Evening star., 1926-03-14

~LIGHT, light and comfortable
These three adjectives you
would have to apply to the
frocks of the Spring of 1926 II
vou were writing the annals of
women's dress during the nineteenth
and the twentieth centuries.
Compared to clothes that have gone
before. they are surely hygienic. but
not so surely modest. at least Judged
by the standards of modesty that have
gone before Yet we are hearing few
protests from the moralists-fewer
probably, than usual. Apparently
the women who wear the clothes are
we'll content, too. From the dress
makers they ask new clothes that
shall have the element Of novelty
that adds new zest to the replenishine
of their warrirohes, without any
change that will make their clothes
less comfortable and more bulky.
1t would seem that the designers OF
late years had done their work almost
too we'll. Once upon time every sea
sons new styles were In measure
protest against those of the last sea
son. Now we have few protests to
make, and the dressmakers whose
task 1t is to formulate the fashions
find women rather Indifferent to
Yet as you see the new frocks made
for the Spring of 1926 YOU will have
to admit that they are distinctly diff
ferent There IL perhaps greater
difference than any that we have
known for several seasons. 1t is
easier to feel that difference than to
set it down In words.
1t seems highly improbable that
American women will heed the fret
hint from Paris to lenEthen their
skirts. You may have noticed that
the intensity with which we cling ~ a
fashion depends upon the persistenrT
with which we held. ont against it at
the outset They were wearing very
short skirts in France months and
months before we wore them here
There was even the usual observation
that Americans would never adopt the
extremely short skirt. But Ameri-
cans have adopted it. and in all like
lihood they will wear 1t for many.
many months to come.
In Paris. ii would seem. the novelty
OF these petticoat skirts has already
grown a trifie stale Viewed impair
TALLY 1t is sraceless fashion
enough 1t gained favor at first be-
cause ii WAS amazing. daring-pos.
Sfhly shocking. If familiarity in this
instance has not bred contempt II has
at least served as shock absorber.
There was for a time mething
rather bracing and tonic about wear
ing skirts short enough to have made
our grandmothers hide their faces in
shame. Also It was stimulating to he
with other we'll dressed. perfectly con-
Nentional women whose skirts were
as short ours. But even our gra nd
mothers are growing accustomed to
the sight. Bless their hearts. they'd
wear them themselves II we would
let them.
So 1t will come about that the very
short skirt-which is in itself rather
Rraceless-will gradually fade from
the fashion plate. Already certain
French dressmakers of distinction
have been experimenting with longer
skirts. Cheruit has made afternoon
and evening gowns with quite long
skirts and Poiret, I understa nd is
pushing the longer skirt with con-
siderable success
All of this is. however. trif1e pre-
mature-anyhow for Americans. At
least for the Spring and Summer the
short skirt will continue to he the
only one that most of us can wear
without appearing a trif1e dowdy
That is. of course. the great dis
advantage of fashion situation such
as the present.
We have experienced practically
every extreme of fashion. We have
worn our frocl<s az short as we dared,
our skirts have been as Scant. our
sleeves as short and our bodices as
low. There are practically no new
thrills left in the way of extremes.
Now the pendulum must swing back
ward AS fashion artist put 1t
the other day. sitting watching an
unusually we'll dressed group of