Evening star., 1922-10-01
Here Is a Summary Of New Fashions Being Shown
BY ANNE RITTENHOUsE.

|THosE of US who have been on
the firing line at the battle Of
clothes in Paris have been in
twenty-ring circus. The
parades Of hundreds Of new clothes
were all going at one time. Is it nec-
essary to say that our minds were
confused, our eyes were crossed and
our judgment held in allegiance?
OF course there are more than
twenty dressmakers and milliners in
Paris. This town is as full Of them
as a honeycomb of cells. But less
than twenty rule Paris, which means
that they rule Europe. which means
that they rule the United States.
Whatever other dressmakers may do
is builded on what these powerful
factors launch.
But behind the dominant forces lies
9 more dominating power. 1t il the
public. Curiously enough. 1t is d.
vided into two factions, amtably in
clined toward each other. These two
are Paris and America. The public
of Paris decides on one fashion, the
public in America decides on another.
Sometimes they agree, as they did
last summer. From vichy to Deau-
willie, from London to Rome fashion
able women were dressed alike. This
season it Is probable the same thing
will happen. for Paris has shown to
Americans many Of the same garments
she launched in June.
The designers know that the public
Is the power and that it gives the
final decision. Therefore the public
may care to know exactly what the
observers think is important as shown
by the leading Paris houses. for on
these things must they deliver judg-
ment when it comes to taking the
money out of their pocketbooks.
The battle was fierce while it last
ed. 1t is always compressed into q
few weeks. 1t is enveloped in mys-
terry. 1t is companioned by intrigue.
1t progresses with rivalry. Behind
the scenes is a vast network OF wires
of which the public knows nothing.
the Journalists not a great deal, and
the buyers and sellers much. OF all
that confusion the public cares little.
When one tells a group Of women
in America the story of these SEMI
annual battles in Paris. of the din-
Guilty of getting into the front line,
of the intrigue and spies and trick
cry and lies. that group Of women
gaspingly says: You mean that
those dressmakers in Paris don't
give their eye teeth to get fashion
reporter from America into their
hnf~ Nd nrrif a
them up: that they won't let any
woman come in and buy a frock
and take it home:" One wants to
burst into a lecture as an answer
and tell what really happens: tell
how the activities Of these few weeks
are watched by hundreds OF thou
sands, who are playing the game of
clothes: how the crumbs that fall
from the designers table are eagerly
snatched by. thousands of little wrens
and robins to gain a little credit and
a little money. I'll tell you this:
That The game is so great to a re-
porter that the clothes are almost
forgotten.
l.
ID leans are said to have spent
nearly a billion dollars in Paris this
year, it is surely interesting to sum-
niarize what the leading factors in
dress have shown and have sold to
Americans.
The house Of Callot, governed by
three sisters. never lacks courage. It
is a house of individualism. This
season it projects the styles of the
directoire. 1t insists upon the nor
NAL waist, also. the high waist, which
is nearly under the bust. Skirts
flow freely from these high waists.
Ribbons fiutter. There IL strong sug-
gestion of the clothes Of Josephine
when she was unknown to high So
ciety. but very well known at the
Luxembourg.
The Callots continue short skirts
for street and afternoon. They use
white velvet for gorgeous evening
gowns combined with silver lace
and the oriental splendor Of festoons