Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-25

Youth. which today means the woman
under forty. has not conquered such de-
sires. These sweep through her like
tidal wave. She wants to dress like the
women in the pony class. She yearns
for rainbow tea gowns, Slavic sport
clothes. PoireteSque street frocks. The
glow of a Turner sunset and Maxfield
Parrish sea scene are her ideas of right
coloring for her costumery. Yet such
things are not for her. Self control must
through protective grill, at, the flashing
clothes of those who lead the fashions.
This type cannot be run through
shop and come out in finished mold.
because it is too tall, the skin is too
red the arms and neck are not of that
clownGke Wilderness that seems to be
the heritage of the 1920 class. Yet,
despite this alleged handicap. she can
work out her salvation in a delightful
manner.
She may not like the brilliant color
| ing Of her skin. for it is opposed to the
Bermuda lily wilderness which fashion
insists upon. But she can dress up to
that coloring in way that will put her
above the ordinary.
She must persistently realize that her
type is one Of health. She must never
cease to feel the full value of this fact.
She is the rose and not the lily. d.
Foolish utilities are not for her. She
must escape these as though they were
deadly germs. She must let her thin
white companions buy the straight mar
row frock of terra Gotta silk with large
black figures on it, girdled with silken
cord at the hip.
She cannot wear cretonne sport suits
nor tea gowns that are gloriied flags.
nor dance gowns suggested by Bacchus
| She cannot wear her skirts to her knees,
which has suddenly become the ambi-
4 tiOn of vOllnQiSh in
| America
! France may have led the way to this
/ fashion. but America has eclipsed her.
Never in the history Of American fash
| ions has such semi-dressing been per-
mitted in the streets and hotels during
| the day. Skirts fifteen inches from the
| floor. transparent gray stockings, deep
tdecolletage and five-inch sleeves are the
| accepted commonplace of fashion. With
out a struggle, without a protest, with
widespread approval the American wom-
an exploits gowns in the crowded street
which were once barred from American
beaches.
Watch a crowd of women foregath-
| cred and see how impossible the
healthy. colorful young woman ap-
pears when she has attempted the
somewhat garish frocks that are the
symbol of the era. and see how attrac-
tive she is when she carries gown
that is built to give her the viking
look.
No matter what her age the girl of
this type is wise to choose matronly
colors, for the reason that they give
] her brilliancy chance to proclaim
| itself In the open public places she
| will find dark blue. black. gray in sew
| eral tones and beige of infinite service.
, There may be ruff1es. there may be
girdles and short sleeves. but every :
| thing is subdued. She rises above the
other young women in an assemblage
| because of this difference She seems
| to say she can wear these ancient
| draperies with power as once said the
| sister Of. a great French king when the
court around her was covered with the
! silly gewgaws, of an artificial era.
The girl who has been told that she
must not cut her skirts short because
! she has this commanding height and
sturdy line of bone and muscle does
! well to ignore such suggestions She
| can wear skirts that are abbreviated
according to the prevailing fashion if
! she possesses legs that are well
/ of her frame. She cannot and must
! not exaggerate the brevity.
! One feels tempted to suggest in
| passing, that the woman who has no
tplace in the startling new picture that
American society makes is she who
| leg with small ankle and swelling
, curve. That kind has gone with the
hour-glass figure. The pride of the
| chorus has been shelved. The straight
small leg is the fashion of the hour.
1t is especially Partisan. 1t has swept
! the long cherished American tradition
into the limbo of pre-war beliefs.
| Pc assured that one is no longer to
hing this -anatemfcal sSAtu,e- with
frankness The leg noWranks with