Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-08-29


raE of sin months ngo.
There Is on" clothes question that
- AT the moment upp"rinost In the
minds OF min" women out Of ten. Are
skirts really going To be longer
and II SO. how much longer"
Not in years has a fashion verdict
h"'n awaited $50 much interest
Ih~ short skirt has been 50 popi-
lat---so comfortnbl" and. TO most wo-
men. $" becoming that quite natur-
any there is Il reluctance to part with
II. and horrible vision "f trailing
lengths that sweep tho dust
l:ut 1t isn't s" bad as all that-ln
TACT II isn't bad any way YOU look
AT it.
Longer. translated mean cleh,
inches or the ground for stree,
cloth"s-not much chance for dust
sweeping therc-and Two TO four
inches FOR the evening
Change Is Gradual.
ms chang" may seem sudden TO
som" women, but like all OF fashior,'s
mpv,li today it really IL quite grad
ual, and. truth to tell. quite logical
Vogue announced definitely as long
ago os September. 1920. that skirts
were growing longer. and has re-
ported steadily ever since Just how
the all-poworful French dreSsruakcrs
we're c"nspiring To accomplish this
and with no abrupt shock TO their
customers
Every ono remembers quite plainly
the floating wisrs Of crepe de Chine
or chiffon which first became the
fashion in the spring of 1920. Little
did women know. when they accepted
this vagary OF fashion. just how much
they were letting themselves in for
1g hs,t
wisps hung below the skirt proper.
but then il was still short skirt.
Then. somehow. there were more
wlsps-prctty things. and often they
hung down farther than they had at
flrst--hut, of course. The skirt proper
was short
Then. al at once. panels which
hung ut either sid" joined the brigade
OF wi~ps-hut ot course. as the dress
makers explained quite convinclngIy
YOU couldn't expect 10 have wisps of
cloth-and since you'd bccom" accus-
! toned to wisps. YOU just naturally
hha TO have somcthing-so why not
panels? AS tho season advanced
these panels grew more definitely in
character, ana the eve saw them and
lost sigh, If tho Once irnportnnt skirt
underneath until today, last ycars
Straight-lin" short skirt looks de-
| cidcdly out ~ style and tho long skirt
has very definitely arrived
Question of Siihomcttcs.
Next in Importance" to Skin; lengths.
comes the question Of silhoucttcs.
Time was when ono said ";hc sill
houcttc'-but those simple days when
a single silhouette dominated the
seasons fashions have passed until
today we have almost half dozen
from which to choose. each playing
its very definite part in the scheme
OF things
| First comes tho suit. which. due 20
| Partisan enthusiasm. Is perhaps more
| popular than in several seasons This
ycar, il is made. very likcly. Of kasha
cloth. or broadcIoth. called back into
| favor. Its coat may either be straight
ana b"ltcss or with slightly curved
| waist-linc S1d Eodcts on the side. bur
| flat back ana front It's color is
black, black combined with gray.
very dark rcd. or the new Madeleine
| blue. Its skirt is nine inches from
| the ground
WING with II in popularity is the
| coat dress. Il real feature Of the com
! ing season with its high collar OF
fur. lowered wa istlinc defined by n
| cleaning steel belt and sometimes
embroidered in cut steel beads. its
| '''S '''''N'S' us lUiicr ana longer
| skirt, its deep. rich color further en-
richcncd by peasant embroidery.
Afternoon Dress styles.
Next comes the afternoon dress. Of
fercd in several interesting silhou-
cites. hut best liked. perhaps, In
| two one is In the real peasant
| spirit with lis Enthusiastically long.
loose blousch lines. straight wide
| sleeves. lowered waist-linc n sash
| loosely knottcd about IL. Il fun but
| straight hanging skirt. uneven OF
hem. and with touches Of cmhroidcr-
| les reminiscent Of Southern Europe
| adding To its col"rfml effect Tho
| other is tho straight silhouette which
retains many OF the features Of last
| seasons Chcmisc dress, falling
| straight from tho shoulder and SIM
| ply hcltcd with on" of the new metal
| cirdlcs. This Is tho most conscrva-
| tive silhouette. but the least new in
| effect.
Because Of It's generally wcarahle
| qualities. II is likely to he the most
| worn. Then for evening, comes the
| Greek silhouette. n lovely thing OF
grace ana charm-idcal for the din
ncr table or the thcatcr. In white
or delicate colors and soft pattern
| less fabrics. ii is apt TO he sleeveless
| and may he either straight and
! plcatcd or foultlcssly drapcd. The
| Grandr S"mainc in Paris. that last
| week OF tho races which is so smart
| both as To events and as To the modes
| which IL brings out. proved tho power
| OF this Greek gown as its white
| length trained through the marvellous
riot OF color at the various evening
| affairs.
] In that same week was introduced