Screenland (May-Oct 1930)

for September 1930 117 PARIS PLUS HOLLYWOOD Continued jrom page 34 in the beau monde. And so, incidentally, that when these millions of women who model themselves after the screen stars step out on the streets, they will appear as well' groomed personages, not like the tragediennes in a third-rate opera company. But before we go into the matter of fall fashions, let me give you one bit of advice. It is a point on which many women err. This caution should be the first definition in every girl's fashion dictionary: Don't try to be different. Don't imagine that you are a vamp, try to black your eyes, wear long jet earrings and slinky, tiger frocks. Not one woman in a hundred has the taste or training to dress individually. To be on the safe side, do the accepted thing of the moment and don't try to 'express yourself in freak clothes. Now as to the fall fashions. Paris has decreed that femininity shall reign. Skirts will continue long. For sports, four inches below the knee. For street wear, they shall be one half the distance between the knee and ankle. Afternoon ensembles shall be somewhat longer. And evening dresses will just miss the floor by an inch or so. Their trains, if any, will not be too long. And here is something else to remember. As skirts point longer and longer to the floor, more attention will be featured on your footwear. Shoes are really one of the most fascinating details of a woman's costume. If you will stop to hear the trim heels of the screen stars clicking in the talkies, you will see that these actresses have as much personality below as above the ankle. Try to buy the very best footwear that you can. Be sure that they are carefully cut and of excellent leather. No matter on what detail of your outfit you may have to economize, do not do so on shoes. A lady is known by her gloves and her footwear, and nothing is more distressing than to see a tailored girl wearing high-heeled satin shoes, or to observe a woman wearing a distinguished costume of silk or satin — with brogues. It is absolutely necessary that you have shoes for sports, shoes for the street, slippers for late afternoon, and slippers for evening wear. It also proves economical in the long run, to buy two pairs of each type of shoe needed — and alternate. This will ensure your being well-shod throughout the winter. The fall suit, or coat and skirt, as tailors sometimes term it, should be clipped in a bit at the waist, and mostly will have a circular skirt. All long coats will be fitted at the waist line, or belted in closely to the figure, or wrapped around tightly and held in position with a button or tie. One novel aspect of the coming autumn fashions will be the luxuriant velvet, fur and lace ensemble for afternoon. The dress will, of course, be of soft sheer velvet, with a touch of real lace and fur at neck and wrists and perhaps a vest of lace, and the three quarters or long fur-trimmed coat, with perhaps a muff — small and round, of the type which made such a timid debut last winter — to complete the picture. Evening dresses will be either white, with long white kid gloves, black with long black gloves, or one of the tender pastel shades, pale pink, blue, green or yellow, for the younger girls, with some deeper and more violent tinges for the dashing young matrons; but with both should be worn long flesh or cream-colored kid gloves. In the evening, naturally, jewelry will play a large part. Also flowers, both natural and artificial, placed on the shoulder or at the high waist-line. Curls, too, are modish again. Many Parisian women are permitting their hair to grow to a somewhat shorter than shoulder length where it may be worn short, subtly curled, or twisted into a soft knot at the nape of the neck. As to fur coats and hats, these are points on which I am unable to give general directions. They must be carefully chosen to enhance the beauty of the individual face and figure. For unless a woman's outer garments please a man, he has no desire to see the face under the hat, or the figure under the coat. And now I expect you will want to know whom I consider the best-dressed women on the screen. Well, there are five or six who certainly are outstanding. Perhaps Lilyan Tashman, Claudette Colbert, Kay Francis, Ruth Chatterton, Alice Joyce and Evelyn Brent are the first choices. Of course, Hedda Hopper is wonderful; and Florence Vidor, now Mrs. Jascha Heifetz, a joy. Jean Arthur has made more improve' ment in clothes than any girl I ever saw. She has a real style flair now. But at first — well, the first day I saw her, she was standing alone on the lot, dressed in a way which certainly did not improve her. Pretty soon,, she walked over to me and said: "I'm not so sure I know a lot about clothes. Take these shoes of mine," she said, gazing down at her small feet, "they look — just a little bit Hollywood. Won't you tell me what to do?" Today Jean can hold her own at any luncheon party, soiree, or reception on earth. She has developed, mind you, a real, not an imitation style flair, because she has given time and thought to it. She has a lovely figure and has created a type for herself. It is not the ingenue type, but more what the French call jeune fille. She wears just the sort of thing any nice, distinguished young society girl would wear. Evelyn Brent is one girl I have never had an argument with. At first, all her clothes had to be slightly spectacular because she was doing those wonderful underworld roles all the time. It's only recently that Betty, as everybody calls her, has had a chance to wear real clothes, trailing evening dresses, smart afternoon ensembles and such things. She is easy to please, has a dramatic style of beauty which is a pleasure to design clothes for, and is one of the most popular girls in the film colony. Ruth Chatterton is wonderful to work with. She gets more kick out of character parts than any other kind. When I did her clothes for "Sarah and Son," I got a tremendous thrill out of it myself because she was so excited. But when it comes to other clothes, she doesn't bother much: "I don't want a fitting, Travis, unless you absolutely must have it," she always says. And if I must, when the dress is on her, I say: "How is it?" She always answers: "I love it — are you through?" Tesf^buijArt Ability REE TF YOU LIKE TO DEATY, here is your opportunity to find out how much talent you have. 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