The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-09-12
Observations
Paris Style
Supremacy Myth
Brought Out Again
Nv Hetrn sSSarv
~ HeIcn EssarY

by Helen GSSary
Every decent human being 70
joices that once again Paris is free.
Every decent human being re-
joices that the good people of
France are released from Nazi OPP
preston. The rejoicing over the
freedom OF Paris is more poignant
perhaps than the rejoicing over The
release of another captured city be-
cause TO so many people who have
seen or imagined Paris, Paris is a
kind of myth.
4 kind OF heavenly myth season
ed with diablerie.
The culture OF Paris.
Paris, the style center co.. Paris.
the art center,"... Paris, the be-
quilting spot where bored and yir-
tuous citizens may 30 and be as
naughty as they think they want
TO be. The beautiful Paris"
Paris was indeed a fascinating
city. the last time ! was there,
about six years ago But there are
also fascinating cities in the United
States. There is also culture in
the United States. And gayety.
And "beaucoup diablerie.'
There are great art treasures and
beautiful clothes and women
hundred times better shaped and
better dressed than the women you
see on the Paris streets.
We may continue TO hold spe-
cial reverence for the charm Il
Paris and its intellectual import
ance in the world. II, however, we
intend TO grow up, please don't let
us forever talk about Paris as the
center OF all that is exquisite.
Already stories have come out Of
the French capital Paris is still
the fashion center OF the universe
&C.. Paris dressmakers and design
ers still the greatest living artists
with needle and imagination"
cannot quite believe this. We
are succumbing 10 the old legend
again
During the past few years while
the Paris dreSsmakers were held
in bounds by the German invaders,
I
had TO buy the clothes the Ameri-
can designers thought up for them.
So obedient had we been 10 the
vhims OF pre-war Paris that AmPri-
can designers in the first days OF
their independence seemed unable
10 cope with their sudden respon-
sibility.
Within a few months, however.
they shook thoughts OF French
domination out Of their suarled
threads and set 10 work. The
results of their efforts have been
the most becoming clothes ever
made under wartime restrictions.
Dress designing, so the geniuses
therein tell me. is mostly matter
OF looking at old prints, old paint
ings. OF snatching an idea there
from and adapting il to the habits
and figures OF modern women.
Nettie Rosenstein told a Wash
ington audience that the United
States could never make the fab
RIGS, the rich, beautiful fabrics the
French make. Why not? We
have proved that We can make any
thing and everything in this coun-
try. And make il at a moments
order. So why cannot we make
rich and beautiful fabrics? We can.
The only reason we cannot make
rich and beautiful. fabrics and chic
costumes (this is a possibility not
an actually ! am mentioning) is
because We wiring our hands and
say "Oh, oh, We are not as clever
as those Parisiennes We are as
clever. But We are also servile In
our reliance on French taste.
Already there are ecstasies OF
praise for the French shops, the
most divine French shops" Certain
ly there are divine French shops.
But there are also divine American
shops
Nowhere in Europe are there as
fine shops as there are in New
York, Chicago, Los Angeles g..
There Is no street in Paris as thrill
ing as Fifth Ave Or Michigan
Blvd.
The big department stores Of
Paris in the hey dey Of the French
capitalize Louvre and the Galerie
La Fayette could not compete IN
stock or equipment with the num-
Der three shops OF cities like Cleve-
land, Kansas City Detroit, Phila-
delphia, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh.
AS for the art treasures OF Paris
and the other European cities-the
National Gallery in Washington
has many priceless canyases and
marbles. So OF course have the
New York. Chicago, Philadelphia,
Boston. Cleveland and st. LoIis
galleries.
I hope We don't cringe again he.
fore that empty phase The culture
OF Europe" The war should have
taught us its hollowness.
We need 20 sell our own good
qualities 10 ourselves. Heaven help
us Z once again We find ourselves
on our knees to the Old World.