The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-05
FRENCH WOMEN
BEHIND IN
STYLES
Paris Designers Kept Alive
by American Dollars, Says
Correspondent.
BY ORPHA MAE KLTNKER,
Cosmopolitan News Service Special
Correspondent.

Cosmopolitan News Service Special
Correspondent.
Copyright, 1924, by COSMOPOLITAN
News Service)
PARIS. March 5. -. That the
average American big city is more
OF a style center by far than Paris,
is my conviction after having spent
the winter studying the style situa-
ton in Paris, and having been very
much disappointed by the lack of
styles in evidence here.
Paris modes are very much over.
rated in my estimation.
1t Is surprising why America, the
leader in almost every line, still
comedies the right Of priority to
Paris as leader of fashions. Why,
it is only the American dollar that
keeps these French designers and
couturieres, such as Paquin's,
LAWNS, Jenny and Callot, and
others going.
The average number of Ameri.
cans in Paris all the year round
is about $4,000, representing a class
OF people with money, who will pay
unlimited prices for anything de.
sired, and mostly for the privilege
OF saying, Il bought this in
Parisien! nest pas?"
A Surprising Find"
From the time arrived in Paris
my woman's ego was constantly on
guard to sense anything of a su-
perlative nature regarding my Sis
ter rivals in dress, so naturally, /
scanned every woman l met, min.
utely registering in my subcon.
scious mind every detail of dress. as
best / could, without the aid of
'lorgnettes. and this is what
found:
That the French women do not
dress as well or as extensively as
the American women.
France is very poor and very
much in debt since the war, and
cannot and will not pay the price
that the Americans will pay. Which
causes a great deal of resentment
on the part Of the French people,
who blame the Americans for the
high cost of living in France
The value of the franc has drop.
ped much, and the wages have
not been raised accordingly.
l am told that the little minion.
cites who work for these big cou.
turieres land right here / would
like to define the difference between
a Couturiere and modiste, for
America has a very mistaken idea
regarding the tWO-a "mOdiSte' is
one who makes hats, while IA "cou-
turiere" is one who makes gowns
went on strike.
Lost the Strike.
They were only getting 100 francs
per week, which amount is rldicu.
lousy low, a bare existence, and
they were only striking for Is
francs more on the week. But they
lost out, and had to go back to
work at the same low figure.
There is not the demand for the
French woman to be so well dressed
as there is in America. So even
though she was as wealthy as her
American sister, even then she, per-
haps, would not dress other than
she does, for her desires run more
to the artistic and unusual rather
than to elegance. richness of ma.
terial and extravaganza.
In regard to the nature of the
French woman's dress, found these
things to be true:
That the French women dress
very much alike. There is not the
individuality in dress that there Is
in America.
They Are Conservative.
That they dress very conserva-
lively and that they wear very
dark colors Gor the most part un.
interesting. such as plain coats,
perhaps with fur around the collar
and cuffs and sometimes around the
bottom).
Their suits are ordinary and not
attractive, whilst most in evidence
are the shiny raincoats of black
and brown with hats to match.