Evening Star Newspaper, November 13, 1936, Page 24

Traveling Around Fame Came to Madame Schiaparelli, Garbed in a Sweater Suit. A SCIAPARELLI OF PARIS AND LONDON. A sweater suit brought her fame. (No. 14 of a Series.) BY L WILLIAM HILL, Staff Correspondent of The Star. ARIS.—Somewhere along the road to fame chance seems always to have stepped in to lend a hand. Ten or twelve years ago a compara- tively unknown woman set sail from New York to return to Europe. Born in Rome, up to®that time she had lived in Paris, London, Boston New York and Washington, D. C. In each place there were some who knew her, either because of two books she had written or because of her sculpture or perhaps because of her | own vivacious and exotically Latin personallty. But it was after she returned to Paris with her American-born young | daughter that fate stepped in and made her the internationally fnmouax designer of women's dresses that Mme. | Elsa Schiaparelli is today. ! On that occasion she was wearing & knitted sweater suit which she had | made original with futuristic design | and a large black bow at the neck.| A visiting American commenjed on its smartness. “I wonder,” he said, “if it would be possible to order some like it?” “Of course,” said Mme. Schiaparelli, probably considerinlg the remarks no more than an American compliment. The Order Arrives. | your ideas for clothes? always bears their taste in mind, since her largest buyers are Americans, Regarding the Hollywood influence Mme. Schiaparelli had very decided views. “The stars in the cinema are gor- geously gowned,” she said, “but as a determining factor in styles their influence is exceedingly dreadful! The Hollywood couturiers design clothes that are ideal for use on the stage, but for everyday wear they are im- possible! Can you imagine a lady choosing & facial make-up like those needed on the screen? No. No more | should they pick clothes that are show clothes rather than smart ones.” “But where,” we asked “do you.get Do you con= sider current events, such as the com- ing coronation in England, to select colors and motifs?” Mme. Schiapareili shrugged. “Where does a writer get his ideas? Or a pamnter? You just have them. Sometimes current events exert an influence but that is because they are on your mind anyway, not be- cause you turn your attention to them. When a person has to grope for ideas they are finished. I do find, however, that travel, with its bewildering changes of shapes and colors, is a help—more to the state of mind than as & source of ideas.” Never Sees Collections. THE EVENING Mrs. MacDonald, by the way, is & former Washington, D. C., ‘woman and at one time was prominent in feminine activities there. It was she who arranged our debut before the manneyuins, who seemed as intrigued over an American solid green shirt with yellow tie as we were abashed by legs, tightly fitted figures and short, slit, narrow skirts. We were seated on a leather bench that went around three sides of a large room. Every few minutes & mode! would come in wearing what we heard described as a heavy gold lame or a sealskin suit. She would come walking toward us as though she were going to say “Helio.” Then suddenly she would stop, turn around several times, and then thrust out a card ‘with the number of the gown on it. Then she would move on toward some of the terribly well- dressed people seated further along the leather bench. Talk in & Salon. There were many things we didn't understand—much talk of a high waist for evening and a normal for day, mixed up with rapturous eulo- gies of Phrygian bonnets and Mari- anne effects, “Chamois Hunter” hats with Hapsburg feathers, and all that sort of thing. But we did notice and could un- derstand that red was a popular color, particularly a dagzzling “danger red”; that coronation crowns and royal blue velvets were quite the thing; that it was all right for women to have tweed evening coats if they were the right Scotch tweed, and that ani- mal heads had nosed their way into millinery. The gloves fascinated us, however, the biological-looking ones with finger- nails, veins and lines of the hand “5th AVENUE” STAR, upon them. Incidentally, the collection showed that Mme. Bolfil parelli, who introduced the sipper into women’s clothes, has no idea of letting the men out-feature the idea in their own attire. Thee was one gown that alarmed us. It was a stately evening dress of lime-colored velvet, with a slashed skirt that fit tightly in front and then trailed off to a train behind. The alarming thing, however, was one of Mme. Schiaparelli’s gadgets—this time a cluster of rainbow feathers shooting up and outward like a foun- tain from what we understood should be called the bodice. The por manne- quin had to peer r.heret!muyh like some one lost in an imypenetrable forest. ¢ ‘We decided then that-we knew what Mme. Schiaparelll meant by amusing gadgets—things that would stick in aurmlndltm'nd. flutcm touch of the kirsch used But there was one ticular we learned fre Mme. Schiaparelll’s. ‘woman wise in the knows that her new tiful dress!” as if M ‘say, “What beautiful woman!” Nezt: Frenchmen at tables. Silver Anniversary Year RALEIGH HAS THE KNOX* HAT for YOU! %Knox hats, like men’s heads, are made in three types of ovals . . . Long, Wide and Regular . . . and again like men’s heads, Knox sizes step up, not by compromising eighths, but in exact sixteenths. Oval- ized Sixteenthsk is a feature found exclusively in Knox Hats. The “PREMIER” Hll!'s A HAT that proves there IS some- thing in @ nome. It's the pace-setter of fashion . . . the latest news in approved hat-style. Notice the smart lowes crown ond wider brim. That's what's giving new be- comingness to men's hats this Fall. When you buy @ new Ilcl, just remember, the Knox “Fifth Avenue” is always right! Besides her own, of course, Mme. never attended & Not long afterward, however, she received the order. It was for 40 sweaters and 40 skirts, and the date | when they were wanted seemed soon- er than was possible. But Mme. | Schiaparelli filled it. She did it by | hiring & number of jobless Armenian handworkers who were mbout Paris at the time. Then, when & sweat- ers set a fashion.and she received | an American check staggering in size; she decided to stay in business and keep the Armenian workels. The first one she hired still works in her Paris salon. She's one of Mme. Schiaparelli's 700 employes—500 in Paris and 200 in her London salon. | Mme. Schiaparelli commutes between the two salons in her own plane. ‘We had to overcome a deep-seated and venerable fear to find out these things. Somehow a domain for the mysterious garments that go to make up a well-dressed woman has always seemed to us to merit a privacy that is undisturbed by masculine eyes. But if you want to see Mme. Schia- parelli you have to invade her office, for she spends most of her time there from 10 am. to 7 p.m.,, and the way to her office winds through a lane of silk and satin velvet and lace. For some reason we had expected & dress designer would be wearing something soft and silky and flowing. Of course she wasn't. She wore a little blue coat suit over a brick-red sweater. There didn’t seem to be anything particularly unusual about it, except for the little metal button- like gadgets on the lapel. As a matter of fact, we weren't conscious at first how she was dressed, but only that she was dressed nicely and that she had overly large brown eyes, & kind of whirlwind energy and an enthusiasm we had begun to as- sociate with the French. Gadgets Are “Amusing.” It's very difficult to talk of some- thing about which one knows little, but finally we brought up the subject of clothes, women’s clothes. We took the safe way. We mentioned the gadgets on Mme. Schiaparelli’s lapels. Bhe laughed. “Oh, they're only amusing” she said. “Really one must be amused, even by beautiful clothes.” It was later, after we had seen a parade of mannequins, that we began to understand the remark. Now we ‘were content to maintain a cautious silence while we learned things. For example: Mme. Schiaparelli designs eight col- lections each year for each season in both Paris and France, and in each collection there are approximately 150 Paris styles won't do for London, and vice versa. It seems the British woman wants clothes that are pri- marily pretty and becoming, whereas the Parisienne wants clothes that are, before all things, smart. Between the two types American women prefer smart clothes, and Mme. Schiaparelli ATTENTION HOMEOWNERS J. Frank Kelly Lum- ber service includes FREE CUTTING AND RIPPING OF LUMBER TO WANTED SIZES AT NO EXTRA COST. Tell us what you want—the size you want it—we'll cut it for you. Free delivery any size order. Schiaparelli has showing of a style collection. For her off hours she chcoses the theater or concerts. Soon afterward we left her to her drawing, but not before she had made us promise to arrange with her secre- tary, Mrs. Hortense MacDonald, to see a showing of her latest collection. $4.50 FASHION suggestion, by Knox, to men who are on their way wp “Premier” and you'll be acc . Enjoy feel of its fine-textured finish; its hand-felted custom-edge brim. See how easily it fits you (thot’s due to “Ovalized Sixteenths®’ and Comfort band ot your forehead). Packed for you in a sturdy, lacquered travel bex. *10 Other Knox Hats $5 to $40 EXCLUSIVE AT RALEIGH HABERDASHER OUR SILVER ANNIVERSARY YEAR! RALEIGH HABERDASHER Wuétn,lm s it SWen's, Vi <§l¢ze 1310 F STREET Depend on Raleigh for the NEW SHIRTS THERE ought to be a law to make every man own ot least half-a-dozen of the new Manhattan Shirts! But no law is needed, once a beauty-loving eye rests on their winning new color tones. You'll find solid shades and swanky stripes . . . distinctive plaids and checks you‘lF'endorse. Some are bold, some subdued . . . but all are in good taste. Collar-at- tached or to match . . . even the new widespread versions . . . These new Manhattans are the shirts for you . .. And, since they cost no more, choose them here at Washington’s finest men’s wear store. 2 10 %3 Have You Seen the New MANHATTAN “DUSTY TONES” 'Y ALL means do! men’s_shirts; half-tone thnmtmh a‘-ofbl-l, r.?ny cdhram:hdwh-fi% Great News! RALEIGH ‘8’ SHOES "IN 10 NEW OUTSTANDING STYLES FOR FALL AND WINTER ‘3.00 THESEslnnmu new high mark in volue! And they steal the limelight with new styles, new lasts and new leathers! In handsome Calfskins, Suedes, Scotch Grains and Buckos . . . with plain' toes that will put ‘an extra flourish into every step you take. But the big point is this . exceptional value is added to the style to give you @ fiurshu than $5.50 ever bought. Custom, medium and ‘broad toe models.- Sizes 5% to 12,AA to E. HANAN SHOES, $10.50 TO $12.35 / Dzlznc0z0zncnDc ez 0z0E = & = Dedz0snza b = gzmeEn == &= = gEgzns H S = nzmzn ez Encencz ez WASHINGTON,‘ D. C, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1936. mmmmmnwflmmflmflmmflm WE BRING TO WASHINGTON AND THAT FAMOUS LUXURIOUS TOPCOAT As Advertised in Esquire BY Hart Schaffner & Marx ET it damp in an Autumn shower . .. Sit on it while you drive all day . . . Wad it up and throw it in a corner . . . and it comes up smiling! RAREPACK is one topcoat that gives you every- thing . . . lts finish is luxurious and silky . . . Yet it wears like the sturdiest of rough fabrics. Before the introduction of RAREPACK if you wanted the soft, smooth feel of camel’s hair, or one of its brothers, you just had to forget about long wear. Not so mow! RAREPACK*will wear and wear! ‘45 RAREPACK OVERCOAT 35 @ Charge Accounts Invited TAILORED BY, HART SCHAFFNER & MARX A sensational wvalue at 3 T HERE are three sides to this story STYLE, QUALIT.Y and VALUE .. . and in this case they all point to the same result. And that is that the Triple Test Worsted is Hart Schaffner & Marx’'s outstanding Actual achievement of the year. tests have proven its worth. AS TO STYLE... Robert Surrey famous fashion observer, put his stamp of approval on every mode! AS TO QUALITY ... The fabrics were tested on specially designed ma- chines. Results were amazingly good «« . proving conclusively the sturdiness of Triple Test. AS TO VALUE. . . All of Hart Schaff- ner & Marx's great resources were brought into play to crown their achievement with a low price. When you have tried on ... and worn . . . a Triple Test, you'll admit it's a “miracle” at $35. Other Hart Schaffner & Marx Suits ® Parking Service at Our Curb RALEIGH HABERDASHER WJ:‘»,IM 'J c}utf[ W [tn'A Wn é‘/:te 1310 F STREET . d