Evening star., 1940-06-26
Collections
From Paris
Seen Here
French Couturiers
Send What Nav
Be Last Group
BY HELEN VOGT.

last collection of Parisisan clothes
to be seen for many day arrived
In New York short time ago. These
clothes are full of the chic and
charm of the French couture, ex-
travagantly beautiful in design yet
with all the exquisite simplicity that
these leaders of the fashion world
know how to inject into them.
Flown over by clipper at the time
when Paris was still functioning
normally and the couturiers plan
ned to continue, this midseason
collection promises to set many
trends for fall. The outstanding
slim silhouette and noteworthy de-
failing should be reflected in our
autumn fashions, even though their
creators may have ceased to work,
at least temporarily.
The autumn silhouette, forecast in
these midseason styles, looks as
though 1t will include an elongated
body line, a loose, swagger coat sill
houette, straighter skirts for both
day and evening and the lovely
simplicity and fine detailing of ex-
quisite French clothes.
Joan Gardner, who took in the
New York arrivals for your Wash
ington fashion department, tells us
that most important are the soft and
supple lines through the bodice, and
the longer waistline. These features
appear time and again throughout
the collections and in costumes from
almost every couturier. Hemlines.
amazingly enough. have ceased to be
just the end of the dress. Insets
OF lace, scalloping and other detail
at the hem make this portion of
tne Dress as important as any other.
Pockets, which continue to be good
are now shirred, gathered or puffed,
some OF them standing out like little
panniers.
The question of fine fabrics is an
interesting one to watch. As YOU
Wen know. Lyons. the great French
SILK center, has been bombed and
this may also be our last chance
to have real French silks for some
time to come. One importer man
aged to bring over the fabrics. too.
SO that he can copy the gowns
exactly as they are. While there is
talk OF French houses doing some
weaving in America, it is a very
vague and indefinite idea.
The collections brought here in
clude models from Patou, Maeey
Roun, Schiaparelh, Molyneux
Robert Piguet, Paquin, Drecoll. Ar
danse and some new houses, La
laurie and Mad Carpenter. The
ciothes are exceptionally lovely, fea-
turing, as we mentioned, all the
trends that are most likely to be
evident in fall modes.
FOR instance. pleated skirts for
daytime often take the place of
f1ared types. This idea is part,cu-
larly well done in daisy print bv
Piquet and promises to find favor
when adopted here. Suits from
Greed feature a longer body line
ana follow the figure, although they
are not closely fitted through the
waist. Two of these MODELS are of
Khaki tan combined with black
one OF them with cutaway coat and
mannlsh waistcoat. Goats are
rather long and one suit uses box
pleats In the back below the belt.
Sheers lead the field for evening
with organza, net and lace as well
as the ever-popular chiffon. Printed
chif1ons with designs as big as
Victorian wallpapers or subtly
colored chintz patterns are evident,
When prints are not used, lace in
sets IN contrasting color are often
the alternative. Taffeta petticoats.
very full, are heard, rather than
seen, under many frocks and give
a soft width that is more flatterinp
than hoops.
In crepes, however, the silhouette
swings close to the figure in that
much discussed Simmer line. Some
vivid prints are to be found and
Patou does tailored model in pale
blue with matching jacket, ON the
lapel of which is beaded corsaee
Schiaparelli's lavish use of reds
continues to make news and al
though many of the tones still sup-
gest her shocking" color, newer
ones are on the light ruby shade.
A general summary of the trends
most likely to be picked up for
fall include supple, softer bodice.
often bloused; a longer torso line:
pleated skirts for daytime; large
and colorful prints for evening.
At the time these Clothes were sent
from Paris, our fashion correspond
ent there wrote, in part; Sometimes
1t seems wild dream that the
couture will one day pack up and
die" The whole fashion world, and
that includes every woman who loves
beauty and creative ability, hopes
sincerely that present events will
mean only temporary discontinue
ance OF the art of the French
couture.