(1897) what dress makes of us

8/9/2019 (1897) What Dress Makes of Us

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\

S OF USBYDOROThlYOVIGLeV


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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.Chap...:.... (\)pyriii:ht No.

Sholt'..._i.Q_^

UNITED STATES OF AAIERICA.


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I am indebted to the editors of the New YorkSun and New York yournal for kindly allowingme to include in this book articles which I con-tributed to their respective papers.

U'Q-O.C^H'O


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PREFACE.DID you ever observe, dear

comrade, what an elementof caricature lurks in clothes ? A

short, round coat on a stout manseems to exaggerate his propor-tions to such a ridiculous degree


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VI PREFACEthat the profile of his manly formsuggests '' the robust bulge of anold jug."A bonnet decorated with loopsof ribbon and sprays of grass, orflowers that fall aslant, may give alaughably tipsy air to the longface of a saintly matron of piousand conservative habits.A peaked hat and tight-fitting,long-skirted coat may so magnifythe meagre physical endowmentsof a tall, slender girl that she at-tains the lank and longish lookof a bottle of hock.Oh ! the mocking diablery in

strings, wisps of untidy hair, queertrimmings, and limp hats. Alasthat they should have such imp-


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PREFACE Vllish power to detract from thedignity of woman and render manabsurd.

Because of his comical attire, aneminent Oxford divine, whose Hfeand works commanded reverence,was once mistaken for an ancient


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vm PREFACE

-52^

New England spinster in emanci-pated garments. His smoothlyshaven face, framed in crinkly,gray locks, was surmounted by asoft, little, round hat, from the up-turned brim of which dangled abroken string. His long frock-coat reached to just above hisloosely fitting gaiters.The fluttering string, whose only

reason for being at all was to keepthe queer head-gear from sailingaway on the wind, gave a touch ofthe ludicrous to the boyish hatwhich, in its turn, lent more drol-lery than dignity to the sanctifiedface of the old theologian. Whohas not seen just such, or a simi-lar siorht, and lauofhed ? Who has


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PREFACE IXnot, with the generosity commonto us all, concluded these werethe mistakes and self-delusions ofneighbors, relatives, and friends,in which we had no share ?

I understand how it is with you.I am one of you. Before I studiedour common errors I smiled atmy neighbor's lack of taste, re-constructed my friends, and castcontemptuous criticism upon myenemies. One day I took a lookat myself, and realized that ** I,too, am laughable on unsuspectedoccasions."The humbling knowledge of see-

ing myself objectively, gave mecourage to speak to the heart ofyou certain home truths which


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X iPREFACficoncern us all, in homely languagewhich we can all understand.That you may discern the comi-

cality and waggery in ill-chosenclothes, I have endeavored to hintto you in these talks some of theways gew-gaws and garments makegame of us.May you discover that yourdress is not making you a laugh-

able object ; but if, by any chance,you should note that your clothesare caricaturing you, take heart.Enjoy the joke with the mirththat heals and heartens, and speed-ily correct your mistakes.The lines of your form, the mod-

elling of your face, are they notworthy of your discerning thought ?


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PREFACE XITruly ! Whatever detracts fromthem detracts from sculpture, paint-ing, and poetry, and the world isthe loser.A word to the thinking is suffi-

cient.D. Q.


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CONTENTS.PAGEPreface v

CHAPTER I.How Women of Certain TypesSHOULD Dress Their Hair . i

Style for Wedge-Shaped Faces . 9Style for Heavy Jaws . . .10Style for Eyes Set Too High . 14Style for Eyes Set Too Low . .17Style for Long Faces with LongNoses igFor Faces with Protruding Noses 22

CHAPTER II.Hints for the Selection of

Becoming and AppropriateStyles in Head-gear . . 27The Magic of the Bonnet . . 29xiii


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XIV CONTENTSPAGE

Style for Women with Broad Faceand Heavy Chin . . -32

Style for Women with TaperingChin ...... 34

Hat for the Chubby Woman . . ;^6For Women Who Have Sharp andProminent Profiles . . -38For the Woman with an AngularFace...... 42Women Who should Not WearHorns . . . . .44

CHAPTER III.Lines That should be Recognized

AND Considered in MakingCostumes 48

Style for Tall Slender Woman . 50The Coat the Short Stout Womanshould Wear . . . .52

The Cloak or Cape for a TallWoman . . . . -55

CHAPTER IV.How Plump and Thin BacksSHOULD BE Clothed . . 62


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CONTENTS XVCHAPTER V. PAGE

Corsages Appropriate for WomenWITH UnBEAUTIFULLY MOD-ELLED Throats and Shoulders 85

CHAPTER VI.Hints on Dress for ElderlyWomen 99

CHAPTER Vn.How Men Caricature Themselves

with Their Clothes . . 108

WSi


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WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US.

CHAPTER I.HOW WOMEN OF CERTAIN TYPES

SHOULD DRESS THEIR HAIR.

THE pleasing, but somewhataudacious statement of theclever writer who asserted, ** In themerciful scheme of nature, thereare no plain women," Is not as dis-putable as It may seem. Honesthusbands, to be sure, greet the


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2 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USinformation with dissenting guf-faws ; gay deceivers reflect uponits truth by gallantly assenting toit, with a mocking little twinkle intheir eyes ; and pretty women, uponhearing it, remark sententiously :** Blind men and fools may thinkso." Discerning students of wo-mankind, however, know that ifevery woman would make the bestof her possibilities, physically, men-tally, and spiritually, it would bedelightfully probable that *' in themerciful scheme of nature" thereneed be no plain women.Have we not Lord Chesterfield's

word for it, that *' No woman isugly when she is dressed " ?

It is no unworthy study to learn


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DRESSING THE HAIR 3to make the best of, and to do jus-tice to, one's self. Apropos of this,to begin where all fascinatingsubjects should beginat the head,it behooves every woman whowishes to appear at her best, tostudy the modelling of her facethat she may understand both itsdefective and perfect lines. By aproper arrangement of her hair awoman can do much to obscure orsoften her bad features, and height-en the charm of her good ones.

Romancers have written, andpoets have sung, of the bewitch-ment in nut-brown locks, goldentresses, and jetty curls. Everywoman, if so inclined, may provefor herself the transfiguring effect


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4 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USin a becoming coiffure. In fact,the beauty of a woman's face andher apparent age are greatly af-fected by the way she wears her hair.A most important detail that toofew consider, Is, the proper direc-tion in which to comb the hair.Women literally toss their tressestogether without any attention tothe natural inclination of the indi-vidual strands or fibres. Theycomb their hair ** against the grain."Those who do so never have beau-tifully and smoothly arranged coif-fures. Each little hirsute filamenthas a rebellious tendency to goin the direction nature intended itshould, and refuses to *' stay whereit is put," giving the head in con-


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DRESSING THE HAIR 5sequence, an unkempt and what istermed an ''unladylike" appearance.The criss-cross effect resulting fromcombing and arranging the hair

NO. 2

contrary to ** the grain " is con-spicuously apparent in the coiffureof no less a personage than Elea-nora Duse, who, as may be seen


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6 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USfrom the picture, pays little atten-tion to the natural tendency of thedark tresses that cover her shapelyhead. The bang has the di-shevelled appearance of a pile ofjack-straws. The side-locks insteadof being combed or brushed to fol-low the contour of the head, fallloosely and fly in opposite direc-tions.The difference in appearance be-

tween the women of the smart setsin America and those of less fash-ionable circles is due, in a greatmeasure, to the beautifully dressedcoiffures of the former. A hair-dresser arranges, at least once aweek, the hair of the modish womanif her maid does not understand the


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DRESSING THE HAIR 7art of hair-dressing. Many womenof the wealthy world have theirmaids taught by a French coiffeur.A wise woman will adopt a pre-vailing mode with discretion, forwhat may be essentially appropriatefor one, may be fatally inappropri-ate for another. In adjusting her*' crown of glory " a woman mustconsider the proportions of her face.She should be able to discernwhether her eyes are too near thetop of her head or, too far below ;whether she has a square or wedge-shaped chin ; a lean, long face, or around and bountifully curved one.She should be alert to her defectsand study never to emphasize norexaggerate them.


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8 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USWhy, through stupidity or care-

lessness, make a cartoon of yourself,when with a proper appreciation ofyour possibilities you can be a pleas-ing picture ? It is just as gloriousto be a fine picture or a poem as itis to paint the one, or write theother. Indeed, a woman who har-moniously develops the best withinher has the charm of an exquisitepoem and inspires poets to singand if by the grace and beauty ofher dress she enhances her naturalendowments and makes herself apleasing picture, the world becomesher debtor.

In the important matter of be-comingly arranging the hair, thefollowing sketches and suggestions


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DRESSING THE HAIR 9may hint to bright, thinking, womenwhat styles to choose or avoid.

For Wedge-Shaped Faces.The least-discerning eye can see

that the wedge-shaped face No. 3is caricatured,

NO. 3 NO. 4

and its triangular proportions mademore evident, by allowing the hairto extend in curls or a fluffy bangon either side of the the head.Women with delicately modelledfaces with peaked chins should


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lO WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USavoid these broad effects abovetheir brows.

It is obvious in the sketch No. 4,that the wedge-shaped face is per-ceptibly improved by wearing thehair in soft waves, or curls closelyconfined to the head and by arrang-ing a coil or high puff just aboveand in front of the crown. Thisarrangement gives a desirable ovaleffect to the face, the sharp promi-nence of the chin being counter-acted by the surmounting puffs.

For Heavy Jaws.It may readily be seen that a

woman with the square, heavy-jawed face pictured by No. 5,should not adopt a straight, or


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DRESSING THE HAIR IInearly straight, bang, nor wear herhair low on her forehead, nor ad-just the greater portion of her hairso that the coil cannot be seenabove the crown of her head. Thelow bang brings into striking reliefall the hard lines of her face andgives the impression that she haspugilistic tendencies.To insure artistic balance to hercountenance, and bring out thewomanly strength and vital powerof her face, her hair should be ar-ranged in coils, puffs, or braids thatwill give breadth to the top of herhead as shown by No. 6. A fluffy,softly curled bang adds grace tothe forehead and gives it the nec-essary broadness it needs to lessen

NO. 5


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12 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US

NO. 6

and llofhten the heaviness of thelower part of the face. A bow ofribbon, or an aigrette of feathers,will add effectively the crown ofbraids or puffs which a wise womanwith a square jaw will surmounther brow if she wishes to subduethe too aggressive, fighting quali-ties of her strong chin.

For Short Faces.The sisterhood who have short,

chubby faces should, in a measure,observe certain rules that apply ina small degree to those who haveheavy chins.As may be observed even with a

casual glance, the little short-facedwoman depicted by No. 7, causes


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DRESSING THE HAIR 13her round facial disk to appearmuch shorter than it really is by-allowing her hair to come so fardown on her forehead. She fur-ther detracts from her facialcharms by wearing ** water-waves."Water-waves are scarcely to becommended for any type of face,and they are especially unbecomingto the woman who is conspicuously"roly-poly." The round eyes,knobby nose, and round mouth arebrought into unattractive distinct-ness by being re-duplicated in thecircular effects of the hair. Thismode of dressing the hair makes ashort face look common and insig-nificant.Do you not see that this type is

NO. 7


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NO. 8

14 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USimmensely improved by the ar-rangement of the coiffure in No.8 ? By combing her hair off herforehead her face acquires a lookof alertness and intelligence, be-sides being apparently lengthened.She can wear her bang in softcrimps brushed back from herbrow, if this plam arrangement istoo severe.

For Eyes Set Too High.A low forehead is supposed to

be a sign of beauty in woman.The brows of the famous Venusesare low and broad. Perhaps forthis reason many women wear theirhair arranged low upon their fore-heads. Whether the hair should


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DRESSING THE HAIR 1be worn low on the brow dependschiefly on two things,''the settingof the eyes, and the quality of theface."

A good rule to observe Is theartistic one, to the effect that *' the ceyes of a woman should be in themiddle of her head." That is, ifan imaginary line Were drawn acrossthe top of the head and anotherbelow the chin, exactly midwaybetween the two the eyes shouldbe set.The Japanese type of woman

should carefully observe the fore-going hint.

Observe No. 8^. Nature has notbeen artistic. The eyes are toonear the top of the head. The

NO. 8^.


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1 6 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US

rr^-.

NO. 9

defect is exaggerated and empha-sized by the wearing of the hairlow on the forehead. In somefaces of this type the face is brutal-ized in appearance by this arrange-ment. The expression and wholequality of the countenance can begreatly improved by arranging th^hair as shown by No. 9, which isthe soft Pompadour style. TheDuchess of Marlborough, formerlyConsuelo Vanderbilt, frames hernaive, winsome face, which is ofthe Japanese type, in a style some-what like this. Her dark hairforms an aureole above her brow,and brings into relief the dainty,oval form of her face. Even sim-ply brushing the hair off the fore-


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DRESSING THE HAIR 17head without crimp or roll willimprove the appearance of thistype of face and give it a betterartistic balance.

For Eyes Set Too Low.Women whose eyes are set too

far down in their faces shouldadopt a mode of arranging theirhair exactly the opposite of thosewhose eyes are set too near thetop of their heads.

It is apparent that No. 10 exag-gerates the distance of her eyesfrom the crown of her head, andmakes them appear to be set lowerthan they really are by buildingher hair high, and by brushing herbang back so severely from her

NO. 10


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1 8 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US

NO. II

brow. A bald forehead Is rarelybecoming to any woman. A fewstray curls or soft waves lend graceto even the most perfect of brows.By bringing the hair down over

the forehead, as suggested in No.1 1, a woman with this type of facecan easily improve her appearance.By this graceful arrangement herface loses the childish and some-times stupid expression that Ispeculiar to the type, as may be dis-cerned In No. lo. When the hairis properly arranged this elementof childlikeness lends a certain ap-pealing sweetness not unattractiveeven in the faces of matured ma-trons. By dressing the hair lowso the coil does not appear above


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DRESSING THE HAIR 1the crown, as in No. 11, the eyesare apparently properly placed.

For Long Faces with LongNoses.

The woman who wears her silkentresses arranged on either side ofher head, draped like curtains froma central parting, is to be envied ifshe can do it and yet look youngand pretty. She is the Madonnatype and seems to possess all theattributes of gentleness, modesty,and meekness, and angelic sweet-ness that are supposed to character-ize the distinctively feminine wo-man. This is the ideal style ofcoiffure much bepraised by man,because, according to a bright mod-


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NO. 13

20 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USern Amazon, ** it makes a womanlook SO meek."The only type to which it is

really becoming is the Italian.The type with matte complexion,soft eyes, finely chiselled nose, anddelicately oval chin, look ideallysweet and feminine with the hairarranged a la Madonna.Long faces of the form picturedby No. 12 exaggerate the long-ness and leanness of their faces bywearing their locks like loopedcurtains. A Ions: nose with twolong lines on either side of thecheek seems longer than it is, asthe observer may discern threelines instead of only the nasal one,and the impression of longness is


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DRESSING THE HAIR 21emphasized. Not only is the lengthof the countenance made more no-ticeable, but years and years are If^ '^\\apparently added to the actual age.That No. 13, which shows a part,

inof and soft waves that do notcome below the ears, is to be pre-ferred by a woman whose featuresare of this character need hardlybe explained. The improvementin looks is quite obvious.

No. 14 is an example of a mis-guided woman of the pudgy typewho, for some inexplicable reason,arranges her hair in the Madonnastyle. It is utterly unsuited to herface. U nless her ears are deformedthis style of hirsute lambrequinsshould not be worn by a full, round-

NOS. 14 AND 15.


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NO. 16

2 2 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USfaced woman. The arrangementsketched in No. 15 adds effectivelyto her appearance, not only mak-ing her look younger, but less in-ane.

For Faces with Protruding Noses.Women with decidedly protrud-

ing, or irregular, tip-tilted nosesshould be especially careful in ar-ranging their coiffures.Any woman who arranges her

hair as in sketch No. 16 caricaturesher facial defects by increasing thetoo protuberant lines of her nose.The distance from the end of hernose and the tip of the topmostknot of hair is too long for eitherbeauty or intelligence. The shape


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DRESSING THE HAIR 23of her head acquires idiotic pro-portions, and her nose is placedentirely '' out of drawing " and isobtrusively conspicuous when seenin profile. This type of woman isgenerally classified among the in-quisitive, bright, and energetic.She should aim to modify the un-happy angularity of her profile aswell as to repress her gossipy tend-encies. The graduated coil of hairand waved coiffure, shown by No.1 7, are most felicitous in their effecton this type of face.

No. 18 reveals an error in an op-posite direction. The snubbed-nose girl, by fixing her hair in abun-like coil, gives the impressionthat her coifTure is held by invis-

NO


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NO. 19

ible strings by her nose, which getsa more elevated look than it other-wise would have, because of thebad angle at which the coil isplaced.

No. 19, which is a picturesquevariation of the popular coif, mani-festly improves this type of face,and makes the nose appear lessobtrusive.A woman should carefully studythe contour of her head from everyside ; the modelling of her face ;the length and inclination of hernose ; the setting of her eyes ; andthe breadth and form of her brow,and adopt a becoming coiffure thatwill give artistic balance to herface, and never absolutely change


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DRESSING THE HAIR 25the style whatever the mode inhair-dressing may be. In Eng-land, the court hair-dresser years agostudied the characterof the head and faceof the Princess ofWales, and designeda coiffure for herwhich she has nevervaried until recentlythen she merely ar-ranged her fringe11 1 NO. 20lower down on herforehead than she has ever wornit before. The general style, how-ever, she preserves intact, andwears her hair, and has for manyyears, as is shown in the picture


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26 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USNo. 20. Her daughters, who havefaces the same shape as hers, dresstheir coiffures similarly. In neverchanging the style of arrangingher hair, the Princess of Walesowes in no small degree her ap-parent air of youthfulness.No Matter What the Pre-

vailing Style these Rules mayBE Practically Applied.


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CHAPTER II.HINTS FOR THE SELECTION OF

BECOMING AND APPROPRIATE STYLESIN HEAD-GEAR.CLOSELY allied to the sub-

ject of hair-dressing is thatof head-gear. Indeed many of thehints regarding appropriate coif-fures for certain styles of faces areequally applicable to the selectionof suitable hats and bonnets.The choosing of millinery Is themore momentous of the two, of

27


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28 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF UScourse, for I need scarcely remindyou that Nature left us no choicein hair. No matter what its coloror texture we desire to keep it andif we are wise we will make thebest of it.

In regard to hats we are person-ally responsible and our follies areupon our our own heads.The power of caricature beinggreater in hats than in hair-dress-ing, is it not fit that we should givecareful and intelligent considera-tion to the selection of our millinerythat the ugly lines in our other-wise beautiful faces may not be atthe mercy of mocking bunches ofribbons, comically tilted straws, orfloppy bits of lace ?


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HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 2()The Magic of The Bonnet.Once upon a time, I think that

was the exact date, there was aman distinguished in a certainkingdom as the ugliest person inthe realm. According to a blitheromancer, he was so distinctivelyunpleasing in form and featurethat he challenged the attention ofthe king who, in whimsical mood,made him a royal retainer. Theman so conspicuously lacking inbeauty enjoyed his eminent posi-tion and privileges for some time.But even ugliness, if it attain dis-tinction, will excite envy in thelow-minded. A former associateof the unbeautiful man in Invidioustemper brought the news one day


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30 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USto the king, that there was an oldwoman in his domain that wasugHer than the lowly-born manwho by kingly favor held so higha place. '' Bring her to the court.Judges shall be called to decide.If she is uglier she shall stay andhe shall go," was the royal man-date. When the old woman ap-peared she was easily decided tobe by far the uglier of the two.At the critical moment when theking was upon the eve of dis-missing the man from his ret-inue, a friend of the unfortunateshouted, " Put her bonnet on him !This was done, and lo ! a fearfulchange was wrought. By unani-mous acclamation he was declared


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HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 3to be ** the ugliest creature onearth."The old woman, true to the in-

stincts of her sex, refused to wearher bonnet again. Like many ofher sisters of modern times, shehad not before discovered the pos-sibilities in a bonnet to enhancethe beauty of the face or decreaseits charms.

If women could see themselvesobjectively, as did the old woman,they would keenly realize the neces-sity of considering the lines of hator bonnet in relation to those oftheir faces, and would learn toobscure defects and bring intoprominence their prettiest features.As there are a few rules to gov-


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32 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USern what each type should select,every one of the fair sisterhood has

_ an equal opportunity to improve'"^ her appearance by selecting in the

l^^ W millinery line the distinctive adorn-ment suited to her individual style.

NO. 22For Women with Broad Face and

Heavy Chin.By a curious law of contrariety

the woman with a broad, heavychin seems to have an ungovern-able penchant for trig little roundbonnets, or trim turbans with perkyaigrettes, like that in sketch No. 22.By obeying this wilful preferenceshe obscures whatever delicacymay be in the modelling of herfeatures and brings into conspicu-


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HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 33ous relief the ugliest lines of herface. Her chin is apparently in-creased in heavinessand the broadness ofher face is made prom-inent. She couldeasily have restoredthe artistic balanceto her facial lines bywearing a large hat, ^rather heavily trim-med, as in No. 23, thus effectivelymodifying the strong curves of thechin and signally improving herappearance. If a woman's face isfairly proportioned, not too shortfor its breadth, and she can notafford plumes, this type of womancan still give a becoming balance

NO. 23


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34 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USto her face by adopting hats thatare trimmed with flamboyant bowsthat flare horizontally across thehat, diverging from a central knotin the front.

For the Woman with TaperingChin.

The woman who is the exactopposite of the type with the am-ple lower jaw, butwhose chief disad-vantage lies in herbroad, manly browand tiny taperingchin, should avoidall horizontal trim-

mings, bows or broad hat-brims. Itis clear, in No. 24, that such trim-

NO. 24


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HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 35mings Increase the wedge-like ap-pearance of the face and give itthe grotesque sugges-tion of an ordinaryflower-pot in whichgrows a sickly plant.This type can per-ceptibly improve up-on nature by choos-ing the style of hatand neck-gear shownby No. 25.The crinkly ovals that form the

brim of the hat, and the soft, grace-ful arrangement of the hair in frontthat decreases the too broad effectof the brow, and the full fluffy ruffsnuggled up closely to the chin, pro-duce a pleasing transformation of

NO. 25


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NO. 26

the meagre-looking original that tothe uninitiated seems little shortof magical. The broad, cravat-like bows, and the flaring onesknown as ** incroyables," were be-neficently invented for women withwedge-like faces and throats thathave lost the seductive curves ofyouth.

Hat for the Chubby Woman.That amiable type of woman

formed conspicuously upon thecircular plan, often unconsciouslyimpresses the fact of her fatal tend-ency to rotundity by repeating theroundness of her globular eyes, thedisk-like appearance of her snubnose and the circle of her round


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HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 37mouth, and the fulness of her faceby wearing a Httle, round hat in thestyle portrayed by No.26.The curls of her

bang, the feathers inher hat, the high col-lar of her jacket makemore significant the-fact that her lines arenot artistic and that n- ^7her face is unbeautifully round.She can enhance her charms andapparently decrease the too spheri-cal cut of her countenance byadopting the mode illustrated inNo. 27. The angular bows on thehat, the geometric lines of thebroad hat-brim, the precise cut of


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38 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USthe lapels on the corsage, the neatthroat-band and V-shaped vestureall insinuate in a most engagingway a dignity and fine, high-bredpoise totally obliterated by the cir-cular style of dress erroneouslyadopted by the misguided woman

_ in No. 26.For Women Who Have Sharp and

Prominent Profiles.In buying a hat many of the

"unfair sex"as the modern wagdubs the progressive sisters whowish to have all man's rights andprivileges and keep their own be-sidesnever seem to consider theirheads but from a front point ofview. In consequence, as sketch


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40 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USand looked singularly waggish flut-tering against the spriggy-looking

projections of gray hair.The rules for the wedge-shaped face, as mayreadily be discerned,apply here.Women who havesharp and prominentlyoutlined profiles havea curious tendency to

choose hats, the brims of whichproject too far forward in front,and turn up too abruptly and un-gracefully in the back.As shown in No. 30 the pro-

truding brim gives the head andface the unattractive proportionsof the capital letter ** F." The

NOS. 30 AND 31


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HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 4Ilength of the nose is emphasizedby the line of the hat-rim above itand it appears unduly obtrusive.The flat arrangement of the hairand the curve of the hat-brim inthe back also exaggerate the obtru-sive qualities of the features. Bychoosing a hat somewhat similar tothe one sketched in No. 31, the un-attractive sharpness of the profileis modified, and the alert, agree-able quality of the face, that wasobscured by the shelf-like brim,becomes apparent The observerfeels, if he does not voice it, that itis a progressive spirit advancingforward instead of an ungainlyhead-piece that looks like a curioustrowel.


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42 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USFor the Woman with an Angular

Face.The woman with the angular

features presented in No 32 shouldnot wear a sailor-hator any hat with a per-fectly straight rim.The sailor-hat or

any style bordering onit should be selectedwith utmost discrimin-ation. This mode isunbecoming to a wo-man more than fortyor, to one who through

NOS. 32 AND 33 . -griet or worry prema-turely attains a look of age, or toone whose features are irregular.The straight brim across the face


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HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 43is very trying. It casts a shadowdeepening the " old marks " andinstead of being a frame to set off,it seems to cut off, the face at aninartistic angle.The woman with angular feat-

ures, as may be seen by No. ^^,can wear with impunity, and alwaysshould wear, a hat the brim ofwhich is waved, turned, twisted, orcurved in graceful lines. The un-even brim of her hat makes aneffective complement to the angu-larity of her chin, which is furthersoftened by the feathery ruff thatencircles her throat. The curvesof the ostrich plumes, and thestudied carelessness of the arrange-ment of her coiffure, subdue the


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44 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USangles of her face which are broughtout in unbecoming prominence bythe sailor-hat.

Women Who should Not WearHorns.

The velvet horns on either sideof a hat, the steeple-like centraladornments that were once muchin favor, and the Mercury wingsthat ornament the coiffure for even-ing dress, produce some startling,disagreeable, and amusing effectsnot altogether uninteresting to con-sider.

Faces in which the eyes are settoo near the forehead acquire ascared look by being surmountedby a bonnet upon which the trim-


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HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 45ming gravitates to a point In anarrangement not unsuggestlve of areversed fan, horns, or a steeple.The most unpleaslng develop-

ments result from the wearing ofthe horn-like trimmings either invelvet or jet. If the face abovewhich they flare has less of thespiritual than the coarse propen-sities in it, the grotesque turns andtwists in the head-gear emphasizethe animality In the lines character-istic of low-bred tendencies, and thewhole countenance is vulgarized.One face acquires the look of a fox,another of a certain type of dog,and so on.The most amusing exaggerations

of distinctive facial lines are pro-


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46 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USduced by Mercury wings. Thegood-natured woman of the famil-

iar type depicted inNo. 34 brings everybovine attribute ofher placid counten-ance into conspicuousrelief by surmount-ing her face with theNO. 34 wings of the fleet-

footed god. The cow-like form andserenity of her features are madelaughably obvious.

Short, delicately - faced womencan adorn their coiffures with Mer-cury wings with most charmingresults. Wings, or perpendicularbows, add length to the lines of theshort face, giving it a certain sug-


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HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 47gestion of refinement and distinc-tion that is wholly destroyed bythe wearing of any trimmings thatshow at the sides.NO MATTER WHAT THE PREVAIL-ING STYLE THESE RULES MAY BE

PRACTICALLY APPLIED.


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CHAPTER III.LINES THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED

AND CONSIDERED IN MAKINGCOSTUMES.

MME. La Mode, much misrep-resented as are all who are

embarrassed with world-wide popu-larity, always considers when de-signing fashions that women varyIn form, as in mood. She suits allneeds, although this fact has neverbeen cast to her credit. With abeautiful sense of adjustmentas

48


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so WHAT DRESS MAlCES OF USby the long coat better adapted toher and seizes a short jackethomeopathic tendency of Hke suit-ing Hke, sometimes efficacious inmedicine, but fatal In style.Style for Tall Slender Woman.The very tall, slender woman fre-

quently ignores a jaunty jacket andtakes a long coat like that shownin No. 36.To even the sluggish fancy of an

unimaginative observer she sug-gests a champagne bottle, and tothe ready wit she hints of no end ofamusing possibilities for caricature.The very tall woman should

know that long lines from shoulderto foot give height, and she must


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MAKING COSTUMES SIdiscerningly strive to avoid lengthof line in her garments until shedons the raiment of the angels.

NOS. 36 AND 37Horizontal lines crossing the fig-

ure seem to decrease height, andshould be used as much as possiblein the arranging and trimming ofthe tall woman's garments.


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52 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USBy selecting a shorter coat equal-

ly modish, as shown by No. 37, thetoo tall woman shortens her figureperceptibly.The belt cuts off from her height

in a felicitous way, and the collar,also horizontal, materially improvesthe size of her throat. The highcollar, such as finishes the coat, inNo. 36, adds to the length. Thosewho have too long arms can usehorizontal bands on sleeves mostadvantageously.The Coat the Short Stout Woman

should Wear.The short jacket that so gracious-

ly improved the appearance of theslender specimen of femininity is


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MAKING COSTUMES 53sinister in its effect on the short,stout woman, in sketch No. 38. Itshould be the studyof her Hfe to avoidhorizontal lines.Length of limb isto be desired be-cause it adds dis-tinction. Her belt,the horizontal ef-fect of the skirt ofthe jacket, the hori- ^^" ^^ '''''' ^^zontal trimming of the bottom ofthe skirt, all apparently shorteningher height, tend to make her ordin-ary and commonplace in appear-ance.

If her hips are not too pro-nounced she can wear the long


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54 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF UScoat, shown in picture No. 39.The V-shaped vesture gives her alonger waist, and the long lines ofthe revers add to the length of herskirt. If her hips are too promi-nent, she should avoid having anytight-fitting garments that bring thefact into relief. She should notwear the long coat, but she can ef-fectively modify it to suit her needs,by only having a skirt, or tabs, orfinishing straps in the back. If herjacket or basque Is finished off witha skirt effect, it Is best to have thelittle skirt swerve away just at thehip-line, half revealing and half con-cealing it.The front should be made In a

jacket effect, finishing just at the


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MAKING COSTUMES 55walst-llne and opening over a blousefront that will conceal the waist-line. It is best for the too short,stout woman to obscure her waist-line as much as possible, to appar-ently give her increase of height.To put the waist-line high up

adds to length of limb, and, ofcourse, is to be desired, but thefact that what is added below istaken from above the waist, shouldimpel careful discrimination in thearrangement of this equatorialband.The Cloak or Cape for a Tall

Woman.The long circular cloak is an-

other graceful garment that can be


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56 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USworn with charming effect by thewoman of classic height, but should

never be in the ward-robe of a very tall wo-man except for use atthe opera, when its ser-vice is chiefly requiredin the carriage, or whenits wearer is sitting. Itis so obvious, in sketchNo. 40, that the verticallines the folds of the

^- '^^ cloak naturally fall intogive a steeple-like appearance tothe tall woman it enfolds, that it isscarcely necessary to comment up-on it.That her judicious selection

should have been the short cape,


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MAKING COSTUMES 57which comes, as all capes should,to be artistic, well below theelbows, is clearly illus-trated in picture No.41. The horizontaltrimming very becom-ingly plays its part inthe generally improv-ing effect.The one who can

wear the long cloakin an unchallengeablemanner is the short, ''- ^^stout woman, shown in sketch No.42.By wearing the short cape with

circular, fluffy collarette, sketchedin No. 43, she gives herself thelook of a smothered, affrighted


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58 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USCochin China chicken ; or, as animaginative school-girl remarked

NOS. 42 AND 43of her mother who wore a cape ofsimilar style, " she looks as if herneck were encirled by bunches ofasparagus."The military dignity she acquires

by wearing the long cape is becom-ing to a degree, and gives her dis-tinction in form.


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MAKING COSTUMES 59By remembering that horizontal

trimmings apparently decrease theheight, and that vertical lines addto it, those who desire to appearat their best will use discernmentin dividing their basques withyokes, or corsage mountings at thebust-line or frills at the hip-line.A flounce on the corsage at thebust-line, another at the hip-line,and yet another at the bottom ofthe shirt, increases the impressionof bulkiness most aggressively andgives a barrel-like appearance tothe form of a stout woman that isdecidedly funny, as may be seenin sketch No. 44.A study of the lines of the form

will not only aid one in adopting a


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6o WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USmore becoming style of dress, butwill sharpen the artistic perceptions,thus adding to the joy of life.

NO. 44

** A beautiful form is betterthan a beautiful face " and shouldbe clothed so that its lines mayappear at their best, and notbe exaggerated and caricatured.The figure is seen many moretimes than the face, and the de-fects of the former are more con-spicuous than those of the latter.


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CHAPTER IV.HOW PLUMP AND THIN BACKS SHOULD

BE CLOTHED.

SHE was from the middle-West,and despite the fact that shewas married, and that twenty-onehalf-blown blush roses had en-wreathed her last birthday cake, shehad the alert, quizzical brightness ofa child who challenges everybodyand everything that passes with thecountersign ** Why ? " She inves-tigated New York with unabashed

62


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PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 6;^interest, and, like many anothersuperior provincial, she freely ex-pressed her likes and dislikes forits traditions, show-places, and peo-ple with a commanding and amus-ing audacity.Her objections were numerous.

The chief one that made a deepimpression upon her metropolitanfriends was her disapproval ofSarah Bernhardt's acting. Themiddle-Westerner, instead of be-coming ecstatic in her admiration,and at a loss for adjectives at theappearance of the divine Sarah,merely perked at the great Frenchartist for some time and then de-manded, querulously : ** What 'sthe matter with her ? Why does


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64 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USshe play so much with her back tothe audience ? I don't like it."

It was a shock to the adorers ofSarah Bernhardt to hear her soirreverently criticised. They loy-ally united in her defence, andsought to squelch the revolter byloftily explaining that the actressturned her back so often to theaudience because she had such anoble, generous nature and desiredto give the other actors a chance.** She lets them take the centre ofthe stage, as they say in the pro-fession," remarked one of the party,who prided herself upon beingversed in the argot of the theatre.

** But she plays with her back tothe audience when she is speaking


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PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 65and acting, and everybody else onthe stage is still but herself," petu-lantly insisted the Western Philis-tine, showing no signs of defeat.The situation was not wholly

agreeable. The worshippers ofSarah could say nothing more injustification of her turning her backon them, but, with true femininelogic, concluded, '' If Sarah Bern-hardt turns her back on the audi-ence it is right, and that is all thereis to say."

Just at this dramatic moment avoice from the adjoining row provi-dentially interposed. The voicebelonged to a well-known exponentof physical culture, who was neverso happy as when instructing the


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66 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USintellectually needy. She said : ** Iwill tell you why she plays withher back towards the audiencemore than any other actress uponthe stage to-day." The middle-Westerner, no less impressed thanher metropolitan friends, listenedeagerly.

The exponent of straight backsand high chests explained didactic-ally : '* The back is wonderfullyexpressive ; indeed it is full of vitalexpression. Bernhardt knows thisbetter than any other actress be-cause she has studied statuary withthe passion of a sculptor, and be-cause she understands that, not onlythe face, but the entire physicalstructure, is capable of expressing


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PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 67dramatic emotions. Strong feelingand action may be strikingly re-vealed by the back. Imprecations,denunciations, even prayers, seemto be charged with more force whenan actress delivers them with herback turned, or half-turned to theaudience.

** Bernhardt's back expresses astorm of fury when she imprecatesvengeance," said the voice of au-thority. ** Not only on the stageis the expression of the back dis-cernible, and a knowledge of itscharacter valuable, but in every-daylife in drawing-room and street.How many women consider theirbacks when they dress ? Look atthe backs here deformed by laces


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68 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USand fallals," she went on contempt-uously. '' The majority of womennever look below their chins and Ibelieve not one in ten ever looksthoughtfully at her back," she saidemphatically.The dramatic value of a well-

poised, expressive back may onlyconcern the thousands of youngwomen who are aspiring to be aSarah Bernhardt or a Rachel ; buta knowledge of what constitutes aproperly and artistically clothedback should be of interest to allwomen in civilized countries.

That there is much truth in theassertion that '' the majority ofwomen never look below theirchins, and not one in ten ever looks


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I'LUM)' ANIJ THIN HACKS 69thourHitfiilly .'it licr back," cycryobserver of woiii.inkind mi^httesU'fy.The open placket-hole and sag-

în^- waist-band, sketched in No./|5, is an all too familiar sl^ht thatadvertises the fact that too fewwomen take even a cursory look attlieir backs, leathers and brotherswlu) wish to protect their woman-kind from adverse criticism fre-quently îve impromptu lecturesuj>u lliis very subject, as thisslovenly arrangement of skirt andbasque Is not only seen In GrandStreet, Second Avenue, and equal-ly (mfashionable quarters, but inJwftli Avenue where the, modishset are en dvidencc. If the dainty

'*". îj


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JO WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US

NO. 46

safety-pin displayed in No. 46, goesout of vogue, the time-honoredcustom of sewing hooks to thewaist-band of the dress, is always infashion. Indeed, many women pre-fer this way of connecting separateskirt and waist to using a conspicu-ous pin. This is almost too triviala detail to discourse upon, but it isas true that details make dress asit is that " trifles make life "andneither life nor dress is a trifle.The offence in No. 45 is more

the result of untidiness than ofa lack of artistic discrimination.Nos. 46-I- and 47, on the contrary,outrage the laws of art, and displayignorance of the value and beautyof lines.


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PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 71No. 46|- might serve to conceal

a deformity of the shoulders. Thatreally seems its only ex-cuse for being. Thefull, ugly, straight pleatthat falls to just belowthe waist-line lendsneither grace nor style V^'to the figure. It is tooshort to give the dis-tinction and dignity thathandsome wraps withlong lines almost invari-ably do, although they seem to addage to the form. There is a hintof youth in this ungraceful jacketto be sure, but it is not especiallyattractive in its suggestion of youth-fulness.

NO. 46J


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72 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USNo. 47, with a line at the neck-band, crossed bands in the centre

of the shoulders, andlines across the back,is obviously inartistic.The back of a Venus,even, would be detract-ed from by such criss-crossed effects. Happythe woman who has soshapely a back she can

afford to allow her waist to fitsmoothly and plainly, unbroken byany conspicuous lines. If bandsmust be used to remedy the de-ficiencies of ungenerous Nature,let them be at the neck and waistand if the back is unconscionablylong, a band, or fold, or ruffle

NO. 47


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PLUMP AND THIN BACKS nacross the shoulders is to be com-mended.

No. 48 reveals a glaring errorfrequently made by the thin sister-hood. A tall, slender woman witha long waist, should not emphasizeher length of lines by wearing "^^pointed or V-shaped effects. TheV-shaped arrangement, either incut or trimmings, apparently in-creases her *' longness and lean-ness." She should aim to shortenher waist instead of lengthening itas the basque finished with a pointobviously does. The droopingsleeves elongate her shoulder-lines,and bring into clearer relief hermeagre proportions. She can eas-ily improve her appearance by

NO. 48


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74 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USadopting either style of gown por-trayed by Nos. 49, or 50. The

broad belt at the waist-line in No. 49, and theflamboyant lace orbraid-ed piece that adorns theshoulders, perceptiblyadds to her breadth anddecreases her length.

No. 50 is a felicitouscut for a street dress fora slim sister. The jauntybloused waist smartlyconceals deficiencies infine points.The tall, thin sister-

hood should eschewpointed effects and

NO. 49

NO. 50

Study to attain apparent breadth


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PLUMP AND THIN BACiCS 75by using trimmings arranged hori-zontally. Bands of velvet, braid inwaved lines, ruffles,and not too deeplycut scallops, may beused effectively by ^^/^the very slender, who ^^sometimes appear asif they are ** withoutform and void," as the earth was*' in the beginning."

No. 51 is an exposition of themistake made by the sturdy sister-hood of stout and pendulous pro-portions. It is plain to be seenthat the fluffy ruche at the throat-band, and the ruffle at the shoulder,and the spreading bow at the waist,and the trimmed sleeves, add bulk-


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76 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USiness to a form already too gener-ously endowed with flabby rotund-ity. Corpulent women must forego

-iir^.

NO. 53 NO. 53

the swagger little basques or anysort of short, flounced effects belowthe waist-line.

Nos. 52 and 53 are eminentlyadapted to the matron of ampledimensions. One observer ofbeauty-giving effects has not un-


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PLUMP AND THIN BACKS "]"]advisedly called the waist-line '' thedanger-line." A stout sister, aboveall others, should not accentuatethe waist-line. She should concealit as much as possible. The coatback of No. 52 apparently length-ens the waist.The same effect is produced by

the arrangement of ribbons in No.53, and by the long-pointed basque.V-shaped effects and long-pointedbasques are as becoming to thoseburdened with flesh as they areunbecoming to tall, thin women.

Long, graceful folds and draper-ies are admirable for the stout sis-terhood, who should avoid shortsacques and tight-fitting garmentsthat give the on-looker an uncom-


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78 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USfortable impression ; there is toomuch in a small space. Very lightcolors and thin textures that billowand float should be eschewed bythe large, fleshy woman who wishesto give the impression that shepossesses the lines of a finely mod-elled statue. She should avoidpuff's and any suggestion of thepulpy and clumsy, and be carefulnot to sub-divide the body of herdress by plaits or braids laid onhorizontally across or above thebust, or below the hips. Horizon-tal lines invariably decrease theheight ; for that reason stout wo-men should not wear dresses cutsquare in the neck, but should ad-here to the graceful V- or heart-


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PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 79shaped cut which has a tendencyto give length.The rotund woman with a short

NO. 54 NO. 55

waist, sketched in No. 54, may im-prove her figure, as shown in No.55, by choosing behs and collarsthe exact shade of her shirt-waistsin summer, and by not cutting offher height by any sort of outsidebelt on winter gowns.

Tall, stout women should forego


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8o WHAT DRESS MAKES OF UShigh heels on their shoes, high hats,and Striped dresses. Althoughstripes increase the effect of height,

NO. 56

they also add to that of breadth.A plain cloth basque and skirt ofstriped material make a happy-compromise and can be worn withbecoming effect by a stout woman.


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PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 8A basque cut high behind and onthe shoulders apparently givesheight.A very stout woman should neverwear double skirts or tunics ordresses with large sprawling pat-terns, such as depicted by cut No.56, which suggests furniture stuffs.A large woman who had a fancyfor wearing rich brocades figuredwith immense floral designs wasfamiliarly called by her kind friends** the escaped sofa."White, or very light colors, should

never be worn by the stout ; theygreatly increase the apparent size.Large plaids should also be es-chewed. Small checks and plaidsmay sometimes be becoming.

6


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82 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USNeither the too thin nor the too

stout should adopt a style of gownthat caricatures the form as does

NOS. 57 AND 58the voluminous wrapper, finishedwith a box-pleat, as shown in No.57. There is no grace in straightlines. No. 58, which accentuates


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PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 83the height of the over-tall, thinwoman, is better adapted to en-hance the charms of a woman offiner proportions. The bony andscrawny, of the type of No. 58, seemto have a perverse desire to wearwhat makes their poverty in physi-cal charms only more conspicuous.A woman of distinction in Boston,who is exceedingly thin and tall,wore Watteau pleats so frequently,even on reception and eveninggowns that she was dubbed by awag "the fire-escape," a title whichso strikingly characterized her style,that the term was adopted by allher friends when they exchangedconfidences concerning her.The garment with the Watteau


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84 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USpleat is not unlike the princessegown which is a very trying style

except to handsomely pro-portioned women. A tall,well-developed woman,such as shown in sketchNo. 59, adorns the prin-cesse gown and attains init a statuesque beauty. Insuggesting statuary it ful-fils the true ideal of dress,which should hint of poe-

, art, sculpture, painting.The massing of colors,the arrangement oflines, the quality oftextures, the grace

and poise of the wearerdo notthese hint of picture, statue, music ?

NO. 59


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CHAPTER V.CORSAGES APPROPRIATE FOR WOMENWITH UNBEAUTIFULLY MODELLED

THROATS AND SHOULDERS.DESPITE the traditional be-

lief that a decollete corsageis a tyrannous necessity of eveningdress, a woman not graciously en-dowed with a beautifully modelledthroat and shoulders may, with per-fect propriety, conceal her infelici-tous lines from the derisive gazeof a critical public.

85


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86 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USWomen are Indebted to that gen-

tle genius, La Duse, for the sug-gestion that a veiled throat andbust may charmingly fulfil the re-quirements of evening dress, andalso satisfy that sense of delicacypeculiar to some women who havenot inherited from their great-great-grandmothers the certain knowl-edge that a low-necked gown isabsolutely decorous.The woman who does not pos-

sess delicate personal charms com-mends herself to the beauty-lovingby forbearing to expose her physi-cal deficiencies. Unless it is be-cause they are enslaved by custom,it is quite incomprehensible whysome women will glaringly display


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CORSAGES 87gaunt proportions that signallylack the exquisite lines of firm andsolid flesh.A throat like a ten-stringedinstrument, surmounting squareshoulders that end in knobs thatobtrude above unfilled hollows, isan unpleasing vision that looms upconspicuously too often in opera-box and drawing-room.The unattractive exhibition of

shoulders, pictured in No. 61, is afamiliar sight in the social world.How insufferably ugly such uncov-ered anatomy appears in the scen-ery of a rich and dainty music-room may be readily imagined bythose who have been spared the ' no. 61unpleasing display. It is so obvi-


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88 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USous that shoulders Hke these shouldalways be covered that it seemssuperfluous to remark that thistype should never wear any sleevethat falls below the shoulder-line.

The sleeve fallingoff the shoulder wasinvented for the clas-sic contour, set forthin No. 62. Nor rib-bons, nor lace, norjewel are needed toenhance the perfectbeauty of a fine, slen-der, white throat, andthe felicitous curves

of sloping shoulders.One whose individual endow-

ments are as meagre as are those

NO. 63


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CORSAGES 89presented In No. 61 may Improveher defects by adopting either styleof corsage, shown in sketches Nos.63 and 64.A woman's throat may lack a

certain desirable roundness, and hershoulders may recede in awkwardlines, and yet between these defect-ive features the curves may havea not unpleasing daintiness anddelicacy in modelling that can beadvantageously revealed. A mod-ish velvet throat-band, such as isshown by No. 63, is one of themost graceful conceits of fashion.The too slim throat encircled byvelvet or ornamented with a jew-elled buckle or brooch is effectivelyframed. The unsightly lines of the


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90 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USshoulders are covered, and justenough individual robustness isdisclosed to suggest with becomingpropriety the conventional decol-lete corsage. The Princess of

NO. 63 NO. 64

Wales is as constant to her velvetor pearl neck-band, as to her espe-cial style of coiffure. Her throat, inevening dress, never appears un-adorned by one or the other of


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CORSAGES 91these beautiful bands that so clev-erly conceal defects and seem tobring out more richly the textureand coloring of handsome bareshoulders.Those who do not approve of

the decollete style of dress, or whoseungraceful proportions might wellbe entirely concealed, can wearwith appropriateness and benefitthe corsage shown In No. 64.This has much in Its favor for aslender body. The upper part ofthe waist may be made of chiffonor crepe, which is beautifullyonemight say benignly translucent.It has an insinuating transparencythat neither reveals nor concealstoo much. The neck-band of velvet


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92 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USor satin, full and soft, apparentlyenlarges the throat. The sleevesmay be In whatever style in cutprevails. This costume carriesperfectly into effect the require-ments of evening dress, and maybe worn with equal fitness toformal functions or to informalaffairs. A coat -sleeve of lace,crepe, or chiffon, beflounced atthe wrist, may be inserted underthe short satin sleeves when theoccasion does not require gloves.The soft, white setting of thin tex-tures around the throat and shoul-ders clears the complexion andbrings into relief the pretty, delicatelines of a refined face.

It is plain to be seen that the un-


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CORSAGES 93attractive specimen of femininity,No. 65., with the long, wrinkledneck and sharp-ly lined face isunbecomingly cos-tumed in the V-shaped basque andcorsage which ap-parently elongateher natural lank-ness. A charmingand always fashionable yoke-effectthat she can wear to advantage isshown by No. 66. This style ofcorsage is equally effective for atoo thin or a too muscular neck.The filling is of tulle.A square-cut corsage is mostbecoming to the woman whose

NOS. 65 AND 66


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94 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USnarrow shoulders have a con-sumptive droop. The angular cutapparently heightens the shouldersand decreases their too steeple-like inclination. The round cut,if it frames a full throat, is alsoan effective style for slopingshoulders. The V-shaped cut ismost becominor to the short-neckedwoman, whose aim should be toincrease the lenoth of her throat.

It is not only the too thinneck that needs to be clothedwith discrimination. Throats andshoulders that are too robust areimproved by being covered. Thearms and shoulders, however, areoften the chief beauty of a lieshywoman, and it is to her advanta^i^e


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CORSAGES 95to give them as effective a settingas possible.As is obvious in No. 67, the

stout woman apparently increases

NO. 68 NO. 67

her breadth by wearing a flam-boyant corsage, and she hides themost exquisite lines of her arm withher sleeves.The princesse style of gown, in

No. 68, gives her apparent length


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NO. 70

of waist. The modest lace flouncethat falls in vertical folds decreasesher formidable corsage. The knot-ted twist of silk reveals the fullbeauty of her arm.

In dressing the throat there area few rules to be remembered. Atoo long, stem-like neck may beapparently shortened by a stand-ing ruff or a full, soft band ofvelvet. The tight, plain band ofvelvet should never be worn bya woman with a very slim neck,as is plainly discernible in sketchNo. 69.The plain, military collar empha-

sizes the thinness of the slenderwoman's throat ; but the softcrushed fold of velvet apparently


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CORSAGES 97enlarges the pipe-like proportionsof the thin woman's neck, as maybe seen in sketch No. 70. Thetight-fitting collar should not beworn by the corpulent woman witha thick neck, as is shown by sketchNo. 71.The thickness of the throat of

the woman pictured in No. 72 mayseem due to the folds of the velvet,which give a pleasing hint of aslender throat, a delusion not to bedespised by the woman burdenedwith flesh.

All the sisterhood,stout, thin,long - throated, or short, shouldknow the hour when the witheringtouch of age begins to shrink thesoft, round curves distinctive of the

>^->'*%

NO. 71

NO. 72


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98 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USfull, sweet throat of healthful youth.No regretful vanity should be al-lowed to glamour their eyes to thefact that Time has them by thethroat, to put it melodramatically.The wise woman will not pleaseherself with a fatal delusion. Shewill realize it is illusion she needsyards of itlace or velvet, or anybeautifying texture that will con-ceal the deadly lines of age.


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CHAPTER VI.HINTS ON DRESS FOR ELDERLY

WOMEN.F^RESS has much to do with a^^ youthful or aged appearance.Shawls and long mantles that fallfrom the shoulders give even youth-ful figures a look of age, becausethe lines are long and dignifiedand without especial grace. Beauti-ful wraps, or coats that do notcome very far below the hip-line,can be worn becomingly by elderly

99


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lOO WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USladles, neither emphasizing theiryears nor making them appear toofrivolously attired. There is asmack of truth in the maxim, Asa woman grows old the dress mate-rial should increase in richness anddecrease in brightness. Handsomebrocades, soft, elegant silks, wool-len textures, and velvets are emi-nently suitable and becoming towomen who are growing old.

Black, and black-and-white, softwhite chiffon veiled in lace, cash-meres, and such refined tissuesshould be selected by those in'' the first wrinkles of youth."Grays combined with filmy whitematerial, dull bronzes lightenedwith cream -tinted lace, are also


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DRESS FOR ELDERLY WOMEN lOlcharmingly appropriate. Pale blueveiled in chiffon is another gratefulcombination.White should be worn more than

it is by old ladies. It is so sug-gestive of all that is clean, bright,and dainty ; and if there is anythingan old lady should strive to be inher personal appearance it is dainty.Exquisite cleanliness is one of themost necessary attributes of at-tractive old age, and any texturethat in its quality and color em-phasizes the idea of cleanlinessshould commend itself to those intheir " advanced youth."

Little old thin women, largeones too, for that matter, who arewrinkled and colorless, should not


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I02 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USwear diamonds. The dazzlingwhite gems with pitiless brilliancybring out the pasty look of the skin.The soft glow of pearls, the cloud-like effects of the opal, the unob-trusive lights of the moonstoneharmonize with the tints of hairand skin of the aged.

Elderly women should not wearbright flowers on their bonnets orhats. Fresh-looking roses above aface that has lost its first youthful-ness only make that fact moreobvious. Forget-me-nots, mignon-ettes, certain pretty white flowers,the palest of pink roses, or themost delicate tint of yellow veiledwith lace are not inappropriatefor those who do not enjoy wear-


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DRESS FOR ELDERLY WOMEN I03Ing sombre bonnets and hatswhich are composed only of rich,black textures. Lace cleverly in-termingled with velvet and jewelledornaments of dull, rich shades areexceedingly effective on the head-gear of the old.Those who are gray-haired

and indeed all women as they growoldshould wear red above theirbrows instead of under their chins.A glint of rich cardinal velvet, or arosette of the same against grayhair is beautiful.

Lace ! Lace ! Lace ! and stillmore lace for the old. Lace is anessential to the dress of a womanmore than forty years of age.Jabots, ruches, yokes, cascades,


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I04 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USvests, and gowns of lace, black orwhite, are all for the old. Richlace has an exquisitely softeningeffect on the complexion. Thinwomen with necks that look likethe strings of a violin shouldswathe, smother, decorate, andadorn their throats with lace orgossamer fabrics that have thesame quality as lace. These airytextures, in which light and shadowcan so beautifully shift, subdueroughnesses of the skin and harsh-ness in lines. Old Dame Natureis the prime teacher of these be-witching artifices. Note her fineeffects with mists and cobwebs,with lace-like moss on sturdy oldoaks, the bloom on the peach and


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DRESS FOR ELDERLY WOMEN IO5the grape. Nature produces hermost enchanting colorings withdust and age. Laces, gauzes,mulls, chiffons, net, and gossamerthrow the same beautiful glamourover the face and they are fit andcharming accompaniments of grayhair, which is a wonderful softenerof defective complexions and hardfacial lines.Too much cannot be written

upon the proper arrangement inthe neck-gear of the aged. Thedisfiofurinof wrinkles that makemany necks unsightly may be keptin obeyance by massaging. Nomatter what the fashion in neck-gear, the aged must modify it tosuit their needs. An old lady


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I06 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USwith a thin, pipe-stem neck shouldadopt a full ruche and fluffy, softcollar-bands. I cannot forbearrepeating that tulle as light asthistle bubbles, either white or grayor black, is exquisitely effective forthin, scrawny necks. The fleshy,red neck should be softened withpowder and discreetly veiled inchemisettes of chiffon and delicatenet.Old ladies may keep in the style,

thus being in the picture of thehour ; but it is one of the divineprivileges of age that it can makeits own modes. Absolute cleanli-ness, cleanliness as exacting as thatproper nurses prescribe for babies,is the first and most important fac-


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DRESS FOR ELDERLY WOMEN I07tor in making old age attractive.Rich dress, In artistic colors, soft,misty, esthetic, comes next ; thenthe IdeaHzIng scarfs, collars, jabots,and fichus of lace and tulles. Oldpeople becomingly and artisticallyattired have the charm of rare oldpictures. If they have soul-illum-ined faces they are precious mas-terpieces.


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CHAPTER VII.HOW MEN CARICATURE THEMSELVES

WITH THEIR CLOTHES.ALTHOUGH In the dress of

man there are fewer possibili-ties of caricature than in that ofwoman, yet, '' the masterpieces ofcreation " frequently exaggeratein a laughableand sometimes apitiable way, certain physicalcharacteristics by an injudiciouschoice of clothes.

io8


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CARICATURES IO9As the fashion in hair-dressing

does not grant man the privilegeof enhancing his facial attractions ;nor of obscuring his defects bya becomingly arranged coiffureand, as the modes in neck-gear aresuch that he cannot modify theblemishes of a defective complex-ion by encircling his athletic orscrawny throat with airy tulle, ordainty lace, that arch-idealizer ofpasty-looking faces ; and as he hasforsworn soft, trailing garmentsthat conceal unclassic curves anduninspiring lines of nether limbs, itbehooves him to be more exact-ingly particular even than womanin the selection of his wearing ap-parel.


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no WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USFar be it from me, however, to

remind man of his many limita-tionsin dress. That he cannever know the rapture of donninga becoming spring bonnet, northe pleasure of possessing ** reallace " things, nor the sensuouscharm of being enwrapped in ca-ressing furs, or sleazy, silken gar-ments as exquisite in color andtexture as beautiful, fresh flowers,only delicate consideration for hisfeelings constrains me from expa-tiating upon at length.

I would rather be able to remindhim that he can make his limita-tions his advantages, than revealto him what he misses in not beinga woman.


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CARICATURES 1 1To treat of this important sub-

ject adequately and convincingly,one would require the masterlydiscernment of a skillful and accom-plished tailor, the experiencedknowledge of a well-dressed man,and the alertly critical perceptionof a loving woman who, even in thematter of clothes, wishes the dear-est of men to her, to do full justiceto himself and her ideal of him onall occasions.Although certain of the forego-

ing qualifications must needs belacking, nevertheless this timorouspen, with more trepidation thancourage it must be confessed, begsto call attention to a few obviousdetails in masculine attire that car-


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112 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USicature, more or less, peculiaritiesin the forms and features ofmen.To be sure, in the matter of head-

gear man is not conspicuously atthe mercy of burlesquing ribbons,flowers, and feathers, and he hasfewer opportunities than womento make himself ridiculous, yet afew suggestions regarding certainshapes of head-gear for certaintypes of faces, applicable to womenare equally applicable to him.The same rule that applies to

the woman of the wedge-shapedtype of face applies to the man ofthe wedge-shaped type, as may beseen in sketches Nos. 75 and 76.It is obvious that the youth de-


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NO. 75

CARICATURES II3picted in No. 75 detracts from themanliness of his face and empha-sizes the pointed appearance of hiscountenance by wearing a hat witha broad brim projecting over hisears. This style of hat appearsmore frequently in straw than inany other texture, but the effect ofa wide, projecting rim is the samein any material. No. 76, it is plain,improves the appearance of thelong, slim-faced man. An alpinehat would not be unbecoming tohim, the h'lQ-h oval of the crownforming a balance for the lower ^^^^'part of the face. ''- ^^The man with a pugilistic chin

should endeavor to select a hatthat will not make his heavy jaw


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NO. 77

NO. 78

114 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USas prominent as does the stiff derby,in No. "]"].A soft alpine hat, or one some-what of the style of No. "j^, improveshis appearance. The high crownand wide, gracefully rolling brimcounter-balance the weight andprominence of the jaw.Apropos of the minor details ofman's garments, the button as a

feature of clothes has never beenfully done justice to. It is a sus-taining thing we know, somethingwe can hang to, fasten to, and eventie to. That properly placed but-tons contribute to our mental poiseand therefore to our physical re-pose, is hinted in that absurdlyengaging story, anent the smart


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CARICATURES II5boy who was the envy of his spell-ing-class, because he always stoodfirst. You remember, no doubt,that an envious but keen-eyed class-mate observed that the smart spellerworked off his nervous apprehen-siveness by twirling the top buttonof his coat as he correctly spelledword after word, day in and dayout ; and how the keen-eyed oneplayed the part of a stealthy villainand surreptitiously cut the buttonoff the coat. And do you remem-ber the dramatic ending? Howthe smart one on the fatal daysought to ''press the button" andfinding it gone, lost his wits com-pletely and failed ignominously ?Many of us when we have lost a


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Il6 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US

NO. 79

sustaining button, have we not feltas ridiculously helpless and wit-benumbed as the smart speller ?We all sub-consciously acknowl-edge our dependence upon but-tons, but not many of us, evidently,have observed that even buttonshave a certain possibility of carica-ture in them ; and that they mayadd to, or detract from, the ap-pearance of manly forms. Theconsideration of properly placedbuttons may seem trivial to you,but if you will observe sketchesNos. 79 and 80, you may discernthat a thin man may apparentlyincrease his breadth and add a cer-tain manly touch to his figure, bychanging the buttons at the waist-


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CARICATURES lljline of his coat. The buttonsplaced so near together, in No. 79,really make his toothpick propor-tions too obvious. His back ismade to look broader by placingthe buttons wider apart, as shownin No. 80, and changing the cutof his coat-tail.That the fat man may also pre-

sent a more attractive back to hisenemies by considering the placing no. 80of his buttons, may be seen indrawings Nos. 81 and 82. Thebuttons decorating No. 81 areplaced so far apart that they in-crease in an ungainly way thebreadth of the back at the waist-line. If they are placed nearertogether, and the seams graduated


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Il8 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USto meet them, they give the illusionof better and more desirable pro-portions, as may be seen in No.82.

NO. 81 NO. 82

That the thin man may also pre-sent a more imposing and broaderfront to the world, is suggested insketches Nos. 83 and 84. The con-tracted look of the coat in No. 83


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CARICATURES 119IS somewhat due to the buttonsof his double-breasted coat beingplaced too closely together. The

NO. 83 NO. 84

slender man who wishes to givethe impression of being broad-chested may have the buttons onhis coat placed a little farther


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I20 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USapart than fashion may allow, asQ shown in sketch 84. The propor-


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CARICATURES I 2 IOther he obscures a lack of becom-ing inches that tends to give him adumpy appearance.

If you study your fellow-men you rf^will observe that few are really per-fectly proportioned. One man willhave the body of a viking on thelegs of a dwarf, or one will havethe legs of an Apollo supportingthe short body of a pigmy. The ^^^ ggman who has a kingly body, toobroad in proportion to his legs, asshown in sketch No. 87, should en-deavor to modify his physical de-fect by the careful selection of hiscoats. He should have his coatscut to give him as much length ofleg as possible. A skilful tailorwill know just what subtle changes


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122 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USand adjustments to make. Theimprovement in appearance andgain in height is pictured in sketch88. The coat being shorter andthe waist of the trousers beingraised a trifle, the man's limbs seemlonger, which is an improvement.Long Hnes tend to give eleganceand grace in bearing. Anotherthing for the too robust type ofman to consider is the style of histrousers. No. Sy hints what hemust not choose. Such brazenplaids only make him appear offen-sively aggressive in size. Long,fine lines, such as shown in No. 88,give an impression of length andapparently lessen the width.Too long lines, however, are


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CARICATURES 1 23almost as undesirable as too shortones. Over-tall, thin men some-times make themselves look liketelegraph poles or flagstaffs bywearing short coats that expose ina graceless way the whole lengthof their limbs. They suggest cranesand other fowl that give the im-pression of being " all legs."When the legs are proportionedmore like a stick of macaroni ora lead pencil than the shapelylimbs of an Adonis, they appear ex-ceedingly funny when surmountedby a short coat, such as pictured inNo. 89. A famous general in theCivil War did not despise cotton asa fortification to protect him fromthe onslaught of the enemy. The

NO.


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124 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USover-tall, thin man, who is not un-suggestive of a picket, should notbe ashamed to fortify himself withcotton or any other sort of paddingthat intelligent tailors keep instock. He should build his shoul-ders up a bit and be generally, butmost carefully and artistically, en-larged. His coat should belengthened, as in sketch 90, to cutoff just as much of the longness oflimb as can possibly be allowedwithout destroying artistic pro-

No. 89 portions. The very tall, thin manwho unthinkingly wears a veryshort coat should be brave andnever turn his back to his enemy.If he wears black and white checktrousers and a short blue coat, he


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CARICATURES 1 25should travel with a screen. Aman in just such a rig attracted noend of comment in a fashionablehotel. The caricaturing effect ofhis trousers and coat were unspeak-ably comical. The wearer had aface as grave as an undertaker'sand the air of a serious-minded col-lege professor ; but he had thenondescript look of a scarecrowcomposed of whatever availablegarments could be obtained fromthe cast-off wardrobe of summerboarders in a farmhouse.

Coats assuredly have the powerof making cartoonsliving, jocu-lar cartoonsof their wearers. Itwould hardly seem necessary to callattention to the fact that a man of


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126 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF UShuge dimensions should not weara short coat, such as shown insketch No. 91, yet his type is toofrequently seen attired in this style.A man so dressed certainly seemsthe living exemplification of thedefinition of a jug, namely, "avessel usually with a swelling belly,narrow mouth, and a handle, forholding liquors." It cannot be re-iterated too often that a large, stoutman should aim to acquire thedistinction and dignity given bylong lines. If his body is pro-portioned so he really has neitherlength of torso nor of limb he mustpay more attention to the cut of hisclothes and attain length in what-ever artistic way he can. The


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CARICATURES 127

NOS. 91 AND 92

long coat, as may be seen in sketchNo. 92, not only apparently addslength but it con-ceals too protuberantcurves.Of course, charac-

ter counts for morethan clothes, we willall agree to that, butat first glance it is aman's clothes that impress people.Clothes affect our behavior some-what. For instance, '' When theyoung European emigrant, after asummer's labor puts on for the firsttime a new coat, he puts on muchmore. His good and becomingclothes put him on thinking that hemust behave like people who are


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128 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USSO dressed ; and silently and steadilyhis behavior mends." Of course,there is an uplifting truth in GeorgeHerbert's maxim, " This coat withmy discretion will be brave," yet, Iam inclined to think that the ma-jority of men who will stop to con-sider will agree with Emerson, whosays, '' If a man has not firm nervesand has keen sensibility, it is per-haps a wise economy to go to agood shop and dress himself irre-proachably. He can then dismissall care from his mind, and mayeasily find that performance an ad-dition of confidence, a fortificationthat turns the scale in social en-counters, and allows him to gogayly into conversations where else


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CARICATURES 1 29he had been dry and embarrassed.I am not ignorant, I have heardwith admiring submission the ex-perience of the lady who declared' that the sense of being perfectlywell dressed gives a feeling of in-ward tranquillity which religion ispowerless to bestow.'A popular clothier in New York,understanding this trait of his fel-

low-men, voices this same sentimentin his advertisement in this succinctway: ** Seriously now. Have youever stopped to think that if youwear good clothing it adds muchto that independent, easy feelingyou should have when you comein contact with other men ? "

I think it was Lord Chesterfield


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130 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF USwho said : ** A man is received ac-cording to his appearance, and dis-missed according to his merits."There is a bit of truth in this wewould all admit, I have no doubt,if we studied the question. Clothesaffect our own poise, ease, and atti-tude toward others and the expres-sion of others toward us, but, afterall, we rely upon the man or womaninstead of upon the impression wereceive from the clothes. The gar-ments, after we have noticed themin a superficial way, are chieflyinteresting to us, because they arearch-betrayers of the physical andmental poise of the man. No mat-ter what the cut of the cloth, nomatter what cachet of a fashionable


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CARICATURES 131tailor a suit may have, or whatits richness of material, the atti-tude *' a la decadence " of No. 93would make the best clothes inChristendom look shabby and un-attractive.

This too familiar carriage of theAmerican man makes one wish tohave the power to reverse the facesas Dante did those of the falseprophets, so those who stand *' a ladecadence " might see what ridicu-lous figures they cut in drawing-room and street. The curved backsand rounded-out shoulders wouldmake fair-looking chests, and theflat chests would represent respect-able-looking backs.A man owes it to the spirit

NO. 93


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NO. 94

within him not to stand or walk insuch an attitude. He should braceup and keep bracing up persistently,unremittently, until he attains amore manly bearing.The wholly alive fellow picturedin sketch No. 94 would makehomespun look elegant. His chestis forward. He does not sag infront at the waist, protruding hisabdomen in not only an inartistic,but an unhealthy manner ; but hestrides masterfully forward with anair of inspiriting '' aliveness." Theperfect poise of his attitude is notunsuggestive of the Apollo Belve-derethe model for all menpicture of which every college boyshould have to place beside the


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CARICATURES 133prettiest girl In his collection ofpretty girls, to constantly remindhim to carry himself like a younggod.


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(1897) what dress makes of us

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