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Show f heLoAic of Drerx-EyfulFoiret In. H il -i -4 -4t$ illc Crepe with All the Radiant aloring of the Orient Has Been ted by Poiret in This Gown. Note e New Muff Sleeve Which Like e Edges of the Garment Are nthed with Rn! Wli5f SIcunfc f Pur. J) By PAUL POIRET, jl lithe Current December Num-$ Num-$ ber of HARPER'S BAZAR. I FASHION That appalling word! K J. At least to me it is appalling m ' because ifc stands for that 7, 'ch 1 have rebelled agalust ever rtj ice I began designing, years ago. I 6r 00111(1 undel'3tflnd hy fashion i Supposed to convey the Idea of m topicality and amusement. To ray 8 Qd, Jt means uniformity and 58 Uousness. Fashion to mo implies i C tasle' 1jecnusc a thing arbi-3 arbi-3 trfly sot up as a model for cvery-jl cvery-jl Jy to follow i-3 an insult to one's J ilgcnco and individuality. Ever v5j ?e 1 can remember I have hated Jjg dine, and I have been opposed to 3 8 nrllnclul nnd absurd general iza- a which has reigned Jn women's vKf' urse ere was a reason for it olden times when sovereigns of a Slf17 SCt 010 faBblonG and th0 ffll Sin or Weavn6 textiles was HBj'tect. It was then logical that SBnen should follow tho fashion, for a'Iady in waiting copied the dress J Vcr Queen, as the most delicate of SKPlimeniH. In turn, the lady in BIl 2 W8s conicd and 80 ifc spread iM"1 De Jrt,1 to auotllor- At tho time, the manufacturers pro- MKu niaorals required for 3uch a BE111116, And as Ifc took a long time PdjuBt a loom for a different delta de-lta or fabric, tho fashion prevailed M. Poiret ArranglnEr a Jot NecWaco So That It Fall Juot Within the Line He Wiahoi, It Ib In Theto Little Touches That M. Poirot Excolls. The Gown Is the Mourning Dreao Shown on the Right. I.1...V1. for a considerable period. Individuality Is the Essential. A woman is free nowadays to dress as she chooses, yet nine times out of ten she does not avail herself her-self of the privilege. Why does she lack the couraee to make i herself attractive, when on the othe; hand she is quite willing to make herself her-self ridiculous "by following unbecoming styles in dress? That Is the curious thing. A woman considers herself clever if she Imitates Imi-tates other women, even to the point of absurdity, and is fenrful of attracting at-tracting too much attention If she dares to be originaL I dislike fashions- They make all women look alike, and they reduce to one standard something which should be infinitely varied, distinctive and attractive. Routine is never agreeable. Individuality is charming. I would liave a woman dye her hair purple, if purple hair was becoming to her. At least, I should admire her courage. PAUL POIRET, one of the most original and certainly the most talked about of the famous French dressmakers, is writing a series of exclusive articles in HARPER'S BAZAR. The articles are illustrated by photographs of his own charming and odd creations. , In the current number of HARPER'S BAZAR Mr. Poiret has a novel and interesting little essay upon the logic of dress. So unusual is the viewpoint that by permission of HARPER'S BAZAR the article and some of the fascinating photographs that illustrate it are reproduced on this page. I would have women wear whatever what-ever to suitable to them, consistent with their social position and with the occasion. Those three things are the only ones that should be considered con-sidered In the choice of a dress, and they Should be adhered to rigorously. For example, I consider it a crime ' for a woman to wear consplcuou? jewels in tho morning. Build a Gown After a Logical Design. Dress is fin art an nrfc to ba studied as conscientiously as any other art; and I would have the adept in it exemplify her art by dressing consistently with conditions and with her own state of mind. In other words, sad colors typify grief and brilliant hues indicate joy. Olothes should be chosen according Co their suitability the old principle of the Romans decorum. But they should be worn and made according to one other principle logic. In my work I have always tried to be logical. I conceive an idea, or get a suggestion which I think will work out well, and I carry It out to a logical conclusion. People tell me that the gowns I create are entirely different from the designs of other makers. If they are different It Is because they are logical. Tbey are designed and executed without compromise com-promise with any fad or fashion. That is one reason why my dresses are unusual and in advance of the prevailing mode. The so-called harem skirt, for example, was developed to its logical conclusion. It provefi somev.'hat of a revolution when first presented, but it is now approved. The logic in a design should ba completed. A ' dress showing the panier effect is illogical with a Grecian border of a divided skirt If you want a panier, then see to it that the rest of the dress Is carried out accordingly. If your gown is to be built on Oriental lines, then have no stiff laces or Medici collars to upset tho fundamental scheme. If the Tanajra is your model, then see that your draperies are exactly like those of the original statuettes. Do not start out with straight lines in your design and permit them to develop into bulgy curves. Build a gown as logically as an architect plans a church. Every garment, in fact, should be architecturally architec-turally designed. - , Draperies, Too,. Should Have Meaning. I abhor on a dress buttons that are not meant to button. A button is not an ornament it is an object of utility. If it does not serve any purpose pur-pose then do not put It on. A button :?hould button, or be placed so that it might button, but placed haphazard on a dress it spoils the logic and consequently the ensemble. Draperies are beautiful when logically logic-ally handled: otherwise thov are Tno Back View oF the Black and White Mourning Continue Con-tinue Showing the Skilful Drapnff of tho Chiffon Into the Black Velvet Panel of tho j Wrap. The Arrangement of J the Drapinjj Carries Out the 1 Rules Laid Down by M. g Poirot in His Argument on J the Logic of Dreis. Jk An Original . Poiret ft Model Mado for tho fc Russian ik Ballet. It Is Developed in Mahogany 8 Faille 1 with Yoke oleeves and Belt of Black Velvet. Draping Are Gathered in a Fitted Band of Black Velvet Embroidered in Coral nnd Gold and Edged ' with Skunk to Match Scarf and Cuffs. quite tho opposite. They are ex tremely difficult to handle unless logic Is kepi, in mind. A drapery must come from somewhere and end somewhere. I mean it must start, logically, at the shoulder or the waistline, waist-line, and It must be caught, at the other 'extremity by a buckle, a bit of passementerie, or an ornament of some kind. But tho flow of the material ma-terial must be In accordance with tho lines of the gown, and thcro must bo an apparent reason for Its use. Sometimes Some-times you seo draperies that come from ono knows not where, caught here and there, everywhere, ono knows not how; and instead of admiring ad-miring tho dress or feeling the pleasing pleas-ing effect of the ensemble, you wonder won-der how the dress is made, how it Was possible to make It hang together. And when tho woman who wears 16 takes a step you tremble lest she disarrange dis-arrange a fold and ruin the garment. To bo able to move about In a dress Is logical. Nothing about drapery should givo the impression that it hnmpers the wearer. Drapery should fall naturally, and if walking disarranges dis-arranges the pleats, tho materlnl ought to fall back .Into the logical folds as soon as the wearer Is In rS Hl pose, leaving the impression that no 11 harm had been done. Vl Loglo in a dress, to my mind, ll stands for beauty. Decorum and logic these are the two things which I jH should govern a woman in the choice of her dress. Fashions should ba m ignored. A prevailing mode may; B guide a woman but nothing more B for the really well-dressed wpmog B never follows It blindly. H |