Evening star., 1932-09-11

YOMEN achleve admirable rep
WI utations for individualism,
wv like the great maisons de
couture, because often they
become especially well known
for the particular srnartness Of some
one garment There are dozens Of for
mulas for smartness, but the most gen.
orally accepted one is that the most re-
fined and applicable form of individual
ism Is expressed through the medium of
dress, and II this be taken for granted
you will perceive that there are two
courses; to dress in as unrestricted a
manner as you desire and aim at no one
particular specialized effect, or to con-
centrate on some one aim and devote
all your energies to realizing it to
perfection.
The physician comes TO point when
he must decide whether to be q general
practitioner or specialist, and SINH
lar moment presents itself sooner or
later to all others who partake actively
of modern life. A painter must special
| iZe or paint at random; he must be a
| portrait painter, painter Of landscape,
| still life, or remain in some other more
or less restricted territory, or 60 on
rambling without seeking to distinguish
himself in any particular sphere e..
Much may be said of knowing some
thing Of all branches of your profession,
| but must ask you to recall, in order to
understand clearly what I am going to
| tell you about dress. that it is the spe-
cialiSt who most quickly and surely
builds reputation for himself The
painter who only paints windmills and
| poppies, or the one who paints nothing
but roses and bridges, comes to early
renown and creates place for himself
which does not exist for the fellow
worker who takes any commission that
comes to hand.
So with the doctor who only looks at
throats, and the one that will touch
nothing but hearts or lungs Instinc-
lively you put him on a higher plane
than you do the general practitioner.
There are actually hostesses in certain
large capitals that will invite specialists
to their homes but general practitioners,
assumed to be of inferior intelligence
and hence correspondingly inferior
social rating, are never invited.
THIS is the day of specialists in all
branches. There are couturiers who
are known for their coats, others are
| famous for their bridal trousseaux;
some have gained renown because of
their sports clothes. some for their aft
ernoon dresses, and others for their
waists and blouses. Women, who know
Paris and the dreSsmaking world init
mately, would not think of going to
these houses for anything but their spe-
cialty.
When it comes to evening gowns the
distinctions are extremely subtle, There
are houses that stand high for their
informal evening gowns, but have nc
rank at all in regard to formal ones;
and perhaps neither of these will have
an outstanding reputation for what Is
called the regal" type of evening
gown, which must be ordered still
further down the avenue or rue, ac-
cording to where you are. When you
mention the name of certain cou-
tuner to a Partisan familiar with the
situation, you call up visions Of def
mite style before his or her eyes
whether you know it or not.
No couturier who possesses grea
reputation is equally, respected for al
his styles, but each is known for ont
type OF garment more than others. i
is this special type that you evoke II
the mind Of one who knows the worlc
OF couture thoroughly when you men
ton particular dreSsmaker designer.
*
NOV it follows that II couturiel
~ can make big reputation by thi
means-by concentrating on one type o.
garment-the individual woman can d.
the same thing. believe firmly in th'
efficacy of this means~of building up &
reputation for chic" Be known fo
your hats, or for your coats, or you
jewels: make your reputation for smart
ness hinge chiefly on some one item o.
dress for which you will be known as 9
specialist; for your shoes, your furs
or whatever article toward which yol
naturally incline as preference.
Some women are best known fol
snartuess because Of their perfumes