FAMOUS FASHION JOURNAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1504, 29 July 1912, Page 3

FAMOUS FASHION JOURNAL.

After being dead for 73 years, a paper which, exercised extraordinary influence in the. Paris of the past has come to life again. It is called "Le Journal des Dames et des Modes," and, after its long sleep, appears once more in the same form, tho same typo, and on the same paper a.s in the year 5 of Hie Republic. . The paper was founded by a certain Pierre do la Jlesangere, who had been destined for tho priesthood, but was turned out cf the seminary, where he taught dogma, at the Revolution. He came to Paris to try to earn his living, and abandjned theology to rule tho modes, by prescribing the cut of men's coats and tho trimmings of women's hats. The "Journal des Dames" continued to appear until 1835, and it calmly pursued its mission regardless of political oonfr.si.on and social upheaval. The Empire is in ruins, the old monarchy takes it place", disappears, and is restored; Charles X is dethroned, and J,ouis Philippe takes tho vacant tlirono. None of these bagatelles troubles tho "Journal des Dames." It had more scrious';affairs to deal with. "Scotch hats are less seen; white strawis ill the ascendency; the bottom of a ' skirt cannot be too much trimmed; there are trimmings which mount to tho knees; hortensia-s and cornflowers have lor some days been the fashionable flowers. . . . These are tho truly interesting revolutions and the only ones to be taken seriously. Tho women of those days were ns fond of tho persecution of prescribevs of fashion as ever they aie now. Every five days hats change their 6tyle end trimmings. The decrees of La Jlesangere on this important article of dress, were inspired bv a versatility bordering on madness. 'On May 10, 1812, for example straw hats must be white, ornamented with five or six feathers. On the 15th all is changed; the straw is yellow and is trimmed with Scotch taffetas, "with a bouquet of live or six rosss of the five or six colours of tho taffetas." On the 25th the journal will hear nothing' of Scotch taffetas; on June 5 the order is to carry three bunches of hortensias and no head; the 10th, ribbons of Naples silk or gauze; the 20th, more hortensias and no ribbons. And so on. Doubtless modern Parisian women will read the resuscitated journal with the same terror and fascination as their great-grandmothers.