Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 17, 1914)
The Omaha Sunday Bee Magazine Pag wmmmm V " I This Isjtho '"False Chic," According to Sera. SEM. tbe raoat amusing and tbe tnost malicious carlcv turtat or the day In Part, put forth a now album of clever drawings, published and copyrighted by lbs "Sueces" Company, of Paris. 8em baa devoted bla pencil tn thla new work entirely to caricaturing tbe prevalent fashions tn women's dress. Bo entitles bis book. "The True and False Chic." but the examples of the false shlc overshadow tho true. In tbe letterpress accompanying die pictures. Qctn ears that tbe prevailing fashions are tbe ugliest and tbe most ridiculous tbe world bas ever aeen. Women. Imagining themselves to te fashionable, make tbcmselvea took llko atrango Insects, like clowns, and even like lunatics. "Paris," be exclaims, "la going through a tcrrtble crista of bad taste. Fashion Is abandoning herself without ro stra lot to tbe wildest phantasies of a disordered Imagina tion 8ome of tho great couturiers, It la true, havo held tbomselvcs aloof from tbe contagion, but. except for these few select ones, most of tbe houses pour forth all sorts of eccentricities which are too quickly adopted and circulated. They organize exhibitions of tbelr models In tbe form of regular music-ball performances, and thereby lead misguided women to wear thlugs that are entirely unsuitable for them. "Imagine that a blnae Parisian re solved to exile himself ten years ago. sad went to llvo among the savages of Central Africa. He comes back to Paris eager to see once more tbe fair Parts! ennes, whose discreet charm and grace be remembers. "What Is his disillusion! In the thea tres, tho fashionable res' tauTants, he finds himself among a multitude of bl zarro creatures whose In explicable ippeiraoco transfixes him with stupor "They appear to him like strange Insects Immcasur albly swollen, beetles, grass hoppers with heavy abdo mens and skinny legs and long antennae upon tbelr beads. These queer crea tures dance and hop llko a swarm or Insects in a ray of sunlight. "While many women bare an entomological ap pearance, others suggest that tbey have been dress ed for a masquerade. Tho fashion of excessive pan nlors and volants baa giv en them ridiculous silhou ettes that can only be re garded by an artist as a caricature of what woman should look llko." v "The couturiers organlxc exhibitions of their models in the form of music hall performances, sad thereby lead misguided women to wear things unsuitable to them." The other pictures show an exaggerated Parisian type and 8em'a idea of the insect that one fashion sug gests to him. Another 8etn Example of the "False Chic" and a "Fashion Insect" The True Chic," by Sem. Jt.T. f.tS The "Waterfall" Coitume of SheU Pink Puy Willow Taifeia. Showing the Bouffant Outline" in "it. Outline. LADY DUFF-GORDON. the famou. "LucHe" k of London, and foremoit creator of faihiont . l . u . .... o uie woria. wnre eacn week the fnfuon artiela lor thi newtpaper. preienling all thai i neweii and bcil Mn ityle lor well-dreued women. Lady Duff-Gordon Pant enable ment bringi her into dote touch with hil centre of faihion. By Lady Duff-Gordon HAT8 are very high, or very low; silhouettes are very bouffant, or ot a flagpole sllmness, gowns are-vory low cut In front, very high la tho back and bo It goes. Extremes meet on every corner and at every lea table. Tbe mademoiselle with tbe sllmmetst of tho slim outline will be walking on tbe Ools or sipping tea at the ftltz-Carlton with a matron whoso outline Is as bouffant as that or a frigate under full aall There was never a time when so much lat itude was allowed tho woman or fashion. In other days all women had to look alike. They all bad to wear pannlors or else bo voted hopelessly dowdy, or thoy had to wear straight up and down effects In ract. each gooso bad to wear what all the other geese wore. But this awful state or affairs Is. happily, over ror the nonce. As I have told you ever so many times, never could one be more In dividual, never could ono so satisfactorily choose that style which pleases berself alone, as at present I em proving my contentions ty sending you two photographs, which are not only proofs, but very forceful proofs, or the "New Freedom." In the charming waterfall cos tume the draperies aro very pronounced, and the effect In the baok Is very much that or tbe bustle gowns which some Parisians havo tentatively adopted. In this" costume the breadth given the upper part of the figure Is thoroughly In harmony with the draperies. -uujritiUi. itts. ujr i no air twwptiU utvui Uiuiuu IviuliU Uuarra But let me tell you that there are some' couturiers hero in Paris who are combining the bouffant skirt with the tiniest of bodice-.' The pretty girt who wears tab very charm ins but ertrcme-oMts-kind gown will ;ba just as much "In style" as the girl who Wra ths clinging ivy costume which Is' developed In rose golflne, that most delectable of the new fabrics. To my mind there is a hint of DriaaTla this photograph; tho dinging swlrllneM V the drapery and the bouyaat Pose.ol'tJ slender figure produce thli in reacta i . .Miff HL