WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 79, 20 August 1912, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted \j "Bileem.") HOW FRENCHWOMEN SHOP. Perhaps ilie art of dressing herself I and all that this implies is better understood by the Frenchwoman than by any of her sisters. The Englishwoman is slowly climbing the same ladder, biii ! she has not yet learned the inexorable law of ensemble. It is this inherent 1 sense of the relation which one part of her costume bears to anather which 1 makes the Frenchwoman pre-eminent in matters of fashion. When she glides into a smart restaurant to lunch or dine, as the case may be, she carries with her that perfectly harmonious atmosphere which is only possible when each article she wears has been chosen with reference to the whole effect. You are not suddenly aware of a hat, astounded by a sleeve, bewildered by the glare of a new color —oh, no. You are merely conscious that from the crown of her head to the tip of her toe she is wearing the correct thing. How does she achieve this triumph? you ask. By the same process which has contributed to success throughout the ages—patient endeavor. There is nothing spasmodic in her devotion to her art; no rushing into Shops when she has only five minutes to spare "because she must have a hat." The business of dressing well is to her a career, and her appearance seems to ' her the most significant expression of her personality. Let us study her methods a little. No Frenchwoman of position ever shops before dejeuner. Her mornings j are fully -occupied, however, for there I arrives an unending procession of lin- j geries, corsetieres, marchandes de gants, | and endless others, who submit to her j highly-trained and critical eye the fruit, of their labors. The coiffeur comes also to advise her as : to the latest and most |becoming arrangement of the hair; the. embroiderer displays a new and cunning-ly-devise& combination of Setters for :herl handkerchiefs. The ihours j>a» j agreeably yet without fatigue. J j The Frenchwoman rarely goes alone 1 ,'to choose a gown; she takes with her ) an intimate friend or a confidential maid, who shows the liveliest interest. ( in the proceedings. It is not unusual for a Parisienne to remain two hour* in an establishment. She regards the I models first as merely "an effect" watchCing the fall of the skirt, the turn of the I drapery. She is studying that dominating factor—the line. Having satisfied herself that the general effect is good, she now turns her whole attention to the details of the {costume. Nothing escapes her scrutiny; j everything must harmonise, -no jassing note must interfere with the poetry "or the conception. Tea is often served in the midst of these momentous cogitations, and amid [the gentle munchings of toast madame balances the charm of conflicting creations. If she comes to a decision there it much to be arranged before the order is given. She must assure herself that the quality of the materials which go to make up the model are correct. In many cases a Parisienne will demand a written guarantee from . her couturiere Stating that for such and such a price the finished costume will .exactly duplicate the model displayed, samples of the material chasen being attached ta the agreement. 1 The appointment for the premiere essayage is made, mactame recording the day and hour in a tiny notebook which she carries in a jewelled bag. Everything is done systematically; there is none of the restless excitement which characterises the shopping excursions, of the American woman, who with her ; one eye on the clock casts a nervous land preoccupied glance at the mannequins as they pass in ceaseless review. ] The Frenchwoman has made up her mind as to the kind of costume she desires before she enters thp establishment; all she demands of the- couturiere is an exhibition of the latest fabrication in that direction.

The Englishwoman swims in a vague sea of conjecture; she "wants something" and decides to "see everything." Somewhere in the recesses of her brain is a conviction that a simple tailor suit is what she., really requires. Does she order it! Not at all. The couturiere by a clever coup dazzles her eye with a •procession of gauzy and diaphanous drapery, and she finds when she reaches the outer air that she has ordered expensive and elaborate gowns for which •he not the slightest need.

" The Parisienne arrives, fresh as a May morning, her hair unruffled, her temper serene. Her mind is concentrated upon the crucial operation! she has made no other engagement for the .afternoon. Not a wrinkle or a badly adjusted fold will escape her searching regard.

The Englishwoman dashes in between a lunch; at the Ritz and an excursion to Versailles. She is fagged and querulous before she begins. The dress is hastily put on—she suddenly remembers that she has left her purse on the restaurant table! A petit bleu is scribbled off while the jupiere is arranging the skirt. When she Anally looks at it she decides that it "iloqs not suit her style." Alterations must be made, the original model is produced, a discussion ensues during which word is brought upstairs that "her friends are waiting at the door." The gown is dragged off and and she flies into her garments, throwing a few words of direction as she disappears.

Is it to be wondered at that her gown turn* out unsatisfactory?