Paris Dressmakers 1921 Fall Offerings

Paris Dressmakers 1921 Fall Offerings

Cables from Economist’s Paris Office included summaries of the latest styles in Fall Dress Fashions from Paris dressmakers including Doeuillet, Doucet, Drécoll, Charlotte, Madeleine & Madeleine, Martial & Armand, Patou, and Premet.

Doeuillet’s suit jackets are wrist, fingertip and knee lengths, in semi-fitted and in box styles. The suit skirts are circular and short. Emphasis on dresses in chemise style with low waist, seven-eighths sleeves, and bodices opening in a point at front, with Medici’s collar.

Elaborate belts are shown in metal or jeweled fabrics. Trimmings include cutwork, eyelet work, appliqués and embroideries of flat spangles and tubular crystal beads.

These trimmings are used on cloth, crêpe, and velvet dresses. Black lace dresses are embroidered in loops of silk floss in shaded colorings.

The evening gowns have short, full skirts with circular panels at sides and long waisted bodice. The décolletage is deep and square at the front, high and straight at back. No sleeves.

Doeuillet uses much broadcloth in black and color, also Rodier's perllaine in plain and bordered effects, colored velvets, spangled nets, and black lace.

Coats are on loose capelines and in full length. Cape wraps are shown for an evening, in black and colored velvet.

Doucet's Short Skirt Suits

Doucet's suit jackets are seven-eighths length. They have blouse backs, normal waistline, and ripple skirts short at front and long at back, trimmed at bottom with fur, and with a wide shawl fur collar. Suit skirts are eight inches off the ground and circular or in wrapped styles and draped at the side.

Some suits have short box jackets; others have jackets with cape back shaped to the shoulder. Jacket sleeves are long and set in at normal armhole, with wide cuffs of fur.

Doucet's separate coats are full length with cutoff bodice section and blouse back. The sleeves are wide, and wing draped. Many of the coats have capes.

The tailored dresses are in chemise style, with long sleeves, cut out necks and belts at normal waistline. Dress skirts are of irregular length in circular, tunic and pointed panel styles.

Moyen Âge Gowns

Doucet shows several models in black satin. The afternoon gowns are in extreme Moyen Âge style, with flat bodice molding the figure, long bell sleeves, rounded neck, full-gathered skirt belted one inch below normal waistline.

Doucet's evening dresses are in some cases draped, with a long skirt and pointed train cut in one with the back of the skirt. This house also shows evening gowns in Spanish Renaissance styles, with fitted bodice, short full skirt, and wide distended hips.

Combinations of Fabrics

Perllaine, ribbed wool velour, velvet, and broadcloth are used for suits and coats. Tailored dresses are in crêpe de Chine, georgette, marocain, or velvet and combinations of velvet with cloth and serge with satin.

Rich brocades, metal run moirés, beaded and jetted nets, heavy metal laces, and printed velvet are used for evening wear. Dull green, gray, beige, and mahogany are leading day shades; coral, crushed strawberry, white and black for evening.

Drécoll’s Short Skirts

Drécoll’s suit jackets are in seven eighths, knee, and wrist lengths and in fitted and circular box styles. The suit skirts are of even length, gored and circular, eight inches off the ground.

Separate coats are full length, have straight, flat bodice section to hips, full gathered circular skirts, and diagonal closings.

Drécoll shows motor coats in black embossed ciré satin, lined with scarlet duvetyn. Ciré trimmings prominent here and everywhere.

Full, Gathered Skirts

Drécoll’s dresses have full, gathered skirts, longer at back than at the front and plain flat bodices extending to the hips. Necks are both high and low.

Sleeves are long tight and set in at normal armhole with wide bell cuffs covering the hand. Many trimmed armholes. Many yoke effects on bodices and skirts.

Drécoll also shows dresses in straight-line Egyptian style, with wide draped girdle in fabric. Evening dresses are featured in French Renaissance styles, with full distended hips.

These have fitted bodice extending in a point onto the skirt and rounded décolletage frequently outlined with a deep lace bertha.

Many half-length, full, barrel-shaped coats in squirrel trimmed with mink paws are shown with black satin dresses. Half-length circular fur capes shaped to the shoulders and closed in a diagonal line at one side are a feature.

Charlotte’s Features

Charlotte features loose coats in cape line. The dresses are generally loose and unfitted with waist low. She continues use of free panels on dresses.

A marked feature of Charlotte’s showing is the use of chenille embroideries on coats and dresses. She shows many chiffon evening gowns and colored laces.

She uses quantities of embroideries in thick wool yarn on chiffon and embroideries of small crystal beads, notably red, on black lace, velvet, or broadcloth. Hems cut out in a flat rose design are a noteworthy feature of Charlotte's dresses.

Madeleine Shows Long Sleeves

Madeleine & Madeleine favor the loose unfitted line, molding the hips, with very low waistline and with drapery at the abdomen. Sleeves are invariably long. Many of the dresses have a short, circular cape effect at the underarm seam.

In dresses the skirts are long but of irregular length—short at front and long at back. Suit skirts are short.

Pointed panels and pointed effects of all kinds are prominent on skirts generally, also on bodices, coats and suit jackets. Many skirts have scalloped hems and petal-shaped flouncings.

Many dresses are shown with a flat panel back, extending from shoulder to hem. Panels are caught either at hips or top of hem.

Madeleine & Madeleine make marked use of broadcloth, notably in black trimmed with Persian lamb. Many combinations of broadcloth with velvet, satin or chiffon.

Fifty percent of all the models for street, afternoon or evening wear is in the new shade of bluish green called Madeleine blue.

The fur coats are full length, cut circular and very ample and are lined with velvet. The majority have wide pointed collars of fichu shape.

Martial & Armand models have slim hips, low waistline, and circular skirt. The suit skirts are short, the dress skirts long and of irregular length. The dress sleeves are long and much trimmed. Both high crush collars and rounded necks are used.

Separate coats are full length, very circular and very ample. They have voluminous sleeves and wide bulky collars of fur, notably tan Crimea. Trimmed armholes are a feature of the dresses, jackets, and coats.

Wide girdles of brocaded ribbon appear across the fronts of dresses; these extend four inches below the hips. Elaborate bead belts of chased steel are used, also belts of padded ribbon. Side treatments are prominent.

Martial & Armand make extensive use of ribbons, and of embroideries in steel, jet, and metal.

Georgette places the waistline two inches below the hips. She features seven-eighths length tunic blouses in colored crêpe, with a black skirt in velvet or broadcloth.

All sleeves at this house are long. The necks of dresses are either high or cut out. Evening gowns are draped in Grecian style.

For evening wraps and gowns, Georgette uses much velvet brocaded chiffon and velvet brocaded crêpe de Chine.

Patou Models

Patou models show the Russian influence. They include coat dresses made in long Russian blouse effects with wide elaborate belts at a low waistline. The skirts are circular and in irregular length.

Sleeves are long and flare over a tight, draped cuff which covers the wrist. Embroideries in rich barbaric effects in jewels, metal threads, and colored silks.

Green silk is extensively used as a trimming, notably with embroideries in cut steel beads.

Premet Suit Skirts Plain

Premet's suit skirts are plain, straight, medium long, and full. All of the dress skirts at this house are long. Premet, many with capes show long full circular coats.

There are full-length circular velvet capes trimmed or lined with fur. Fur coats are both full length and half-length. Many Persian lamb coats are shown with cloth skirts.

Premet's suits have knee-length jackets, low waistline, and much flared circular basques. This house also shows seven-eighth length jackets in fitted lines, with full rippled skirts.

Evening dresses are draped. The square décolletage is emphasized. Premet makes marked use of novelty wool fabrics, such as brocades matelassés, metal-run wool reps, and Rodier's perllaines, crêpellas and duvetyns. There is limited use of moirés in supple qualities.

Embroideries composed of colored tubular crystal beads and of flat steel and jet spangles are featured. Spangled nets are extensively used.

The evening shades featured by Premet are green, yellow and fuchsia, as well as white. The shades for day wear are brown, gray, champagne and red combined with black.

Rolande continues chemise dresses with short skirts, low waistline, and round neck. The sleeves are the three-quarter length and also in a form not reaching to the elbow. A dominant feature is the use of pinhead tucks, notably in pointed panels.

Crépe, broadcloth, and cheviot are used for tailored dresses and black lace for dinner gowns.

“Paris Dressmakers’ Fall Offerings,” in Dry Goods Economist, No. 4023, Textile Publishing Co., New York, Saturday, 13 August 1921, p. 29.

Note: We have edited this text to correct grammatical errors and improve word choice to clarify the article for today’s readers. Changes made are typically minor, and we often left passive text “as is.” Those who need to quote the article directly should verify any changes by reviewing the original material.

 

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