Evening star., 1933-05-28
By LUCILLE PARAY.

I N choosing q new frock every woman
demands one thing of tit must be
interesting. 1t must suggest a new
i note in scme way or other. In some
subtle way it must differ from the
frock Of season before. For it is this
difference, this newness, that gives Zest
and reason to style, and that makes
every woman long fer a new frock even
when her WARDROBE is already complete
The (esigner's task is to supply to
the fem nine world the new fashion II
demands The designer must create
something that has interest and charm.
But he must do this with respect to
certain principles The new frock or
coat must not only be interesting and
different, 1t must conform to the laws
of good taste. It's style must not violate
the principles of simplicity and of re-
straint. The new style must be suitable
to the times in which We live and
adaptable to the busy lives of modern
women.
The designer of today is thus bound
on every hand. He must not forget in
creating daytime frock that his
clients may travel by subway, that they
may even step into an airplane, or
tramp miles Of busy streets. He would
scarcely dare, in view of these re-
straints, to create the sort of frocks
worn by Marie Antoinette. Indeed, it
is interesting to note that women of an
earlier epoch had practically only one
type Of costume. Their dozen or more
gowns were all of sumptuous materials,
elaborately trimmed, and Of a single.
what we should consider impractical
style. The great lady Of the time Of
Louis XIV walked, dined and danced in
the same type Of dress.
Modern democratic life has changed
all this. The smart woman of our
period chooses her costumes fo- def
mite occasion. She has one sort of
thing for sport. another for street wear
both are simple and practical. It is
only at night that she approXimates in
her costume the richness and elegance
of other centuries.
THE whole modern point Of view
about clothes is new and different.
We consider costume from the stand
point of use and suitability. And unless
a dress or coat meets these standards
we do not consider it smart. This
means then that the designer in Gre
ating something new Is still further
limited The modern woman does not
dance on the green in lace and silks, as
did the beauties at Versailles; she plays
golf in tweeds and jersey of the most
practical sort.
So in his effort to create something
new the designer must bow to modern
demands for suitability and practical
bility. If in a moment Of enthusiasm
he fo~gets these limitations he is likely
to produce a costume which from our
mocern point of view is absurd. Like
wise the woman who assemblies a cos
tuTe without due regard to suitability
and practical use is likely to find that
her appearance is absurd and not chic.
For the very essence of chic is con-
1ormlty to these requirements.
l have selected four costumes, which
consider both chic and practical
They are interesting and new in nu-
merous details. Let me explain what
some OF these are. There is first sill
houette. The present-day silhouette Is
based on the natural figure, which Is
as 1t should be. There Is no exaggera-
ton. Waistlines are normal the skirt
length at midcalf is graceful and prac-
tical. Usually the interest is concen-
trated above the waistline. This is
done in many ways, one of the COM
monest being to increase by some de-
vice or other the apparent width Of
the shoulders. This is done sometimes
merely by cutting, as in the costume
which I call Cote Basque" BY cut
ting the shoulder and top of the sleeve
in one piece, the apparent width Of the
shoulders is increased Again. in an
other costume, this same effect has
been secured through groups Of fine
tucktng.
THE newest note e ~ In the sill
houette as I hsx SEaEpreted 1t
Is the new straight nna-nS q UsVsDe