Evening star., 1952-03-16
EIeni in Europe:
Chic in Paris Has Meaning
To Only One Income Level

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and Is. Her costumes look better
assembled. and she wears her
clothes to better advantage.
We visited the carts Menagers.n ,
which is the household exhibition
being held in the Grand Palais.
first built in 1900 for the famous
Paris Exhibition. through March
%. The Grand Palais has been
used ever since for outstanding
exhibitions which the French
people flock to. Biggest crowd
gathered near . booth featuring
an item strongly resembling q
Waring blender. The French are
mad about mechanical things
and food so this exhibition
is q real treat for them. There
are few samples doled out. much
to the muttered annoyance Of
some Of the visitors. Washing ma
chimes, stoves and refrigerators
look about 10 or IS years behind
times to an American, but to the
French they are as new and as
pretty as can be.
Paris had a bit Of spring for
about five days in early March,
and the fine weather brought out
a record Sunday afternoon crowd
at Sacre Coeur. In the heart Of
the Montmarte section. Entire
families were out and the children
are very sweetly and nicely
dressed, even though ONE notes
that their parents may not be.
Dogs and children are the pet
loves of the French and they seem
to dote on them. On the more
chic Avenue Foch one sees the
children of q richer class wear
ing tiny little white gloves. cute
little hats and smartly tailored
coats. Babies enjoy the breezes
snugly secure under beautifully
worked carriage covers in their
patent leather carriages wheeled
by their nursemaids. A national
pasttime on any good day seems
to be sitting in the Bots de Bou-
logne. The day we drove through
the beautiful woods they were
even rowing out on the little lake.
:. Sidewalk cafes, however. seem
to do q thriving business. even on
cool u'd call 'em downright cold)
days. The open-air has q charm
for the Europeans that we might
do well to copy. Their cheeks
always look healthy and rosy.
After visiting some Of the
muses." musuems that can net
any artist or any one interested
in the arts so much enjoyment,
one is not surprised at all that
they are the sources Of so much
for visitors and ma
tives alike. The museum housing
SO many Of the works of the
great impressionists such as
Renoir, Degas. Monet, Manet,
Toulouse-Lautrec and others is
one Of the most charming mu-
suems in the world. Familiar
paintings seen only in art books.
on picture cards. and in cata-
logues are hung here in beauti-
fully lighted rooms facing the
Eiffel Tower.
The Musee Carhavalet houses
much dealing with the history
Of the city Of Paris and also a
very nice collection Of French
costumes Of the past. The mu-
suem was installed in part Of a
hotel built in l545 for the Presi-
dent Of De Ligneris. It Is named
after the woman who owned 1t
at the end Of the 18th century.
/. Nine. de Carnavalet. The
most noted hostess who lived
there was the Marquise de Sevigne,
who held her salon there from
1877 to 1896. Part of the fine
collection OF costumes was out
on loan for a large exhibition
so that we saw only part of it.
Even that was very interesting.
Robes worn by women in the time
of Louis XIV had wide, open neck
lines similar to many seen in
summer collection. Their
gowns had much ruching, over
panels and a wide side-to-side
silhouette. A costume "p6pulaire"
worn at the time Of the Revo-
luton IS Of plain cotton, with a
jerkin lacing in the front. Around
the time Of the first empire
things got elegant again and q
court robe Of white satin with a
wheat design down the center Of
the gown and around the train
was especially grand and regal