The New York herald., 1921-07-17


plore.
All of us know about the full skirt the
kind that is distended at the hips or
gathered to the tight bodice, but we do
not realize that simple circular skirt
has been admitted into the best society,
or that skirts with heavy cable cords at
the hens to keep the material from COM
ing anywhere near the figure are as
common as those narrow ones stretched
across the spine. The advent of the for
mer has made the appearance of the lat
ter appear out of the picture. II a
woman wears skirt which Is tightly
stretched across the end Of the hips she
keeps the Jacket son to hide It,
There are still tight skirts. Don't be
nisled into thinking that the garment
Is non-existent: but II Is covered up. 1t
is not worn with blouse tucked into the
waist band.
When the jacket is not the method of
concealment fiaring overskirts of lace
take its place. 1t is the fashion to use
sheath slip Of dark satin as a founda-
tion for five yard overskirt of coarse
black lace. wired at the hem to stand
away from the figure; not content with
achieving this width there Is peplum
of lace that flares over the hips. Small
chance for the continuation of the un-
covered tight skira when a variety OF
these fashions are In existence.
1t is the opinion of experts that the
new skirts will be distended at the hem
and not at the hips. that the seventeenth
century Spanish idea will give way to
the mid-Victorian idea. AS skirts
lengthen they will widen, and even
though they remain short on the street
there will be loose pleats or thick gath
s.rc tr %A1
attenuation.
The sunshade Joins the shawl.
Other things which are reminiscent
of the Victoria era are the sunshade,
lace mitts and the shawl with fringe.
Once upon a time such accessories
were considered oy our modern minds
as too ugly to discuss, too monstrous
to reappear. Yet here they are. thrust
into our eyes at every turn In Paris
And fringe Is on the shawl and on the
sunshade. 1t may be Of silk or monkey
fur combed to fineness. They are not
tired of monkey fur over here.
The sunshade has gone beyond the
furthest aspiration of Victorian lady.
1t Is made OF straw. as IT was in the
olden days. also of silk petals, as 1t was
when Victoria was young, and of lace,
as II was when Eugene reigned. In
addition IL Is sometimes trimmed with
roses. as 1t was when Madame Recamier
walked in the English park and inno-
Gently caused a mob and riot among
the crush of people rushing showing and
standing on each elevation TO see her
wondrous beauty.
This lovely lady wore clothes that had
nothing to do with the Second Empire,
but throughout the ages, since women
have learned its decorative value, the
sunshade has been a thing of protection
as well as coquetry. We banished II
decades ago and took up the sturdy.
practical. black silk umbrella when we
abandoned most of the fashions that ap-
peared to hamper our movements.
IL was Trance who turned the prac-
tical umbrella into n thing of coloring
and artistry. For some reason that the
meteorologists have not explained. Il
rained during the four years of war in
Europe French women walked In the
rain. Once they rode or remained at
home. Also they were able 20 buy sew
eral hats and gowns In pre-war days,
but during the war they could not, and
would not. buy them. Those who made
money were afraid to fiaunt their pros
perity in the faces Of those who had lost
all.
This was the practical reason that
brought umbrellas into fashion. One
might add that the most inclement
weather or severe poverty. did not per-
suade the French women to wear rub
bers. They would not do IT. They let
their feet get wet while they sought to
keep their heads dry. II Is when the
practical American sees many of these
Inconsistencies in French habits that she
is not surprised at the high percentage
OF tuberculosis greater than In any
other country. experts say.