according to its gayeties- II
is these who wear remarkably good
clothes.
~ + + -
No doubt England is responsible for
atuch that we have taken up. Woolen
stockings. for instance Catch the
=
on the streets even in rainy and cold
weather. She wants them transpar-
ent, no matter if their frailty compels
her 70 repair them every night.
+ over here we are also running quite
wild in our enthusiasm for onion Skin
hosiery, but the smart women disdain
to use them in bitter weather and the
= public streets at any time. They re-
sort to the colored wool stocking as a
substitute for the gaiter.
y. This fashion has gained so much
headway in the autumn that one won
ders If the gaiter is doomed here as II
has been in London and Paris. 1t Is
p very good looking on the Shapeiy
American leg as a finish 10 the short
narrow skirt. IL We are to return &c
longer skirts of the kind we wore q
year ago. the gaiter should go. 1t was
a clumsy fashion-that joining of the
ankle length skirt TO the high cloth
9aiter: il impresseS US as ugly the
The longer skirt. the extra lons
sleeve and the elongated collar are
bound to come. although some com
mercialists shifted at the statement
when IL was repeatedly made in the
summer. These fashions. however
have little il anything to do with mod
ern sport clothes, the kind that are
intended to see the light of service,
The summer days do not influence
sport clothes much as they dc
evening and afternoon frocks. ThiT
fabrics have no part in the wardrobe
f6bric. gives way to heavy, rough
tweed. To hOmespun and TO those new
products Of the looms that resemble
the hide of animals; soft furry thing.
that look warm as bear
p Angora. white and beige, is used fol
tams that broaden out at the sides anC
carry a touch of color to make dull
weather appear gayer In wool stock
ings heather. bright green. French
blue, bright copper are worn with any
kind of shoes.
In sweaters the aim Is to look a.
bundled UP as Il football hero wher
he leaves the field. These garment;
are no longer slimly cut to show of
the figure. nor do they open in from
TO display an expanse of shirt front
Neither are they girdled with a sasl
Of the fabric. They have taken on III,
enveloping effect of the mans sweater
They slip on over the head. II u bel
is desired il is Of leather. loosel
placed about the normal waist line
Englishwomen have led the way "
using sheepskin for rough weathel
11port clothes. The Americans like tho
idea. They have il offered them il
luxurious form under the name o