The New York herald., 1921-08-07
Decoration Depends on Design
of the Material and Intri-
cacy Of Garment.
By ANNE RITTENHoUsE.

BY ANNE RITTENHOUSE.
"HE way that trimming is ap-
piled. quite as much as tie
= trimming itself or the line Of
the frock on which it is applied. diff
fers with the years and as the mode
of women's clothes slowly changes and
modifies.
Sometimes the decoration depends
entirely on the design of the material.
sometimes on the material together
with the intricacy of the garment it.
self. Often Oriental costumes could be
described thus. The Japanese woman
gets the decorative effect in her
clothes by the interesting fabrics from
which they are made. by the folds of
one kimino over another. the lines of
the obi. The addition of sashes of
boleros. of aprons and petticoats makes
for the decorative effect of the whole
In the European peasant costume.
Again trimming is applied all over
the frock in the form of braiding,
yufiies, f1ounces and frills. This was
ono of the characteristics and the
great fault of the costume of the
mid Victorian period. Flounces were
trimmed with ruffles and ruffies with
ruchings. Panels were edged with
bands of material and tire bands were
further decorated with rows of braid.
What of the mode of to-day? The
lines themselves are extremely simple.
We have little interest in new frocks
that show boleros and overskirts,
flounces and such intricacies. We like
best the frock that Is simple of line
and construction. We still avoid placing
the bulk of the trimming on the very
places that I'VE used to regard the only
suitable places for trimming. The simple
line of the bateau neck Is left without
frill or founce, colarette or bertha.
often the front OF the bodice is straight
and unadorned. We have little use for
the tucks and gathers. shirrings and
plaits that used to te an essential to
the effectiveness OF the front OF the
bodice.
Fringe Persists.
Among the trimming details that
persist Is fringe. True. there are some
women wto are definitely done with II,
at least they say they are: but the de-
signers have managed to apply II in
a new way and with new effect. They
may be tempted back to II again in
spite of the overpcpularIty that Il
has recently endured Nowadays over
popularization of style or a trimming
detail does not actually seem ever to
ruin IL. For the time II puts It in
trying position. but the very fact that
Il has become popular shows that it
has some real ground of appeal The
clever designers simply wait until It
has run it's course in the production of
cheaper clothes. then revive II in new
and pleasing guise, depending on and
knowing full well that discriminating
women never abandoned a good style
Just because 1t had been worn by the
many.
For the difference in the fringes that
have worked themselves TO the ground
and the ones that are new and interest
ing is that tho latter are cften irregular
In length, and they are often made OF
a medley Of bright colored beads. Steel
beads are also used IN fringes. alone or
combined with bright colored ones.
The Vogue Is Jet.
Jet has been IN the offing OF fashion
for some seasons. The designers have
not pushed IL, seemingly knowing that II
they kept il before the eyes of women
or as trimming to hat they would come
TO II of their own accord. And now
there is every indication that Il will be
in high esteem for the coming season.
The younger women who wear II may
never know just how strongly suggestive
Jet once was Of all that was out Of
fashion. IL was mentioned with horse
hair sofas. If you ever knew any one
who actually did have a horsehair sofa
In parlor that was only opened for
weddings and funerals and corner
whatnot that harborcd the stuffed can
ary. then she probably had a best dress
trimmed with jet that she wore on &C.
caslons. There was q jet yoke which
was plastered along the upper part Of
the front Of the bodice, part OF the
frock that was regarded as the fit and
proper place for the preponderance Of
r.i trimming One rarely trimmed the
backs of frocks In those days 1t would
have seemed like ruthless waste of ma
terials. Indeed II would have seemed
almost indecent.
These jet trimmings. yokes and band.
ings were expensive. They were treas
ured when the fabrics were worn out
they we're carefully mcnded and put back
on best dresses when the silk had 10 be
washed IN beer 10 bring back its pristine
blackness--so prodigal were We OF The
brew IN those days
There s no longer any doubt that jet
trimming and Jet jewolry will play a
leading role In the coming fashions.