Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 248, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1916 — Season's Show Novelty [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Season's Show Novelty

Two Distinct Styles Have Been Featured by the Parisian “Big Houses.” SLEEVES MADE A FEATURE v _____ ~ , • Decree Is That They Must Be Tight From the Elbow Down—Directoire and First Empire Effects Copied—Embroidery Used in Profusion.

New York. —The coats of the season may be roughly summed up in two parts —the short, capelike shapes with sleeves that ripple over die top of JT high-walsted, embroidered belt attached to the skirt—these are in the minority, but very smart —and the mannish directoire coat featured; by Cheruit, Bernard, Douillet, Callot and most of the other big Paris houses. This lai ter coat will probably be the shape seen on more than half the women this season. It has a slim top that fits the figure, a small belt that draws attention to itself through buttons or buckles In front, and an extra full skirt which convolutes around the figure and in which are exploited several of the newest features. They are difiicult to describe in detail; the general idea, is .that the material is brought back and twisted over in many curious ways, as if the designer had been trying out an experiment with the cloth and had pinned it up into pockets, loose straps and revers and then leftthem all there. Coat Has Novel Features. The novelty in the top part of the coat consists in radiating lines from neck to waist by gussets of the same material inserted and corded or stitched at the edges. It is probable

that this idea was evolved from what is known as the delta decollete, which was exploited by the Duchess de Vendome in Paris last winter, but which waa never taken up in this country. These gussets inserted from neck to waist make a deep delta effect. The sleeves are gathered at the top. sometimes made after the genuine leg-o’-mutton shape which is not approved by American dressmakers and which has been altered by many of them into a more graceful shape which is buttoned tightly from the knuckles of the hand to just below the elbow, then flaring to the armhole, where its fullness is slight enough to be put into a few well-streaked gathers at the back. Whatever else sleeves are, they are tight from the elbow down. Cuffs of fur are frequent, but they fit the wrist and flare upward .and outward to hold the fullness of the sleeve as it mounts toward the bend of the elbow. Fur collars are made in this shape, often pointed in front, fitted tightly to the shoulders and flaring upward and outward to the ears. Satin, velour, jersey and velvet are the choice of materials for these suits. Inclined to the Dlrectolre. The prophecies for directolre and first empire styles have Cpfhe good. There are gowns of dull blue satin that have small jacket effects attached to the skirt, half covered with gray soutache embroidery, which are cut in a straight line just under the bust and then dipped to long points of braiding over the hips. The street coats that have been described might have been worn in France under the directory. The three-quarter topcoats, twhlch are the

strongest feature of the new fashions, are belted so high under the bust and have such narrow shoulders that they instantly suggest a costume worn by Tosca. The skirts of these coats are full, cling to,the figure and are covered with soutache or embroidery. There is a band of fur on the outside of the hem —this is a novelty borrowed from the Russians —and a deeper band on the inside. Coats of Heavy Blue Satin. Heavy satin is used as frequently for coats as velvet, and a bright dark blue seems to be the choice of the French designers. Both of them are heaped with fur. Nutria is used, rabbit, brown, gray and white, but not many of the coarse, long-haired peltry. The fur this-jseasea- must be flat and pliable, so that-it cun lend itself to all the soft curves of the material. Bernard has turned out a black satin emit with brown fur that the American dressmakers think will have a long run of popularity. It follows the fashion of last year, in that it has wide, distended openings at the side, exactly below the waist, that are heavily corded at the edges. There is a black gown that goes with this, with a deep renaissance yoke of gold lace, but the majority of women will buy the coat, probably, without the gown. Miles of Embroidery. It would be terrifying to have a statistician measure in miles the embroidery used on the new gowns. It would make a new burden for our minds to carry, which are already feeling the burden of this departure in clothes. If there is one thing that France knows how to do better than any other place in the world, it is needlework. She has called up all her resources in this line today. All her needleworkers are not under the colors, but they are under orders to cover every piece of material that goes out of Paris with the most complicated embroidery. The designs are drawn from sev» eral sources of Inspiration. China, Japan and Russia are the nations which The majority of the designs, however, are reminiscent of the moyen age—those sumptuous and exquisite patterns that were produced from the~twelfth to the fifteenth century.

There are bits of embroidery on street suits that look as though they were copied from altar Entire coats have their surfaces plastered with soutache braiding, which, incorporate hundreds of flat disks, wonderfully done. All Colors Seemingly Used. Oyster gray soutache is the color chosen for the largest amount of braiding done, and every color is used in the embroidery, as well as every stitch and design that the world has ever produced. Jet and colored beads are profusely used. A black silk house gown is al-

most covered with a design in jet. Colored beads in ornamental motifs hang from belts, collars and cuffs. Metal thread is lavishly employed and usually several metals are combined. One of the most effective evening gowns has its mass of embroidery done in gold, silver. red and blue metal Threads. The blouse Illustrated is in biscuit color, with a double collar and cuffs of chiffon edged with narrow bands of brown rabbit. The sash is of brown chiffon, tied at the side and finished with gold fringe. Exceedingly popular ’is the coat shown. It has been drawn from the eighteenth century and is made of bright, rose-colored satin trimmed with ermine and silver roses. The pockets are corded and topped with roses. (Copyright, 1916, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.)

New Satin Blouse From

Evening Coat in Brilliant Colors.