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Point That Is Sometimes Forgotten by Those Selecting Garments.FORGET IT’S THE FASHIONDress Must Suit the Face and Figure If the Desired Effect Is to Be Attained—Fashion Expert Gives Some Wise Advice.PARIS.—I have been studying: tbe modern girl In connection with modern hats during the last week, and 1 have found the study profitable, though I confesB that the conclusions I have been forced to draw are very disappointing, writes Claude CkeryB !n Lite Washington Star.Thy avarogo modern girl or woman Is discontertlngly ignorant of tbo A D C cf one of the most important arts, the art of dress. Any one who doubts this has but to pass an hour or two in the millinery department of any magasin de nouveautes, the French name for a department store. To any one possessed of artistic taste or ln-Btinct It ig heartbreaking to watch dozens and dozens of really pretty glrla rushing about and trying on bats with feverish eagerness. They snatch up everything and anything and threat it on their heads, obviously in total ignorance of their individual points or possibilities.How does this como about? How doea it happen that women or average Intelligence can gazo into a mirror many tlmeg each day and yet remain blind to important facts connected with their features and coloring and genre? How is it possible that girls can become women without haviDg learned something of their physical possibilities?. No adequate answer to these questions is forthcoming. We find ourselves obliged to bow before the fact that the majority of Individuals have lost individuality in the true sense of the word. I seem conetaDtly returning to this point, but It Is inevitable. In thB hurry and bustle of modern life individuality la being thrust in a corner.Only this afternoon I stood In a coir Tier of the most famous maga-slns de nouveautes in Paris—u really spleDdld shop and marvelously u-ell managed; a shop in which you are certain to find daring copies of exclusive models the day after they have been launched by famous dressmakers and milliners. I stood It. the only quiet corner I could nna ana watched Llie hundreds and hundreds of girls and women of all ages and sizes who crowded about the hat shape counters and tried -in honor after hcrror. Women who were probably grandmothers feverishly tried on little cabotine shapes originally created lor Mile. Polaire or the inimitable Splueily. A second later young glrla of sixteen or seventeen tried on exactly tho same hats. Dark women, fair women, Uiu fat end the lean, mothers of families, actresses, all, all tried on tho flame shapes. And no one but myself found the eceue either ridiculous or pathetic.Useless to Cry Haiti”Tho little ecene represented very fairly the spirit of the present day. In the ceaseless hurry and bustle of modern life there la no time for Individuality. There is no time for the study of individual physical possibilities. Some one shouts, “small hats are to be worn,** and in space of a short week the amusing little cabotine shapes become a uniform.This is ridiculous., but whnt is to bo done? it 3eem3 utterly useless to cry “Halt!” for no one has time or inclination to give serious thought to the subject of dress. The senseless phrase, •'It’s the fashion,'* is made to cover a vast number of sartorial misdeeds.I am interested Id the visit to America of one of tbe most daring and modern of great Parisian dressmakers. Paul Poirot’s intention, 1 believe, was to give a series of lectures on tlio subject of dross in the United States. Such lectures are capable of doing groat good. Poiret’s ideas may seem eccentric, even exaggerated, but ho io a truo artist- In a sense, he is the Rodin of the world of dress. He has broken away from conventional Ideas, and has. by reason of his exotic individuality. captured bin world.Not for Every Woman.It is not every woman who can wear a Polret gown with success; on tho other hnnd, Poirct will Jiot make gowos for every wohulu. He la disconcertingly fastldinug, and, so it is said, alarmingly outspoken. It Is my intention in one or two future articles to devote a little space to an account of the methods of Parisian designers.1 shall not mention names, but shall merely point out the delicate differences which exist between Cheso autocrats of the world of fires*.f spoke at somo length recently about tho growing popularity of powdered hair. To ordinary persons this fashion may norm nothing more than a passing fad, someLhing to bo laughed at or adopted, according to Individual taste. Hut in reality powdered hair means very much more than Ihis.It In, as I liavo already said, a fashion which makes great demands upon it3 followers. It calls in no uncertain voice for “robes do style.” It demands a certain stateliness of carriage and even of mind. It. is, in n word, tho absoluto reverse of tho stylo whichcornea under tho heading cabotine.'' And tho present situation preaenh many difficulties becauao this aaucj little stylo haB taken perBGRS;i;i: r£ VC77They have grown accustomed tt gowns and bate which can only be do scribed by the word smart. They taku delight Id copying the little clinging gowns and daring headdresses exploit eti by famous music haJJ ortlstB. A cubotlne wave has passed over the I world of fashion of recent days, and! now, quite suddenly, women And thorn solves facod by tbe problem of pow der and patches, by a stylo which do mands the flowing draperies beloved of old masters, a ntylo which la io close sympathy with the spirit of his toric chateaux and white peacocks sailing down broad terrace walks— tho spirit which prompts benutlfu! worsen to study (he uicUiodi u£ elegantes aa the PrinceBS do L-ambnllt or tbe lively Princess de Conti.Air of Sweet Mystery.It cannot be doubted that powdered hair will become more and more fash ionable n has proved itself Infinitely becoming to hosts of women, it loud-: an air of sweet mystery to even ai: ordinary face.At the present moment the subject ol i corsets to of supreme importance. The ] changes in the waist and bust Unetj have brought many difficulties In thels | train. Even the comfortable tricot cor j sets does not always prove Itself quite equal to the occasion.In the first place, tbe waist must eb sume natural proportions. In tho sec-1 ond place, the IiIjjb must not be at all prominent; neither must tbe outline of the bust In a word, fashion de mands from the modern woman a pure ly cla*sU; form, and tbe modem worn an hae not been trained physically on. classic liucB.Difficulties seem added to difficulties, but women are very clever erea tures. They are. Indeed, so clever and resourceful that they can, if they willalmost always find a way out Recently I received u very valuable 'tuyau or tip from a woll-known Parisian who has reached, quite contentedly, the uncertain age.She la u woman of fine figure, whal the Parisians call “une belle femme.'’ She has always been a notable authority on the subject of drese, and to her; sartorial Instinct thero is no limit 1, was present when an intimate friend of her bewailed the “ligne” which de-j mandB that an stoning corsage shall bo cut down in an exaggerated poini i at the hack; cut down almost to the! top of the folded sash which circles, the waiut. The speaker dwelt upon the fact that auch a ’Tigno had been created for very slender women, and that no corset had yet been invented which could enable a “belle femme to adopt it with comfort and credit Why Wear a Corset?The famous beauty smilod and quiet, ly said: “Why not go without a corset?, I find that boned ccinture with an clastic band at the wait is quite suffi-1 ciont support” Every one in the little circle gasped, but there was vladurn j in the remark.Unless a woman is exaggeratedly, stout her figure in evening dress will ■ look Infinitely moro graceful and very much more youthful without a corset. * or even a “soutten gorge” than witbj one. The bust will assume the right j lines and the neck and throat will.bvkt on classic outlines. Certainly i there will be an increase of width under j the arms, but now that masses cf folds make their appearance on all tbe new| evening corsagea this increase oi width does not matter. Tho chief thing ia that the bust instantly losses that objectionable pushod-up appearance by tills moans. And as largo waists are tho fashion tho figure muyo bo ul lowed to spread.1 offer this suggestion for tho consideration of my readers. It may j prove useful, for it Is certain that eve-1 □ ing corsageB cut down In a deep V at j the hack will cor.tlnu-n fashionable el]1 through tho winter and spring. This' style 13 In reality very’ becoming, and. It is not at all open to critisism when the corsage fa made by a clover dress- j maker. It is only the uudorbodice, which ia to decollete; ofcr this folds’ and draperies of chiffon or tullo wfl!| be placed, and strings of pearl a or diamonds form shoulder straps.It is particularly becoming and picturesque fashion when well carried out. and though Iheso new corsages aro really very decollete, at least at, the back, they do not give thin imprrg-: sum when tho bust is permitted to as-, sume cl.'iF.sJe outlines. Of course in the ordinary tlglUencd-In corset such, nn nutlinrs could not fail to bo objec* tiouable. i
Newspaper Details
Van Nuys News and the Van Nuys Call
Van Nuys, California, US
Fri, Jan 23, 1914
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Brooke B.
USA 21 Apr 2018
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