Evening star., 1921-07-24

to fashion. The American women
T have, and will have, feeling Of fury
that they wear in Paris the fashions
that have been discarded by Paris.
over decade ago there were
Paris with wide skirts. many Of
them pleated, and they were met in
Paris by women wearing tight skirts
that reached nearly to the ankles.
Most Of them did not have enough
clothes and buy French clothes. so
they put on brave exterior and pre-
tended they did not see the politely
dersive glances of the French.
The same thing happened two years
ago. when the Americans went over
with their trunks filled with long
tight skirts and found the French
wearing the shortest skirts ever re-
; corded in history.
IAN American liner has just ar
rived" was the constant remark on
the Place Vendome as the American
women appeared in their ankle length
skirts.
This spring the Americans went to
Paris with very short skirts and
found the French lowering the hens.
in their dead black costumes to f1nd
the French tightening their solid black
with white. beige. gay embroidery, bows
of ribbons; bright flowers and some
fruit. *
There you are. The difference. be-
tween the two seats Of women demand
that the Americans be able to. re-
tain their racial feeling OF superiority
do not hesitate to smile when they
find we have not caught up with
them. 1t is a very polite smile wheh
1t Is not on the faces Of the midiH-
gamin's delight in sticking out thar
tongues, figuratively. at the clothSs
and customes of foreigners. 4
r i I %i
ONE thing which is quite strange
" to observers over here is the
fact that American women can get
an American type of gown made$ IN
Paris which has not a single ear
mark of French chic. How they DO
it Is mystery. 1t makes oneSsbe-
lieve that the marvel of French de-
signing does not penetrate below
the upper strata.
There are Americans in Paris who
are buying quantities of clothes from
what they call little dressmakers and
boasting of the small price they pay
is not a single difference between
such gowns and those that can be
found in any American department
shop. They are strangely, peculiarly
stamped with label Of the United
States.
Even their copies of the great
gowns seen at important establish
ments are wondrously like the type
Of thing that one achieves at home
might be said just here without
apology for it's irrelevance that the
American clothes which sell at the
same BaI price nns. as the cheap clothes Of
and have more distinction.
To End from which quarter, the
wind is blowing it is necessary to
watch smart French women at this
Is the o one eAs thing ing that counts. By
smart" one does not mean aristo-
cratic, for here, as in America and
England, one cannot look to the old
established families for what is new
smart woman here is not always in
society. but she is in the first rank
of those who make clothes a pro-
fession and therefore becomes OBJ
who are in Paris for such work.
1t is not possible to see new
clothes during July and therefore
the American tourists who see half
empty. dressmaking houses, who are
offered offer, the models Of last April for
strangers and French workers ON
the streets. cannot form correct
idea Of French fashion.
The women who wear COOL
ciothes~are not wearing them In de-
serted towns. They are showing
themselves of at the resorts, and
they. are saving their best for the
great week in Normandy on the
English channel where, as usual,
in Europe, fashions follow the horses.
Al social nfe comes to. a glorious cli-
in August. It does not re-awaken
until next April.
The moment that great night
breaks into the dawn Of Monday,
the world Of workers, including Amer
leans, rush to Paris for weeks of
hard work spent inspecting new
fashions. The world Of pleasure goes
to sleep, to rest, to read, to take life
easy in order that it can enjoy itself
in Venice or Biarritz at the end Of
September.
wearing. therfore. that is Of inter-
home as well as those who are here.
THE first direct change that one
1 notices is the unexpected addi-
toin Of white and beige Eeorkette
crepe and chiffon to black gowns.
The frequency Of sthis fashion gives
one the feeling that the nation is
coming out Of first into second
MOURNING. True, no one could as
sociste any feeling OF grief with the