South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-04
ARTICLEVH
by FlOrcnz ZiegfeId, Jr.
Acknowledged Arbiter OF Feminine
Beauty.
HOW BEAUTY SETS THE STYLES

was sitting IN my Office one after
noon recently when a letter from one
OF our costumers was placed before
me. Tt was a bin for making seven
gowns for seven OF our chorus beau
ties-and what do you suppose the
cost OF each frook was?
They averaged $500 each. And
these were made for beauties Of the
chorus. mind you. not for principals
in the cast Gowns FOR the latter
often run 10 twice as much as the
figure mentioned
This Will strike the average man
and woman as a good deal 70 pay for
a single garment. It's an expensive
pace. No one knows that better than
a theatrical producer. But II is
necessary because the American pub
Nc has come 70 demand great things
from the beauties OF the stage IN the
way OF stunning gowns 1t IS not too
much 20 say that the chorus beauty,
TO a large extent. dictates the styles
and modes In clothing, hairdress, mil
nnery and many other things, TO
women in every state in the union.
The interesting part about all this
IS that Il IS a comparatively recent
development Fifteen years ago Il
wasn't so. Then Il was the society
women OF the country who laid down
the law OF what's what IN feminine
dress. They got their IDEAS mostly
from Paris, and from Palm Beach,
Newport. Virginia Hot Springs. and
other nationally frequented resorts.
rsey imposed them on the public
But the beauty chorus jumped
into competition about 1907 and
since then It has completely van
pushed the smart set. Indeed. So
ciety 1rsef now copies what the stage
beauty sets as p. mode.
How Short Skirts Originated.
I suppose that most people do not
realize that the present-day short
skirts. which women young and old
affect. started IA the chorus. For a
long time q was easy 70 blame every
thing on the war, whether It was a
detective flue or a poor season for
mushrooms. but when say that the
pre5ent-dRy short skirts are due 10
the war, I speak truly. And this is
how 81 came about. In Paris. IN the
latter days OF 1915 material for
vcmen's clothes became very ex-
pensive and hard 20 get, with the re-
suit that every woman. already econ
oTnlznB Is astounding ways, added
another sacrifice TO her lst-she
used less material for her frocks.
But Il was left for an enterprising
theatrical manager 10 grasp the OPP
portunity and make OF the depriva-
ton q sweeping fashion success.
That winter ne brought out new
revue IN which the entire beauty
chorus appeared as attractively
gowned as before. but every girls
skirt was so short that even Paris
gasped q little at so radical a change
n the mode.
Here was an example Of complete
" unitarian determination OF style.
Frocks made IN this manner eConO-
ultzed IN several yards Of valuable
material They were also more COM
Portable than their tight ankle-cling-
ing precedent, and had the added
charm OF being something absolute
ly new. SO NJ a time when the
world was wringing its hands and
trying 90 take interest in something
other than war office reports the
short skirts slipped into the affec-
tons and wardrobe Of every we'll
gowned woman In Paris OF course.
10 spread 20 London and then 20
New York very rapidly. and soon ac-
Qulrcd universal acceptance
Now 81 is not my business 20 dc
tate what VIII pc the new mode. but
already the next catch y on the way.
The gowns OF the FolIes this sea-
son have been made long and full In
the skirt. 7 venture 90 predict that
IN few months all the world or