The New York herald., 1921-07-24
ny ANNE RIrTENHoUsE.

BY ANNE RITTENHOUSE.
w THEN the vast hordes Of Amer
w lean tourists were getting
ready for their invasion this
summer the dressfnakers said to them:
Wear black. Have your gowns and
hats unrelieved by color. Omit flow
ers. Look as much like an eighteenth
century silhouette as possible"
Most of the Americans took this ad-
vice. They arrived like a procession
Of mutes at an ancient funeral. And
what did they find? The usual thing
the French were in the process OF
changing their minds.
What curious and disappointing
summers we have had trying to read
the mind Of Paris over three thousand
miles away. Ones memory goes back
into that brilliant era before the war.
Even then the Americans arriving by
every steamer found themselves the
objects Of attention and commiseration
on the streets because they were wear
ing the wrong clothes. or rather the
fashions had been discarded.
Paris had worn these things---oh
yes. but Paris had tired of them and
was wearing something else.
The women who had paid high
prices for clothes in America were
furious with their dressmakers, but the
dressmakers were not to blame. Con-
ditions were to blame. Americans have
way Of digesting a French fashion
for year and by the time France is
ready to discard it America has taken
ii up.
This difference between the two ma
tions has no weight II one remains In
America. Then one dresses like the
rest of the world. Trouble comes when
one goes abroad and becomes self
conscious, miserably self conscious at
that. of the fact that ones best clothes
are copied after the French womans
old clothes.
Above Petty Trfvfalftfes.
What of It. insist those who think
women should be above such petty trivi-
alities? The answer to that expression
of contempt Is that human nature Is not
above this thing and the people who do
the most jeering are apt to be weaklings
OF the worst kind. who are quite mis-
cradle II they go to an occasional din
rer party and find themselves in the
wrong clothes. regarding II as near
tragedy. This is not only true OF
women, but of men possibly more true
of men than of women. The sex that is
afraid to wear a straw hat until GER
tain day in spring because his fellow
men are wearing felt hats can't throw
stones at women.
But away from philosophy and back
to fashion. The American women have,
and will have, feeling of fury that
they wear In Paris the fashions that
have been discarded In Paris.
Over a decade ago there were thou
sands OF women descending upon 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 money to discard their
American clothes and buy French
clothes, so they put on brave exterior
and pretended they did not see the po-
ltely derisive gIances 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 short
est skirts ever recorded In history.
IAN American liner has just arrived
was the constant remark on the Place
vendome as the American women ap'
peared in their ankle length skirts.
This spring the Americans went tt
Paris with very short skirts and found
the French lowering their hens. This
summer tourists have arrived in their
dead black costumes to fnd the French
Tightening their solid black with white
beige, gay embroidery, bows of ribbon
bright flowers and some fruit.
There YOU are The difference be-
tween the two sets OF women demands
that the Americans be able TO retain
their racial feeling OF superiority TO all
eshers nations. for the French do MOI
hesitate TO smile when they fnd we
have not caught up with them. IL Is
very polite smile when II Is not on
the faces OF the midinettes. but these
youngsters have gamin's delight lr
sticking out their tongues. figuratively
at the clothes and customs Of foreign
crs.
One thing which is quite strange &c
the observers over here Is the fact
that American women can get ar
American type of gown made In Paris
which has not single earmark Of
French chic. How they do II Is 2
mystery. IL makes one believe that the
marvel OF French designing does not
penetrate below the upper strata.
Americans buying I'm Paris.
There are Americans in Paris who
are buying quantities Of clothes from
what they call little dressmakers anc
boasting of. the small price they pas
on account OF the exchange but thets
Ia not a single difference between sucf
gowns and those that can be found n
xy American department shop. They