Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-08


sense OF amusement than do
the French
] hope you draw the same distinction
that I do between these two faculties
the senses of humor and amusement.
Perhaps should have written "amuse-
nient" in italics so you would give ii
a Frenchy pronunciation and thereby
convey to yourself the meaning that
the word has in French. To a French
man q woman's hat may be tres anti
sant"--without being at all funny or
humorous Even woman's face may
be "aSsez amuSant"-~rather amusing
and still be very pretty.
There is always an element of pi-
Quancy, something surprising and lit
tie unexpected, in the things that the
French consider amusing An American
sense of humor could not, as far as I
can see help miliiner or CireSSmaSer in
the least but the French sense OF
amusement certainly could In fact one
could not hope to attain re-eminence
in designing in Paris withonut this fac
ulty for amusement
We may not possess this sense. so
our dreSsmakers and millinerS may
not be able to create amusement in
way that the French do, but l think
that most of us nowadays are able To
appreciate amusing French creations
and 10 reproduce them. Rather better
should say than the English. That is
why there is usually current of SYM
pathy and understanding between tbs
French dressmakers and milliners and
their cultivated American customers
Certain types of dress are more
appropriate medium for the dress
makers sense Of the amusing than
others, and the woman who usually
wears some smile provoking little after
touch 70 her costume is as tireSome
as the man who always has funny
story to tell You would not choose
anything even remotely amusing for
the gown in which you were TO be
presented at the English court. nc.
would you, / suppose, for formal White
House reception. Wedding gowns for
fashionable French brides are usually
quite lacking in any of those picturesque
touches that verge on the amusing or
the coQuettiSh-though Americans are
not always so conservative in the choice
Of GOWNS for brides and bridesmaids.
1t is in the realm of sports clothes
that the sartorial sense of amusement
finds its most fertile field But inter-
eStingly enough not all sports offer the
same opportunity for its indulgence.
Ones bathing suit may be as amusing
rs one pleaSes. Some element of sur
prise may enter into the designing Of
the tennis frock and choice of tennis
accessories, But not so with riding
attire. That must be chosen with
solemnity and designed without the
shadow of smile, Possibly because il
is 10 English inspiration that even
Frenehvomen look for precedent in
the matter of equestrian styles-and
The English apparently cannot mix
AyT-szSeranYat o19d ffrpSgraa hing
The reversed bolero is one of the
amusing fashions OF the present time.
Sometimes it looks precisely like regu-
lst;an bolero worn backward-with
straight high line in front and rounded
opening at the back. sometimes with
high ribbon bow tied at the back of the
neck and not, as one would expect,
somewhere under the chin. Among
the examples of these reversed FASH
be mentioned sashes with enormous
bows tied right in the middle of the
front.
Use of colored f,frs, while it served
the purpose of beauty and variety. was
not without its element Of amusement
when It was first started. Green m0les /
and rose-eolored ermineS became as
classic aS the purple COW. The purple |
COW had its origin in a bit of American
hunaor-the rose-colored ermine and the /
green mole owed their origin to the |
sense of amusement of some French
dressmaker
There was an element of amusement.
too Suppose in the first use of snake
skin for dress and shoe emancipation
--asad later when it appeared In. the
trimming Of hats and the making OF
bracelets
Many fashions which eventually be-
e9Fae firmly established and are taken
quite seriously had their start as a
sUrt of prank of Misunderstanding
unexpected and amusing. 1t was thus
with the first skirt made quite short in
front and trailing at back or sides. which
ne NOW accept quite as a matter OF
course. /
Perhaps the first of the mid Victorian
busfles was worn with the same sense
Of amusement and SO. also, may have
been worn the first OF the enormously
wide neck Tuffs that came 10 be taken
quite seriously in the days of. Queen
Elizabeth.
In studying fashions of the past
think we should bear this sense OF
amusement IN mind in accounting for
sGrne Of the rather amazing fashions
that have been followed. Don't imagine
that they we're all launched with a
perfectly straight face.
Even the jewelers. have this lighter
touch nowadays. though II vas with
6ifacslIty that some of the conservative
jewelers. could be induced TO treat dia-
Y3onfs. eneralds and other precious
stones with anything but an air OF
great seriousness To the fashionable
woman. however. the very act Of
wearing diamonds worth a small
fortune in a brooch shaped like
cat with a rak.sh black tail
Of onyx, a hawless ruby for nose
and two frst-water enneralds for eyes is
Of Itself quite amusing. 1t is just lit
tie shocking, in perfectly harmless
wav.
A charming brooch Of the amusing
sort recently worn for the first time
represented pair Of racing greyhounds.
The one apparently farthest away was
made from black onyx. with delicateiy
carved ruby for a tongue. The grew
hound in the foreground was entirely
of diamonds save for an ONYX collar
and spot Of onyx on the back.
II has often been observed that the
element Of harlor or amusement enters
into much Of nnodernistic art. and some
one remarked the other day that almost
every example Of modern bric-a-brac
vas Intentionally somewhat amusing.
A rnO6erniStic artist makes vase IN
the form Of q cat, but he does not do
his best TO represent precisely the form
Of any cat he or you have ever seen
nv ever i0x,< Ia see Rather ne nuts