Evening star., 1922-07-30

tables in the Normandie. drops in at
the gambling tables after midnight
in the exclusive baccarat rooms.
To this place the French dress
makers send trial balloons, the kind
Of clothes that give the Americans
rev suggestions and provide the
trade with a dozen or more bits of
inspiration. That condition is what
links it to America.
There is a distinct change in the
French manner of dressing for open
air life. Last summer white was the
prevailing color as an antidote for
black Every other woman wore a
white chiffon cape edged with black
monkey. Only the Americans wore
sweaters and blouses and homespun
skirts.
This summer there are many black
and white combinations. some of
them most alluring in their striking
originality. but there are colors that
clash and scream and dazzle as II
one were at the Dubar in Delhi in
stead of the sands of the English
channel.
an animated veranda awning, the
kind the American woman considers
vital part of her summer house
decoration This gown is simply cut
with a normal waist line which does
not conhne, but softly outlines a
division between blouse and skirt.
The material is crepe de chine. the
foundation color is beige. the stripes
are red and black. The edges are
bound with red braid and the short
beach cape is of the material. 1t is
lined with red to give a brilliant
background to the frock.
When these awning effects are
made Of heavy material, such as cot
ton or duck, they are not graceful.
The weave is too unyielding for the
fashion of this hour. The awning
stripping in crepe de chine is infinitely
better. The lines of color are not
rigid. They undulate and sink into
the figure so one does not present
cardboard outline.
X
WHEN the cold days of the Paris
w spring brought out the jumper
jacket of suede and other thick ma
terials at the races dressmakers and
dress reporters instantly recognized
a new factor in costumery. They
sensed the fact that fashion would
make much of this garment when hot
weather appeared. And it has.
On the French beaches women are
wearing these short jackets of
French linen lined with thin. crepe
or silk. The surface is covered with
thick tracery of black embroidery.
Such Jackets are worn with a pleated
black crepe de chine skirt. and their
partly open front shows black crepe
de chine girdle bodice instead of a
blouse.
American women in Paris are apt
dark gird1e bodice under the coat to
match the skirt in color, If not in
fabric, also under transparent
blouse. The first time saw this ar
rangement last August, I thought the
woman had made mistake in her
costume; that she had dressed care
lessly and left black corset cover
under her white lingerie blouse 1
found she was following the last cry
Of fashion.
DURING the spring, and now in the
summer there is a determined
effort on the part of the Americans
to follow this trick of the French
Here it is in detail: If the suit is
dark in color, there is girdle bodice
in that color, no matter what the
blouse. If the latter is of white
lingerie SO much the better as it
shows the dark line continued and
heightened from ankles nearly to
collar bone.
If the blouse is omitted from a coat
suit, and this is frequent trick of
the French, the girdle bodice shows
through the front opening of the
jacket.
To eliminate the discomfort of a
betting about the straight waist line.
the majority of skirts are attached
to the girdle bodice which is sus-
pended from the shoulders by straps.
The French consider our fiesh-pfnk
loca and crope de chino corset covers