Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-18

A ND now it's sleeves. For the
~ past decade or so fashion gave
"A so much attention and thought
4 \ to the subject of skirts and
waistlines that little was left to
devote to sleeves. So while skirts were
shrinking from our ankles up to our
knees and from the knees down to the
ankles again, while all sorts of expert
mentS were tried to break away from
the straight, low waistline, sleeves re-
manned practically the same.
But now the skirt question seems to
be fairly well settled, at least for the
present. The very long skirt for formal
evening wear, the skirt that hangs SIX
or seven inches below the knees for
general daytime wear, and for after
noon and informal evening skirts that
range somewhere bstween these two
extremes are approved. This status OF
the skirt question seems to satisfy every
one for the time b,ing. There seems to
be some tendency toward increased
fulness in skirts, but the straight line
from the waist to the knees or nearly
to the knees prevails, and the flare be-
low the knees Is extreme only in the
more elaborate sort of evening dress.
X
CETTLED, too, is the waistline. Its
~ departure either upward or down.
ward from normal seldom amounts to
more than an inch or so.
Thus the scene of action has BEEN
cleared for some really interesting work
with sleeves. Most important Is the re-
turn of the elbow sleeve and the shorter
than elbow sleeve for daytime dresses.
which may bring in their wake more
general acceptance Of the long glove for
daytime wear For. evening there are
all sorts of very short sleeves or sleeve
effects, picturesque little pulled sleeves
to go with dresses of the ingenue1 type
and short capelets for dresses OF less
naive type.
Some Of the new sleeves for after
noon or general daytime wear show
straight Tine from the shoulder to just
above the elbow with pronounced
puff at the elbow and sometimes the
straight shoulder sleeve ENDS
in a ruffie or frill just above the elbow
that suggests the styles of the late
eighteenth century. Fine pin tucks
are often used to produce the slender
effect of the sleeve above the elbow.
with the fullness at the elbow achieved
merely by releasing the fullness OF the
tucks.
Sleeves are so diverse that the rule
seems to be to choose the silhouette
that is most in keeping with the lines
and general spirit Of the dress. For
the hostess pajama costume with lts
long, slender lines, one finds long,
slightly faring sleeves. II the cos
tune suggests the long. gracelully
draped gowns of the Middle AgeS-as
IL sometimes dces-then tie sleeves are
provided With the long drapery from
the elbow In true medieval style.
EOR resort and early Spring this
II seasons successor to the sleeveless
blouse or sporrs dress is provided with
very short sleeves that do little more
than cover the bend of the shoulder.
These sleeves are cleverly contrived TO
permit quite as much freedom OF mo-
ton as would be possible In sleeveless
dress. Sometimes they are arranged
with a diagonal inset extending TO the
neckline of the bodice.
VERY new and as yet very striking
are the full sleeves puf1ed from
rather generous armhole to well below
the elbow and finished usually with
straight cuff extending to the wrist.
with the possible exception OF these
very bouffant arm coverings, the new;
more elaborate dress sleeves are stu
restrained enough to slip without dn-
ficultv in q straight coat or Jacket
sleeve. Consequently there has been
no great change in the foundation
silhouette Of sleeves on wraps ana
jackets.
-
GONE Of the French dressmakers are
- making coats with sleeves quite fun
at the arrnhole, suggesting the old
time raglan sleeve, but these are i'm
portant chiefly as indications OF what
NAV be the outcome of increased elab-
Grafton and fullness OF dress sleeves.
some of the sports dresses for South
ern wear are accompanied by short.
straight jackets with straight sleeves
that are fairly wide at the cuffs.
In the meantime all sorts OF inter.
esting cuff treatments have appeared
on coat sleeves for late Winter and
Spring Large, haring gauntlet Guns
are still widely used and there Is often
an elaborate trimming arrangement OF
fur or fabric about the elbow that ac-
centuates the slenderness Of the line
Of the lower arm.