Evening star., 1931-04-19
Paris. April 10.

Paris, April 10.
DROBABLY no sartorial question Is
Il as alive at the moment as that Of
the fate OF the pajama. The Paris
couture has come out very definitely
for it for wear at all hours of the day,
as well as for the more intimate loung-
ing hours, in which environment 1t has
come to be taken rather for granted OF
late. The verdict must be given by the
mass of women themselves, and Tor
that Paris must wait for reports from
the four corners Of the earth.
It is true that no such revolutionary
movement ever has started out with
such general backing-never have the
Paris dressmakers been so completely
behind such change. 1t is also true
that women in Paris have apparently
decided for it. and whether you step
into the salons Of the big designers or
the workrooms Of the little dressmaker
you will find each busily engaged on a
paiama garment for some hour OF the
day or evening. The native Parlsienne
and the foreign visitor to the capital
apparently have taken pajamas TO their
hearts. What the women IN other parts
of the world will do is still a moot
question.
DESIGNrNG has even taken into
- consideration the tiInid woman
who wants the effect of pajamas but
rather hesitateS at the actual trousers,
for trousers" is what it actually comes
to. according TO the dictionary, which
defines the pajama as a loose tTouser." J"
It is interesting to note that the
camouhage of "culotteS' Is beginning
to be dropped, which may be con-
sidered a sign of the victory Of the
pajana. But we must get back to the
pAlama effects which are not pajamas.
skirts for every hour of the day are
making use of the deep inverted pleat,
back and front, which is the favorite
method of Disgusting the real trouser
cut. Thus they achieve the effect of
paianas, while allowing their wearer
to feel conservative.
One may well ask, why the paJama,
II it must be so carefully disguised?
And there IS no answer, unless IL be
the vagary of fashion. For most Of
tha pajamas, whether for evening or
daytime wear, can be distinguished as
trousers only when the wearer takes
an abnormally long step or displays
them 10 an intimate. All during the
collections one could hear buzz on
every hand. conversation trying to
clarity the effect as 10 whether or not
it was a skirted or bifurcated model. In
many case only direct questioning OF
the mannequin settled the problem.
zach house has characteristic
~ method of cutting these garments
Schiaparell, for example. makes many
of hers with tunic TO the knees, the
trouser effects showing only as deeply
pleated extensions below. Lucille Paray
on the other hand. chooses to make her
daytime outfits with the deep In
verted pleat at the front and sepa-
rate back panel Worth uses the same
motif for evening in certain of his
Yaodels. ana in others us.s a semi.
transparent material for the overskirt
which is split TO the knees and which
Is accompanied by fairly wide pain
OF shorts.
other houses prefer TO use a separate
skirt, slit front and back usually, ovel
the trousered effect, which in these
cases usually Is marked by the deer
inyerted pleats In all cases tht
trousers are sufficiently wide TO have
much less in common with the mascu.
line type than they have with skirts.
EOR evening, whether yeiled by {
flmy skirt or not. they are always
so full that 1t is difficult TO idcntif;
them. the fullness obtained by mean
Of inset godets pleated sections anC
all the known a<fifices of bringing full
ness to hens. But 1t also must be re
membered that 1t is usually true tina
these full-skirted trousers are slit a
various places to give a glimpse OF tn
ankles, This Is also true of skirts OF
evening dresses, where slips are apt Il
end ct the knees. or II longer ar
also slit. And how much more