Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 206, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 August 1910 — PARIS ET LES PARISIENNES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PARIS ET LES PARISIENNES

ORIGIN OF STYLES

AMERICANS TAKE THEIR IDEAS FROM PARIS. > Fashion Must Be Followed Even Though the Styles of Gowns and Millinery Cannot Be Made to Look Attractive. BY FRANCES GROSVENOR. . All at once, from the quarters of the compass, comes an Inquiry into the origin of the styles with which American women are blessed —or afflicted—ln the fashioning of their clothes. It seems that our apparel, especially in the matter of millinery, has not only failed to please our men folks, (who fain would worship at the shrine of beauty adorned), but has

provoked a revolt on the part of many women during the past year. ■\ The “Merry Widow” and the “Peach Basket” (alluring names for hats), called down the wrath of our male relatives, made us the sport of the caricaturist in the daily press, and even provoked a revolt on our part. How did we come by such atrocious millinery? Mr. Boh tells us it was foisted on us by the French, in who_a we have had such faith for so long a time. All this commotion served as advertising, and thousands of ns went on our Way—not serenely—getting in everybody’s else way with our "merry widows,” and resembling toadstools under our “peach baskets,” defeating our own efforts to look attractive and meriting the settled conviction in many minds that women are hopelessly foolish when it comes to .following the fashion. Our conglomeration of models comes to us through many channels and “It is the style,” or “They are wearing this” are bound to cease to be a big stick. We are destined to become more Independent in our choice of styles and to wear millinery of which even our male kin will be compelled to admit “It is beautiful” and “It is suited to you.” We will not care a fig about who is wearing It or whether somebody else made it the style or not. It will be in the trend of fashion, otherwise our menfolk would pronounce it too conspicuous, and everybody will be happy when everybody is suited.