Evening star., 1921-03-27
The President Of France Sets
New Styles for Men in Paris
Revival of the Frock Coat-Fashions for
The French TheaterThe "Melon" Hat
and the Swapping "Claque" or Opera"


the arm. and il opened. for use. with
SprinT-claCk like a trick con-
trivance. II first frightened. then
delighted. children.
An effort is noN being made Cn
the interest Of rarisian industry to
bring the claque back into fashion.
with the prime minister condescend-
ingiy pointing tn" way.
r
And. really. at the great opera
pageant which took place on the
night of February Is. the first ball
of the opera since the war, this old
time headpiece would have been use
full to civilian m.u. Yet il was as
conspicuous by its absence as was
. the mask, or black velvet ''loup."
which. in spite OF sensational news
paper correspond nee, is permissible
in Paris only at a regular masked
ball \ masked ball is masked
ball. and. as there always have been
and surely will be masked balls Of
the opera. to AVOID natural misun-
derstanding. formal notice Was pub
lisned that no nashS "a amy a."d
were 10 DC Worn.
IL Was naLIoLdl event. with re-
francs Tor Il war Cnarlty. and wltu
a succession OF nlIIlars and cINlc
paradeS sucn as ldrlS itself, perhaps.
mad never seea-aHd all To glorIly
the trials anu trlumpns OF France. 1t
should be looked on lor what II WAS,
a respondent, human, decorative DIS
play, like the old Roman trlumphs.
President Millerand, in the presi-
Dental box. represented France cor
rectly, as he Always does, this time.
as was necessary, in the broad trl-
color sash and shining star OF the
Legion of Honor, blazing on the white
Shirt front eXpanse of mis- full even
ing dress suit. The ambassadors and
lofty of all lands. France first. radi-
ated their countries glory from the
boxes, in a blaze of decorations. many
colored, jeweled insignia and medals,
barred across their breasts. and in
the shining jewels and shoulders OF
their wives and daughters.
Well, in the interludes, il was re-
marked (all talk about the 'clack.
although they have not Bought one)
that it would have been a real reflex
to the civilian men to do the thing
they always did, in old times. at the
operate rise. clack their opera hats
wide open. clap them on their heads.
and turn round to survey the house
from top to bottom.
In the old times 6thirty years ago)
the first sixteen rows of the orchestra
chairs at the opera. and the entire
orchestra at the then elegant va
rieties, were reserved to men; and as
they were. by strict rule of the house,
in swallow-tailS. white ties and all.
it was impressive. the same moment
when the curtain fell, to see the pha-
larx rise. turn and let loose the bar
rage of their clacking opera hats.
Strangers thought it funny, but they
soon learned to appreciate that it
gave a Paris man of society chance
to take of his hat in salutation TO
some lady who deigned to bow recog-
milton from box or balcony. 1t is q
world Of the past, a little world, 1T
seems now. when all Paris society
and quantities who were not in So
ciety knew one another's names and
faces. although such knowledge might
not have invariably been mutual. One
young fellow, / remember. made
good figure, and advanced himself
steadily by sedulously 'saluting the
empty seats"
Nowadays no one would notice. The
lady from Chicago. blazing with mag
nfffcent Jewels. looks across the house
at what she thinks must be some Euro
pean princess or marquise. but is, in
fact. a lady from Buenos Aires with vet
more Jewels: and another of them looks
at the men below-there are too many
other women down there to look at
X X
The men no longer have the strict
prerogative of sixteen rows. They brush
their silk high hats with melancholy
(and their left sleeve). when they fetch
it up, all mussed and dusty. from be-
meath the seat-or knocked and dented
by the passing fair when recklessly
hung on one of those little hooks on the
backs Of seats of the preceding row.
For here Is another morality. During
many years past women have been ad-
mitted to the orchestra chairs of French
theaters, thus depriving boulevardiers.
bald heads, critics and other celebrates
OF a social field that once was their
own. women's dress has not suffered
much by this, but mems wear has. Al
ready, in tho summer season, when no
body who is anybody is supposed to be
in town, travelling Englishmen were per
mitted to come to these best seats for
men) in loud tourist tweeds. Little by
little, in ordinary theaters. and even in
the great national Theatre Francais,
men-French and foreign-have been
coming the year round, not in evening
clothes.
dark suit" The more careful compro-
mise on what the French call 'smok-
ing" the English a dinner jacket and
Americans a tuxedo, With the reign
Of the cinema following on that OF the
music hall. where costume always was
laWless, tigh-class French theaters have
been losing their old select look-which,
no doubt, gained very largely from the
evening dress and high hats of the men.
II Is not the same in social events.
Many an American who deemed him
self practiced has found. to his dis
may, that at a dinner Of men only.
his was the only tuxedo and black
tie, while all around the table the
others were immaculate in swallow
tails and white ties.
The importance of one or more OF
the guests, the ceremonial occasion.
or-it must be admitted-the guesses
of the guests coinciding by mere
chance has determined it SO. 1t is
a common thing Gin the American
colony), to find men telephoning to
each other like so many girls-"What
are you going to wear?"
The tendency of French men, in
theaters, at least. has been toward
freedom from the swallowtail, and
even from the smoking" Yet during
the present season there has been a
revival of the greatest Journalism in
the smarter first nights of the boule-
yard houses The tuxedo. as il one
had Just looked in. after good din
ner among men. has been little seen.
The swallowtail. in its most aggre-
yated latest cut, with tight-nttlng
round shoulders. the tightest possible
sleeves, the white vest points show
ne away below, and even fancy fac
ngs to the lapels. and the swallow
.ails prolonging the sharp outlines.
has made French men distinguished
again.
Even the trousers are tight at the
<nees. like a construction of preci-