New Britain herald., 1928-10-22
(By Jean Patou)

(By Jean Patou)
 Paris, Oct. 2o.-It has never en- tered my mind to undertake to create theatrical costumes. I feel no inclination whatever to do so. There is, however. a type of dress destined | to be worn and exhibited to the public which, while not coming un- der the heading of costume, is dis cernible by being shade more ex- travagant and conveying a hint of eccentricity non- existent in an ordi- nary gown.
 I am now speaking of the type of dress usually worn by the profess sional "ballroom dancer" An essen tial condition of such a dress is that it must not by any means look the- atrical. Yet it should have a dis tinctive dressiness about it that would be out of place for a non- professional. For the ballroom dancers gown is an entirely differ ent one from the ordinary evening gown. In color, cut. decorative or namentation and even in such things as decolletage and length, it makes its own rules. It is considered an asset for such a gown to attract at tention. which of cou.'se is never the rule followed in choosing evening gowns for non- professional wear.
 Must Be Supple
 But the correct gown for the ball. room dancer should entirely avoid a stagy look What dislike in any stage costume. however beautiful its coloring may be. is it's lack of sup pleness. This, of course. docs not apply to character dancers.
 The qualities I seek most to achieve when creating such a dress and which are absent in all other stage costumes are those of grace. movement and undulation. Any thing likely to hinder movement and the rhythm of the dance-essential factors of such danseuses-is not only to be avoided but accentuated. Every movement the dancer is liable to make should be emphasized by a fluttering of material.
 Dancing dresses I have so far ere ated have been conceived on these general lines and therefore are al ways made of chiffon or tullc. Satins or any such other materials, through their very opaque qualities. cannot be expected to give that impression of airy grace which dancers always endeavor to convey. They are com- pelled to resort to a movement of the hands in order to make their dresses undulatc around the body a movement that may we'll be called effective, but never should be necessity.
 Feathers or Tu1lc
 Always with his idea of convey ing a sense of fluffiness, I am very much in favor of ostrich feathers as a trimming medium for these danc- ing dresses, on one condition though. and that is the very care fully thoughtout way in which it is used. This idea of fuffiness is also the reason why tulle dancing dresses are shaded from light to dark and why more thickness of tulle are used at the waistline than at the hem. All these technicalities in the actual creation of the dress, aided also by stage lighting. contribute to the gen. orally attractive appearance of the danseuse.
 All effects or trimmings of dancing dress. called upon to move with the wearer. must necessarily be used in moderation as it is of the utmost importance they should con- vey the impression of the perform CTS 1.-the body. Another feature I like to accentuate in this type of dress is a distinct waistline. en- hanced by a glittering waistbelt. It has no other object but that of out lining the slim grace of the artiste. But this, after all, is one of her ab- solutely essential requisites.