The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-12-23
. (By United Press)
: : Rvf Hedda Hoyt

ed by the "chicness" of the women OF
Francer,on the 'boulevards, will re-
ceive a jolt when visiting Paris.
:. =. One. sees more smartly gowned
women Sin ten minutes on Fifth Ave-
nue. than one sees in weeks time
in Paris.t, The opera, the theatre,
and the smart rendezvous where one
would expect to- see stunningly dress
ed women, one is simply amazed to
see so few of them. The average
Americang stenographer is as clever
ly dressed as many of the so-cailei a
"smart" ,Parisians.
As for bizarre effects, the Amer
ican girl who attempts the so COM
pletely, outranks her Partisan sister
so that any comparison is ludicrous.
There is a great sameness about the
gowns. that are all black, stockings
that are all flesh toned and cheeks
that are without color: If there are
exceptions to this rule Of gowning
for the street in Paris this season,
one fails to see. them. -.
It is only when one is admitted
to the sactum-sanctorum Of the fam
Gus gown houses, such as Paquin,
Poiret, Lanvin and others; that one
sees creations that really come up
to ones expectations. And many of
these creations we have seen before
among the imports of our exclus-
i've shops. There IS a theory that
the Paris designer keeps his finest
wares for the Partisan trade and tina,
our American buyers never get to
see them, but our American dollar
IS the medium which disproves this
theory.
Skirts In France
: Skirts :Sre not strikingly long for
street. and daytime wear in Paris in
spite of the fact that they started
the long s1irt idea. The Partisan
evening frock is similar to cur after
noon gown in that it usually has
sleeves of some sort and is invariably
worn with turban.<.. 1t may be just
a little turbar Of transparent silver
lace or one of the extremely large
brimmed affairs that they are favor
ing at present. Fans and hair orna'
ments and little accessories which
we deem essential adjuncts for the
formal evening frock are seldom to
be seen in Paris.
In searching for stunning women
we find at ONCE the average Partisan
handicapped by her physique.
Where our American women are US
ually straight, boyish figures, ia.
and athletic, the Partisan is short
and runs to curves. e She is essential
ly feminine person, wearing as
much cosmetic in the morning hours
as the American show: girl does under
the footlights. Her round white face
is a background for greasy scarlet
lips: and heavily penciled eyelids.
; Quite the most striking thing about
the Partisan is her makeup. Our
most brazen flappers are reluctant
about applying lip rouge in public.
Not with the Partisan miss. She
lays down her salad fork, places her
mirror against the coffee pot, daubs
her eyelids with blue crayon, blends
the color gently into the lids, re,
,dens her mouth, dips her fingers
into the finger-bowl and calls it
day. ;!
49,, Shabbily Gowned Girls
At Maxims, which, by the way is
very Disappointing to the American
who expects to find it something like
our Palais Royal or Mont Marte and
finds it a. little room filled with
smoke and stray women under sat:
looking light fixtures, one is aston
ished: to see such shabbily gowned
girls for, even among this doubtful
class one: expects to see a few start
ling inspirations of Partisan design
ers. The American dressmaker
could find little Inspiration there.
=: At another popular rendezvous de
dance and champagne, one picks out
of the dancing fthrong girl with
chestnut hair and lovely brown. eyes
gowned, in a creation which is un-
doubtedly the last word; her legs are
trim, her feet correct. There is no
bulginess about her waist line. But,
alas, as she passes US her liquid
) voice utters a slang phrase that is
entirely American and we are again
disillusioned.
=. But whatever we say of the French
woman's clothes, her figure or "her
overpowering use of cosmetics, we
must admit that she has charm.
Where other women acquire it, she
is born with it. Those heavily PEN
ciled eyelids of the little girl of the
cafe can express more that the edu-
Gated ,&eyes of many of our screen
stars. S.=She comes with a grace of
expressive shoulders, of expressive
hands. She is art to the finger tips.
Give her little frock and box of
cosmetics and she will shrug her way
into our hearts in spite of the frock
and her masklike little face. The
technique of some of the little six
tcen-year-old coquettes of Paris
would put to shame many of our
famous divorces.
AS to the French silhouette, you
see it everywhere in smart American