Show 0 i 1 q g i 0 r y to e t I 5 1 J An n Interview With it 1 Mrs Oliver Harriman I I New ew York or Society oCi ty Leader Lead ea e r J I t A 4 V In Reply to Ji 1 ff i f I h M r k kJ kr J s M. M I Paul Po ire t t- t C C J i f My t. t r v i yf b i Distinguished Fr French Couturier J 1 f 3 4 I Ir 5 r f F. F u o 7 w 3 y f. f j H f 3 tf T fi f i c y 9 rw r- r w A I I. I I t i What at Paul au Said al f t HE American women are still the best dressed in the world worldS world'S t S J- J that is they still retain leadership in the world of fas fashion ion IF 5 But But But- Fr Standardization of dress may in time rob them of this thi J supremacy cy And worse th the American woman woman is i in danger danger of losing losing los los- l ing mg the most ost precious thing in m. her life that is the interest of men 4 I I am so sad The end of the mode is at hand It is an ant t Jai r unhappy hour The American woman is no longer capable of adopting anew a new idea Today oday she is intolerant intolerant She has stopped i her development and nd is caught fast in the formula of today kc which is dull monotony i h They are killing something they can never make alive again If they do not change now they will be less able to change tomorrow tomor tomor- row In five years mo more e they will not be able to change at all They will wear coats buttoned to o the right side like men wear I trousers pressed in the same way vay as men and fashion will be buried burled Trousers for women are inevitable Now they wear them for sports and once in a while I see divided skirts on the streets It is only natural then that trousers will follow And the modern American skirt is so short that it shocks err d la even a Frenchman There is no r reason ason why all skirts in n America should be short It would be reasonable to have the skirt move down to the ankle shorter ankle shorter of course for the sport and the shopping For pretty slender young girls short skirts axe ate good But why must they all wear such very short skirts Why not more individuality You are are all black and beige w J and blue I see no red no mauve mauv no pink no yell yellow w. w Nothing but a dull world pHE HE foregoing colored beige-colored views were s r I t J. J expressed by Paul the famous f t French dressmaker who recently arrived i in to this country Visiting Parisian dressmakers dress dress- dressmakers dress dress- jt makers have for some time been viewing t. t y with alarm the tendency of American 5 to standardize women the styles f 1 Eavesdropping to the the tattle tattle of afternoon afternoon after after- after after- i. i noon tea parties at the Ritz Pierres Pierre's the Park Lane and oth other r smart restaurants j in New York reveals that hat American y women who went shopping hopping in n Paris this L. L last season are just as much dissatisfied with the monotony of the models shown I over there as the Parisian arisian fashion creators creators creators crea crea- tors are with the American women's alleged al alif alleged al- al if r standardization of styles 7 r ff 5 T many returned with only partly filled trunks Is established by figures In the books at the New York Custom House Though duties paid on commercial Imports were higher than to in any previous f year duties paid by 1 passengers on personal per per- f 11 sons baggage unloaded on the docks i d were less during the months of January to September 1927 than during that period in 1926 This represents rep rep- t resents about half or three quarters of a million dollars which escaped the tho bank accounts of the European shopkeepers Since the American womans woman's accuser was not available a representative of the y American woman of fashion w was as sought Si- Si r R to ier side of the controversy Mrs Oliver Harriman one of the v known lest American society women was wasS was'S S S 'S S 4 7 as ask asked ed what she thought o 0 the statements I think some debunking of these Parisian dressmakers woulA woul not do any harm she replied Im not referring to any anyone one of them especially I heard somebody talking of the necessity of somebody somebody somebody some some- body soon debunking the Paris fashions the other day I think its it's a good ex ex- ex The slang expression sounded oddly piquant coming from the patrician Mrs Harriman's lips as she seated herself alongside ner interviewer on a lounge inthe in inthe inthe the library of ot the the Harriman Hamman home on Park avenue The exquisite Mrs Harriman with her white hair air her flashing eyes and her patrician profile Is best described as distinguished distinguished distinguished dis and her beauty has been given a permanent memorial She Sho posed as the war mother in a painting for the theare Care Jare are de lEst l'Est In hi Paris reminding visitors to France of the thousands of troops which passed through that station statton during during during dur dur- ing the war Not only has Mrs Harriman held the social reins in New York for many years but she is a popular hostess in to London as well She has given much time personal personal personal per per- effort and financial support to the work of the Camp Fire Girls a part of ot whose training is to create a harmonious home life She emphasized the necessity of a a. well- well groomed appearance asserting that a wife's careful attention to such matt matters rI y i le j ic 1 t. t x i t 1 v r 51 Mrs 1 Oliver Harriman NewYork New NewYork NewYork York society leader who defends American women's taste and independence in inthe inthe inthe the matt matter r of clothes goes far in promoting a hap happy y home life Thereupon she discussed M. M points cate sate categorically I dont don't think there is any danger atthe ol of the American woman losing her ber prestige in the world of fashion n but it is quite possible that Paris is in danger of losing its place as the center of fashion The end of the mode may be at hand handin in Paris Paris that's that's what many of my frien friends have been saying We predict that before long unless there are some radical changes made in the Paris houses New NewYork NewYork NewYork York houses will usurp their supremacy in the minds of the world at large just justas as they now do In the estimate of many American women We believe this because already a JI great number of women who used to get most all their clothes in Paris are now getting practically all their clothes in New York The reason for this is that we can get here only the individual and exclusive e creations and we cannot find them in Paris E PREFER the American h houses uses because because be- be WE cause they create for the thc individual while the Parisian houses are catering to the mass The French have hav an inborn flair for style creation They are as a nation undoubtedly the greatest artists in their line but there is now such a frenzy of competition between the great houses seeking to supply the American trade that tha it is impossible for them to turn out the tho class of production which made them famous When I was first taken over to Paris as a young girl it was all a wonderful new world to us The dressmaking salons were conducted in a dignified and elegant elegant ele g gant nf manner The very atmosphere was Vas filled with elegance The dressmakers in those days gave in individual individual individual in- in att attention to each one of their clientele Th They y created the costumes lit literally literally literally lit lit- on the tho individual and brought out outher outher outher her individuality to the nth degree The designing was c work of art the sewing exquisite Then you were quite confident that you had clothes which were exclusive exclusive exclusive sive clothes that were really a part of you Nowhere else in the world could you obtain such clothes Women of the inner social circles in France do lot tot travel much nor appear 1 so 0 much in public as women of the same came class over sere Here When I first went over we found the famous cocottes making the fashions They y appeared at the races an anso and so on in marvelous creations presented 10 to them by the great dressmakers Consequently I am quite sure that the dressmakers were just as happy to have havethe havethe havethe the opportunity to dress American women and nd so let the world see their creations r rs s we Wi ww to have those creations The purchase price was high but It was not exorbitant That is how American women became the best dressed In the world Then through the women's omens magazines American American American Ameri Ameri- can women throughout the country be became became became be- be came familiar with what the great dress dress- dressmakers dressmakers makers in Paris were doing They read about what was being created in Paris and began to demand French gowns At first just the l label bel of a Parisian house was sufficient nt to sell them a a dress No matter how outre the fashion offered them happened to be they accepted it because It was le Ie dernier cri crl a THAT HAT was simple enough for the Fren French h designers But as the clothes sens sense in the mass of American women was developed they became more critical T The e Paris houses found them turning thumbs down on styles which they decided decided decided de de- de- de did not express the spirit of youth for which so many mature women are arenow arenow arenow now desperately striving These rejections were costly The e t K i E Ei r w A i n r l D gr if j t M-t y 1 f J tl II j ii J. J 1 6 9 1 4 N y j 4 d n y f s 's j t tPaul i y yi i Paul the noted French designer who deplores the monotony of American women's dress dressmakers began to lash their Imaginations Imaginations' imaginations in order to please this great multi multi- tude Whereas before they had been creating creating creating cre cre- for th the four hundred now they were attempting to cater to the women in America Like the chameleon which wandered on to a piece of Scotch plaid they were ra rather ther bewildered I fancy Then the skirted short-skirted like chemise-like frock was offered and it was promptly adopted by young and old stout stoat and slim like a uniform Now I think it Is very fine that American American American Amer Amer- ican women all over the country have developed de developed developed de- de this clothes sense but I think itIs It ItIs itis Is wicked that we should suffer for or it All the artistry and tranquillity of the great houses have vanished Shopping i in Paris is now like going to toa toa a a. tedious never-ending never round of fashion sHows if you want to purchase evening gowns you have to wait until the evening- evening gown parade parale para je comes off perhaps waiting wafting hours while day dresses are arc being paraded Even when rou manage to obtain a gown which i la is sold to you as an original model you arc are quite liable to come back and see the same model being worn on the Avenue and Broadway Dressmakers ers not only are openly showing their preference toward the buyers of department department depart depart- ment went stores and gown shops shops' I but the gowns they sell to individuals are not at atall atall atall all well sewn or cut I had a day dress made the last time I was in Paris by one of the best houses he on th the Champs and had to send it t back three thre times before it was wearable And nd the prices charged are For a simple day dress without any fur or real lace was demand demanded d. d Of s t. t a 1 i 6 M v J i 1 1 j w Ij o y S v MW s iP course I blame Americans somewhat for forthe forthe forthe the prices Last year I heard women talking loudly about how cheap Paris clothes were and saw them paying the dressmakers from large rolls of bills with the result that the prices soared Many of the houses charged in dollars instead of at francs because of the fluctuations I dont don't know where those American women who appeared to have so much money came from I never met any of them here They certainly did not be belong belong belong be- be long to the class who for many years bought their clothes in Paris There too I suppose we might find a reason for the lack of interest these French houses are showing in individuals and the lowering of the standard of their product sold to them Th They y regard them as casuals who will probably never visit them again whereas the buyers will show up three or four times a year The latest I Parisian models are shown in fn London ee days after they come out of the hands of the dressmakers andIn and andin In the New York ork houses within ten days For that reason the American woman shopping in to Paris comes home to find that the gowns she sho purchased in Paris as original models have been represented by copies over here long before she returns re re- re turns tc NOW OW the American women have revolted re- re LN and this revolt I am sure will effect a revolution Li Ll the methods of Paris dressmakers to Mouth-to-mouth criticism will undo very quickly the reputation reputation tation which has for years made Paris the paradise for shoppers The cleverest French designers are 1 g i i 1 V T C Q tI Y ii I Group of New York society society girls wearing up-to-the-minute up frocks and coats assembled to aid a charity cause coming ov over r here and making an exhaustive exhaustive tive Uve study of the American woman They are not making a whirlwind intensive ks study of her and then returning to Paris to make another attempt to break down her flair for standardization They are becoming o a part of the creators of fashion in a fashion center in America with the intention of expressing the American womans woman's creative genius Something had to be done that done that the American woman herself realized realized and and something has been done Mrs was asked what sh she thought of th prediction that women will wear trousers In to the near future Nonsense she laughed American women are really very feminine even in their tailored clothes which which- differ radically radically rad rad- from the tailored clothes worn by Europeans We wear tailored satins and crepes crepe and velvets fasl fashioned into frocks which which may may be put on In the morning of ofa a busy day and worn with perfect propriety propriety pro pro- to a luncheon a bridge party or Atea atea A ft tea without wasting time changing until F evening I and many of my friends wear tea gowns and the robe de style that style that Is 13 the important gown for formal occasions is is very popular The elaborate metal cloth trousers and an t mannish garments which the Paris houses offered America were very promptly rejected re re- re Skirts are getting decidedly longer The majority of debutantes are arc wearing Y their ball dresses ankle length and their daytime frocks all have hemlines at least leasta a couple of inches below the knee The knee is not beautiful and the view from the back when the skirt creeps creep up and discloses the back joint is hideous If It r women would notice this ugly effect on others I am sure it would cause a prompt oblivion of the very short skirt So far as colors are concerned I myself always wear black and gray no matter l what the fashionable colors happen to tobe tobe tobe be just as I always wear feathers on my hats but I have never remarked that the American woman is a one-color one ad ad- ad dict On the avenues in to the restaurants in homes and ballrooms at clubs theres there's theresa a a. perfect sea of colors cc I T AM a little bit sad too at the present present pres- pres ent state of affairs Mrs Harriman said in conclusion It Is true we miss the charm-charged charm atmosphere which made shopping such a thrilling event inthe in inthe inthe the Paris of former years years the the inspiration inspiration inspiration tion that seem seemed ed to fill the air of a a. city devoted to the production of artistic crea creations crea crea- but but since that Is gone we accept philosophically and thankfully the se security security |