Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 133, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1917 — Flag Colors Too Frequently Used [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Flag Colors Too Frequently Used

New York. —When France went to war she abolished the introduction of colors into all apparel. When England went to war she did not change a jot or iota of her life in any manner. Mr. Wells, with his extraordinary facility for telling , the. truth in the guise of fiction has shown us in “Mr. Britling Sees It Through’’ a picture of England and her greatest war. When America went to war she introduced the red, white and blue into woman’s apparel to such an alarming manner that one critic truly said that if this exploitation of the’ flag continued, Americans would soon prefer to see the enemy’s flag to their own. The Colors Too Freely Used.

Everywhere we wore the colors. They not only floated from the windows, covered the facades of houses, swung from every public building and hotel, ornamented railroad stations and draped themselves around monuments, but they were carried by every motorcar, by the ox wagons of the South, by the bicycles of boys, by the hucksters on their little carts and even by the bootblacks’ boxes on the corner stands. Whan France went seriously, sadly, terribly in earnest to. meet the enemy in the shape of the “gray fog that rolled through Brussels,” she did .not exploit one-fiftieth as many flags as one city in America during the first week that war was declared; for in addition to all the methods by which the flag Itself was exploited, several million people wore the colors in their buttonholes, wrapped about their hats and pinned to their shoulders. Billions of buttons showing -the flag were sold in two weeks, and then the dressmakers and designers

qf all sorts of woman’s apparel saw to it that the colors would be introduced into their field of work. By this time one begins jto feel that the critic was right. The flag has become so commonly used that there should be a law to prohibit its being flaunted in this way. If we do not succeed-in stemming the tide of clothes made -in the red, white and blue, we shall all become an animated flag moving across the continent, made up of a few million human beings appearing as parts of the whole. The day that General Joffre arrived in New York it was the delight of the women to wear the red, white and blue in every possible way, and some of the smart set launched fashions that may become part of the season’s, styles. There were flag blue frocks of silk with brilliant red belts 'or sashes and a white star embroidered on each shoulder, and there were caps taken from those of the French Guard of 1870, with the wide strap under the chin and the red, white and blue cockade floating in front. There were red. white and blue sunshades, to match handbags. There were army capes of every kind in dark blue lined with red and showing white satin collars. There were military suits of blue serge with lapels and cuffs of red and white striped silk, and

there were visored caps of red satin and patent leather trimmed with a dark blue band. As General Joffre yode from the city hall to upper Fifth avenue, he must have wondered at the overwhelmdisplay of his own colors, perhaps not realizing that America was exploiting herself as well as France. It is no longer a question as to whether the. three colors will be introduced into fashlpn through the entrance of America into the war; it is a question as to how they shall be suppressed. The colors of our flag are except tlonally lovely, and. bits of red. or blue introduced into the costume freshen and enliven it; but a studied and continuous array of the three joined together in some type of cos-

tume should oecome a dead fashion because of its monotony, if for nothing else. The Wearing of the Capes. The widespread demand for army capes cut in any fashion, that different sections of the army wear, is accepted by the makers of women’s clothes as a dominant fashion. It has given the tailors a good chance to break loose into a mass of work which is ready for instant sale. Coats and skirts have not been demanded as much’ as usual this spring, and even elaborate, afternoon frocks have been partly replaced by sports suits; therefore, the coming

of these military capes into the fashions of the hour has proved a boon to those who deal in cloth. There are far too many designs in these capes to attempt to describe them, but the general silhouette must be slim, there must be an opening of some kind on each side for the arm, the collar must be a pretentious and elaborate affair and the cape must fall well below the knees. As a garment it has become a serious rival to the top coat. This is natural. Several years of the top coat as a con-, stant garment and its increase in fashion during the last two years have put one or more into the possession of most women, until they feel they have enough top coats to last them until the fashion is dead.

For several varieties of capes that are worn, the choice of materials is usually limited to thin, dark blue serge, white broadcloth, black and white checked wool, and sometimes deep red broadcloth. In all the capes there is no tendency to hide the openings at the sides which serve as armholes. There is a wide band of soutache braid, sometimes the application of another color with embroidery, of pieces of the material cut into points, scallops or battlements. One of the dark blue capes which is lined with army red has 12-inch openings for the arms which are edged with small blue bone buttons and buttonholes, so that any part of the opening can be fastened whenever desired. When one tires of bright colors, the mind constantly turns to black-and-white checks. There are seasons when this design is a trifle smarter than other -seasons, but it is always in fashion and usually in strong demand. This season it has taken a high place in the affection of the public. Coat suits, one-piece frocks, capes and other wraps are made of it. It is sometimes trimmed with marine blue or any shade of dark red, but an application of solid black is the best way to treat it. These capes are about the only kind of top garment that is not belted; they swing free and full from the shoulders, but there is a fashion law against their being too full and the dressmakers have invented several ways of making the cut irregular and full of character. (Copyright, 1917. by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.)

In this French flag nel tennia lrock. the skirt and blouse are plaited and trimmed with, wide, white silk braid. On the immense pockets there are large pearl buttons, The flannel is amber colored.

In this simple hat the straw is partly covered with emerald green georgette crepe, and the upright stalks of roses are cut from biscuit-colored kid.