THE SOURCES OF EUROPEAN FASHIONS By JULIANE URBAJ.'J Buide the grim t1UU6;ly oj 6lroi'linfl ewry eJJort Jor f7ictory. -rcAing cUe ""lUt gil;e way in Europe today. A" a ru"ll oj the t~l ",obiIi~afton, 1M fMMoM .ndu"t1'J/. too, hM tlQni8hed ,n order to Jree labor Jor tLVlr-u8ential ptU'p08U aM 01.0 buau"e tholle Mlio"" in whida ~ryone /lOW u;ear" 1m Ijorlll or ovtlf'alls hotJe ItO ',me for !allAiOftll. Tile Ma~_ of CIte !allhioll Milo"" are flOW "ewing parachutu, and the exgtlime maflnetJ1l'i"" are working i1l air.<leJeMc jobs. Whil. aU 1nleru' in tteto !_It,0ft8 Ito" thtl8 bun exlingui8hed in Europe and the 11«1", cry for lite latUl model hlUl died aUlay. we take the opportunity 10 look at lite Ja"Aione oj Europe fr()m a wider tI"wpoinl mid to UnCOll,.r tAeir European root8. Julia"" Urban teQ4 Jor many ,ear" the fallAi()n editor oj lite "FraMfu"" Zeitunll." Prevmted by the outbnla!: oj lite wor again'" the Swiet Union from con­ tinu,"fI her return joumey from America '0 Europe. 8he i.8 now living in Japan. The iUtulnJlilmI are also by lite auJlIor.-K.M. ARIS is usua.11y considered the been there before, and no fashion, how­ fsahion capital of the world. Yet ever great its success, ever returns. P if one car(\fully studies French fashions, one finds that the source That which characterizes fashions is of their inspiration is Europe. As the way in which a pattern has been much as foahions are related to the adopted by the present and how a his­ present, they are just as much bound up torical form is combined with the modern with the patterns and shapes of past individual in a new expression of personal­ history. The wealth of artistic creation ity. The return of historical costumes in Europe and the achievements of its confirms the vital connection of fashion handicrafts are closely related to the designing with the life of the people. creations of the haute couture. The old And the fact that the historical costumes forms appear a,gain and again. Some to be recognized in the new creations of people even go so far as to doubt whether the Paris salons are taken from the na­ thm'e is ever anything new in fashions, tional costumes and styles of all the $ince, after all, there is nothing new wlder different nations of the European family, the sun. And yet no fashion has ever confirms the common nature of all Europe. 440 THE XXIii CE~TURY mSTORICAL MOTIFS 193;, the bare-shouldered, hori­ The influence of the Greco­ zontoal decollete appeared, a Roman period is revealed in the revi\'al of t,he classical B·ieder­ constant retom of draped cv . meier or Early Victorian period. Ding dresses, 8uch a~ AlLx lo,'es A sugge tion of the bu tie i to create. Rcnais:;nnce, baroque, often to be found in formal ~ococo, and Empire reappear dresses today. The l\'Iainbocher 111 tho most varied versions. corset, a new note of the modern One Paris salon came out \\'ith evening dress of a few years ago, vening dresses which, iu line was taken from the wasp waist and material, represented a of the rococo period, Piguet revival of the Renaissance came out with a Robespiorre adapted to the world of today. jacket; and the high waist, \"hich The flowing, richly pleated gowns ren.ppears from time to timo. hn had low, pointed waists and its origin in the Empire period, puffed sleeves. Tho material used NATIONAL COSTl;i\lES was velvet in shades of deep ~. red, dark bottle green, and old In the snme way, the influellce gold. Titian-red coiffures under of national costumes on mouern clo. fitting, jeweled velvet caps fashioll8 is unmistakable. They completed the impression. One form an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Beyond number are spoke of a "Botticelli line" 11 revival of old Venice. ' the costumes of the various parts ofGermany, Scandinavia, France, During the wint<'r ~enson of the Alps, Italy, and the Balkans. The .. Botticelli line," iflilpired b)· The old Spanish bolero if! an medie\'BI \'enice acknowledged accessory of the afternoon and evening dres of our century. Tbe Bavarian dirndl has conquered the world and is to be found in countless variations in modern fashions. The close-fitting, sleeveless bodice, used so often today, originates in the nn,tional costumes of the Austrian and Swiss mOlmtain people, who have such a wealth of ,-ariety in their coats. jackets, skirts, blouses, hats, embroidery, and shoes. The gay touch provided b~' Bulgarian, Hungarian, and Bohemian embroidery originates in national folk art. Norway and Sweden have had a. particularly ~trong influence on sport clotbos. Eccentric as women's hats have been during the last few years, the cia ic forms still turn up regularly. Here we have the beret as a variation of the headgear of the sixteenth century. the pointed hat of Flanders, th classic Breton sailor, the Basque beret, and the countless varintions of the Turkish and Oei ntal turban. l"t'andino\'illn Illspiral i n The Rembrandt hat i as well known THE.SOURCES OF EUROPEAN FASHIONS 4U as the Wagner cap. Hats of sphere of fashions. Old traditions osprey feathers and other head have placed the Paris hallte ornaments to accompany evening couture in a leading position. It me. es are taken from the de­ would be wrong, however, to signs of past fashion styles and regard Paris as the ouly fashion are as popular today. as ever. creating center of the European continent. The Scandinavian KATERIALS PROM ~ EUROPE countries usually bought their The design depends on the models in Berlin. Berlin used material, and here we see tho to receive its inspiration from influence of handicrafts on Paris and, with the aid of this fashion. Europe's highly de­ inspiration, produce its own veloped h~aiorafts, with their models suited to the require­ ancient traditions, theirguilds and ments and ta-ste of its own sphere. sohools whioh supply the artisans Vienna was a similarfashion center of the future, provide the creator for some of the Danube countries, of fashions with the material, while Budapest, the Paris of the the decoratjon, and all the acces­ Southeast, was another center. 80ries for his ideas. It is im­ Rome h88 its own, exceptionally possible to imagine the world of colorful and creative fashion in­ fashion without the exquisite art dustry. The fashions of the of damask and brocade weaving EuroPean Continent cannot be in France and Italy. Velve is imagined without the striking mnde in France and Germany, smartness of the Italian woman. and lace in Belgium, France, Ancient Greece pro. Germany, and Bohemia. Bul­ \;des the model for • • • garia, Bohemia, and Rumania are llli ev('uing gown Europe had in the past noth­ famous for their embroideries. ing to equal the giant American Germany is leading in the preparation clothing industry in the way of of furs, with Leipzig as the center of this lUass production and mass distribution. trade. The Bohemian glass industry, In respect of many practical products whose center is Gablonz, supplies stones and pearls for costume jewelry. The silversmith's art is to be found in many places in Europe. Vienna, famous for its leather goods, is also animportant Bupplier of belts and buckles. The wealth of variety of these articles is founded more on the high level of handicrafte than on in­ dustrial production. This is the dif­ ference betweon Europe and America. The fact that, in spite of the increasing mechanization of industry, handicrafts have maintained so high a standard is an important factor in the development of fashions in Europe. PARIS NOT THE m,LY CEXTER ~us the sources and foundations of Paris fashions are distributed all over Europe. This does not detract from Paris's merit of being the qualified The Spanish bolero and the Frenc.h representative of the Continent in the Robe3pierrc jacket 442 THE XXt.h CENTUBY of the clothiDs induatry- occupa­ tional olothiDs and neat, attractive women's clothes for the lower-income clas8es, for instan~this is a deficiency. The reasons for this deficiency are of an economic nature. The frontiers in Europe, which were drawn with political, not economic considerations, have been the main obetacle in the way of a unification and the consequent lowering in prices. Here the field is open for the coming Gro88f"aum economy of Europe, which will be able to make use of Europe's creative geniua &8 well &8 of ita combined indmtrial capacity. However, in addition to their practical functions, clothes will have to satisfy the personal requirements of the wearer in a higher sense in order to correspond to the nature of European taste. Here are the limita to the application of in­ dustrialization in the clothing industry, and here we have the point at which it must be counterbalanced by the creation The Influence of Uniforma of fashions. In this work, the fashion dosigners have at their disposal the folk art, handicrafts, and artistic ability spiritual and historical forces common to of these nations. This is why the pro­ all European nations and which are ex­ duction of Europe's fashions will always pressed in the wealth of costumes, styles, be above all else creative. Revival of the Crinoline.