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Fur Dyed-to Match
Gowns and Faces
Painted to Match Modes and
Furs, Skirts with Holes Instead
of Slits, and Puff-Ball Hats Are
Among the Latest Paris Fads.
Puff-Ball Plum*
of Bright
Green, the Only
Decoration
on a Black
Velvet Plaque.
By Lady Duff-Gordon.
njjnJjH STATE of hysteria holds sway in the Paris fashion
world. I can recall no other season when colors
u
were eo rampant and the desire to appear freak
ish was so dominant in the female 'breast*. The
Rue de la Palx, the tea rooms of the smart hotels, the draw
ing rooms in the exclusive Faubourg St. Germain run rivers
of color, }ust as In the days of the Commune the streets of
Paris ran rivers of blood.
There are some color effects worn in daylight In the
streets that ectnally attract more attention than those
aforesaid rivers of blood would, and yet in a way we in
Paris are becoming satiated with brilliancy of color with
freakishness of design. We feel—rather I would say that
we have felt—that there was nothing left to startle us. that
our senses were too jaded to be tempted with any new fad
or fancy.
But this was before the day of the rainbow faces and
painted furs. Ths chic Parisienne who wishes to-day to makej
a sensation on the boulevardes and at the hotel* paints her
face In various oolors. She paints nowadays to express a
mood, to make a contrast with the color note in her cos
tume; but always she paints to attract attention.
The saddest moment of a Parislenne’s career is when she
realizes that the street gamins and the boulevardiers no
longer turn their heads to watch her go by. That moment
proves to her that she has lost her power to compel atten
tion. The rage for rainbow faces Is, however, just at its
height, and miladi who drives in the Champes Elysees or
takes a timid constitutional along the Bois no longer dreads
the lack of enthusiasm of the street gamin. There are
days when her face is a peculiar shade of green, a green
that verges on the purple under her eyes; other days when
purple is the color note and the line under the eyes a vivid
pomegranate, matching her lips.
Of blue faces and of deep orange faces there are many.
The ears are always hidden uder loops of hair, but the
face and even the neck reflect the lady’s mood.
When the ghastly white face, with eyes looking like
burned holes in a blanket, and the vermillion lips gave way
to pale shades of yellow, “Verily,” I said: “Paris will go no
further." But, you see. It has.
And to keep in tune with the rainbow faces miladi’s hair
Is dyed whatever shade pleases her mood and fancy. One
4ay she will wear a ri<& mahogany coiffure; the next day it
L ady duff-cordon, the
famous “Lucile” of London,
and foremost creator of fash
ions in the world. writes each week
the fashion article for this newspaper,
presenting all that is newest and best
in style* for well-dressed women.
Lady Duff-Gordon's Paris estab-
(isnment brings her into close touch
with that centre of fashion.
Lady Duff-Go rdon't American es
tablishment is at Nos. 37 and 39
West Fifty-seventh street. New York.
/ may be blue or callot pink. How
does she do this?
Easily enough. The chic Parisienne
has a dozen different wigs, or trans
formations. mad6, each one dyed a
different color. She therefore can gratify
any whim that seizes her.
But there are other freakish fancies
that mark this very peculiar phase
through which we are passing. I blame
w fhem all unreservedly on the recent fu
rore for the cubist effects, whiob ha3 so
transformed the spirit of Paris. It was
the cubists and their fellows who intro
duced the green faces to Paris, and fool
ish. but ever dear, delightful Paris said
If suoh things are artistic on canvas, why
not in flesh and blood?
Among these other odd fancies are the
painted furs, the nose ring, the ankle
watch, the jewelled beauty spot, the gilt-
edged eyelashes, landscape veils, to say
nothing of the strange, weirdly shaped
and derated hats, and the funny little
hair bustles which we wear in front in
stead of in the back.
The rage for painted furs is, J think, a
purely logical sequence to the craze for
other unnatural dyed and painted fab»
rlcs. And why should we not dye or
paint our furs to match our hair, our
hats, our eyes? Furs are always dyed,
anyway. Why, instead of dyeing fox
brown, should we not dye or paint ft* pur
ple, green or blue?
This is perfectly logical. Therefore
for months we have been experimenting,
and at last we have achieved the sup
posedly impossible. We are dyeing or
painting fox tne most delight
ful shades of blue and green.
We are dyeing fur wraps a
lovely royal purple. In fact,
there is nothing we dare not
attempt. I have seen a de
lightful pink chiffon evening
gown trimmed with bands of
pink ermine. Thl3 fur, by
the way, being flat, is more
susceptible to paint than to
dye. It is a liquid water
paint,'of course, and is applied with a
wide brush in even, firm strokes.
The landscape veils are curious, but
not unpleaslng when worn with the har
monious costume. And what are these
veils? Just squares of chiffon on which
are painted charming bits of scenery
from the gardens at Versailles. bit6 of
sea pictures or just simple flower gar
dens—all painted in their natural colors
on a soft gray, white or green back
ground. These veils, as a rule, hang free
from the brim of the hat. The effect is
unusual, but. after all. has a certain at
traction. Why should we not wear a
pretty picture across our faces rather
than the hideous and unbecoming
splotchy veils of the so recent past? It
is all In the point of view.
Gilded eyelashes are another weird at
tempt to put Dame Nature hopelessly to
shame. The lashes are first heavily
blackened as on the stage. Then the
extreme tips are touched up with liquid
gold. The effect Is really bewitching
when the work is skilfully done.
The puff-ball plume is the latest deco
ration for the wide, oddly brimmed hats.
This plume is so high that the limousines
are being made with holes In their roofs
through which, on a clear day, the plumes
stick upward.
In fact, with the high decorations and
upstanding brims the tops of all vehicles
will have to be curved upward.
The jewelled, beauty spots are fascinat
ing. They are attached with the usual
court plaster beauty spot, and are .both
decorative and effective.
“Behold die inodtl
up-to-the - second
Lady of the Bouls*
vardes, the exponent!
of the. extremes - of '
fashion* With non
chalance she weal*]
the loop hole skirt*]
the rainbow face;
die puff-ball hat and
painted furs. And
to fit the picture
even her greyhound
painted in colors
that match her
gown, wears a ruff
of jewelled r o s e ft
round his neck.”
• Fox Dyed Purple to Match
the Purple Broadcloth Cos:
tume. Hat with Extensioi
Upturned Brim and Stif)
Plume
of
Purpl*
Copyright, 1913. by the 1
Great Britain Rights Reserves*
