Fashion Gleanings from Paris Openings

In spite of the war, gleanings of fashion news seeps in some unkown way across the Atlantic. In Paris the couturiers have had their openings, even though the picturesque Paul Poiret has marched aaway to the music of the fife and drum. Cheriut has had her opening. Her coats hang straight from the shoulders to the hem. Wide circular tunics, full length, were seen on many of her skirts. An unusual suit which she offered was of bright golden tan. The coat was in the redingote style pleated below the waistline, belted at the hips and buttoning form the shoulder to the belt in a straight line. The skirt was laid in groups of pleats with braided bands at either hip, producing a pocket effect.
The Callot Soeurs feature narrow foundation skirts with overskirts of draped metallic effects, and their coats are drawn in at the waist and flare below. Callot's sleeves are usually long and on street costumes and suits are finished with a cuff of the same fabric. Bernard is using fuller skirts. He, also, shows both long and short jackets, and for trimmings is using quantities of beaver fur and braiding.
An interesting thing about these openings is that no pruchase can be made except for gold
Velvet is one of the favored fabrics for day or evening wear among the fall and winter materials, also, the wonderful fur cloths which so faithfully imitate the Persian lamb, mole and other smooth furs are the rage.
A striking gown has a basque waist of the soft chiffon velvet tucked in crosswise tucks from the waist to the low neck, which is outlined with a glittering band of jete insertion. Short sleeves of net have bands of velvet to edge them. On the foundation skirt of white satin are black velvet buttons placed straight down the front, and over it hangs a pleated tunic and flounce of net, with wide velvet bands at the bottom of each. The waist is finished with a velvet sash having the ends looped in front.
For the young girl the simplest offrocks are shown and the crinolin styles seem well suited to her dainty lace frocks and evening dresses. Organdy continues to be extremely popular and a dress with a skirt having a series of organdy ruffles, pleated, and a waist of net, with overwaist of organdy, is effective and girlish. The overwaist and sleeves are [damaged] looped up with artificial roses. The girdle of black velvet ends in the front with a single blush rose. Artificial flowers, roses especially, are used in place of blckles and rosettes. Metallic embroidery is a new trimming for fall gowns. Some have merely metal threads and others combine with metal beads. Cut steel is combined with silver and gold. Among the Callot gowns one is trimmed with an embroidery of steel threads adn china beads.
Many frocks in the Moyen Age style are shown and are exceedingly fashionable. Blue continues to be particularly stylish and in these last named frocks is combined with black satin. Other frocks, afernoon and evening gowns are made with straight, short skirts, cut like a chemise. These are worn over full skirts of velvet, of silk, or satin, barred or checked with velvet ribbon. These are often belted at the hips in the front or in the back, but they show no waistline.
The advent of autumn with its flutter of multicolored leaves and the rustle of the wind through barren branches, always brings with it a more sombre hue in women's clothes. Deep, dark blue, black, prairie green and tete de negre brown are the colors which are replacing the gaily-hued clothes of the summer time. The exceptions are royal blue and copper color.
Metallic effects are supreme and are seen in weird and queer combinations; for instance, a rich yellow is brocaded with silver; a fine gold tissue is shadowed with gray, and worn over tomato red and emerald green.
The stripes continue to be popular and are brillant in their contrast. Quarter-inch stripes of pink and black, blue and black, yellow and black, and many othe rcolors with black are seen upon all the store counters.
The marble effects are a late novelty in silks and ribbons and are effective indeed, but probably the most fascinating of these noveltiy silks are the fur imitations; leopard, with its black spots and civet cat with its effective markings, all are represented.
Colors for millinery differ from the colors of frocks and costumes. Among these is a new blue called ciel d'Egypte or Egyptian sky blue. This new shade has a touch of dull gren in its composition, and is expecially handsome in velvet used for the facing to wide brimmed hats. Fragonard and Nattier blues continue to be very smart for certain types of hats.
From the Balkan disturbance came the Balkan blouse and many Turkish effects in clothes, now the Mexican trouble has brought out silks and ribbons in Aztec colors and designs and it will be interesting to note the effect the present war will have upon our clothes. It may be only a military effect, and yet there may be some outcome more interesting, which may spring up and influence our clothes--as the long tunic and basque appeared--overnight.