New Britain herald., 1929-01-30

Paris, Jan. 30 R-Pretty Paris mannequins are the electric hares in the race to be first with new styles Fashions never catch up with them. for they know what will be shown long before it is out and by the time the newest is launched they are con- cerned with the newer still.
 Contrary to popular conception, life is not all frolh and irills for the thousand or more models here. Most of them live like actresses in luxurious stage settings of fashion salons during the daytime, as they parade the richest and best of beau titul clothes. At the end of their cay, life becomes somewhat beer and akittlcs for most of them.
 They shed silks and sables for cheaper materials smartly trimmed with imitation fur. Once among the throns of homegoing manne- quin looks just like any other well dressed young business woman. She is no longer the butterfly. but an earnest, thoroughly tired grub wondering what she will get for dinner.
 That is the life of the average nlannequin who carries her pay en- velope home on Saturday night to help meet the family expenses. If she is particularly successful mannequin with good job there may be $25 a week in the pay en- velope. But she is lucky if there is $2O.
 In exchange for 1t she gives seven hours day five and a half days a week. beginning at 10 o'clock. Each gown she is to dis play in the regular collections is made especially for her. She is in and out of a hundred costumes q day. Each time her gown Is order ed she gets a sSall bonus. Smiles and patience are made to pay. though the feet may be tired and the back aching.
 But the romance of the manne- qLin's life. a legend which dies as hard as the belief that the chorus girl leads an easy life, Is not made by the quiet existence of the aver age mannequin. It Is the butter flies, not the grubs. who make copy for newspapers.
 The most interesting come from the salons of Jean Patou and most of them are American girls. There t,~ ,{nlz tou's famous June" slender bru- nette with an apple blossom com plexion and black hair whom Fred erick Amy married soon after, the death of his wife. the late Lady Michelham. and Dorothy Smart, now the wife of a wealthy Cana dian publisher.
 Beautiful Josephine Armstrong became the wife of Erskine Gwynne and now is a popular young hostess in Paris society. Dolores" a lan- auid brunette with pallid skin and dark eyes. recently married Michel de Surmont of an important French family. She formerly was Florence Towney. an American girl. Patou's introduction of American manneauin's in 1924 had q lasting effect on the profession Of model ing clothes The American beau ties were a success from the first but they have two drawbacks. ac- cording to Monsieur Patou. They require more pay than the French girls and are hard to keep. The first lot went like hot cakes l The couturier now takes the mat rimonial casualty average into ac- 1 count when recruiting in the Unit ed States.
 French mannequins are begin. ring to- follow the ''type American 1 The American trick of simplicity and naturalness is putting exagger. atcd posturing out of business.
 The mannenuins' biggest oppor. | tunity for personal advancement and bequest comes when they arc | sent by their house to display spe, ! cial collections at fashionable re- sorts. They show bathing suits a' the Lido. skating costumes in St
 Moritz and evening fowns at Biar.
 ritz and Monte Carlo.
 In Paris the model who wishes tC