Pueblo chieftain., 1922-01-22

of the American designer had come.
French control had slipped for the
| time being. Here was the long
awaited chance of escape, For the
first time in their lives American
modistes with exclusive establishments
| just off Fifth Avenue dared to boast
/ that they carried no importations-
that all of their gowns were designed
| op their own premises-'made In
| America" But the Armistice had
apparent that such an independent
policy could not longer be maintain
ed. The Partisan yoke had lifted only
| to fall with even greater emphasis. In
another six months the skimpy, short
skirted, sleeveless neckless. war
tic need for economy in labor and
materials were achieving enormous
popularity In this country.
II the French felt any m!sgivings
about the stability of their power over
I tho American fashion market during
/ the war. this immediate postwar
! triumph must unquestionably have re
lieved them. For their latest demand
1 Is extremely bold. They are demand
ing that the women discard their
skimpy. war-dictatcd garments that
have become so dear to them and 10
don long. volumiuous. medieval frocks
that lack appropriateness for the ac-
| tive young woman of today. The new
| mode. like the war one. Is dictated by
expediency. In fact. according TO
Americans returning from Paris. 1t Is
| tho inspiration not so much of the
French couturrereses OF the French
Government. II is designed especially
I for the benefit OF tho French fabric
! industries. which have been suffering
recently from a great surplus OF ma
terials and labor.
No. long ago. I. seems. the condi-
= I'D. ~srfA ~ GO
desperate that delegation called
upon the French Minister of the In
terror, requesting governmental as
sistance
| FRENCH OFFICIAL FASHIONS
"who makes the fashions OF the
world ?" these gentlemen inquired In
dignantly who Is responsible for
/ the amount OF material that they use
Who but the great couturferes OF
| Paris. And behold the modes they
arc at present creating, No skirts in
the daytime. No bodices at night.
Three yards OF stuff for gown when
we used to cell ten. For them all goes
we'll The less material they employ
/ in a confection tho higher the price
they ask But for us' Do you rcalize
that all the best velvets, brocadca.
satins, silks, fine dress fabrics of all
d
comprehend that French designers are
running ono OF the great industries
of France and impovcrishing the
country? And then we talk about
! the Vaccinations of our enemies. II
/ is high time for the government to act
against these traitors at home"
| After going into the facts and
| figures presented by the delegation.
/ the government agreed. so the story
goes that this was n most unfortunate
state OF affairs. remedy would
| have to be found at once So a con-
/ ference OF the famous Partisan de-
/ signers was called by the Ministry OF
4 the Interior. who ordered them TO
change the styles Immediately. TO
| create new models requiring large
quo ontitIes of materials-especially
| French materials-and thereafter TO
bear carefully in mind the interests
/ of ia Pa,rie" IN providing fashions
| for the world.
Tho couturlercs lost no time In
carving out these orders. They turn
I cd back to the Middle Ages for their
Inspiration md started creating models
with skirts OF mammoth proportions
which trailed the ground. The rich
brocades velvets and satins of the
French mills. which had been neg
! lccted were now strcnuously In de-
| mand. Ono famous Partisan modiste
has designed her latest gowns upon
such peculiar lines that they can be
cut only from two-ysrd wide material
which is madc only by French con-
Germs To reproduce the same ma
terial in this country. II Is said. tho
mills would have to install new looms.
| Everything about the new styles is
,ypicaliy French-the flower and bead
| trimmings and the silk fringe, and es-
peciaily the wool astrakhan trimming
/ which. as France is not fur country.
/ Is used as a substitute for fur.
GREAT DESIGNERS PROVE MEEK
Apparently. It never occurred to
any OF the great designers to resent
governmental interference with their
art. One. who was questioned on the
! subject by an American woman in
Paris declared that he was only too
glad to use his skill for the rehabili-
| tation OF the French Industries. Per-
sonaIly, also. he thought that there
should be a limit to simplicity.
women" he said. were getting al
together too fond of dressing in knee
length sacks with string around the
waist. Last year. having cast off
nearly everything else. they even ell
| minated sleeves. Fashions were
growing monotonous 1t was time
for a radical change
Nevertheless. in spite Of this pro-
| fessional complaisanco in carrying
out the orders of the French Ministry
of Interior, there was. at tho begin
ming. a slight hitch. This was occs-
stoned by tho French women, who
exhibited no patriotic alacrity In
adopting the new modes. The step
| from the straight, knee-length frock
TO the medieval skirt was too radical
to take effect at once. Only the
American women in Paris seemed to
have the necessary agility. Thus. the
designers for n brief interval were
+ compelled TO compromise. The long
| skirt, they saw, would have to be in
| troduced gently and gradually, first,
by the addition Of floating side panels
and draperies and then with n slightly
i lowered hem until the eye and ankle
became accustomed to the new line.
60 nv inrenuous means tho long fuII