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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 1912)
The Omaha Sunday Bee Magazine Page Copyright. 191 by American-Examiner. Great Britain Rlchta Reserved. IfeS fho' bin' II II IB B r IK V'lV. ' y 1 LI 1 ttl .,& V Latfy Duff-Gordon Describes the "Robe Deshabillante," the Very. Loose Successor to the Very Tight Hobbles and Sheaths V ADY DUFF-CORDON, the famous "Luck" of London, and fore most creator of fashions in the world, writes each week the fashion article for this newspaper, presenting all that is newest and best in style for well-dressed women. Lady Duff-Gordon's new Paris establishment bring her into close touch with that centre of fashion. Lady Duff-Gordon's American establishment it at No. 1 7 West Thirty sixth street. New York City. One of - the "Tanagra" Dresses of an " Advanced " Type. toot to ud L rT- VNerr0. M Y. AT a-jaV How Parisian Think the Boulevards Are Going to Appear If the New Grecian Fashions Are Worn by Ever One. By Lady Duff-Gordon ("Lucile") Wfc! are decidedly face to fact with a new fashion, or at least aa attempt to float one, of a most startling character. . , The new fashion Is called the Oreclaa, but Its pro moters will not rest content with ths charming and graceful possibilities which ths nam suggests, but will make It ths occasion for an extraordinary dl play of ths figure. Ths truth Is that ths world baa grows weary of ths sheath skirt snd ths hobbls skirt Ths smart womea bars throws both of them to ths rummage heap. Now, if yon don't wear a tight dress you must wssr a looss one, snd. It yon do that how are yon going to glvs so ciety ths revelation that ths tight ones afforded? , Ths snswer Is, by wearing ons thst will alternately drop oft and blow open. , This delightful effect Is pro duced by ths Grecian costume In Its most extrems form. The effect Is srea heightened by. ths sudaelous use of ander-draperles of transparent and flesh colored materials. Already ws And examples of this aew fashion af fronting us In ths boulevards snd in ths salons of Paris. In many cases It Is so startling that even the most case-hardened boulevsrdlers seem startled by it The latest creation of our fashionable coutty-leres Is ths 'robs deshabillante' the undressing dress.' " writes a well known and brilliant Parisian journalist, Clement Vsutel. The new dress is very flowing, very loose. At each movement tbe sleeves fall to the elbow, dragging down ths corsage, which, being held by nothing, will fall down, heaven knows wherel The skirt Has ths same freedom as ths corsage, but with ths difference that it will tend to move up In stead of down. The new dress, moreover, Is tricked out with flesh colored transparencies that add to Its biasing Indis cretions. "Already yon can hear our fashionables saying to ons another: 'Worth undresses you well, but Psquio undresses yon better." I cannot say that this male observer Is technically ths general character of accurate, but ha expresses the aew fashion quite well Ths Inspiration of this new mode is said to bs drswn from the Tanagra figurines, and Indeed it could hardly come from any other sou roe, sines these) lit tle statuettes tell ns the whols story of snclent Greek costtmis. Tns materials used ere of soft silk In light shades. Ths trimmings will bs strictly Greek In design, from the familiar-key --pattern-to ethers of mors elab orate and unusual character. These costumes will bs worn st races and garden parties, and possibly for ordinary street use. Not unnaturally It will bs ths evening gown In ths new fashion that will prove ths greatest revelation to ths beholder. Ths favorlts material will be ths thin nest kind of satin, designed to fall In loose, sinuous folds from ths shoulder to a point Just above ths knes snd from ths knee to tbe ground, where ths various folds will bs united in a train of -modest dimensions. . Ths wstst will bs placed high up toward ths shoulders, where, in fact It Is placed by nature, snd ths arms will bs left quits uncovered. Across ths shoulders nothing but a buckle' or narrow ribbon will be worn. This will bs. loose snd free . upon ths shoulder snd It will bs s mark of extreme fashion to show no concern whether the brickie Is staying dec orously on top of ths shoulder or Is sliding grace fully -over a shapely arm. , Ths mors extrems votaries of this fashion will have ths folds of ths lower part of ths dress not joined to gether, snd therefore liable to blow open with the movements of tho limbs, thus revealing a generous portion of ths figure. Beneath ths flowing folds they will wear flesh-colored tights, mors or less protected by transparent gauss. , Strictly speaking, no jewels should bs worn with this costume, except such buckles and pink ss may bs absolutely necessary to hold It loosely together. Ths hair will bs dressed la ons of the well-known Grecian styles. It may ba parted In ths middle, brushed loose and low over ths ears snd finished In a classical coll at ths back. As far as this fashion is legitimately Greek, It has -V' x t v J, . " "wi I"' a'. r , - 1 ,V - 4 , i I . x J . hi ; i f i 't ' " 1 . J.v. I':--. r l e M J V 'J i J ' - i - ' -V. v ; t - f, ! A New Grecian Mode with Which Has Been Com bined Masses of Byiantine Embroidery. 'mm. I f-?,- 7 til ml :., ll .i'fik i 1 V. i I III .; i f : I I iiit if ' ! I i&2Sairi I A Tanagra Statuette, a Model for the New Dresses. my approval. Indeed, U is no novelty to me. ' sg my readers. should know, since . my costumes havs already Included all that appeared to me most beautiful In classic de signs.. I have always adapted my . costumes to what I call the "statue figure." I have recommended my friends to cultivate the statue fig ure as far as possible. ' ' This is' approximately such a fig-. tire as ws And in tbe best Greek statues, and such as ths mors favored Greek women undoubtedly possessed in real life. In order to cultivate such a figure, ynn should. It possible, discard corsets snd wear a band supporting the chest and keeping the waistline up where It was placed by nature. Then you must avoid the nse of volumincus underwear, thereby giving your cos tume sn opportunity to fall in graceful vertical folds. Upon a fairly (rood fitrurs of this type a costume of Greek or classi cal design with flowing lines pro- -duces a most beautiful effect But when It comes to jrrarlng costumes that threaten to tall off at every movement or that reveal - much mors than modern convention per mits, I must utter a note of warn ing. Such extremes of fashion will never be adopted by women of ths best taste. They will pass quickly,, like the sheath skirt and the hob ble skirt and arouse only ths dis gust of those who wish to see fashion and good taste go hand in-' hand. ft I cannot recommend my sisters to try to look liko Thais or Pbryns or Aspasla, however great the at tractions of those ladles may havs been. 1 doubt it many, of them could aucceed, It they tried, and. It they succeeded; It would not bs de sirable. Doubtless there were Greek maids and matrons who were models of modesty and good taste, and it Is to them that we should rather look for example In dress. The little statues known as Tan agra figurines are so called because many of them, were found In the district of Tanagra, which was famous for pottery, but as a matter of fact these objects are found nearly all over Greece, and dating from many ages, From them we obtain a complete and lifelike record of ancient Greek costume. We owe their existence and widespread presence to ths beautiful custom which prevailed among the Greeks of dedicating these statues to their gods and god desseson every important occasion of their lives. The figurines were most common ly placed In the temples, but they were also left In other places. Thus It happens that ths soil ot Greece is filled with countless thou- ' sands ot these beautiful objects. Ths statuettes show us that ths ordinary house dress wss a long tunic, with or without sleeves, gir dled under the arms and reaching to the feet This garment was most commonly white, but was often decorated with colored borders and embroideries. Such a costume was, however, only suited for Indoor wear, and on occasions of ceremony a shawl was added, even Indoors. Truly a beautiful style, but sus ceptible of ths most amazing dis tortions at the hands of those not guided by good taste 1 Men, Take Warning! Here's a Suffrage Town Where Women Have Taken Every Job T T SltB you havs I I evidence of triumph thai timely warning for 4hotographle ths world all the mors so because a suffrsgette the woman's suffrage movement Is should bs a not nearly so well developed In mea all over Francs as In England and America. - - - " JTa La Gate TeaeW Wbe Uoka After the Freiwy RaBroaJ Crowing. ' J M la ths llttls city ot Froissy, De partment ot Oise, in France, there Is not a municipal job worth having that a woman doesn't occupy, from Mayer down to "Mother" Lafarge. ' who tends ths gats at ths mala street railway crossing. Froissy Is fifty or sixty miles dus north of Paris, and Is the terminus of a branch railway line which con sects It with the mors important market town ot St Just At St Just yon can take a train that will whirl yon through to Paris without change. But to reach Froissy from St Just or St Just from Froissy, you must accommodate yourself to the exigencies of' freight traffic over the single track line, for the line waa built and is controlled by the merchants, small banker and agriculturists of the region, all ot whom have a thrifty eys to ths "main chance.' Froissy being the terminus of this locally operated line, that little town has a large voice in Ita man agement; and the. women having placed themselves in all the m unlet- pal jobs It was only natural that their sex should be given ths preference in railway positions. Thus "Mother Lafarge tends ths gate at the main street railway crossing. As yet the locomotive engineers and firemen are men. but aboard tbe daily passenger train which makes connections at St Just for Paris the conductor, who is custodian ot the running schedule and gives the en gineer his orders, and who also takes np the tickets. Is a suffragette mature but agreeable spinster. Mile. Duroc. By way of proof that ths French 4 " Vtt rf I -J s - 1 The Lady LaUar Carrier Delmring the Md to a Mara Maa. Government has a kindly view of woman's suffrage In Froissy, there is the female letter carrier, Mme. Dauboln. who covers her routs by ths clock, rain or shine, to ths en tire satisfaction of ths citizens. Agriculture and fruit-growing, and ths business ot handling all their -produce, keeps the male population busy the year round. It was better, and mors chivalrous, to hand over the municipal offices to the spinsters and wives and old women than to press them into service for more laborious duties. Besides, Froissy pays Utile atten tion to what goes on elsewhere in the world; it lives for itself, con sidering only its own comfort Thus the ton a is old-fashioned In many respects. For instance, the posi tion ot town crier has never been abolished snd that is where the women ot Froissy win again, for the present town crier who an nounces her approach with a spirit ed rat-tat-tat on a drum is a weather-beaten but well preserved old Isdy named Mme. Oruhon. In Froissy ths woman chief of police has a sinecure, for the whole region .thereabouts is populated by industrious people, naturally order ly, whose labor and legitimate busi ness are profitable enough to leave no excuse for criminal operations; besides, the town offers no attrac tions to the criminally-minded ot neighboring cities. . Nevertheless, it is worth while to watch ths Froissy example; there are plenty ot towns in this country municipal job In sight and how where ths women undoubtedly long would it bs before they ex could, if they set shout it energetl- tended their triumph to the politi cally, possess themselves of. every . cal control of the larger cities? -7 .j-4 mar J .;. 'L , Sw ' CyS Ma Hold All theW.ce. The Towa Crier of Froissy WWa the Woi
