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COPiTilGHT DEPOSnV ^ ^^ari^ 0^ Talks On Successful Gowning ===: BY = ELIZABETH LEE Copyright 1910, by ELIZABETH LEE X \ \ 6 n K ni A ^^ 5 '1 n 9 [0 -U503 CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 5 CHAPTER I— Blondes 11 CHAPTER II— Brunettes 20 CHAPTER III— The Between-Color Type 28 CHAPTER IV— Advice to Stout Women 34 CHAPTER V— Hints for Dressing the Thin Woman. . 46 CHAPTER VI— Woman at the Passee Stage 54 CHAPTER VII~The Gray Haired Woman 59 CHAPTER VIII— The Middle-Aged Woman 64 CHAPTER IX— A Chapter on Combining Colors 71 CHAPTER X— How to Choose a Becoming Hat 80 CHAPTER XI— A Talk on Corsets 94 CHAPTER XII— Correct Gowning. . 105 CHAPTER XIII— A Chapter on Furs 116 CHAPTER XIV— Veils That Will Prove Becoming. . . 130 CHAPTER XV— The Jewels I Should Wear 137 CHAPTER XVI— Hints on Being Photographed 148 CHAPTER XVII— What Style of CoifFureShalll Adopt 158 CHAPTER XVIII— Wedding Etiquette 167 CHAPTER XIX — Dress for The School Girl 183 CHAPTER XX— Rules for Correct Mourning. 193 INTRODUCTION. £yOOjy dressing, nowadays, as every Avoman 1^ knows, who is at all interested in clothes \M — and all nice women are — is not, by any means, a question of mone}^ Some women man- age to look well dressed on a distinctly small allowance, while others will appear positively dowdy even though the expenditure may have been three times the amount spent by those attractively gowned. Clearly then, it must be a proper selection of color and design that makes for success in feminine dressing, choosing only those that will tend to bring out the best points of the wearer, or disguise any defects which are known to exist. This is easily said, I know, but not all women are gifted with an instinct for selecting exactly what is suited to them. This does not imply that they lack good taste. Not at all. Such persons will often most wisely criticize the toilets worn by their friends, but Avhen it comes to choosing for themselves their confidence is apt to forsake them. They know intuitively when anything is altogether wrong, but lack the power of being able to suggest a remedy. This class of women — and it includes the majority let me say — are those who suffer most from sartorial errors. Far better for their peace of mind were they absolutely Introduction. ignorant of the laws governing successful dress- ing. Fortunately for the world, however, the num- ber of the latter type is comparatively small, and I am inclined to believe it may be still lessened, for every woman certainly wishes to look her best and Avhen she does not, it must be because she lacks the knoAvledge of hoiv to appear so. This cannot be her excuse if she will carefully peruse the pages of this book giving special at- tention to the chapter or chapters that treat of her individual needs as she realizes them. What shall I wear that I may appear becom- ingly and tastefully gowned is a question that confronts every normal woman from girlhood to old age. Neither is the problem confined to any partic- ular class — unless, perhaps, to those very wealthy women Avho can afford to place themselves in the hands of sartorial artistes, but with them these pages have nothing to do. Such a woman is in a position to pay people to think for her as well as to clothe her. There are thousands of women, however, who are not placed so fortunately as these daughters of wealth, but who desire nevertheless to make the most of their physical endowments b}^ being attractively gowned. This fact is evidenced by the large number of letters received by the writer who has for many years conducted a Consulting Dressmakers^ Bureau through the columns of the newspapers throughout the breadth of the land, and the following pages have for their actual basis the 6 Introduction. queries that are daily received by her for intel- ligent answering. It should be understood at the outset that this is not a treatise on fashions but rather a book of reference that may be appealed to whenever there arises a question on dress which cannot be satis- factorily answered. Is it a very tempting new shade that a brown- haired woman longs to wear but is in doubt as to whether it will become her? Then let her con- sult the chapter devoted to colors that will suit the brunette type. Again, should the short stout woman look longingly upon a frock she sees displayed upon a tall slender figure? I say, before deciding the question let her find out by consulting the directions for models suited to her own partic- ular style whether such a model may be worn by her with equal success. Perhaps the little countr}^ dressmaker — for it should be remembered that this class comprises a large number of the inquiring correspondents — is puzzled in regard to the design that Mrs. A. has chosen for herself, doubtful whether it will be a success sartorial ly. It will be the easiest way in the world to settle the matter if she has such a hand book as this within easy reach. She turns at once to the page devoted to the styles adapted expressly for women of that type to which Mrs. A. belongs and if, in her opinion the lady is in error, she will by certain devices lead Mrs. A. to change her opinion with results gratifying to both. Mrs. A. Introduction. will be becomingly gowned and the dressmaker's artistic knowledge will be exemplified. Another question that is often puzzling to +he majority of women, especially those who do not go out into society a good deal, is "the toilet that will suit the occasion." An appropriately dressed woman is a well dressed woman, and a well dressed woman is a happy woman; while on the contrary, there is no mortification which can equal that felt when she finds herself either over or under dressed. Such painful experiences may be entirely avoided by referring to the chapter describing appropriate costumes suitable for wearing upon any designated occasion. For the busy woman who employs a dress- maker going out by the day this little work will be invaluable, saving time certainly and probably nerves and temper also. No matter whether only one is to be sewn for or a dozen, or whether one type or many is to be catered to, all necessary information may be obtained and every word authoritative. Blondes and brunettes may find their be- coming colors in the chapters treating the question in detail, and those of the between color type have been equally well considered. Every gray haired woman is by no means an old one also, but every gray haired woman will do well to consult the chapter devoted to their needs, if they would look their best. Although the trials of the thin woman are less than those of her stout sister still she has minor 8 Introduction. woes, and hoAV to cure tliem, may be learnt from reading the chapter devoted to "Dressing the Thin Woman." The stout woman will need no urging to read I know, for I am one of them myself and so have made a special study of the needs of this class. In my experience every stout woman who aims to be up-to-date is ever on the watch and alert for any advice that will be a means to such end. Theory has taught me a good deal but the knowledge cannot compare with the amount I have gained through experimenting to suit in- dividual needs. Women who are just losing their first youth may with profit read the chapter devoted to "Passee Women.'' Mothers of school girls and indeed the girls themselves will be interested in the chapter spe- cially written for their benefit. The prospective bride will find much that will be helpful to her if she will turn to the pages which set forth clearly each detail of the wedding from beginning to end. Perhaps a set of furs is to be bought, or being already in possession of them, the owner lacks knowledge of their preservation. In either case the information gained by reading the "Chapter on Furs'' will be worth alone a great deal more than the price of the book. The same may be said of the pages devoted to millinery that shall be becoming to the different types. Selecting a hat is always a difficult 9 Introduction. question, yet help may be found by a glance at "Millinery Hints." Veils are an expensive item in a woman's wardrobe, and much information in regard to choice and suitability is given in the chapter written on these filmy accessories. Perhaps one of the most interesting articles in the book to women generally will be the advice given to those who contemplate a visit to the photographers. Others again may like to read about becoming coiffures. All these subjects are treated exten- sively within these pages. There may be much that will be news to women in the chapter on Corsets. Anyway, one will be quite repaid for reading it. Persons who love jewels should certainly see what I have to say on the subject. Sadly enough, in the time of bereavement women are not exempt from considering the question of clothes so I conclude my book with a lengthy talk on conventional mourning with the hope that the task of selecting mourning attire may be made a little lighter for those placed in this sad position. That this volume may be helpful throughout to the army of women who are daily wrestling with the problem of becoming gowning is the sincere wish of Yours very sincerely, Elizabeth Lee. 10 CHAPTER I . KLONDES. PROBABLY since the world began it has been the desire of every normal woman to be beautiful or, at least, to appear attract- ive in the sight of others, and when nature has not been too generous with her gifts, she will, as a rule, use every means to augment or enhance such charms as she may already possess. Instinctively her thoughts turn toward dress, feeling that the proper clothing of the body is the most important aid in producing the results she longs to attain. Without a doubt she is entirely right. There is no factor more potent. The greatest professional beauty, not always a synon- ymous term with natural, certainly studies the choice of her toilets with much more care and thought than those women supposedly less fa- vored by nature. Often her reputation for beauty has been gained solely because she has discovered exactly the right colors and designs that will bring out in the best manner her good points and conceal imperfections, for even a reigning beauty is not faultless in form and feature. She has only by such knowledge managed to conceal defects, and thus offered to the world perfect beauty — apparently. Now this knowledge or intuition as it may be 11 Talks on Successful Gowning. termed, is not possessed by every woman, I know, but there is no reason why it may not be attained, at least, to the extent of mastering the rules of form and color in relation to dress. Anyway, a student cannot but be benefited who will only make an attempt of the study, and in the following pages, I hope to give such detailed advice and simple reasoning as to be within the power of every woman to understand who will take the trouble to read them. Indeed I trust the perusal may be rather a pleasure than a task. Taking the subject of coloring first. If all the women in the world were included in just two types, the genuine blonde and the true brunette, the question of becoming colors would be a very simple one, because the one type would follow the laws set forth for their guidance and the other the rules relating to their particular coloring. These types, however, are divided into a number of different clashes, each, of course, re- quiring a different treatment. This is what makes it difficult for a woman whose natural coloring differs from the true types to choose exactly what will be most becoming to her. She probably knows wiiat colors a real brunette or a perfect blonde should wear but she also is aware that she represents neither type and consequently the question of becoming colors becomes somewhat of a problem to her. Genuine Blonde. First, we have the genuine blonde. Her skin 12 Blondes. is fair, her hair light golden and her cheeks tinted with a delicate pink. Then there is a blonde of deeper coloring, the skin creamy rather than white and the faint flush heightened to red, the type often spoken of as the ^'strawberry and cream blonde.'' Next is the colorless blonde, an entirely op- posite type, with pale waxy skin, the eyes usually blue, blue-gray or perhaps violet. Then there is the blonde of the Titian locks, a type that requires a good deal of judgment in choosing successful colors for it; the ash blonde and the sallow blonde. Now it is perfectly obvious that the same colors will not suit alike every class of blonde. Those that would serve to emphasize the charms of the voluptuous blonde would be entirely too overpowering if adopted by, say the colorless or the ash blonde. Their delicate tints would be simply killed by the bright vivid tones the golden blonde finds so becoming. General laws and rules therefore must be insufficient, so for this reason I propose to go largely into detail, treating each class separately, and in this way hope to make these pages practically valuable. The genuine blonde is perhaps the easiest class to gown successfully. She is known by her fair skin, sometimes waxy but quite healthy looking, often transparent, a faint pink tint upon the cheeks, ripe lips inclining to scarlet, and hair that may vary in shade from pale gold to golden brown. Her eyes may be blue, blue-gray, green- ish-gray and sometimes violet. This type seldom 13 Talks on Successful Gowning. possess pure gray eyes, though brown is by no means unusual. The colors that will suit a genuine blonde are all shades of blue, including blue-grays, turquoise and peacock, a pearl gray, dove and warm grays, pale and dark green, very pale pink, cherry color, very dark red, mauve, heliotrope, old rose, pale yellow (especially good when the hair is sunny), lemon, purple, wistaria, very dark brown (but not golden brown), also black and white. Now and again, a woman of the genuine blonde type will possess a slight tinge of green in the eyes, and when this is so, true baby or sky blue should never be worn, for it will surely destroy all the brightness of the eyes and impart a non- descript hue that is neither green nor blue. She can wear turquoise, because there is a touch of green in it. Pale pink too is often ex- ceedingly becoming, so that this shade may be to this type exactly what pale blue is to the blue- eyed blonde. The blonde of more vivid coloring must be careful in her choice of colors, otherwise she is apt to appear over-dressed or common and not infrequently loud. The hair will be aggressively golden perhaps, the lips scarlet and the flush on the cheeks so bright as to appear almost unnatural. As a rule, this type looks best in an all black toilette, but the material selected must be in a dull, soft jet (not blue) black. White, too, will be good, but in choosing colors those too strong in tone must be strictly avoided if the best results are to be U Blondes. attained. The pastel rather than the genuine tones should be selected. Faded blues, greens and heliotropes are admirable, and so are black, very dark brown and dark green. Palest pink she can wear — a tint so faint as to suggest a reflection only — while a light shade of buff will be better than a pure ^^ellow, especially if the hair is inclined to be a bright shade of gold. Straw color hair and sunny yellow make a charming combination, but the colder tones of yellow harmonize better when the hair is golden. Coming to the red-haired blonde, this type is divided into two classes. There is the blue-eyed, pink and white type, the hair apparently a fiery red; and the blonde of the clear, colorless skin, not pale exactly, but a healthy ivory tint, usually accompanied by dark eyes, scarlet lips and hair more auburn than red, though often the hair will be of the same tint as that possessed by the blue- eyed blonde. It only seems to be darker because it does not suffer by the contrast with the blue eyes. The latter type is the easier of the two to dress successfully, although both can be most attractive looking if only the right colors are chosen. As green and the heliotrope shades have a tendency to increase the pallor of the skin, it is obvious these colors should be avoided by the pale, colorless, auburn-haired blonde. At the same time these colors in every tone will be extremely becoming to the pink and white blonde of this type. She will, too, be lovely in pearl and dove gray, maize, sunset yellow and apricot color. Cream or ivory will be more becoming 15 Talks on Successful Gowning. than pure white, and black with a shiny surface will be better than a dull, black material. It is, I know, generally believed that the auburn- haired blonde can successfully wear golden brown and pale blue, yet never was there a gTeater mistake. Certain browns, notably golden, will surely kill every trace of gold in the hair and absolutely lighten the eyes, eye- brows and eyelashes. If the eyes are blue, then a faded washed-out hue steals into them, while the lashes shading them and the brows above actually appear straw color. In my opinion, yellowish browns and fawn shades are really the very worst colors that could be chosen by this type, although the genuine baby blues are really very little better. They act, however, in an opposite direction, and, instead of reducing the red tints in the hair, dulling the owner into insignificance as do the yellow browns, they simply intensify the red, bringing out all tJie fiery redness rather than the gold in the hair. Rich, deep dark browns, as seen in sealskin or velvet, she can wear and look extremely well in them. By contrast the golden tints in the hair will be brought out, the complexion will become clear and delicate, while eyebrows and eyelashes will actually appear dark. So is not the question of becoming colors a most important one to this type or, indeed, any type of woman? One has only to imagine a red-haired woman wearing a pale, yellowish tan-colored coat and another one of the same class dressed in a rich, 16 Blondes. glossy sealskin to be convinced how simply im- possible are the yellow browns. Colors becoming generally to the blue-eyed, auburn-tressed woman are black, milk white, gray, pale and dark green, navy blue, peacock blue, blue gray, cadet blue, mauve, purple, cream, and if the shade is chosen by an artiste, then crimson will suit this type. Speaking generally, however, all shades of either pink or red should be strictly avoided. The Sallow Blonde. The sallow blonde is most unfortunately placed, for very few colors are becoming to her. Cream and deep ivory should be chosen in preference to pure white, and bright, dark reds, as rich cardinal, will have a tendency to whiten the skin. \A arm grays relieved with a little burnt orange and creamy or ecru lace will have the same effect. Yellow and pale orange may be selected as colors for evening gowns, relieved by creamy lace near the face. Rich red and flamingo tones, too, will be very kind; but light- tinted laces should not be used in combination. The gown should be entirely of one color, light- ened by a little well-chosen jewelry, or a bertha of fine black thread lace is considered becoming to the wearer's age and build. A plump neck will be pretty encircled by a slight chain sup- porting a pendant, a thin or scrawny throat will find the lace drapery more charitable. The colorless blonde and the ash blonde are often included in the same class. It is true the 17 Talks on Successful Gowning. types resemble each other closely, although it will be observed that while the complexion of the former is absolutely devoid of color, the ash blonde possesses just the faintest flush of pink in the cheeks and usually red lips. Her hair, too, is less blonde in hue. Some people call it drab in fact. The ash blonde will look her best in pearly white, soft black and dove grays. All strong colors must be strictly avoided and only the most delicate tones of certain shades be chosen. The pastel Avill be more becoming than genuine colors. Parma mauve, wistaria, peach, apricot, lily leaf green, blue-mauve, pale blue, the palest shell pink and reseda are all good, while for street wear the ash blonde may select from the list of blue-grays, Avarm gray, deep brown, rich navy blue, purple, dark heliotrope and dark green. Strong colors, as red, cardinal, cherry color, terra cotta, wine shades and orange should be strictly avoided. The colorless blonde cannot, however, success- fully wear the purple, black or greens, because these tones have a tendency to increase the pallor of the skin. Gray is a good color for bringing out any pink tints that may be lurking there, therefore may stand first on the list of colors for the colorless blonde. Other shades that may follow are white, cream, blue, blue-gray, peach color, navy blue, very pale pink, old rose, palest mauve tinged with pink, lemon color, golden brown, cadet and Alice blues. 18 Blondes. Sandy Hair. Then there is the sandy-haired woman to be catered to. Her hair is neither golden nor red; her eyebrows and lashes usually light and eyes a pale blue or grayish green. This type will do well to confine toilets to black and white if the best there is in hair and complexion are to be brought out. In certain colors she will be a nonentity, in others common looking. Black and white is her safeguard. Green will not be bad if she has a slight flush of pink on her cheeks, or red, healthy lips, and the same may be said of rich purples and violet. Mauve should be approached with caution or the result will be decidedly what may be termed wishy- Avashy, All black and all creamy white are good, but the combination of the two is better. When the skin is pale, then the black about the face should be either transparent or relieved Avith creamy lace. Cream cashmere with touches of black or deep rich brown (not golden) will be effective, and so will white crepe de chine if given a toning of fine black lace. When the eyes are grayish green, then green is a safe choice, either alone or combined with gray. Gray with amethyst trimmings will suit this type, as gray crepe relieved with a little pansy velvet and amethyst ornaments. An even- ing gown of black net with velvet pansies in their natural colorings as a decoration will transform an insignificant little sandy-haired woman into a very *^fair one to look upon.'' Regarded upon the whole as a plain type, it can by judicious dressing be made a very pretty one. 19 Talks on Successful Gowning. CHAPTER II. BRUNETTES. ^▼OMING to the brunettes, we liud quite as m/ many different classes included in this ^^ type as there are among the blondes. There is the genuine brunette; the creamy brunette ; the fair brunette ; the sallow brunette ; the brunette whose coloring suggests the deep, rich tints of Autumn and the olive-skinned brunette. The genuine brunette is, of course, the easiest type to dress successfully. Her dark eyes, dark hair and dark skin form a whole so entirely harmonious that there should be no difficulty whatever in giving it a proper setting. As a rule, a pink flush and red lips accompany (he rich, dark skin, and when this is so, it will be found that there is quite a long list of colors to choose from. Women of this type can Avear cream, ivory, every shade of yellow, also orange, red, cardinal, crimson, Indian red, the flamingo pinkish reds, fawn, tan, silver-gray, pale rose and pale coral l>ink, pale and dark blue, old rose, the odd, reddish shades of terra cotta, ecru, golden brown and dark green. The last named, however, should not be at- tempted if there is an absence of color in cheeks 20 Brunettes. and lips, or if there is a trace of sallowness in the skin, because this color has a tendency to increase pallor and also deepen the yellow tint. Violet, mauves and greeny-blues are not be- coming colors for the brunette generally, and should be most strictly avoided by the colorless, sallow class of this type. Black may be worn by the brunette possessing a good complexion, but should always be re- lieved with creamy lace near the face. For evening wear the genuine brunette, if youthful, will look her best in a pale cream or ivory-white — never should the dead chalk-white be chosen b}^ any chance. Older w^omen of this type may select from every existing tone of yel- low, pale orange and the reds. The deep reddish pink of the watermelon and the wing of the flamingo is, too, very often quite becoming. For outdoor wear, navy blues, golden browns, golden tan, dark red and rich deep emerald green are especially good colors. The Creamy Brunette. Next on the list is the creamy brunette. Her skin is usually pale but w^arm looking, differing from the colorless blonde in this respect, the hair brown or black, and eyes blue, violet or brown. As a rule, the lips are red and the skin, though always pale, is perfectly clear and smooth. When the eyes are dark the creamy brunette may choose her colors among the yellows, amber, warm gray, relieved with a little pale pink — deep red, golden brown, rich golden tan, old 21 Talks on Successful Gowning. rose, pale pinks that possess a trace of yellow, as salmon, pale and dark blue, lemon color, cream and ivory-white. Greens, mauves, violets, pale tans and purples should not be worn for the reasons given before. The creamy brunette possessing blue, blue- gray or violet eyes will appear to advantage in a gown of crimson for day wear and poppy-red for evening. Other colors belonging to this type are gray- blue, silver-gray, deep rich blue, golden brown, golden tan (but not pale tan, known as natural), every shade of old rose and also flame color. Pearl gray, too, will be found very kind to this type of bininette, deepening any pinky tint that may steal into the cheeks and heightening the scarlet of the lips most agreeably. The Fair Brunette. The fair brunette is not by any means a diffi- cult type to dress successfully. Her hair is dark, of course, though often not as dark really as it appears to be. It is simply the result of contrast. The hair of the genuine brunette and that of the fair brunette may be of exactly the same shade, but by reason of the whiteness of the skin of the latter the hair will appear to be darker than that of the genuine brunette whose coloring is less delicate. The eyes of the fair brunette may be blue, varying in tone from pale China blue to deep sapphire, gray, gray -blue or violet. The skin will show a faint, pink flush and lips only a shade or two darker in tint. 22 Brunettes. Warm blues will be the very best color for this type. The shades may be light or dark, but the rich, deep tones of royal or Chinese blue will perhaps be the best possible choice. All shades of gray may be worn and will be found especially becoming if relieved with a little pale coral pink or a delicate yellow, also golden brown, golden tans, sulphur, banana, mustard, amber, silver and blue-gray. Maize, cream and ivory will suit this type, also dark green if the complexion is per- fectly free from the slightest trace of sallowness. Pale tans may only be worn when the hair is very dark and the eyes quite decided in color. The fair brunette may add dark red, shell pink, blue, white and black to her list of colors for evening wear. The one point that this type should bear in mind is that she cannot successfully wear the strong colors that are so becoming to the genuine brunette, but only an echo of them, as it were. She must remember that overstrong, pronounced colors will surely kill the delicate tints of her coloring. For instance, while the genuine bru- nette may with success wear vivid yellows, the fair brunette must select this color in a lesser tone, say as found in maize or amber. Silver-blue and pearl-gray are a good choice when the pink coloring in the face is very faint, but should not be worn when color is entirely absent, because these tones will be too cold to suit this class of fair brunette. Black-Haired Brunette. Passing on to the black-haired type of bru- 23 Talks on Successful Gowning. nette we find usually a dark-brown skin, with or without color in the cheeks. She has, as a rule, extremely good teeth and more than oiten beautiful eyes. Such eyes as are described as large, soft and lustrous. This is a type that requires most careful dressing, for by reason of her very pronounced coloring, it is difficult to plan a toilet that will prove harmonious. Unless due attention is given the result is apt to be vulgar or, to say the least, very loud looking. It is, I know, generally believed that yellow is ^^the" color for the black-haired brunette. Used judiciously there is no objection to the color, but black and yellow is seldom a happy combination for this type, and one has only to think of the stage "villainess" to be convinced of the fact. This lady, as a rule, is gowned in black, "re- lieved" with vivid yellow. Behind the footlights the toilet is quite correct, because it represents the character, and is an aid toward emphasizing the flashing eyes, the scarlet lips and crimson cheeks, but it is entirely too startling for wear in private life. In my opinion, this type should never wear black unless unavoidable. An entire gown of pale amber will be admirable as a means of setting off the dark beauty of the wearer. There should, however, be no contrasting color if the best results are to be attained. Trimmings and accessories may be of a darker shade, but they must be along the same line of color as the gown. I once saw a woman of this type most success- fully gowned in pale yellow running into orange, 24 Brunettes. her jewels the topaz set into dull, dead gold, and another I call to mind who looked equally well in flame color and ornaments of heavy gold (no stones). The description sounds a little loud perhaps, but in the flesh the toilets har- monized perfectly with the almost oriental color- ing of the wearers. Very pale colors are not at all a happy choice, except by way of accessories, linings or perhaps trimmings. Warm reddish browns and deep golden brown are good, and so are rich tans. Deep amber, creamy white and yellows are excellent, and to some women of Ihis type there is a very pale pink that is very becoming. It has a dash of yellow in it. Deep old rose is another charming color and may be relieved with creamy lace or a little velvet a tone or so darker. The claret and cardinal shades are also a comparatively safe choice for this type, generally speaking. The Sallow Brunette. The sallow brunette is perhaps the most diffi- cult class of the entire type to dress successfully. As a rule, the eyes are very fine, and the skin smooth, even though it may be quite dark in tone. Apart from these features there is actually nothing to build upon in the majority of cases. Even the lips will appear to be purple rather than red. Therefore it will be seen that extra care is necessary in selecting a toilet that is to be a success. It must be chosen with a view to bringing out and emphasizing the few charms 25 Talks on Successful Gowning. that are at command. A very dark old rose will, as a rule, prove a good choice, and so will the darker tones of terra cotta. Then there are dull reds, warm gra^^s touched with a little flaminao, yellows that will be sufficiently deep in shade to form a contrast with the yellow skin, orange, flame color, cream and deep ivory- whites, all of which will be more or less becom- ing. Very deep navy blue trimmed with red and relieved with plenty of creamy lace about the throat will help to give life to what might be termed a practically colorless type; while the rich, reddish shades of brown — as chestnut — will be equally charitable. In recommending black, I do so hesitatingly. If worn at all, I think it should be only in a very handsome fabric developed into a gown designed for evening wear exclusively. Even then the build and carriage of the wearer must be duly considered. If of a good height and well set up, then a gown of rich black velvet or heavy satin falling in sweeping folds and topped by a deep lace collar in a pure ivory tint will be a charming toilet. Few women, however, in my opinion, should attempt the black costume. If becoming, the woman will look magnificent; if not, a positive dowdy, for there is no middle course. The result is bound to be a great suc- cess or else an utter failure. A gown of deep old rose relieved with creamy lace about the face is a pretty safe choice to make, because the shades supply the warmth 26 Brunettes. that seems to be always lacking in the sallow type. Olive Skin. The olive-skinned brunette is often classed with the sallow brunette. She is, however, an entirely distinct type, although the range of colors she can choose from is similarly limited. She can wear successfully crimson, golden and chestnut browns, deep apricot, old rose, deep rose-red (not pink), milk-white, ivory, cream, yellow, touches of orange, deep -maize, navy blue and amber. Colors that should be strictly avoided by this type are mauve, purple, green and light blues. Lastly, there is a type of brunette, though seldom seen in this country — the possessor of hair in a nut-brown shade, a complexion to match, though in much lighter tone, of course, and through which glows a rich red, ripe color, the lips scarlet. Her eyes may be brown, brown- black and sometimes actually black. Her whole natural coloring suggests strongly the gypsy type. Consequently her toilets should be chosen with a view to harmony. Deep rose pink will suit her, and so will rose-red, also the colors of the nasturtium, crimson, i3ale and deep yellows, orange, maize, ivory-white, ecru, dark shades of terra cotta, strong reddish browns and deep golden tans. Deep blues and warm grays may be chosen, provided there is neither blue in the gray nor purple in the composition of the blue selected. 27 Talks on Successful Gowning. CHAPTER III. THE BETWEEN-COLOR TYPE. TN addition to the blonde and the brunette there are varieties of both types; that is, persons who cannot be described as being either dark or fair. These are classed as "be- tween colors." The hair is usually a pale brown, akin per- haps to the hair of the ash blonde, but lacking the clear tint found in the tresses of that type. When the hair is on this tone and the eyes are brown, the colors that suit the fair brunette will be apt to be becoming. When, however, the hair is inclined toward the chestnut-brown, then the choice should be made among the colors becoming to the blonde. When the eyes are blue, gray or gray-green, turquoise will be especially becoming. Peacock, too, will be good. Green, both emerald and olive, may be worn, also clear lilac and pale lemon. Rich chestnut-brown deepening the shade of the liair will help to bring out certain lights, but if there is a suspicion of sallowness in the com- plexion, greens and browns must be approached carefully. The green should be relieved with the palest shade of shell-pink, while a touch of yellow will be a pretty combination with brown. Very dark red, also wine color is becoming to 28 The Between-Color Type. this type, relieved with creamy white, but prefer- ably in solid rather than transparent fabrics, as, for instance, a dark red serge trimmed with cream white cloth (in small quantities of course), say collar and deep cuffs, or a cream cashmere with dark red velvet trimmings. Pale blue will become the blue-eyed, chestnut- haired woman (provided the reddish tinge is only the least bit evident) for evening wear. Gray in dove and pearl shades will be an equally happy choice, while for street wear there is nothing better than navy blue. The woman possessing pale brown hair, if the complexion is good, may wear black, white, cream, pale pink, pale and dark blue, old rose, pale and dark green, mauve, wistaria, golden brown, warm grays, wine color, cardinal, and purple. If, however, there is any tint of green in the eyes, then pale pink should be substituted for the pale blue. Red, too, will be very becoming to this class, especially if the complexion is inclined to sallow- ness, as reds have the effect of whitening the skin. Let the woman who doubts this assertion place her hand upon a piece of deep red material and witness for herself the change in the tone of the skin. So it is when brought into close proximity with the face. Of course, a little creamy lace will be added about the throat of a red dress. Few complexions will be able to stand red unrelieved. A most important point to be borne in mind 29 Talks on Successful Gowning. by the woman of between colors is that all such neutral tones as pale tans, mode, fawn and putty color must be religiously avoided if she would look her best, and surely every woman does. In fact, judging from the tone of my im- mense correspondence, I am convinced that sartorial errors are those of ignorance rather than intention, for all express a desire to look well. It is not given to ever}^ woman, of course, to know instinctively what becomes her, and when she is conscious of this, to her credit be it said that she will be willino^ to use everv means at her command for finding out. It is indeed the positive duty of every woman to look as well as she possibly can. Styles. Next in importance to choosing correct colors is the selection of becoming st^-les. The dainty little woman of the between color type must not overpower her charms with elaborate modes any more than she may efface her delicate beauty with strong vivid colorings. Prettiness rather than style should be her aim, such as Avhite muslins and pale colored ribbons, dainty frocks and rose wreathed hats, plainly made cotton morning frocks, and all the little fripperies that go to make up a girl's toilet, such as stage aprons with butterfly bows, dainty foot- wear, pretty neck furnishings and ribbon belts. These she may wear taking care never to overdo it either in color or style. Her dress must serve The Between-Color Type. to emphasize her charms, but not be so strong as to overpower them. Her coiffure should be simple and girlish look- ing, adorned with ribbon or natural flowers only. No elaborate ornament or hair arrangement should be attempted. All such decorations should be left to those two types — the decided blonde and the true brunette — who alone can carry them well. Apart from the pretty woman of ''between colors'' there is the decided plain woman of the same class. Now it is obvious that she must adopt entirely different means in order to bring out her best points. The pretty, fluffy muslins, dainty ribbons and chiffons are not for her, for, if she is wise, she will see that clothes on the ''pretty, pretty" order will only challenge com- parison with her spare charms, and she will surely suffer in consequence. Neatness should be her keynote, and indeed this may be taken as the watchword of every woman of the plain class regardless to the type to which she belongs. In giving advice to the plain woman, I think I should mention the coiffure as being of first importance. It is not enough to say that it must be stylish ; it is actually imperative that it shall be neat as w^ell. Stray fluffy locks that look so attractive flying around the forehead of a pretty Avoman are apt to be regarded as slovenly when the possessor is a downright plain one; while a tie or ribbon losely knotted at the throat of a little beauty suggests only an air of negligee but 31 Talks on Successful Gowning. will be positively untidy looking so worn by a plain woman. The same with hats. A jaunty looking shape set above a piquant face will probably serve to enhance its beauty, while the same style worn by a plain Avoman would be apt to provoke ridicule. And now as to the best way of bringing out the good points of the plain woman classed in the between color type. First, as I said before, is the importance of a smart, neat coiffure, and next careful attention to grooming. In fact, this type of woman cannot pay too much attention to every detail of her toilet for she needs all that the art of dress and personal attention can do for her if she would present an attractive appearance. It is quite possible for her to do this if she will only make a study of color, material and styles. Correct colors for this class have already been mentioned, but it will be wiser to choose the pastel shades rather than the fresh tones. There will be a harmonizing and blending of the colors with that of the wearer's own coloring that will be much more effective than could be produced by wearing bright, fresh, vivid colors. Materials may be of a rich, substantial nature and st^ies may be more elaborate than those suggested for the pretty woman of the same type. Provided they are becoming, the very latest may be worn, and supposing prevailing modes are not considered practicable, then they must be adopted to suit her. "-) The Between-Color Type. She must, before all, be fashionably dressed^ otherwise she stands a great chance of being classed as a dowdy. The plain woman must aim at style and fashion and make up her mind to sacrifice any desires for the essentially pretty accessories of the toilet. Her neck must be neatly dressed with linen or lace collars, prim stiff little bows or an un- common looking brooch being used as a finish. Handsome belt buckles will become her and odd looking bits of jewelry — not exactly showy, but conspicuous by their oddity — will help to impress beholders with her appearance. If she is by reason of her figure likely to look well in picturesque styles then there is no reason why she may not adopt them, choosing quiet subdued colorings but developed into styles becoming to that particular type of woman. As a rule, such a woman is tall, possibly scrawny, but also graceful in manner and carriage. She looks well in clinging velvets, rich furs, odd puffy sleeves and floppy hats, wrinkled gloves and flow- ing veils ; slippers with queer looking buckles, and handkerchiefs on a distinct order. Her aim should be a successful silhouette, and when this is obtained she will by no means suffer by comparison with her prettier sister, but as a last word she must make quite sure that pictur- esque modes are for her, otherwise it will be better to follow conventional styles adding scru- pulous attention to every detail of the toilet. 33 Talks on Successful Gowning. CHAPTER IV. ADVICE TO STOUT WOMEN. CHE very stout woman, who aims to be stylishly and fashionably gowned is, I know, inclined to think there are no woes in all the world equal to her woes, and when she is short as well as stout she is inclined to believe that her sartorial difficulties are certainly doubled. She is not altogether Avrong. The woman of adipose tissue has perhaps more cause for complaint than any other type when it comes to deciding questions relating to the wardrobe. In the first place, it is a very rare thing to find a stout woman who actually prefers styles and colorings that will undoubtedly be best suited to her. She is, therefore, often called upon to eschew a pretty toilet that she would ^'just love" to wear, but which her own good sense tells her will not be becoming. This is, in itself, a painful experience, and she will sometimes wonder after all, whether ignorance is not better than knowledge and be inclined to envy the perfectly tranquil — or triumphant — air, as the case may be, when she meets a woman who has evidently chosen her costume to suit her own taste rather than with good judgment. There is so much satisfaction in wearing clothes we like, and we do not always like what is becoming, 34 Advice to Stout Women. I know, therefore, with such feelings, we cannot possibly appear to the best advantage. Nothing makes a woman appear so perfectly at ease as the feeling of being properly gowned, and a stout woman is always more or less in doubt as to whether this is so in her case. The slender or the tall woman, she reflects, knows nothing of these minor woes, all she has to do is to please her own fancies and she is successful. How different, she thinks, is the stout woman situated! Granted, this type has the majority of the sartorial troubles, still a very great deal may be overcome by judicious dressing. Fat may be made to disappear by choosing proper colors, breadth may be lessened by selecting correct styles, and height may be apparently increased by a wise decision in fabrics. All women who take an interest in their appearance will be always ready to do this, but not all know how. I hope, however, in this chapter to give such advice as may be helpful to those lacking confidence in their own taste, and to aid those who feel entirely ignorant of the laws governing the relation of dress to the stout woman. The three main points to be considered by the stout woman, be she young or old, middle-aged or elderly, are, first color, then design and lastly material. It is generally believed, I know that all dark colors are "retiring," that is, that they have a tendency to apparently reduce the size of the wearer, and that all light tones are "large'' and 35 Talks on Successful Gowning. act in an opposite direction to dark colors. This is true, but only to a certain extent. For instance — a golden brown will make the wearer look larger than she really is, while an entire white toilet will not. It is only fair to say, however, that some authorities differ from me in regard to the latter assertion. The toilet how- ever must be entirely white, from hat to shoes if it is to be a success. I know so many stout women who would wear white from preference but are deterred from doing so by this popular (fallacious) opinion. I have one case in mind where a woman was only convinced that white became her after seeing a photograph of herself taken in a white gown. She was most agreeably surprised, for she had expected to look like an "elephant," she said, and instead appeared act- ually a "reasonable" figure. White is only unbecoming to stout women when it is cut up by contrasting trimmings or ac- cessories. For instance, a colored belt should not be worn, or even a neck ribbon of color, — no matter how dainty. A moderate quantity of jewelry is, however, admissible. And now, as to the colors stout women can wear, I should include cream, white, black, dark green, dark red and navy blue as shades for entire dresses, the lighter, daintier tones being reserved for trimmings or small accessories. Such colors, however, as pale pink, pale green, mauve or baby blue, as a whole costume will be fatal, even if worn by a debutante, be she fat. As I have said before white is the only light tone 36 Advice to Stout Women. that should be attempted when a whole gown is in question. Having disposed of the becoming colors we will take those that are classed as "trying.-^ Now gray is one of the ^'largest'' colors known (yet how many middle-aged stout matrons adopt it?) and others almost as bad are the fawn and the champagne shades. These colors should therefore be absolutely avoided. Dark plum and dull peacock shades will be becoming to the average stout figure, always, of course, when such colors suit the wearer's color and complexion. In clioosing fabrics solid colors are far and away the stout woman's choice. Stripes, lengthwise, judiciously cut and matched are undoubtedly good, and apparently add to the height. In the hands of other than a professional dressmaker, however, I should be inclined to favor the plain cloth, and employ lengthwise trimmings. These will suggest height and incidently, give the relief necessary to good effect. For instance, a gored skirt of a striped material is often much improved by the addition of self strapping at the seams, but unless this is skilfull}^ done, all defects will be doubly glaring when the gown is worn by a stout figure. Better then, I say, attempt a skirt of a solid color. There will be far more chance of success. Self stripes are kind to stout women, and when a contrasting stripe is chosen at all it should be quite narrow and always run up and down, never horizontally. Straight up and down lines must be rigidly 37 Talks on Successful Gowning. adhered to by the woman of generous proportions if she would look her best. Any line or trimming going around the figure will tend to cut off the height and this is the very thing that must be preserved above all others. A stout person needs every fraction of her height. Another point to be remembered is that any line that cuts breadth apparently adds to the height. For this reason panels in skirts and vests in coats or wraps are found becoming. An absence too, of fluttering ends and ribbons, will be an aid in reducing the figure, attractive as they are, when so worn by a slender person. The average stout figure will find the many gored skirt fitting the hips smoothly and flaring about the feet an excellent model. Lengthwise tucks may be indulged in when they are in fash- ion, or a little fold about the feet is admissible. Another skirt trimming that is often found becoming is a little foot frill made quite full. This appears to increase the circumference at the bottom — thus diminishing the size at the hips — without detracting the least bit from the length of the skirt, and these are the effects that the stout woman should seek. When the skirt is to be worn by a woman possessing a prominent abdomen it will be a great advantage to her if the front gore is cut an inch or so longer than the other widths easing into the side seams over the abdomen this slight additional length. Another "wrinkle" is to raise the skirt in centre back, an inch or so when ready for the belt. In cutting the back width it should 38 Advice to Stout Women. be two inches or so longer than the others, and joined so that the extra length comes at the bottom. The top of the gore is slanted off from the centre to the seams while on the lower edge the slant begins at the seams and comes away to nothing in centre back. Box pleats down back and front tend to give height so should be adopted when they are in vogue. Coats in tailore(? style never go out of fashion, and there is really no better model for the stout woman, if she clioos<^s material and model wisely. A semi-fitting coat just defining the figure is far and away the best choice. She must, however, use discretion in choosing the length. The short, stout figure may wear an Eton coat, one ending at half length and a full length wrap. Many stout women prefer the length ending just at the line of the hips. But ^his is a mistake. The edge of the coat forms a b*\nd as it were around the hips emphasizing and proclaiming their size in a most undesirable way. A three quarter length is no better because this length cuts off the figure a foot or more and the wearer has certainly no inches to lose. Coat sleeves are always in good style and in regard to trimmings, flat effects should be preferred above all others. Braid is extremely good, and when the material to be trimmed is of a sombre surface, satin is effective. Dull cloths should be preferred to those show- ing a gloss. Buttons are to be approached cautiously and 39 Talks on Successful Gowning. not to be used in large quantities especially when they contrast in color. It is so easy to bring about a patchy effect with buttons. I saw a woman recently that looked actually grotesque a little distance away because of a number of buttons (large ones too) disposed apparently in- discriminately over her gown. Small buttons in groups of straight lines look well, and, of course, a double row set down the front of a wrap is always in good taste. Perhaps it may be well to say — for, I suppose, there are many women who are not aware of the fact — that trimming should never be seen unless there is a reason for it. It must have a purpose. The legitimate use of buttons may be said to be for closing, for holding down strapping, as a finish for cuffs and for securing a pocket flap. Of course, other points may suggest themselves, but the above will serve as an example. All decoration must have a use as well. It may not be real (as false buttonholes), but it must appear to be necessary. One cannot place a bow here or a rosette there, just as fancy dictates, there must be a reason. If home dressmakers would bear this in mind, the result of their labors would be apt to be more satisfactory than is generally ap- parent. It is often the injudicious arrangement of trimming that stamps a garment as "home made." A bit of lace or a bow of ribbon will be added perhaps as a means of concealing some defect of fit or finish, without stopping to consider whether either may or may not destroy the original lines, 40 Advice to Stout Women. Indeed, I cannot caution the stout woman too strongly in regard to the question of trim- mings, for next to an unwise choice of material there is nothing that can spoil her "tout ensem- ble'' so much as a mistake in selecting a trimming design. Coming to a model for a dress that will suit the stout woman, it may be well to say at the outset that the entire gown must be of one color. This is desirable in the case of all stout figures, but is actually imperative where the short stout woman is concerned. By wearing skirt and waist in different color- ings, the height is greatly reduced, because the figure is apparently divided into two parts, represented by the respective colors. For the same reason full figures should wear belts match- ing the color of the gown worn. Such an acces- sory in a contrasting color not only cuts the figure, but it also calls attention to the undue size of the waist line. There must be absolutely no break whatever of a straight line reaching from shoulder to hem if the short, stout woman wishes to look every inch of her height. This line may be made more pronounced ( if thought neces- sary) by running fiat trimming down the entire length of the dress. Yokes, vests and plastrons are an aid to a successful appearance. Shape, however, must be considered. When the face is quite round and full it is unnecessary to proclaim the fact by topping the gown with a round yoke. It will be found far more becoming if shaped in a V or 41 Talks on Successful Gowning. small square. Supposing the yoke will be worn under a round cushion of a chin, then a square may be chosen, but a square jaw may be some- what modified if the opening beneath it is in a V shape. And so it goes, all the smallest of details, yet each and all important. The neck should always be cut out both in back and front, the latter deeper (slightly) than the former. Only a flat trimming should be used as an outline or finish. In the case of a short waisted figure it will be better to give a plastron rather than a yoke effect, because a plastron, tapering as it does, and reach- ing almost to the waist line gives an impression of length. A round yoke cuts the figure; there- fore this design should be avoided by all persons who are short waisted. Another popular belief is that a long waist will make a short person look taller, yet never was there a greater mistake. A short, stout figure has been known to have actually tortured herself by wearing a long waisted corset, believing that by so doing she was apparently increasing her height, while really, her efforts resulted in the opposite direction. Given two persons of exactly the same height, the one naturally long waisted, the other short, and the latter will appear to be the taller of the two. Anything that tends to shorten the line from the waist to the feet will reduce the height. For this reason any trimming must be arranged vertically, never horizontally. Seams may be covered with a flat trimming, but when the hips are exceptionally large, then 43 Advice to Stout Women. the lines should cease just before the edge of the hip is reached and not run up to the waist line. The average stout figure can, however, carry the lines well fi'oni belt to hem. Hats. The millinery question is an important one for the short, stout woman. She must never indulge in large shapes, neither must they be at all flat in effect, because both have a tendenc}^ to shorten the figure. At the same time it is unnecessary to go to the other extreme and wear pill boxes or inverted pea nut shells on the head. A medium size will be her very best choice, medium in everything, medium crown, medium brim and trimming in modera- tion. A smart turban is a good choice for a woman of this type. The trimming should be upstanding, never flat. An all black hat should not be worn except from necessity — as when one is in mourning. The reason why is, because the hat being black, the eye is carried no farther than the face, so that the impression received is that the person is only as tall as her face. This may be strictly true, but dress is to be used as a means of disguising any shortcomings of nature, and so by wearing a white or a colored hat the eye is carried beyond tlie face and the wearer appears to be taller than she really is. As height is increased, breadth de- creases, therefore anything that aids the former should be adopted by stout figures. 43 Talks on Successful Gowning. A black liat trimmed with a color will give much the same effect as a colored hat, so that the choice in millinery is by no means limited. There are many women Avho prefer a black hat with a touch of color in it to millinery entirely of one tone. The tall, stout woman may indulge in a larger hat than her short sister, the brim being prefer- ably tilted, or bent into curves as considered becoming to the wearer. The trimmings, too, may be broad as well as high. A top knot arrangement on the head of a tall stout woman is not a pleasing sight. The arrangement of the hair is quite an im- portant point to be considered by the stout woman, because height can be apparently added to or detracted from according as the coiffure has been chosen. Whenever possible, the hair should be dressed on the top of the head, and when this is found unbecoming (see chapter on hairdressing), then, not dressing it too low, the height may be pre- served by adding an upstanding bow or a similar hair ornament. In summing up advice to the stout w^omau, I should say, choose whole gowns from one mate- rial, preferring dark colors that show masses of shadow, and few lights, as velvet and rich cloth, rather than those that reflect light, as satin, very bright silks and other glossy surfaced fabrics. In the case of models select those that are neither too tight nor too loose. A very tight garment 44 Advice to Stout Women. will only emphasize the measurements of the wearer. A very large arm smoothly fitted is apt to sug- gest a miniature lobster, while were its outlines concealed by a sleeve simply defining the arm, whether it Avere normal or unduly large would not be made apparent. This rule will apply to all outer garments. Skirts should not cling too tightly, still there is no reason why they may not be cut in the pre- vailing mode supposing tight skirts happen to be in style, provided the lines of the figure are followed but not clearly defined. While close, tight effects must be strictly avoided by the stout woman, it does not mean that she may go in the opposite direction and adopt loose, flopping effects. To the contrary entirely, for they will be no better (probably worse) than the styles condemned above. A stout, shapeless woman is most unsightly. Her aim should be to appear neat, trim and smart, leaving fluffy fashions for those who can wear them becomingly. 45 Talks on Successful Gowning. CHAPTER V. HINTS FOB DRESSING THE THIN WOMAN. IT is, of coiirse,a far easier matter to dress a very thin woman, even though she be a veritable bean pole, than it is to attractively gown the stout Avoman, for while it is impossible to take away an overplus of flesh, by judicious dressing one can apparently add it where it is lacking, thus the thin woman's decided ad- vantage over her stout sister. Still, the thin woman has her trials in matters sartorial, too, and this is especially so when she is also very short. Perhaps the most difficult type to dress suc- cessfully is the short, stout woman, but undoubt- edly the very thin, short woman ranks next, for she requires no end of careful dressing if she would be referred to other than as ^'that insig- nificant little thing." Neither is it all plain sailing for the very tall, thin girl, especially she of the flat chested, stoop- ing shoulder type, which, alas ! is seen very much oftener than tall, thin figures of a good carriage and bearing. She too, has her own difficulties in the matter of successful gowning, only second to those of the very stout woman. 46 Hints for Dressing the Thin Woman. Just as the stout woman has been advised to avoid large designs, bright checks, tartan plaids and broad stripes as being a means of apparently increasing breadth, so the very thin must avoid anything, which, by giving long lines, will ap- parently decrease flesh and thus suggest greater height. Tartans, large designs, flowered organdies and all such effects are just the thing for her. She may also choose stripes, broad, medium or in groups, but they must always run around the figure. Materials having a rough surface should be preferred to smooth textures, while as to frills, flounces and furbelows, the tall, thin girl cannot have too many, provided, of course, that they are arranged horizontally. Skirts may be as full as she pleases or prevail- ing modes permit, and may be trimmed at hip, knee or around the bottom. Double skirt and tunic effects are good and this type of woman can seemingly carry any amount of trimming. Braiding is a great aid toward the desired end. A coat elaborately braided will suggest a plump- ness hardly believable until it has been tested by wearing the same shape of coat unbraided. The smart little jackets and boleros offer a splendid field for this decoration, making this rather trying model more becoming to the tall and thin, for it must be admitted that the very short coats have a tendency to make a tall slight figure appear to be "all legs,'' and this means height, something to be avoided by those of too many inches. 47 Talks on Successful Gowning. Materials having rough surfaces will have the same effect as braiding, and so should be selected in preference to thinner fabrics whenever prac- ticable. Waists and sleeves should be as loose and fluffy as fashion permits. Indeed, this type of woman may, if she pleases, depart from fashion's edicts, and adopt a style of the picturesque, with the greatest success. She it is who will look well in large droopy hats, laden with plumes, or tied under the chin shepherdess fashion. Odd sleeves in picture or historical models will suit her style and not appear "odd" at all when she wears them, even though they may not be in the fashion. Broad collars will become her, also filmy fichus, berthas and general flufifiness about the shoulders, especially when the wearer is of the flat chested, round shouldered type. Clever fingers can arrange a drapery of this kind about the bust that will entirely disguise any such defect and add a charm at the same time. Lace ruffles will be a charity to long waists and it goes without saying that this type must not wear tight fitting sleeves. When close fitting sleeves are in fashion then the thinness of the arm can be con- cealed by shirrings or tuckings. Puffed sleeves are the thin girl's very own, and should be in- dulged in whenever fashion permits. Loose, picturesque styles in waists will be extremely becoming, but all tight effects — as tailor mades — must be religiously avoided. Coats and wraps built on loose, baggy modes should be preferred to those severely tailored, 48 Hints for Dressing the Thin Woman. while half and three-quarter lengths will be bet- ter than either the very short or the full length. Big cuffs and patch pockets will be good, also wide neck trimmings. A broad, short waistcoat will be unobjectionable, but a vest, as it is under- stood, will not be an improvement to the thin girPs coat. Remember, everything that affects vertical lines, as the insertion of a long narrow vest, reduces breadth, and consequently em- phasizes the height. A contrary and therefore becoming arrangement for the front of the coat would be the corded loop ornaments. These being arranged crosswise, will, as said before, cut the height ; the narrow straight vest will only increase it. In the same way, the waists of gowns should be treated in their trimming. Round yokes will be becoming, but V's and all such pointed effects should be left to the stout sister, because these have a tendency to suggest length and incident ly to decrease the size of bust and shoulders, something the tall thin girl can not afford to do. Wide girdles and sashes will suit her. Broad ribbons and chiffons, loops and fluttering ends and all such flipperies, too, are hers. Skirts and waists in different colors or materials may be indulged in if the wearer pleases. Short Thin Girl. Taking the short, thin girl next, it is not only necessary to give her breadth, but height must be suggested as well. As a means her frocks must be ^9 Talks on Successful Gowning. as long as comfort will allow (an inch taken off the bottom of the skirt will detract two inches apparently from the height of the wearer), and the trimming, if any, must be vertical. Waist and skirt must be of the same material and it will be a decided advantage to the wearer if made all in one piece. In the case of a belt it should be quite narrow and of the same shade as the dress always, if not of the same material. The yoke should not be too deep, but it may be as broad as the shoulders. This differs from the yoke becoming to the short, stout girl. Hers will not run as far as the shoulders because she needs height only, and this is preserved by the un- broken line of material from shoulder to hem. The short, thin girl, however, requires breadth as well as height, and so, while the broader yoke provides this breadth the height is not sacrificed. Proportions are evened up as it were. The short thin girl is fortunate if she happens to be short-waisted, because such a figure can wear dainty babyfied modes with most harmonious results. She will appear all the taller, too, for this feature, and also more feminine. It is not gener- ally known that a long waist is a masculine trait, yet such is really the case, and no pretty little woman wants to suggest mannishness at all but desires to appear her own womanly self. In the case of the taller or larger woman the effect of the long waist is of course less noticeable, but no small woman should strive for the lines that nature has denied her, believing that by so doing she is improving her form, because, — believe me, 50 Hints for Dressing the Thin Woman. — the short waist will be infinitely more becom- ing to her. Sleeves may be fussy and sufiiciently full to suggest breadth, or the same effect may be brought about by a drapery about the bust. Girlish looking sailor dresses will suit this type, the blouse arranged trimly rather than loosely, and the broad sailor collar suggesting a long narrow Y in the front. Such lines, it will be seen, give breadth and preserve height at the same time. A broad collar with rounded ends Avould give width certainly but the length from chin to feet would have been cut, as it were, and, consequently, the figure would be shortened. The sharp narrow V suggests no such abrupt break but ceases gradually, hence the reason for adopt- ing it. When it comes to a question of coats, the little woman should, by all means, choose either the full length or the very short styles. Half length may be worn when this number of inches is in style, but never by any chance must the three- quarter length be attempted. Eton styles and hip lengths are good, and the long coat entirely enveloping the figure will be an equally happy choice. Any trimming must be arranged ver- tically, should it appear below the bust. There can be no objection to a yoke being simulated with braid, or even made from a contrasting material, but all trimming coming below this yoke must be in up and down lines. Hats should be only of medium size. The sailor shape trimmed fairly high is a good example of 51 / Talks on Successful Gowning. what will be becoming to this type of woman. The width of the brim should be just sufficiently wide to suggest breadth and the trimming just as high as considered necessary to preserve the wearer's height. Medium Height. The thin girl of medium height is compara- tively easy to dress successfully, and few styles will be found unbecoming to her. Skirts should be plain, rather than elaborately trimmed, but Avaists and sleeves may be on a fairly fussy order. l\ound yokes both shallow and deep will suit her, and belts, girdles, etc., of a medium width should be chosen in preference to the wider ones becoming to the tall, thin girl, and the narrow bands adopted by her shorter sister. Picturesque styles in hats may be worn, but the happy medium between the large floppy models and the unpretentious small hat should be the aim. In fact, the thin girl of medium height should select her wardrobe from the styles suggested for the tall thin and the short thin type, modifying each and every article to suit her needs. The next question is one in regard to proper materials. Materials. The entire type of thin women should select those fabrics having a bright glossy surface, as glace silk rather than crepe de chine, satins rather than silk foulards, eolienne in preference 52 Hints for Dressing the Thin Woman. to voile, and bright, shiny-faced mercerized goods to those having a dull surface. Colors, too, call for discretion in choice. Black or dark shades should never be worn unless ab- solutely necessary because dark colors will only serve to make the wearer appear thinner still. White, cream, ivory white, yellow, blue, pink and mauve in pale shades may be worn, also red, old rose, pale olive, putty color, fawns, bright golden brown, gray, flamingo, Japanese blue, turquoise, and apple green, choosing, of course, the colors becoming to the individual. Lastly, the secret of dressing a thin girl of medium height is to give breadth, yet without detracting one bit from the height. The very tall girl should be dressed to give as much an appearance of breadth as possible, while the tiny woman must aim for both height and breadth. 53 Talks on Successful Gowning. CHAPTER VI. WOMAN AT THE PASSEE STAGE. CHERE conies a time — somewhere between youth and middle age — when a woman discovers that she has reached the passee stage. It is impossible to state definitely at just what age this transition occurs, because all women do not "wear" alike. One may retain her good looks at the age of forty Avhile another will have faded, that is, her charms have become passee — before her thirtieth birthday arrives. Whether one keeps her youth or becomes prematurely old is largely a matter of temperament. Women of a bright, cheeiy disposition never seem — to their friends at least — ever to grow any older, while there are others who have never appeared actu- ally young at any time. However, the passee period comes to us all alike at some time whether Ave are going through life cheerfully or the re- verse, and it is only natural that every mother's daughter of us should fight it off as long as she possibly can. It is not a pleasing thought that strikes any of us when the mirror tells us for the first time that our youth is fleeing and we see the inevitable approach of middle age, especially when in heart and feeling Ave are as young as ever; and often we become rebellious and look 54 Woman at the Passee Stage. around for weapons with which to ward off this disagreeable enemy. Some women make the mistake of adopting a more youthful toilet, believing that by this method they can deceive themselves and others also in believing time has not yet touched them. But girlish styles and fresh colors really only challenge comparison with faded hair, eyes that have lost their lustre and skin no longer fair — and — the comparison is decidedly the reverse of agreeable. Age cannot be warded off by wearing the kind of hats and gowns — so youthful in style — that even the wearer herself might have shunned when ten years younger. But now, as a woman sees the hand of time reaching out and actually lightly touching her, she often flies as a refuge to juvenile modes and the colorings suitable only for those perhaps in their first youth. Now, be it understood at the outset that be- cause fresh colors and youthful fashions are for- bidden, only sombre hues may be adopted and up- to-date modes passed by. Not at all, for the woman who has reached the passee period will look her very worst, say in black, or dull, sober looking tones. She needs color, but it must be in the right shades. Baby blue is, of course, out of the question; but there is a pretty soft shade of blue known as pastel that will take its place and be infinitely more becoming. Pale old rose is one of the best colors for the prematurely passee woman to adopt, because it is just an echo of pale pink, the color of youth. 55 Talks on Successful Gowning. The faded tones of mauve and heliotrope will suit the woman who has been very fair in her 3'outh. Tones of old gold will be better than fresh vivid yellow for the dark-haired passee woman, and faded or burnt orange should be preferred to the genuine shade. Dark red, too, may be at- tempted, also deep brown, the latter touched with old pink. Reseda is the only tone of pale green that should be adopted by this type but dark green will be becoming if there is pink color in the face. Popp3'' red will be effective for evening wear, also flame color, deep, rich, burnt ivory, soft old rose and silver gray. Black is one of the most uncharitable tones this class can choose, unless perhaps in the case of a very stout figure. Even then it must be relieved above the bust with cream or ivory. Fabrics. The choice of fabrics is quite as important as the selection of colors. Thin transparent mate- rials belonging to youth must be put aside and the more substantial cashmeres and supple cloths chosen instead. This does not mean that fluffy effects should be entirely discarded. On the con- trary, frills and furbelows are often very kind to the passee woman, but they should be confined to the waist of the gown and about the feet. Fluttering ribbons will not be in good taste, but a handsome sash or a ribbon belt will be quite correct. Anything flimsy in character will 56 Woman at the Passeb Stage. be apt to draw unkind comparisons and so should be avoided. This, however, does not apply to a chiffon scarf or veil. Very often this addition will soften a toilet to quite a large extent, but the costume otherwise should be trim, neat and substantial, a toilet that might be described as a compromise between that of the quite youthful matron and the woman of middle age. Millinery. Take millinery as an instance. Instead of trimming the hat with pink roses in all the dainty fresh coloring of the natural flower choose an old rose tint even though such a shade never yet grew in a garden. It will harmonize, while the true color will only provoke a contrast far from charitable. Then in regard to the shape of the hat. The broad brimmed or the picturesque poke must be abandoned now, no matter how becoming it has been in the past. At the same time there is no necessity for going to the other extreme and selecting styles suitable to the middle-aged woman. The choice should lie between but should always be a modification of the latest style, supposing the true shape is impossible. The same advice will apply to each detail of the wardrobe. If a veil with dashing velvet dots has been very becoming in the past, then some- thing along the same line may be chosen but less striking in effect, say a finer mesh or a smaller 57 Talks on Successful Gowning. dot, that will soften the features and not boldly proclaim them, and so only aid old Father Time. Another most important point that should never be lost sight of is the question of a becom- ing coiffure. Nothing adds to or detracts from a woman's age as much as the way she arranges her hair. Speaking generally, I should say she should adopt the very latest mode, adapting the style to suit her own particular mould of features. This will be a greater aid toward the preserva- tion of youth than girlish effects and probably prove kinder than her present coiffure. My ad- vice, anyway, is to try it. 58 CHAPTER VII. THE GRAY HAIRED WOMAN. fORTUNATELY the women of to-day have begun to realize the beauty of gray hair, and very seldom indeed is anything so inartistic as dyeing resorted to. Only the posses- sor who knows no better will sacrifice her lovely gray hair to the hairdresser's art. Nature makes no mistakes, and when the deli- cate pink or ivory tone of the skin begins to change to a deeper tint, then she steps in and touches the hair that meets it with silver, soften- ing the line between and acting very much in the same way as soft white lace does when added to the throat or about the wrists. White lightens and clears the skin by reflection, and though every woman may not be aware why the white is worn about the throat, all certainly know that the addition is a great improvement to the appear- ance, and without thinking why, invariably make use of white there. There are very few skins so perfect that can afford to dispense with a relief of this kind. Dark eyes, too, will be apt to appear perfectly lifeless and dull when the hair is dyed, while if the hair is allowed to remain in its natural pur- ity, the eyes will, by contrast, be deepened in 59 Talks on Successful Gowning. tone, and not unseldom actually bright and sparkling. There are variations of the gray haired type, though fewer, of course, than those found among tlie blondes and the brunettes. There is the iron gray; the gray hair tinged with yellow, and the gray hair that has the very slightest tint of green in it. Lastly there is the most striking type of all — the prematurely gray haired woman. Iron Gray. Complexions vary, of course, quite as much as the tones of the hair. The woman possessing iron gray locks is usually of the robust type, dark- eyed, and the bright color of the cheeks changed to a dull red. This class requires very careful dressing or the result will be a certain coarseness far from pleasing. On the other hand, when correct colors and styles are chosen, the type of iron gray Avomen is, as a rule, a very attractive one in middle age. Black Avill be a good standby relieved by white, and the combination of black and white will be next in order on the list of favorable tones. Gray is good when the wearer is not unduly stout, but lavenders and pale mauves should be avoided. Very dark purple may be worn and dark green, though a blonde's color, is often becoming to the iron gray brunette, provided she possesses a good color. Navy blue will be kind, but the golden browns, 60 The Gray Haired Woman. usually beloved by this type, are anything but charitable, and the same may be said of some reds. Old rose will be one of the best colors in light shades that can be chosen, but genuine pale pinks and fresh pretty blues should be passed by. Green-Gray. Taking the gray haired woman whose hair is of a greenish tint. This is often accompanied by a brownish skin and eyes brown or so dark gray as to sometimes be mistaken for black. I like this type gowned in rich yellows, dark reds, amber, deep browns, purple and cream white. No cold colors should be included in the wardrobe of women in this class. She may take the yellowish pinks, as salmon, but should avoid the genuine rose pink. Black seldom suits her, and when blue is chosen it should be in rich, warm tones. Blue-white may not be worn, neither should cold yellows, pale greens, cold pale blues or grays. The warm tones of the purple and yellow found in the pansy will be especially becoming, and so will creamy white worn with gold ornaments set with jade stones as an evening or best after- noon toilet. Then there is the combination of gray hair, clear complexion, with just a slight flush upon the cheeks. Browns as a rule are not harmonious but gvsij, black, green, dark blue, i>urple, sunny yellows, faint blush pinks and ivory white will be very 61 Talks on Successful Gowning. becoming to this type. When the complexion is clear, but pale, and the eyes blue, gray or blue- gray, and the hair silvery white, then creamy white and transparent black will be the best pos- sible choice. When a solid black is desired, the rich sheens of velvet or the shiny surface of hand- some silk will be better than the dull effects found in serge and similar fabrics. When the hair is slightly tinged with yellow instead of silver, pale blue in pastel shades may be freely indulged in. The genuine baby blues are really only becoming to fresh youthful faces, and should be avoided by every type of woman who is past her first youth. Premature Gray Hair. Picturesque is the word that best describes the prematurely gray-haired woman. Her com- plexion will be fresh, pinky and healthy looking. While she may choose almost any toilet and not suffer, still by giving due attention to the question of gowning she may become a most strik- ing figure. She should wear black and white in combina- tion, with just a touch of some delicate color in the right shade and the correct proportions. This is a safe rule to follow whether the eyes are dark or light. Black relieved with pale rose ac- cessories will be lovely for tlie brown-eyed gray- haired woman. Pale blue and pastel mauve will have the same effect when the eyes are blue, gray or violet. Soft reseda is often becoming and she will be a picture in a white frock trimmed with G2 The Geay Haired Woman. blue ribbons and a dainty hat wreathed with blush roses and knots of black velvet. This costume, however, is only for the pre- maturely gray-haired woman, not for her whose youth has fled. Quite old ladies whose locks are silvered may wear any shade of gray, unless unduly stout, when black will be a better choice. White is always becoming when in ivory and creamy tints, and other colors suiting this type are the helio- trope tones and violet. A little black thread lace worn on the head or about the throat is ever a delightful contrast with silver hair. 63 Talks on Successful Gowning. CHAPTER VIII. THE MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN. CHE passee period, long or short as the case may be, steadily but surely brings a woman into middle age, whether she will or no, and when this time arrives, the very best thing to do is to frankly acknowledge its arrival and prepare to meet it cheerfully. Fortunately, the days have vanished long ago when the fact that because a woman had reached middle age it also implied that she must eschew all the attractions of pretty toilets and be quite content to delegate all those dainty fripperies so dear to her heart in the past to the adornment of her growing daughters. Indeed, nowadays, many a woman of fifty will present a more attractive appearance than her daughter half her years, especially when she is sufficiently wise to choose what becomes her rather than prevailing modes, when she feels these may be detrimental to her. Of course, new styles may, as likely as not, be found becoming, but when she finds they should be passed by she must do so resolutely, without any demur wliatever because she needs all the charm of correct lines and becoming colors to preserve to some extent her passing youth. Of course, it goes without saying that she must 04 The Middle-Ageb Woman* be well-groomed, and perhaps the most important point lies in dressing her hair. No woman of middle age can be a genuine success sartorially, no matter how handsome her costume, unless she has chosen a smart coiffure. Style, not pretti- ness, should be her aim from the tip of the jaunty quill in her hat to the lacings of her dainty shoes, paying most scrupulous attention to each detail of the toilet throughout. Extremely youthful models will be really more fatal to her than dowdy ones, so should be relig- iously avoided, and while types of elderly women vary exactly as do those of youth, thus requiring different modes, this rule will apply to all women, no matter how classed. In fact, the thin, scrawny woman aping juvenile styles is perhaps a more grotesque sight than her sister of more generous charms. The Plump Type. Take the plump, fair and florid type, nothing will become her so well as a gown of dull, soft black, relieved about the face as far as the bust with a yoke of ivory lace, transparent or lined with a dainty color. Bright glossy surfaces it will be well to avoid. Satin is positively fatal to the stout woman, except, of course, by way of trimming perhaps, but a plump figure moulded into a satin waist will look very much larger than she actually is, and certainly this is not to be desired. There are some women, notably those of sallow or colorless skin, to whom a certain amount of 65 Talks on Successful Gowning. lustre is quite necessary. When this is so, she should choose fabrics having a deep as well as glossy surface, as broadcloth, or velvet, the satiny weaves of soft silk and crepe cloths. These absorb light while satins and stiff silks act in an opposite Avay reflecting the lights, and conse- quently, apparently increase the size of the wearer. Colors, too, must be carefully studied. The baby blues so becoming to her in her youth must now give place to the faded pastel shades if harmony is to be the result. Mauve she may wear if fair, or if dark hair has become white, then dull old rose will be substituted for the dainty pink ribbons of yore. Indeed, youthful colors or materials must at all times be chosen with caution in the toilet of the elderly woman. A piping or lining of some bright, pretty shade is, of course, entirely unobjectionable and will often be an improvement, but it must be remembered that a little goes a very long way. Black unrelieved should not be worn from choice, yet many elderly women and some of those who have only reached middle age seem to regard the wearing of black as actually neces- sary. This is entirely a mistake, for black is only becoming to fresh, youthful faces, rosy cheeks and golden hair. Colors are far more kind to elderly women, but, as has been said before, bright, vivid shades should not be chosen, for the contrast these afford would be even more cruel than black, but, given the tones that will 66 The Middle- Aged Woman. harmonize with skin no longer dainty pink and eyes that have lost much of their brightness the transformation will be astonishing. There is the highly colored, dark middle-aged woman who has not lost completely the opulent tints of her youth, but the pink of the cheeks has given place to a duller, deeper red; the large, dark eyes, though still retaining their brightness perhaps, — but now giving an impression of bead- iness, — the beautiful black, wavy hair, once so glossy, is now seen in a dull, black hue that is much more trying than a sprinkling of gray. Indeed, gray hair is often the salvation of the woman with vivid coloring, for it provides just the soft, refining influence that this type usually needs. Her very best choice will lie in a black and white toilet. Well chosen, there is nothing more stylish than an entire costume in black and white. It is one of the combinations that can be strik- ing without being either conspicuous or startling. Navy blue comes next on the list of good colors. Very dark red will be more becoming than may perhaps be imagined, while gray and golden brown may be worn, provided the wearer is only of average stoutness. Gray and brown are both known as "large colors," that is, they apparently increase the size of the wearer. Women of this class, however, are, as a rule, of full figure or inclined to embonpoint, therefore the toilet should be chosen with a view to toning down or diminishing the coloring, and so bring the figure into less prominence. Talks on Successful Gowning. Thus it will be seen that gray and brown should be approached with caution. Very dark green is often becoming to this type, even though it may not have been included in the list of colors worn in youth. A costume entirely white will suit every type of middle-aged woman, whether she be stout or thin, tall or short, fair or dark. Those of slight build may add a touch of color by way of accessory, but the average or stout figure will do well to avoid even this relief. Black is, of course, the very best choice for the unduly stout figure and if white is introduced will be found quite becoming. Planning a street toilet for the stout middle- aged woman, I should suggest a black and white pin-striped tailored suit, the skirt walking length in a model following as nearly as possible the prevailing style, the coat semifitting not longer than half length, displaying a smart little waist- coat of white broadcloth, the collar and cuffs faced with black silk. A stylish turban of white cloth trimmed with black wings and a becoming veil Avill complete the costume. Her gloves may be white, black or gray, as she prefers. The blonde type of this class may choose all black for her toilet, relieved by a waistcoat of pastel mauve. Her hat will be larger, too, than that worn by tlie stout brunette, and may be trimmed with feathers or wings matching the shade of the vest. A bunch of violets resting on the hair will often bring pretty tints into it by 68 The Middle-Aged Woman. contrast with the modest color. A faded blonde will sometimes imagine she has produced this desirable effect when she places a "touch'' of fresh baby blue in her hair. She is altogether mistaken. The hair actually suffers by such a contrast. Taking the average figure or those quite slight, gray, old rose, reseda, gobelin blue, heliotrope, wine red, golden brown, and soft tans, according as the genuine shades of these colors have been found becoming in youth may be worn by women past middle age. Between Color. The between color woman is perhaps the most fortunate of all types at the middle age stage. She has had less to lose than either the brunette or the blonde and so she does not show her years. She "wears" well as the saying is. Possibly she has missed being pretty in her youth, but she certainly has the advantage over her handsomer sisters when it comes to a question of middle age. Materials. The choice of materials is only secondary in importance to that of selecting becoming colors. Flimsy muslins and dainty ribbons are not for the woman past her first youth. At the same time while a sensible, middle-aged woman will of course, refuse an organdy frock trimmed with baby blue ribbons, her same good judgment prompts the selection of a lingerie gown of batiste or linen and handsome embroidery, pos- sibly touched up with threadings of narrow 69 Talks on Successful Gowning. velvet in turquoise or lily leaf green, because she knows such a gown will harmonize with her age and bearing. A frock of printed rosebud chiffon she will pass by, and will select instead a plain chiffon showing a handsome flowered border. Not the less pretty than the rosebud but in- finitely more appropriate is the more important design to her needs, therefore, so gowned she cannot fail to be attractive. Velvet is always becoming to middle-aged and elderly women, and cashmeres, broadcloths, silks, soft satins and voile may be included in the same list. Net, handsomely trimmed, is suitable for eve- ning wear, but lace is better. Fluttering, fluffy ribbons will be rejected but girdles of jet or satin will be in good taste as accessories. Gloves will fit smoothly but easily ; a fat hand cramped into a glove too small is not a pretty sight, and the elderly woman Avill be most partic- ular as to her choice of neck wear. 70 CHAPTER IX. A CHAPTER ON COMBINING COLORS. CHE combination of color in dress is the most characteristic mark of good or bad taste a woman can display. Of course it is not given to every woman to know how to combine colors artistically, for a true eye for colors is inborn and cannot be acquired, but there are many women who know instinctively, as it were, that there is something not quite right when the wrong colors meet, yet lack the power to say exactly where the fault lies, while there are others, — judging from the exhibitions to be met with every day — whose idea of harmony in colors is almost wholly absent. It is possible to gain sufficient knowledge of the general principles of color combination to prevent any woman possessed of any taste at all from making any very grievous errors in this respect which principles I hope to be able to simplif}^ in such a manner that may be under- stood by all who care to read. It is not necessary to go into all the laws of colors, describing in detail the why and the wherefore, though a few words on the subject are considered necessary. That there are only three colors — blue, red and yellow, is very generally known, of course, n Talks on Successful Gowning. These are termed primary or first colors, all others are secondaries, that is, colors that are made up by combining the primaries, modifying the depth of color by the addition of white or in- tensifying it by using black. For instance, green is a mixture of blue and yellow. Red and yellow produce orange, while violet is red mixed with blue. The six colors, blue, green, yellow, orange, red and violet are included in the expression ^^all colors of the rainbow." If all these colors in their pure state were mixed together the result would be white. Color is determined by the absorption or re- flection of rays of light by the different objects. The reason given for a flower being white, as a lily or a pure white rose is that it reflects all the rays but absorbs none. A red rose reflects the red rays and absorbs the blue and yellow rays. Black absorbs all the light, reflecting none. The law of contrast is very simple after all. The color with which any other color contrasts is called its complementary. Blue is the com- plementary of orange, red bears the same relation to green, and yellow is the complementary of violet, a mixture of blue and red, thus bringing the three primary colors into combination. In addition to contrast of color there is con- trast of tone, a fact not so generally known. In placing two tones of one color, say gray, together, the one light and the other dark, the dark shade will appear darker and the light shade lighter, than when the tones are viewed separately. For this reason a sample should always be taken 72 A Chapter on Combining Colors. when goods of a lighter or darker shade are re- quired for trimming, as it is impossible to tell the exact effect unless both tones are seen together. I have seen an entire suit spoiled, artistically speaking, because the braid forming the trimming was entirely too light. At a short distance the effect was of so much tape being used practically for tying up a huge bundle, seeing that the wearer of the suit so trimmed was standing perfectly still at the time. The strap- ping was not only too light but it was too narrow as well. At the same time had the shades been more proportionate the width would have been quite immaterial. It was the selected shade that gave the narrow effect, the contrast between cloth and trimming being too strong. These details may seem to be most trifling, but believe me, they are of the utmost importance if a woman would wish to give the impression of possessing artistic or correct taste. Another point to be remembered is that colors are modified by gloss. For instance, take the case of a dull suede slipper and the surface of a bright satin both in exactly the same shade. When placed together it will be seen that the satin will appear to be lighter than the suede by reason of the reflection of light. Suede, being dull, absorbs the light. Therefore is it not important that when mate- rials of contrasting tones are to be combined that samples should first be compared before purchas- ing? By doing so, much disappointment may be saved. 73 Talks on Successful Gowning. When the entire costume is fashioned from one shade there is much less chance of offending the artistic eye and the problem of dressing taste- fully is comparatively an easy one. Not so, however, when color runs riot, and these oftentimes in the most difficult shades and tones. Some years ago the process of contrasting colors was not nearly as difficult as it is to-day, because then blue was really blue, running from light to dark, gray was gray and the same may be said of all the other colors, but nowadays there are the oddest looking greens, bluish violets, gray that includes elephant's hide, London smoke and taupe, browns that may mean any tone from natural to deep seal until it becomes more than a puzzle to, name them correctly. Violet and blue are the most difficult to com- bine successfully, because yellow, the complemen- tary of violet (composed of red and blue) is absent, still it can be done if only the right tones are chosen. Pale pastel blue combined with a bluish violet instantly takes on a tinge of green, not bad in effect if used in very small quantities. Pure violet and pale blue simpl^^ kill each other. A deep shade of prune and pale blue go well together and so will a light blue and a reddish purple. Blue and yellow harmonize. By this I do not mean that the shades may be chosen haphazard or that it is unnecessary to consider the propor- tions of each color, because both are important m color combination. u A Chapter on Combining Colors. For instance — navy blue cloth touched up with gold braid is delightful or a pale banana shade used for facings on the collar and cuffs of a salt in nav}^ blue. At the same time one can imagine the grotesque effect of the two colors being used in equal proportion or a pale yellow suit with navy blue trimmings disposed over it. There are times however when the yellow may predominate. For instance a yellow or golden straw hat trimmed with blue ribbons will be pret- tier than a dark blue hat decorated with yellow ribbons. Flowers, on account of being less dense than ribbons are not so difficult to deal with. A navy straw hat may be trimmed with buttercups and a yellow straw with corn flowers with equally good effect, so that while it will be seen that while two colors Avill combine well, it is necessary to use discretion as to proportions and also pay due regard to the lights and shades of the mate- rial in question. A like rule will apply to that girlish combination pale pink and pale blue. The blue must predominate in this case. Pink ribbons may flutter over a blue dress, but blue ribbons garnishing a pink frock will be horrible. If this is doubted just imagine holding a blue rose to a pink sky, or a pale pink hat wreathed with forget- me-nots. The combination is impossible, but a pink rose contrasted with a blue sky and a pale blue hat wreathed with pink roses or buds will be charming. This demonstrates the laAV of pro- portion. Not every woman understands this perfectly, and after seeing two colors which she very much admires, blended correctly, copies it 75 Talks on Successful Gowning. in her own way — without perhaps taking any particular notice of the proportions — with disas- trous results. She has used the same colors, she argues to herself, but the effect is entirely different to the combination she has so much admired and this she cannot understand. Navy blue and dark red always go wxll together, but only the slightest sense of color combination will convey the impression that the blue must dominate. The blue dress must be trimmed with the red, and not a red dress be decorated with blue. Here again is an example of the proper proportion of color. Tones. Tones too must be selected with caution. The blue placed in contact with red loses the slightly violet tinge seen in indigo blues and becomes pure blue, while the red will become more vivid. For this reason I again repeat do not purchase trimmings unless a sample of the goods to be trimmed is on hand. What seems to be a very dark red in the store may be three times lighter when placed on the blue. Hence, a second word of caution. In addition to the true colors there is an infinite variety of tints formed by combining certain proportions of these colors. These are known as broken shades, of which olive green is an example. This is true green mixed with a tiny atom of yellow. Olive goes especially well with copper color, which is really green tinged 76 A Chapter on Combining Colors. with red. Soft old rose combines well with this shade of green and so does shell and coral pink. Tan, which is produced by mixing black and orange together, is effective when trimming any shade of blue. A green slightly tinged with yellow harmonizes with the pale purple, mauve and heliotrope shades, also with rose pinks. Dark green and dark red may be used together, and when the right tones and proportions are used pale blue and dark green is an artistic combination. Heliotrope and the pale straw shades harmo- nize. A true rose pink is red mixed with white and just a dash of violet, and nothing is more successful in trimming soft gray than this shade of rose pink. Yellow too, from lemon to burnt orange is especially effective used in small quan- tities upon gray. A pale gray frock trimmed with pale rose pink or pale lemon and coffee or deep ecru lace is a charming combination. Brown which is a mixture of red, yellow and black, the proportions varying according to the shade it is desired to produce, look well with tones of blue and green. The genuine colors of these two hues will, however, not always be suc- cessful, and when one is in doubt the broken colors should be experimented with. A good rule to remember is that when the colors do not go well together separate them with white. Most people have an idea that every effect that appears in doubtful taste may be toned 77 Talks on Successful Gowning. down with black. This is a mistake. Black lowers the tones certainly when placed in contact with the colors, but it becomes dull in itself besides imparting a certain amount of dulness to the colors. White, on the contrary, takes on a tinge of the colors, it seeks to modify, making harmony rather than contrast, and with most artistic results. Another point it would be well to bear in mind in connection with color combinations is that quite often two colors will require a medium in order to make them agree perfectly. We have all of us seen colors that quarrel with each other at some time or another, and the reason is often for lack of a medium. The two colors cannot perhaps be said to go badly together but the contrast is too strong, they do not blend or melt into each other as they should do. An example of this may be seen sometimes in the matter of a yoke set into a waist. Supposing the material is a plaid or a figured goods and the 3^oke is of lace or a similar trans- parent nature, the two brought together will not be pleasing, but "connected" or "separated'^ by a proper medium, the effect is entirely changed. The medium chosen may harmonize or it may contrast, but it will be of a solid color. Say the gown is in greens, then the outline to the yoke may be black or any color that contrasts with green, or again, harmony will be the result if a shade of green is used. When the gown is of a solid hue then the medium employed will be of a figured nature. A Chapter on Combining Colors. Velvet softens all that it comes in contact with and one can seldom go wrong in making use of it. Black and white is always a safe combination, but if the solid black and the solid white can be separated, say with a black and white check or a stripe, the effect will be far more artistic, because the contrast will be less strong. It is, I know, generally put forth by color artists that women should study nature in regard to acquiring a color sense that may be helpful to them in choosing their costumes. This may be very well for those persons who possess a knowledge of the law of color contrasts and pro- portions, but I cannot think it is a safe rule to follow in the case of all women alike. One may, however, study the shades found combined in nature with much profit to themselves. For in- stance: They might notice the shade of green that forms the foliage of the rose and how it differs in the tone from the delicate green of the wild blue hyacinth. This will give an idea of the proper shades of green which will combine with pink, red and blue. Autumn tints are a lesson in color in them- selves, the variety is so great, and by close ob- servation of the fading leaves one can often find out what tint of green will harmonize with the copper colors and which shade of brown goes best with the pale yellow or maize tints seen in dying leaves. 79 Talks on Successful Gowning. CHAPTER X. HOW TO CHOOSE A BECOMING HAT. #ThOOSING a hat is by no means the joke the m/ comic papers represent it to be around ^^ Easter tide. Indeed, to the majority of women it is a decidedly serious matter, and one that causes more anxiety perhaps than any other detail of the wardrobe, for, as every women knows who has studied effects in dress at all, it is the hat that makes or mars the toilet. We may make all kinds of plans beforehand, finally deciding that the hat shall be pretty, of course, but it must be practical and sensible as well. So armed with perfect confidence in our powers to resist sartorial temptations, we sally forth to buy ; but, alas ! such resolutions are apt to gradu- ally but surely vanish once we enter the portals of the seductive shops and find ourselves in the hands of the subtle saleswoman. Every time a new hat is to be bought new resolutions are made and as regularly broken, often to our lasting sorrow, for, with many of us a second purchase is out of the question, and so the disappointment has simply to be borne literally and mentally. Each season increases the demand upon strong resolutions and sober judgment, so fascinating 80 How TO Choose a Becoming Hat. are the confections that make their appearance, and it requires great force of character to pass by the lovely creations, even though we know in our heart of hearts that we could have really no practical use for such a piece of headwear. While most women are sufficiently versed in what is becoming to avoid eccentric modes; as a rule her tastes lie in an opposite direction as to what will suit her. Take the pert little turban, for instance. Worn by a girlish figure with a slender face and delicate features, the hair fluffed youthfully about the face, the effect is as winsome as possible, but how seldom she can be brought to think so! Her yearnings, speaking generally, are for the enormous black hat, in which she looks half buried, and which actually deprives her of her much needed height. The same i3erverse fate fills the Avoman who is more than decidedly inclined to embonpoint with an insatiable desire to don a decorated pill box. It must be so, or why do we see such exhibitions every day of our lives? I verily believe that the majority of women are possessed with desires for totally unbecoming styles and that it requires more strength of mind to resist such temptations than to withstand any other force, and that, when a woman is truly becomingly dressed, it is either by accident or strong will-power. I wonder whether it will be of any use at all to lay down certain rules and laws relating to millin- ery. This is not said with the feeling that women would refuse to follow them. Not at all. The 81 Talks on Successful Gowning. question is, will not rules be scattered to the four winds just as soon as a pretty hat is in sight? I am afraid so, still, I offer a few general sug- gestions which may be listened to in saner moments if not at the psychological one. Shape. First. In buying a shape the height, build, age and general appearance of the wearer must be fully considered. Of course, youthful faces will be much easier to suit than those that have reached maturity; still, even youthful charms may be enhanced by the wise selection of mil- linery. Girls who are short must bear in mind that a wide brim will cut their height, and so, need- less to say, should avoid anything broader than the conventional sailor. In the same measure as a wide brim detracts from the height so a high crown will apparently increase it. This, however, when the crown tapers toward the top, not the large so-called bell or the equally large, square crown. These will only give her the appearance of top heaviness, and so destroy balance. A brim that is broken in outline is kinder to a short woman than a brim that is perfectly straight all around for obvious reasons. It is impossible to say just where this break shall appear. The woman with ever such a suspicion of snub nose will certainly not call attention to the fact by wearing a hat that flares upward above that feature. If she has a piquant face 82 How TO Choose a Becoming Hat. she will choose a demure-looking poke, while a saucy face will become the hat that flares de- cidedly at the side, not the front. Mushroom shapes are becoming to the nose retrousse type, but when the owner is short, this drooping brim is apt to be rather trying. When it is attempted at all, then both crown and trimming should be as high as is consistent with present fashions. The lines of the hat should be made to disguise imperfections of feature, and bring into prom- inence the best points of the face. Types of Faces. There are round faces, wedge-shaped faces, faces that are heavy as to jaw and narrow as to forehead, faces broad at the top, thin faces and fat faces. Equal in diversity are the features. These are rose-bud mouths and heavy, thick lips; veritable cupid's bow^ and mouths that resemble a slit in a poor box. Ej^es may be perfectly round and moon-like, or, they may be just narrow openings — the eyes half hidden in the head. Again, the eyes may be simply normal. Then there are long noses, short noses, thick noses and regular wedges, so thin are they. Hair is the next consideration. Some women wear it fluffed around the face, another takes it back as severely as she possibly can. A third builds up an aggressive looking top-knot, while the next one perhaps arranges her hair low in the back. 83 Talks on Successful Gowning. So now it can be clearly seen that the choice of a hat is no light subject if it is to be all round becoming. It has been pointed out that the hat flaring in the front should not be worn Avhen it repeats the lines of the nose. For the same reason the woman with a long, downward drooping nose should not (*hoose her hat with a drooping brim. Let her bend the brim into becoming curves that will break the line of the long nose. When this feature is thin as well as long, the brim bent just above both eyes will be found becoming. The dents should be made so as to suggest a narrow inverted arch above the forehead and the brim at the back should be rather narrow. A long, thick nose may be rendered less ab- normal if the brim of the hat is bent just at the left side front. The curve seems to redeem the face from heaviness, often apparent with a nose of this type. Sometimes even skilled millinery fails to bring out good features; then its mission should be to conceal or modify bad ones. For instance : a perfectly round face will become a rather broad brim, but unless the wearer is quite tall the crown must be high, otherwise the result will be apt to suggest a pudding topped by a pie plate, so that not only must the outline of the brim be considered, but the shape of the crown as well. The short-back sailor with fairly high crown is a model generally becoming to this type. When the lower part of the face is broad, then the hat must be built out so as to be broader than 84 How TO Choose a Becoming Hat. the face. Anything narrow or high above the eyes will only emphasize such heaviness. The face and head will resemble a wedge held point upw^ards. Then there is the true w^edge-like face, the breadth coming at the upper portion. Hats that will suit this type of face are medium in size and preferably flat. When ties of chiffon or tulle are in fashion they should always be worn, because the airy fluffiness under the chin will provide the missing balance. Drooping Brim. A light-looking bow pinned to the collar w-ill act in the same kind manner — supposing strings are not worn. And so will any kind of neckw^ear, in fact, that is aiTanged with outstanding loops. A drooping brim will be becoming to the face that is too long and thin for symmetry, while a face with prominent cheek bones must be dressed with a hat that extends beyond the cheeks. A brim narrow at the sides will only serve to bring the broad cheeks into prominence, while the wider brim will apparently lessen the breadth. A very fat face requires a substantial though not overpowering style of headwear. An entirely airy piece of millinery is not becoming to a face that is too fat. At the same time it must not be too heavy. A compromise suggested apt to prove satisfactory would be a fairly firm founda- tion trimmed with light fluffy effects as wired 85 Talks on Successful Gowning. net or lace, pompons or ostrich tips, but not large plumes. The very tall girl, no matter what the shape of her face may be, or the type of her features, must wear a large hat always. It should be fairly flat and never, by any chance really high. If un- usually tall, then an all black hat Avill suit her far better than a colored one. She may wear drooping plumes if she will, brims veiled with soft fabrics and large flowers. Middle Age Millinery. The elderly woman or she of middle age, of course, finds more difficulties in the way of select- ing becoming millinery than will younger women, not only because the variety of models to choose from is more limited, but also because the hair — such an important factor in the success of a hat — is probably the cause. The fluffy, frivolous coiffure that is such a help to a youthful face when choosing a hat is entirely out of the question when it comes to a woman of mature years, and very often a hat suited to her age mounted over plain, perhaps scanty locks and viewed for the first time well-nigh provokes despair. She must get used to it, she is told. Small comfort, is it not? In my opinion fluffy tulle should be made to do duty for the lack of hair. Little tuft rosettes can be set in here and there as found necessary without in any way changing the lines of the hat, or again, perhaps it may be that a pompon should be substituted for the stiffer 86 How TO Choose a Becoming Hat. trimming of wing or bird. A third means sug- gested is a ruching of tulle as an outline when found practicable. Not all elderly women require a softening in- fluence, however. Indeed there are any number of women now-a-days who can wear all kinds of angularities in shape and trimming and look smarter still for such lines. These are the well groomed, well set up women often met with in business or professional life. The tall, slender middle-aged woman may wear a fairly large and medium flat hat successfully. It may be black or colored, just as she prefers. Now, the short or the stout woman must choose her hat on directly opposite lines. It must not be too large, neither must it be too small, and black — that is, all black — should not be worn except from necessity. As has been before ex- plained, the broad brim and the sombre hue have both a tendency to reduce height. In combina- tion ill results are doubled and, of course, the short, stout woman needs every fraction of her inches. On the contrary, the over tall, thin woman will wish to reduce her height in order that she may suggest breadth, therefore it will be clearly seen that wide or drooping brims will meet her needs. If the face is quite thin and long, then this defect may be offset by using a trimming in a broad effect. This may be accomplished by allowing soft tips or fluffy plumes to fall over the brim forming a background for the face, or by the addition of a bow arranged in broad loops above the face. 87 Talks on Successful Gowning. A lace veil draped around the brim is another suggestion. All such arrangements will suit her. The short woman of average build should adopt and stick to smart little turbans trimmed with upstanding bows or smart-looking wings; the continental shapes when they are worn and the hat with a fairly narrow brim rolling a little at both sides, after the style known as the Eng- lish walking hats. Short women who in their youth have been known as the baby-faced type will look well in draped toques, trimmed with ostrich tips or soft pompons. Fur turbans or a toque adorned with a bird of Paradise or a spray of flowers in pastel shades are hers also, the trimming always ar- ranged high. Any amount of sympathy is due the short, stout, elderly woman when she essays to choose a hat, for so many points must be borne in mind if the hat is to be a success. It must not be too large, or she loses height, and it must not be too small because if so, the plump face will change to a positively fat one beneath it. I should say that a broad, generous turban would suit this type of face better than any other, the trimming arranged high, a second choice be- ing the hat showing a narrow front brim, the sides fairly wide. A large draped toque is another recommended style. 88 How TO Choose a Becoming Hat. Trimmings. When it comes to the question of trimming materials there is quite as much variety as there are in shapes, each fabric or ornament being adapted to suit individual needs. Flowers are always pretty for girls' summer hats, but even these must be chosen with discretion, not only in regard to color but also to form. The maiden with round eyes, arched with brows following the same lines and dainty, round mouth, should not exaggerate these features- pretty as they may be— by trimming her hat with decorations round in shape, such as rosettes, round cabuchons, yellow daisies centred with brown or the flowers known as black-eyed Susans. What she needs are angular lines, as, for in- stance, a pert-looking wing, an upstanding bow, or loops of ribbon drawn through a long buckle. Roses may be used if combined with foliage but are seldom a success alone. Small flowers, as sweet peas, forget-me-nots, and bluets will be charming, if arranged in run- ning sprays, anything, in fact, that will modify the round effect of the features. For the girl whose face is long and thin there is nothing better in trimming than ostrich plumes, especially when the wearer is tall. These may droop over the brim, wave over the back, and indeed give the same service to youth- ful faces that need softening as tulle does for the elderly woman. 89 Talks on Successful Gowning. Colors. Of colors it is of course only possible for ine to speak generally in a work of this kind. Some authorities claim that the hat should match the hair. This may be all right in theory, but how often can it be put into practice? Millinery shades seldom so closely follow nature, that a good contrast is certainly preferable to a bad match. I like yellow straw on golden hair and also on dark hair, but not when either is turning gray. It makes the hair look dull and murky, I fancy. Brown can seldom be found to match the hair while black hats on black hair generally result in one or the other looking dull and lifeless. Young people can, of course, choose the colors for hats to match their dresses, but elderly women will find the dainty genuine shades of youth rather trying at their period in life, and so, if wise, will avoid them, choosing instead colors more in keeping with their years. Burnt straw trimmed smartly with black rib- bon and wings are stylish-looking generally, but the question of flowers on millinery for elderly women is an open one. If stout, opulent or florid looking, then I should say don't. On the con- trary, the thin, refined looking, or the angular woman will, by their softening influence find flowers a decided improvement. Prim little bunches of violets tucked into a smart little turban is always becoming, and the flower toque 90 How TO Choose a Becoming Hat. of pansies or rose foliage is another charming bit of head wear for the elderly woman. Lace is in good taste whether white or black, and may be used at any time for toning down effects considered too pronounced to be becoming. Velvet, whether black or colored, is always becoming when draped above the face, and so are brims covered with the breasts of birds. Colors becoming to women who have been fair in their youth are pastel blues and greens, reseda, faded heliotrope, old pink, dark red and black. Brunettes whose hair is turning gray may wear cardinal, crimson, old rose, a touch of burnt orange, gray, pale blue in pastel tones, and any of the dahlia shades. Trying on Millinery. Having decided on color and shape there comes the trying-on process, and where is the woman who does not dread this ordeal? Hats have such a trick of looking exactly right when the wearer is seated before a mirror after having consigned herself to the obliging saleswoman; and being positively hideous perhaps only a couple of hours afterwards in the privacy of one's own room. One authority on such matters declares that hats have tempers and that when they refuse to adapt themselves and behave charmingly that there is nothing to do but to put them away in the box until they have come out of the sulks. Of the truth of this statement I am not prepared to say, but most women have found that hats do act ^^contrary" quite frequently. 91 Talks on Successful Gowning. iVt a reliable store the saleswoman may gener- ally be trusted to select a becoming style, but in my opinion, the choice should be left largely to the wearer. She will do well to solicit advice and seek opinions from those better informed in such matters and should certainly give any sug- gestions full weight, but the final decision should, I think, rest with the purchaser. It is she who will have to wear the hat, and if she likes it even if it is not actually becoming, she can generally by judicious coaxing bring it to suit her fairly well. She will fuss with it here, pat it there, give a little bend at a third point until in a short time it becomes actually a part of the wearer, condi- tions that should always exist, between hat and head. If, on the contrary, the purchaser does not like the hat personally, but has been persuaded by others that it suits her, she is apt to put it on and off as a ^^lateful old thing," and in the end find it less becoming than the hat she loves, even though its general lines may be less correct. So, given a measure of good sense and good taste, let the wearer to be decide the question, I say. I do not believe in buying a hat until it has been viewed from all points, back, front and sides, neither should it be decided upon until the effect has been tried of standing as well as sitting before the glass. A hat that is most attractive while the wearer sits may cut off her height unmercifully when she stands, or again it may be too small in pro- 92 How TO Choose a Becoming Hat. portion to the form it surmounts and so totally destroy a correct balance. Lastly, in buying a hat bear in mind the colors of the gowns that will be worn with it, selecting them with a view to harmony or contrast. 93 Talks on Successful Gowning. CHAPTER XI. A TALK ON CORSETS. T SUPPOSE it will be news to some women at least, to be told that the corset is the most important detail of a woman's toilet, but it is certainly true. That some women need this message is evident by the very slight attention they give to the selection of a proper corset, or is the apathy born of ignorance, the subject not having been brought to those interested with the prominence it merits? for, strange to say, there is very little written about corsets that may be regarded as instructive at all. It certainly is the desire of every normal woman to be attractive, so that when she fails it must be because she is ignorant of the means of becoming so. Will she not spend half a day choosing a material for a new gOAvn, search for trimmings perhaps till nerves and strength give way; consult fashion books by the score for days before she can decide upon a design, and endure perfect agonies until tlie gown is out of the hands of the dressmaker (afterwards, too, sometimes). This is the experience of most of us at some time or another in our life, I feel sure. And yet — the question of the frame work that will certainly decide whether the gown is to be a success or a failure — for few of us are so per- 94 Talks on Corsets. fectlj formed tliat we need no aid from art, and art in this case means correct corseting — is prob- ably settled in half an hour at the ontside. This is not unseldom done simply by selecting a corset displayed upon a form, the style or lines of which appeals to the purchaser. That the wooden form differs entirely from hers in the flesh never seems to occur to her. She desires to look like the figure and believes that wearing that particular style of corset furnishes the proper means. It may be that she could be made to look like the form, but it does not follow that the model selected will give such results. Nine times out of ten it will be a disappointment. The proper course would have been to have tried on corsets until the coveted figure was attained. As an instance. I was at a corsetiere's recently — a shop where semi-ready corsets are first fitted to the figure and then finished — when two women friends, who were of entirely different types, came in to buy. The first to be fitted was quite a large woman. Several models were tried on until the right one was found and then after the pinning and ad- justing were perfected the figure had apparently been so much improved, that the friend insisted upon getting the same corset. In vain the fitter pleaded. "I can give you that figure," said she, "but not with that corset. -Your lines are entirely different from those upon which the corset is built and you will not look like your friend." But the purchaser persisted, "Let me put on 95 Talks on Successful Gowning. the corset and then have it fitted to my figure the same way as you fitted my friend.'^ After quite a lively discussion, the fitter gave in, but, as she remarked afterwards, '^Selling that corset is going to do me more harm than good, for it is entirely unfitted to the figure that will wear it." Buying the Corset. The first step in buying a corset is to decide whether it shall be made to order, be one of the semi-fitted styles, or of the ready-to-wear variety. If economy is not to be studied then there is no question but that the made to order is far and away the better choice, provided one goes to a thoroughly good corsetiere for it. Models ready to wear can often be found to fit the average well proportioned figure, but, for those who have developed irregularly — that is, — bust, hip and waist measurements not in proportion, and who cannot afford to pay a high price, will un- doubtedly get the greatest benefit from the semi- ready corsets, because these are built on lines fitting a perfect figure, and then finished to suit each and every figure. By these means comfort as well as fit is assured. Ready to wear corsets can now be bought in quite a number of excellent models and the ser- vices of a competent fitter are usually provided at the best stores. She will try different styles until both fitter and fitted are pleased and very often the trans- 9'J Talks on Corsets. action is entirely satisfactory. Time lias been saved, anyway, and, another advantage in buying this way, one can see exactly how one looks, and, more important still, tell how the corset feels on the body. Years ago, a corset that gave one a stylish figure was apt to produce pain in like measure. I remember once seeing a woman being fitted to a corset, Avho, when asked after the final fitting, if she felt comfortable, replied: ''Comfortable? I look stunning, but I never expected to feel comfortable; don't worry yourself about my comfort." Such a reply would certainly not be ignored to-day, for the best corsetieres are able to give the perfection of style with the acme of comfort, so far has their art progressed. In advocating the semi-ready corset for the large army of imperfect figures I have the ques- tion of comfort as well as appearance in my mind. The ready to wear corset is moulded on the lines of a proportionate figure, which according to a dressmaker's standard is — bust measure ten inches larger, and hip measure about seventeen inches larger than the Avaist measure. Few forms so develop. For instance the abdo- men may grow out of i)roportion to waist and bust or, it may be that flesh has gathered between the bust and the waist line, or again, the bust meas- ure may have increased only. It is obvious, then, that a corset moulded on perfect lines must in- terfere with the comfort if worn by an imper- fect figure. Here is where the skill of the corset- 97 I'ALKS ON Successful Gowning. iere comes in. She puts on the unfinished model and then distributes the flesh in a way that gives the impression of a perfectly proportionate figure, and then the corset is finished to con- form to the new made lines. The result is style with comfort. But there are thousands of women in this broad land of ours living under conditions that ex- clude them from the privilege of having the opin- ion of a competent fitter, or, perhaps, the opin- ion of any person who is better informed on the subject than themselves, yet they are quite as anxious to appear attractive as those situated more favorably. This large army must depend upon the small stores for their supply or else call in the aid of the post office, for a very large amount of shopping now-a-days is conducted through the mail. The buyer should have a knowledge of what she wishes to purchase, and she generally has — quite decided views in fact — except when it comes to the choice of a corset. Indeed as a rule, this detail of the toilet, she believes is decided by Dame Fashion and that she herself has nothing to do with the matter beyond stating the size, the price she wishes to pay and possibly the kind of material or color she prefers. Now while, as I said before, manufacturers build these corsets on the lines of a perfect figure, this does not mean that there is only one model. On the contrary, there are dozens to choose from, each designed to suit the varied types of women, 98 Talks on Corsets. which include the tall, the short, the slender, the stout, those long-waisted and those unduly short. There are models to suit the high bust and models to suit those who possess a prominent ab- domen or protruding hips, designed, too, with a view to concealing defects and bringing out the best points of the wearer. Clearly, then, it is possible, for any woman, living, however remote, to get a corset that will give satisfaction in comfort and style if she only knows what to ask for. Very often she does not, for, as I said before, it is a subject that has claimed very little of her attention. I will, therefore, try to teach her. The Stout Figure. Beginning with the stout figure — the type in special need of help — I should say, first find out to which class you belong, the flabby fat, or are you among those whose flesh is hard and firm? Flabby women, as a rule, require stiffer corsets than those w^hose flesh is firm. The latter type will often be able to wear a corset of thin batiste only lightly boned during the summer or for evening dress, while a flalDby person would find such a corset uncomfortable, as the flesh would not resist the soft material, and the bones would press into the skin, almost cutting it. Coutille with medium bones w^ill be better, because it pro- vides some of the firmness the flesh lacks. A good, well shaped back is the first essential. Thanks to the comfortable and hygienic straight ' 99 Talks on Successful Gowning. front corset this is not difficult to achieve, for undue flesh can be moulded toward the front, and lie comfortably between the waist line and the bust without the least detriment to the figure. Another class of the stout women are those who are very full under the arms, but only medi- um across the chest, a ^'spread'' figure, as it is called. These women require a corset that is quite trig and trim at the top, but to prevent the flesh from drooping over under the arms three short cross bones should be sewn in. The corset should also be cut as high under the arms as possible, and if, after the corset is adjusted, there is an ugly ridge in the back at the top, this can be obviated by adding suspenders. If the shoulders are very fat these suspenders are an actual necessity. Any woman can make them for herself. Strips of material are sewn to the top of the corset in the back, and taken over the shoulders to the top of the corset in front and secured there. The strips should graduate in width, fitting the corset in the back and measur- ing an inch or so in the front. In the case of tlie full abdomen a corset larger in the waist line than usually worn should be bought. The flesh can then be raised and dis- tributed about the waist line and above it to the great improvement of the figure. Many persons have an idea that by lacing in at the waist line an impression of slenderness is given. Yet never was there a greater mistake. Indeed such a practice acts in the opposite direction forcing the bust and hips into prominence and making the 100 Talks on Corsets. figure look stouter than it really is, and, then again, tight lacing at that point is injurious. Lacing below the waist line is perfectly harm- less; but there should always be plenty of room over the diaphragm to allow of proper breathing. Once this part feels comfortable the corset may be laced as tight as one pleases over the hips without doing harm. Full Bust. For a full bust a corset should be cut low re- gardless of prevailing styles. A high cut corset will make the wearer look stouter than she really is, while, if she is short as well as stout the effect is apt to be grotesque. She will look not unlike a pouter pigeon parading. While the bust should be cut low there is no necessity for the gores running down to the act- ual waist line as is seen in some exaggerated models. To my thinking, ^^sloppy" is the only word that can describe the figure wearing this style of corset. When high busts are worn the corset shoukl still be cut low and the bust supporters be at- tached at the top from the sides. These will hold the figure perfectly, and give all the effect of a high corset without its discomfort. The average figure can take care of itself but the very thin women often finds the question of a suitable corset a trying one. In her case, the bones will probably hurt her if the corset is laced tight, while if the strings are left loose her figure is apt to suggest a bean pole. Corsetieres claim 101 Talks on Successful Gowning. that the best thing to do in such a case is to leave the strings fairly loose and then call in the aid of art to represent nature by means of frills and judicious padding. Stocking suspenders play an important part in the set of the corset. Three pairs are neces- sar}^ Two are sewn on each side of the front and one at each side over the hips. Those in front must be sewn to tabs that are curved to fit the corset, unless the material of the corset runs down below the bones when the tabs are unnecessary. The proper adjustment to the stockings is an- other detail. Small, I know, but quite important. The inner ones should be clasped a little to the inside of the knee and the others directly in front. Those on the hips will follow a straight line to the stocking. If the inner elastics of the front suspenders are cut an inch longer than the outer ones, much of the discomfort often experienced in walking when the garters are tight may be avoided. There is a proper way of putting on a corset also, and this has not only to do with its appearance but also its wear. I know a corsetiere who al- ways laces the figure into the corset for the first time claiming that the fit and wear will be much better because put on properly at the first. Her method is to have the strings very loose. She then places the corset around the figure and closes the bottom hook first, working upwards. If it is necessary to raise the abdomen or distri- bute any flesh it is done now. Then the strings 103 Talks on Corsets. are drawn in at the waist line and loosely tied. Next the wearer wrio^$:les and works herself into the corset until she feels comfortable. Then she sits down and allows the bust to fall into posi- tion. If satisfactory, lacing is commenced from the bottom of the corset upward to the waist line, and then downward from the top. Finally the strings are pulled snug at the waist line, crossed in the back and brought around under the hook and tied there. The ends may be tucked into the top of the corset or under the suspenders as preferred. These small matters appear very trivial, but it should be borne in mind that perfect success depends entirely upon strict attention to details. The rules for arranging the corset may be fol- lowed when wishing to find out whether the cor- set is suited to one's figure or not. If when the figure is seated the bones stick in at the lower edge and the bust rises then the corset is too long. If only the bones are in fault these can easily be shortened, but it is better to try a shorter corset when the bust becomes misplaced. The material of the corset is cut very long at present so that in trying on, one should always sit as well as stand. In this way one can tell whether the material left free below the bones is sufficiently loose to allow sitting in comfort. Sometimes it is so tight as to actually prevent sitting, hence the necessity of sitting as well as standing when trying on a corset. It is generally supposed, I know, that any kind of a corset may be worn by girls in their teens, 103 Talks on Successful Gowning. but this, I am told, by experienced corsetieres is a mistake. An expensive corset is by no means necessary, but it should suit the figure. Indeed it is claimed that if girls and young matrons were properly corseted, say up to the age of thirty the number of poor figures beyond that age would be greatly reduced. As a rule, the corset ques- tion only becomes a serious one to a woman after she has passed licr first youth, while, had she given it her attention earlier it may have been a most simple one all her life. Mothers of growing girls should take care to see that the first corset they wear is the right one, for there are quite as many types of undeveloped figures as there are of those fully grown. If it is impossible to visit the corset iere, then the next best thing is to write to her, stating the needs in detail and if she is a conscientious woman there need be no fear of the result. 104 CHAPTER XII. CORRECT GOWNING. TT I E hear it said time and again, and we see £ § I it written perhaps oftener that "an ap- ^^^^ propriately gowned woman is a well dressed woman/' but, as a rule, the information stops at this point unless it be a tirade against the exceedingly bad taste displayed by women generally in choosing their costumes regardless of the occasion. Instances will be quoted describing a toilet seen in a car by day that was only fitted for a dinner frock, and another, met on the streets, could only be correct when w^orn to grace a formal reception. Any average woman of common sense recog- nizes this in quite the same degree as those who preach against it. What she would be glad to know is not what should not be worn, but what will be sartorially correct. One cannot educate taste by railing against blunders any more than children's faults can be corrected by constant nagging. Guidance and a showing of better things are the means to be employed, and, in this chapter, I hope to describe in detail the kind of costumes that will be ab- solutely correct for the different hours and oc- casions, — and not only correct but practical as 105 Talks on Successful Gowning. well, so that any woman lacking confidence in her own taste has only to consult these pages and find out what they have to tell her, feeling assured that any information is absolutely author- itative. Morning Costume. Beginning with a morning costume for winter wear I should suggest a suit of tweed, serge or cheviot, the skirt made to clear the ground all around and the coat semi or close fitting, the length depending upon present modes and the build of the wearer. Coat sleeves and a man's collar never go out of fashion and are always the correct finish to a tailored coat. Black is always in good taste, while navy blue — a staple color — is very generally becoming. In fact, there is nothing to equal a nice navy blue serge for appearance and wear if one is willing to keep it in good order by means of brushing and pressing. For very rough, knockabout wear the tweeds are excellent. They are also fabrics that do not readily show^ stains or soil. The hat for wear with a tailored suit should be on the stiff, ready to wear order in a medium size, not necessarily the same color as the dress. Black may be worn when the wearer is tall and will be found practical also, as a black hat goes well with any gown. Navy with a navy suit and brown with brown is always good, but there are a few other colors that are more at- tractive when combined with contrasting colors. 106 Correct Gowning. Gray, for instance, is seldom a success as a hat unless the face underneath it is dainty and pinky, or worn on the tresses of a dashing brunette of the cream and cherry complexion type. A dark red hat will harmonize with a gray dress and be found becoming to almost every type of woman, and a hat of golden brown worn with a suit of gray is often effective especially when a little brown trimming has been employed upon the suit. Gloves should be of heavy, substantial kid, preferably tan color, and neat, well fitting high shoes should be worn. Paper soles and low cuts are not in good taste worn with a morning street costume. A veil is always a pretty finish to any toilet and a fairly fine mesh with small unob- trusive dots should be chosen. Black is a safe choice, although brown is nicer than black when the hat is brown. Chiffon is lady-like looking over the face and is oftentimes a charity. It softens and refines the features more than any other kind of weave. There should be no free, flowing ends, but every effort must be put forth toward creating a trim, trig, neat toilet, smart and becoming to the wearer. A white underskirt worn under a tailored suit on a winter's morning is incorrect. If taffeta is too expensive, then brilliantine, sateen or any of the substitutes for silk may be used. The waist will be of French flannel in striped or small figured design or of heavy wash goods —plainly tailored in any case— and finished at 107 Talks on Successful Gowning. the neck with a stiff white linen collar and a neat tie. The belt will be of kid or elastic closing with a small buckle. Furs may be worn, but all such accessories as chiffon boas and fancy muffs must be set religiously aside for wear with other than a morning toilet. Afternoon Toilet. For afternoon street, church or calling the suit may be of broadcloth or any of the novelty cloths. Velveteen is another suitable material. This will be made up on tailored lines, but in what are known as dressy styles for want of a better name, that is, the skirt may be longer and the coat given a fussy treatment, always, of course, bearing in mind the build of the woman who is to wear it. The hat may be larger, and be more lavishly trimmed than that worn for morning. Plumes will be in good taste, and so will velvet, ribbon, wings, birds and handsome flowers. The waist may be of silk matching the shade of the gown or even white, and the neck dressing will be as dainty as one pleases. Gloves will be either white, black or a shade matching the suit, and the shoes will be of fine kid or patent leather. The kind of foot-wear will, of course, depend a very great deal upon whether the wearer walks or rides. Patent leather is always in good taste in a carriage. The veil may be of lace, if con- sidered becoming to the wearer, or of net, in black and white effects, black or all white, as preferred. Such jewelry as a bracelet, a lavalliere or other 108 Correct Gowning. simple necklace may be worn, also a pretty jeweled clasp to the belt and small earrings. As a rule, the question of wearing much or little jewelry is decided by the occasion upon which it is to be worn. A handsome tailored gown will be appropriate for attending church services, while the same toilet, adding jewels, furs, or dainty accessories, will be quite suitable for wear at a day reception or a morning wedding in church. By the same rule may the underskirt be gov- erned. There are occasions when a fluffy lingerie petticoat will be quite correct, while again the taffeta skirt will be in much better taste another time. Any woman of ordinary intelligence will, I am sure, be able to decide the question for herself. For women's luncheons and afternoon teas, when a cloth suit is not worn, then a dressy frock of taffeta, foulard, voile or any suitable fabric will be in good taste. It will be made in the latest style, modified, if necessary, to suit the proportions of the wea'rer, but it must be smart. It may be light or dark in color, as the wearer wishes, but it must not be heavy in texture. There should, of course, be a dainty relief about the neck. A separate wrap will be necessary if the dress is quite light. This will be removed before entering the reception room, but the hat will be retained. Any daint}^, becoming piece of head- wear harmonizing with the rest of the toilet should be worn. A flower toque is pretty, at the 109 Talks on Successful Gowning. same time a large, much beplumed hat will be in equally good taste, provided, of course, it suits the style and age of the wearer. Gloves will be white and jewelry in moderation will be quite correct. If belts or sashes are worn, make a point of having these strictly up to date, and, in fact, make quite sure that every accessory of the toilet is of the latest mode. This is much more important really than the cut or material of your gown. Dinner Gowns. Coming to the dinner gowns (perhaps the most formal toilet of all), there is this to be said: If invited out to dinner at a private house, a handsome gown of silk, velvet or satin cut decollete and sleeves conspicuous only by their brevity will be quite correct. The petticoat may be of lingerie or soft satin, but the agreeable frou-frou of the stiffer silks is banished from the list of petticoat materials for evening wear. There are lovely brocades worn under dinner gowns that are flounced with lingerie ruffles, a pretty and an economical fash- ion, for the flounce can be cleansed at any time and be re-attached. Velvet is an ideal fabric far the gown of a matron who is inclined or more to plumpness. As a rule, this type has extremely good shoulders and nothing sets them off so well as velvet, the relief coming from a flat band of ivory lace. It goes without saying that the model should be perfectly plain, both on account of the build of 110 Correct Gowning. the wearer and the material. Much trimming cheapens velvet, to my thinking, and certainly a fussy model would be exceedingly unbecoming to other than a slender figure. Glossy, glistening satins should be favored by women who would prefer, if they could have it, just a little more flesh, and a fluffy arrange- ment of tulle or something equally soft about the bust will be better than a flat trimming. Tuckers are the most charitable little affairs to the woman whose neck is thin and scrawny, for a pretty tucker of white illusion will disguise all such deficiencies, yet the effect at only a very short distance will be of a decollete waist. The hostess when giving a dinner will wear a very handsome gown, but it should not be so elaborate as to out-shine a toilet that may be worn by any of her guests. Jewels may be displayed as one pleases, and special attention will be given to the coiffure. Matrons will prefer the high arrangement of the hair and no comb or diamond will be too rich or elaborate to be used as a decoration. Younger women will adopt the low nape of the neck twist or the Psyche knot, any style in fact that suggests youth or girlishness, as the case may be. A young married woman will seek a slightly more digni- fied coiffure than that selected by her girl friend. Dining at a Restaurant. In dining at a restaurant or hotel such gowns as might be worn at home would be decidedly in bad taste here. A pretty light frock is of 111 Talks on Successful Gowning. course essential, but it must be high-necked even though the yoke may be ever so deep or so trans- parent. A black or a white lace or net gown of the simple order is quite appropriate for such an occasion, the former lighted up by flashes of jet trimming or soft white effects about the bust and neck. Jewels not too profuse may be indulged in and a pretty dainty fan is a charming accessory that can be made to give a touch of color to a toilet in a monotone. The hat should be as smart as the purse will allow and gloves, of course, must be immaculate. The feet will be shod with patent leather pumps and silk stockings, which may be black, white or match the color of the gown worn. The evening wrap should be of cloth, made in a loose, graceful fashion, the color light or dark, as preferred. The neutral tones, as fawn, mode and putty colors go well with almost any kind of a gown and, of course, black is always prac- tical. Unless relieved, however, with handsome embroideries, black is apt to be rather sombre looking for evening wear. The toilet that is correct for a dinner in a public place is one that is also entirely appropri- ate for theatre wear. For the opera the most elaborate costume may be launched, silks, satins, jewels and gee-gaws are all admissible. For the matinee one can wear an afternoon tailored suit with a dainty fluffy waist and one's best hat. Gloves should be white and a pretty feather boa may complete the toilet. Again, a 112 CoEEECT Gowning. frock of voile, messaline or other soft silk is in perfect taste, a little lace arranged as a yoke or bertha and worn under a separate wrap which will be very easy to remove. Many articles of jewelry should be dispensed with, in fact, unless upon a very ceremonious occasion, jewels should not be worn in the day time to any great extent. To do so is a sign of ill breeding and an absence of the knowledge of the fitness of things. There will, however, be no objection whatever to a few dainty trinkets. Summer Frocks. A summer morning street gown may consist of a linen skirt and coat suit, white or a color, simply tailored, carrying out the lines suggested for the woolen suit. The kind of hat will depend upon the age of the wearer. For quite a young woman the conventional straw sailor neatly banded with a ribbon is the best possible choice. An older woman might prefer a straw toque or a medium sized hat of fine braid. In any case flowers should not be used as a trimming on a hat to be worn with a linen gown. Ribbon is always in good taste and so are stiff wings. An all black hat is stylish looking with a white or colored linen suit, and in that case the gloves should be black also. Hose and neat fitting kid shoes will be both of the same sombre hue. The shirt waist will be of lawn brought into a linen belt and a linen collar and natty tie will finish the neck. The prettiest kind of a veil for morning wear is the fine wash net with a tiny design or dot or else one of chiffon. 113 Talks on Successful Gowning. A white linen parasol may be carried with almost any morning toilet, while a bright taffeta in vivid coloring will be in perfect taste suppos- ing the rest of the toilet is white. For seaside or country wear bright red or vivid green is immensely attractive as a color for a parasol. The plain, neat shirt waist suit is another costume that is in good taste for morning wear, made of percale, lawn, linen or chambray on sim- ple lines relieved with a little white at the throat. The stout or short woman should choose her belt to match her dress, a slim one may wear a white linen belt and look all the daintier for it. White silk or lisle thread gloves will be in good taste and when the dress is white the shoes of canvas may be white also. In the case of a colored gOAvn then tan footwear will be more harmonious than white. Afternoon Gown. An afternoon toilet may be as dainty as the wearer chooses, due attention being given to a becoming color and the age of the woman it will adorn. A young woman may choose among the organ- dies, dimities, cliallis and kindred simple fabrics, and have them developed into smart prevailing styles with trimmings of lace and ribbon. Necks Avill be high, though among quite young girls the Dutch mode is pretty. This stjde for street wear, however, is not as good as the really close to the throat. An older woman will select from the list that 114 Correct Gowning. includes voile, the silk and wool mixtures, poplin crepy goods, or a simple grenadine, made up tastefully and becomingly. Hats may be on the "pretty'' order without being elaborate. Lace, both black and white, ecru net, and fine straw are appropriate with trim- mings of flowers, tips or plumes, as suits the pocketbook and the age of the wearer. Small flowers are entirely suitable for elderly women's wear, but tips will be in better taste than large, "giddy" looking blossoms. Girls generally may indulge in flowers as a hat decoration to their hearts' content, and often a filmy scarf tying down a hat will be an added attraction. An afternoon hat may carry this addition, but headwear for morning will be per- haps in better taste when these ties are dispensed with. The daintiest of under-skirts will be pressed into service all befrilled and ruffled, while for morning wear, the white petticoat should be fairly plain. A flounce of blind embroidery hem- stitched is a pretty finish and so is a scalloped frill worked with large dots. Patent leather pumps and black silk stockings belong to the afternoon toilet and white gloves are always in the best possible taste. 115 Talks on Successful Gowning. CHAPTER XIII. A CHAPTER ON FURS. TT I Hx\T a fascination furs have for women ft& I generally! Indeed, the possession of a ^^^ liandsome set of furs oftentimes rep- resents 3'ears of careful saving and actual self- denial. Women who would never dream of saving up money to buy jew^els or costly gow^ns, will do so to invest in expensive furs, and consider it in no way extravagant. Neither is it, in fact, for furs of good quality should last a life-time, but to buy them with this end in view demands a knowledge that the average woman cannot be expected to possess, for so perfectly are genuine furs imitated that sometimes even an expert may be deceived. In the present chapter, however, I hope to be able to give such practical advice to would-be purchasers as will enable them to be on their guard against traps and pitfalls and to offer valuable information in detail on the care and treatment of furs, once they have be- come a possession. The first word of advice I have to give is : "Go to a good reliable furrier.'^ Trust no dealer in promiscuous wares when it comes to buying furs and do not believe in sacrificial prices. Furs may be slightly reduced at the end of the season, but 116 A Chapter on Furs. really good furs hold their own price throughout the year and are as staple as precious stones. Both have their own market value which varies only with the demand for them. The most expensive furs are the black fox and the Russian sable, though there are dozens of furs masquerading as sable. For instance dark mink is often labelled sable and unless the skin of the fur is examined one is apt to be victimized. Compared on the sur- face sable will be finer and softer than mink. The difference in the skins is more noticeable, the mink being much heavier and stronger than the sable. A test that an expert claims is infallible is to double the skin over with the fur outwards, and then to look at the ridge of fur that stands up in a very bright light. If the fur is genuine the tips will be darker than that coming next to the skin. If, however, the darker tone shows a regular line, then the fur has been "doctored," for nature produces this darkening irregularly. A person still doubtful should pull out a few of the darkest hairs and dip them in a very strong acid. If they are genuine they will simply bleach to a lighter tone, but if the fur has been dyed they are apt to turn almost any shade, green or plum color, for instance. Black fox is so very expensive that only very wealthy women can afford to buy this fur and with this class these pages have little or nothing to do, so I will begin the list with ermine, 117 Talks on Successful Gowning. which, by the way, is by no means a cheap fur, either. White rabbit and coney is the substitute for this delicate fur. If purchased at a reliable furriers the price will tell whether it is genuine or an imitation, for a good house will mark both at their proper value, and no attempt Avill be made to palm off the inferior fur as real ermine. The little black tails can be so skillfully in- serted that white rabbit becomes an exceedingly good imitation, and for children's wear will an- sw^er the purpose quite as well as the genuine article. Minever much resembles ermine, but the white fur is spotted with tips of black instead of tails. The prices of minever and ermine are about the same. Next on the list is chinchilla, a most beautiful fur indeed, extremely soft and exquisite in color- ing, running all the way from a delicate silver, through pearl and steel gra^^s to deep blue gray. The chinchilla is quite a small animal, and, as one skin costs about $25, this may be classed among the costly furs. It is also said to be the most difficult pelt to imitate. White hare has been clipped, then artistically colored, but no amount of skill seems to have been capable of defying detection. Mink is a favorite fur and a good quality may be always quickly recognized. The fur is brown with a darker stripe distinctly marked. In life, this stripe runs the length of the little animaFs back. The cutting of mink skins is said to be the 118 A Chapter on Furs. very acme of the furrier's art. Indeed, very few practical men attempt to include the cutting in their ordinary work, but prefer to leave it to a specialist among fur workers. The mink skin measures about fourteen inches long before it is dressed, yet, when ready for making up it will measure eight inches longer. This is accomplished by cutting slants in the fur from the dark line to the edges. Then the skin is stretched and tiny scraps of fur are inserted, like wedges, blending perfectly, while the stripe is entirely preserved. As the work must be done with the skin side upwards it can easily be seen very great skill is required. It is, in fact, a most wonderful piece of work, viewed by the eyes of an amateur furrier. Persian lamb, too, is a general favorite, and is a pelt that cannot well be imitated. It will be found that the prices vary quite a good deal, but this is really owing to the difference in the quality of the fur, some skins being handsomer than the others, in just the same way as broad- cloth may be made from genuine wool or just shoddy. The buyer will know which kind she is getting by the price she pays. Persian lamb in a good quality is expensive, but a poor quality is dear at any price. A cheap coat is certainly hardly worth the buying, for it very soon loses its gloss, quickly becomes shabby and ragged looking, while unfortunately there are no means of restoring its beauty permanently, 80 that unless one is prepared to pay a good price, 119 Talks on Successful Gowning. it will be better to invest the money in a less costly fur. Caracul is a good investment and the price is modest. It is a skin, too, that wears well and so may be depended upon for all around genuine use. Pony skin has much to recommend it, and it is quite an easy matter to judge whether this fur is genuine or not as it is only imitated in fabrics. Brown fox is dyed, of course. This is a fur that looks well and may be said to wear fairly well, for the price paid. Pointed fox is black, showing white hairs. These are all put in by hand and so pointed fox is termed a made fur. Black lynx is usually genuine and may be classed among the less expensive furs. Of course there are imitations, but, if bought at a reliable house, one may be sure of getting the real thing. Beaver and opossum are easily distinguished. The former, however, is much more expensive than the latter. Squirrel, too, is another cheap fur and can be bought in its natural color or dyed brown. Squirrel ^4ock'' is the fur under- neath the little animaFs body and is cheaper than the black fur. For this reason it is often used as a lining for coats, etc. Sealskin to-day ranks among the most ex- pensive pelts and it may be said, no other fur has so many substitutes. The most perfect imitation is the musquash and so clever is the counterfeit, that it is often necessary to view the back of the skins in order to determine whether or not it 120 A Chapter on Furs. is genuine. If made from musquash there will be many seams, because the animal is small. The seal, on the contrary, is quite large, consequently there will be less joining of pieces. At the same time, however, there are furriers who use up small scraps of real sealskin in the making of garments; but these will cost less than those fashioned from full skins, because the beauty of the finished article will be less and the wear will not be as good. Another substitute for sealskin is dyed rabbit. This is called electric seal and for the price asked for it gives as good service as can be ex- pected. Fur Market. London is the fur market of the world and thither the dealers from all parts resort, both for buying and selling. It is said that there is something in the air and the water of England that works better in the curing and dyeing of skins than any other place upon the globe. Sealskins in just the raw salted condition are dispatched to London, where experts convert them from dirty, pale, tan looking hides into the beautiful deep glossy pelt we see on sale. The dye is applied by means of brushes, coat after coat, each being allowed to dry before adding the next, until the desired richness of tone is obtained. In addition to' the sealskin we are accustomed to see there is a hair seal that is made up fur side out for travelling or auto coats. It is exceedingly 121 Talks on Successful Gowning. warm and needs only a light kind of a lining. Skunk (Alaska sable) is really a beautiful fux', while for practical wear it has few equals; but on account of a certain disagreeable odor this pelt does not find much favor. Furriers say that there is a fortune awaiting the man w^ho can eliminate this unpleasant feature of the fur for good and all. Blended Furs One often sees furs marked ^'shaded'' or "blended." This does not imply that they are not genuine, but only that they are less valuable, being of an inferior grade. Again, they have been subjected to the furrier's art by way of a touch of coloring, therefore will not keep their beauty as long as those furs that have been left in their natural state. White fox is lovely, but requires a good deal of care in buying. It will often turn yellow after a little wear, sometimes in spots and some* times all over. This is said to be due to imperfect bleaching, and there is nothing, I believe, that will restore the whiteness. Prices. In regard to the wearing qualities of furs, mink should, I think, rank first among the furs whose prices are not prohibitive. A short coat covering the hips well, will perhaps cost from $500 upwards but will last a lifetime. It will, too, stand remodelling, and every scrap of mink can be utilized now-a-days, even a wee bit that 122 A Chapter on Furs. will only just cover a button. A handsome muff and scarf will cost |125 — and more if one wishes to pay it — a hat of mink will fetch |20, while heads and tails may be bought from 50 cents upAvards. Any sum less than those named should not be paid if satisfactory wear is to be expected. Persian lamb does not vary much in price from season to season. A coat costing $250 should certainly wear well. A muff and scarf priced at |50 is none too much to give for accessories that will give service for a long time. A set of brown fox will cost about |50. This should include a handsome scarf and a large muff, which, with care, will last through three or four seasons. A caracul or a Russian pony coat full length, may cost from |50 to flOO, according to quality. Shorter lengths will, of course, be proportion- ately less. Muffs and boas of these furs are, on the whole, quite inexpensive, their price, how- ever, depending entirely upon the size of the respective articles and the quality of their skins. When it comes to the question of the price of sealskin it is almost impossible to name definitely any particular sum that shall be paid. The real article is, however, very expensive, and, unless one is prepared to pay a good sum, the purchase should certainly not be attempted. There is one thing to be said in favor of seal- skin, and the same remark will apply to Persian lamb, they are furs that lend themselves well to renovations and alterations. Long garments may be made into shorter ones; small pieces can 123 Talks on Successful Gowning. be cut up into trimmings or accessories while larger pieces can be made into a hat, muff or boa. Skunk is a very strong fur, but, as I said before, is not especially popular. Lynx is pre- ferred as a black fur to skunk, but this is a very soft fur and does not wear well unless very carefully handled. Beaver, otter and opossum are very strong pelts which renders them adaptable for children's wear, or for adults when a good deal of service is expected. To Preserve Furs. Few women really understand the preserva- tion of furs. When it is possible furs should always be sent to a cold storage, not so much from the fear of moths as that the pelts should be kept as cold as possible. Each hair of any fur is supplied with a very small quantity of oil. This furnishes the lustre. Now, of course, if this is dried up naturally the fur takes on a dull lifeless appearance. Thus it will be seen that it is not only necessary to protect furs from the ravages of moths, but from the heat as well. The cedar chest placed in the cellar during the summer will be a better place than the attic, supposing there is no cold storage within a con- v^enient distance. For the same reason furs should never be placed near a stove in the case of their getting wet, but should be thoroughly shaken, then hung up in a draught if placing in the open air is im- possible. 124 A Chapter on Furs. To keep furs free from dust they should be thoroughly shaken and then beaten on the inside of the garment with a cane. Dust harbors moths, and by keeping furs free from dust there is, of course, less danger of moths taking up their abode there. In putting away it should be seen that no moth eggs lurk within, for if they do, no amount of camphor, naptha balls, or other moth destroyers will be of any use whatever. These agents will keep the pests away, but has no influence whatever upon any already in residence. Furs can be cleaned at home (if not allowed to become too much soiled) by rubbing in hot bran or flour, according as the fur is light or dark. Chinchilla will usually respond to the flour treatment and so will ermine. If quite dirty, however, they should be sent to a furrier, because the means at hand at home are insuf- ficient. The furrier first removes the lining, then places the fur in a drumlike apparatus. Fine sawdust and sand, both very hot, are added, and then the drum is set revolving. This cleans the pelt perfectly, making it look like new. Dark places for storing furs are better than light ones, always making quite sure that no moths lurk within. They just love dark corners in closets. After motoring it is imperative that the fur coat shall be subjected to a good caning in order 125 Talks on Successful Gowning. to discharge the dust, for sanitary reasons, as well as for those of preservation. Becoming Furs. It is, I know, a popular belief that all furs are becoming to all Avomen. I beg to differ. There are certain furs that will become certain t^'pes of women, and there are other^s that will change a beauty into a positively plain woman. P^or this reason, I think furs should not be given as presents, especially when they are very costly. Being expensive tliey must be worn certainly for a number of years, and the furs, instead of being a pleasure, will be looked upon as an infliction. Take, for instance, sealskin, a pelt that is supposed to suit every woman alive, and place it on a dark- haired, dark-ej^ed woman with sal- low or colorless skin. She will look her very worst in it, because of the contrast between the glossy hue of the dark sealskin and the lustreless black hair added to the yellow white of the complexion. Yet the same woman in mink or rich brown fox would be charming, for the sallow skin warms and clears, tints of pink creep into the pale waxy skin, while the hair will actually seem to have taken on new life. Another mistake is often made by the brunette of vivid coloring, the red and cream skinned woman. She will often choose ermine, with the view, she says, ''of bringing out her rich color- ing." This is accomplished, certainly, but so strong is the contrast as to be inartistic. The contrast between the wearer's coloring and the 126 A Chapter on Furs. dead white fur is so vivid that the dark brown hair becomes actually black, while the tints of the skin are so intensified as to give the effect of coarseness. Her toilet may be striking, but she does not present a harmonious whole. The furs she should have selected are chinchilla, silver fox, or any of the gray furs if they must be light in color. An old lady is lovely in mink when the eyes are dark, and another good fur for this type, no matter Avhat the color of the eyes, is chinchilla. In fact, the last named pelt has been termed the fur of childhood and old age. The ash blonde and the red-haired blonde must exercise the greatest care in the selection of furs. As a rule very dark and very light furs are becoming to both types. The darker shades of sealskin are admirable and so is ermine, also all the genuine black furs. White and creamy furs may be worn successfully by both classes. Blue- gray furs ma}^ also be chosen, unless there is a tinge of green in the eyes, then steel gray tones will be the better choice. If tastes incline toward brown furs these types must be careful to select the very darkest shades. Light mink is one of the most unbecoming furs the red-headed blonde can choose, and the same may be said of red or undyed fox. The deep rich brown furs and the gray shades are hers, however. Age, too, is something to be reckoned with in the successful wearing of furs, — much more so, in fact, than may be at first imagined, especially 127 Talks on Successful Gowning. middle-age, that most difficult stage to fight in a woman's life. Take the average woman of fifty or more. With iron gray locks and skin bereft of its freshness, and let her wear caracul, seal or ermine, it will add ten years to her appearance, yet, strangely enough, when the white or silvery haired old lady dons such furs ten years seem to have been taken from her age. The fair skin that usually accompanies pretty white hair becomes fresher and daintier still by the contrast. Mink or any of the rich brown furs are the best choice for the woman past her first youth- Baum marten is a good fur for this type of women and is, moreover, a pelt that wears well. The very fair brunette, dark-haired with blue- gray eyes and fair complexion, can wear the lighter shades of sealskin,, also the white and creamy furs, mink, sable and marten. The gen- uine brunette, dark-eyed and brown-haired, pos- sessing a good color, can wear with success every shade of brown fur, also gray or gray-blue. Mink, marten, chinchilla, red and yellow fox are hers as well as caracul. Brown is, however, first choice. The brunette of the olive or sallow skin can wear rich sable, mink, red fox and silver gray but not the blue-gray skins. The genuine blonde will look her best in furs that are either very dark or directly opposite in hue. She can wear caracul, black lynx, dark sealskin, pointed fox, ermine and white fox. When the eyes and eye brows are dark, chinchilla 128 A Chapter on Furs. and blue fox are becoming, but wben the eyes are blue and eye brows and lashes pale in shade, these gray furs by reason of their lack of contrast are apt to suggest insipidity. The red-haired blonde will also become any fur chosen from the above list, and dark brown fox may be added to the peltry that will suit her. The woman of the nondescript type may adopt most of the shades of sealskin, also chinchilla, caracul, sable, marten, and the white and creamy furs, that is, when the complexion is clear and she has a touch of color. If she is sallow, how- ever, it will be better to omit white and the creamy furs. Even in buying children's furs due attention should be given to the natural coloring of the small wearer to be. The dainty little blonde will look lovely in the white and cream furs and they will be equally becoming to the pink and white skinned brunette. If, however, either is sallow or very dark complexioned, then chinchilla, beaver or golden otter will be a far better choice. 129 Talks on Successful Gowning. CHAPTEK XIV. VEILS THAT WILL PKOVE BECOMING. CHOUGH only a very small detail, the veil is a most important one in a woman's toilet, for not only must it be chosen with a view to its becomingness over the face, but it must also be selected with due regard to the height and build of the wearer as well. Her age, too, must be taken into consideration, also the hour and the occasion upon which the veil is to be worn, therefore, it will be seen that the choice of a veil is not one that can be made without due consideration, if the best results are to be obtained. Speaking first then in regard to choosing the veil to suit the time and occasion, when in doubt I should say that a fine mesh or one showing an inconspicuous dot, will be the best possible choice. Chiffon, plain or dotted, will be in equally good taste. Black or brown net always looks well for morning wear, although a veil matching the hat will be quite correct. For afternoons, calling, church and better wear, lace and net either black or white or a com- bination of the two may be worn. Veils are seldom worn with an evening hat. If it is necessary to keep unruly locks in place, a net of 130 Veils That Will Prove Becoming. human hair is used, as a rule, which may be removed, if desired, with the hat. The question of selecting a becoming veil is not so easily disposed of. Selection. Beginning with the short girl or woman, she will appear to much better advantage if she will entirely dispense with a veil, because, strangely enough, veils have a tendency to cut the height of the wearer. When however, she does attempt it the arrangement will have a great deal to do with its success or failure. First, a simple mesh or a small dot should be chosen, nothing heavy in effect, while a border should be avoided like the plague. It will arrest the height of the wearer at the chin, a decidedly unnecessary step, for every inch of height is needed. The veil should be taken well up over the hat and trimming just as high as possible and all ends be firmly secured. The flowing lines of a veil are not for the short woman. To a tall figure the elaborate veil of lace or chiffon with or without a border will be in- finitely becoming because the fluffy accessory tends to broaden the figure. If allowed to fall gracefully upon the shoulders the effect will be extremely good. A border should not be so deep that it crosses the mouth, or the wearer will give the impression of being muzzled. In the case of a deep border edging a lace veil it will be better to arrange the border edge over the hat, reversing the order of things. 131 Talks on Successful Gowning. When a net veil is worn by a tall woman it should be of a very generous size. It may be as wide, in fact, as it is long, for folds of veiling on hat and about the chin will be found very be- coming. Such a veil should be taken back gracefully, not stiffly or firmly as the veil of the short woman should be. At the same time there must be no protruding ends. In choosing a mesh the type of face should be considered. A baby face displaying small delicate features should never choose either large dots or a coarse mesh. The one exception, however, is the Russian net, which seems to become almost every type of face and feature. Small hair-like threads in an even mesh dotted with small spots, or the threads arranged in groups and without the dots are both favorable to this type of woman. Black and white effects will suit her in a fancy mesh or small dots. When she is short as well; the veil should not be black unless absolutely necessary. The veil of the little woman should suggest an accessory only in every sense of the word. Going to the other extreme — the tall, large- featured woman — her veil may be actually strik- ing, and no more a detail of the toilet than the coat or the hat. She can stand pronounced effects and may choose dots as large as she pleases. When the face is vei^ fat large chenille dots (raised) should be avoided, and those of velvet selected instead. When the nose is large a plain mesh or one with small dots is certainly the better choice. 132 Veils That Will Prove Becoming. Freak veils either in color or design, it goes without saying, are not in good taste. There can be no objection to colored chiffon veils, but nets in vivid colorings the well dressed woman will let severely alone. One of the most trying designs is that showing a surface strewn with dots in various sizes. There will be a ver^^ few large dots, a sprinkling of smaller ones and not a few very small indeed. Viewed from a short distance, a face so covered gives the impression of the owner having just arrived from a journe}^, but not on the train patronized by Miss Phoebe Snow. Only a pro- fessional beauty should attempt such a design, and another pattern which ordinary mortals will do well to avoid is the group of dots. Usually four of these groups are scattered over the face, and unless it is a pretty one the result is cer- tainly far from being attractive. When the eyes are small, a veil with large dots will not look well for obvious reasons. The safest choice by way of design is a fairly fine mesh with small dots less than an inch apart. It should be seen, however, that these dots are in the form of diamonds, and not in straight rows. This makes all the difference in the Avorld. When the latter is adjusted quite right the effect is far from pleasing, as the face appears striped ; while, when the ends are taken up on the hat in the back", it makes one look really grotesque, so, though a small matter, the dot arrangement is an import- ant one. Indeed, attention to detail proclaims the well dressed woman always. Though it has been 133 Talks on Successful Gowning. pointed out what will be most becoming, still youthful faces and figures may, if they wi^h, allow themselves certain liberties in veils Avith- out any very dire results; for youth is always charming, and flowing chiffons, odd looking, even grotesque designs, call forth no more than a passing glance, but when a woman reaches middle age she realizes that the veil like the rest of her toilet must be chosen with care. Choice for Middle-aged Women. While there can be no hard and fast rule laid down, a few general rules may be helpful. For women Avho are just leaving their youth behind, in the transition stage, as it may be called, there, is nothing more charitable bv wav of a face cov- ering than the Russian net. Brown is preferable to black, and white is often quite becoming when the complexion is good. Women in middle life who possess small fea- tures, should never wear dots at all, a fine mesh in all black or black and white threads will be the best possible choice. Gray veils are not becoming to elderly women generally, though some authorities claim they are by reason of their harmonizing so well with gray hair. Personally, I prefer the same effect brought about b}^ the threads of black and white. Such a combination is more becoming over the face, and the lines of the black are just a contrast and not as characterless as all gray. A face showing the slightest trace of sallowness becomes hideous under a gray veil, and even a 134 Veils That Will Prove Hecoming. fresh, pink and white complexion is not improved by a protection of this color. The silver-gray haired woman with pink cheeks looks pretty in a gray hat and a perfectly chosen all white veil. This may be a bit of fine Brussels net with a tiny ring or dot. She, too, can wear the black and white effects, but unless her toilet is all black, she should not don a black veil. It will make her look dowdy. Large raised chenille dots are seldom becoming to middle-aged women of any type whatever. They suggest a coarseness and are especially un- kind to large features. The too florid woman, generally the one who has found this kind of veil becoming in her 3^outh, must make up her mind to give it up now and choose something more refining in its effect. This type, too, has probably looked extremely well in a veil sprinkled with velvet dots in the past. She must be pre- pared to also relinquish this strikingly coquettish design, because if worn, it will by its dashing effect only serve to betray the past youth. On the contrary, the woman of the between color type is apt to be improved by wearing it. You see, her coloring is so neutral that there has been no very decided visible change with the passing years as in the case of the handsome woman, and very of- ten the striking veil will give just the tone and character necessary to the success of her toilet. Only the woman with a long neck should at- tempt the lace veil. The dumpy woman with a short, fat throat will look ridiculous in such a heavy accessory. 135 Talks on Successful Gowning. Chiffon veils are becoming to elderly women generally, and in fact it may be said to every type of womankind. A decided blonde will look well in a black veil, the brunette will be improved by wearing brown, white, or black and white. It is very poor economy to buy a cheap veil, for with care a good veil will outwear four cheap ones. One of the very best ways of prolonging the life of a veil is to run a thread of sewing silk along the edges, both top and bottom, neither fulling nor stretching the veil but just making it perfectly flat. It must be done before the veil is put on for the first time and then it will never lose its shape unless the thread breaks, when it can easily be renewed. Most women know how to take care of veils without being told, it is the disinclination to do it that is generally at fault, so I think it unneces- sary to go into details of keeping veils fresh. Not every woman, however, may know that in buying a white chiffon veil that is dotted, chenille dots should be preferred to those of velvet. The former are wired on, the latter attached with a gummy substance that dissolves when the veil is washed in warm water. A white chiffon veil dotted with chenille can be made to look like new by washing in white soap suds, rinsing thoroughly in warm water and then pinned out flat on a pillow or the bed. No ironing will be necessary and the dots will stand out full and fluffy. 136 CHAPTER XV. THE JEWELS I SHOULD WEAK. T7 1 HAT a fascination jewels have for the ft ft I majority of women ! Indeed the love of %^^ these valuables as personal adornments has often led women into making the mistake of wearing ornaments that were entirely unbecom- ing to their individual style of beauty, simply because the temptation to do so proved irresist- able. Others again make the same mistake through ignorance, believing, as many persons do, that jewels cannot be unbecoming no matter of what color, style or design, but may be worn with success by any type of woman; yet never Avas there a greater fallacy. The proper choice of jewels is quite as im- portant a matter as selecting the correct color for one's gown, possibly more so, for jewelry has a way of asserting itself more than any other accessory of the toilet. It stands out and seems to challenge compar- ison, and how often do we see this decided in favor of the wearer? Kot often, I am sorry to say, for hard, glittering diamonds worn in close proximity with wrinkled or withered looking skin and faded eyes are sights we see every day, and certainly they cannot be said to be pleasing by any means. 137 Talks on Successb^ul Gowning. Diamonds. Taking the queen of stones first, the diamond, I should say that it may be worn by almost any type of women, provided it is placed in the right position. When the skin is perfectly fresh and youthful — by this I mean not withered or shriveled at all — diamonds may be placed directly on the skin, as a necklace or a bracelet, and when the eyes are bright, diamond earrings will only enhance their brightness. When, however, the eyes are dull looking — ^and this does not always imply that the possessor is old in years at all, for some skins are muddier looking in youth than others are in middle age — then one must forego the pleasure of wearing diamonds in the ears, no matter how great the temptation, that is, if the best results are made the aim. While I say diamonds are becoming to every type, there are certain classes of women who can wear them better than others. For instance a genuine brunette with bright, healthy coloring, dark-eyed and brown-haired, can wear this cold looking stone with the greatest success, while only the exceptional blonde could produce the same effect. Pearls, as a rule, may be worn by brunette or blonde with equal success, provided the skin of the brunette is clear and perfectly free from any trace of sallowness. Rubies belong exclusively to the brunette type, not so particularly on account of their color, for many blondes look extremely well in red, but rather because they are apt to be overpowering 138 The Jewels I Should Wear. in their effect, worn by women whose coloring is not characteristically strong. The brunette coloring would harmonize with stones of such warmth, while the cold tones of the blonde would only serve as a contrast, and not an agreeable one, for the jewels would become of first importance, not the wearer, as the case should be. The blonde will look well in sapphires, tur- quoise, emeralds and amethysts, while the red- haired type of blonde will be perfectly lovely in emeralds or pearls. As a rule, this class has a milk-white skin which forms a delicious back- ground for a string of pearls, while there is no stone that will bring out the delicate tints in cheeks and lips as will the emerald, or tend to subdue the too fiery (perhaps) red glints in the liair. Deck her in turquoise and see how the red is intensified, and how "commonplace'' the whole effect is compared to the result of dressing her with emeralds. Diamonds and emeralds in com- bination will be apt to suit this type unless she is actually colorless, "matte," as the French call it. In that case, the diamonds alone will be the better choice. The amethyst is another stone that is becoming to the red-haired blonde, especially when the eyes are dark. In fact, I think I should allow the color of the eyes to decide the choice in jewels. A red-haired blonde with blue eyes would be ex- quisite in an evening frock of some soft milky white crepy stuff mounted over palest green, showing through only in glints with the wearer's movements, her jewels emeralds; while a brown- 139 Talks on Successful Gowning. eyed red-haired woman would be a perfect beauty in the crepy frock not backed with a color, and her decorations amethysts or amethysts and pearls. The genuine blonde will become turquoise per- haps better than any other stone, and when she is pale and very fair, the turquoise and diamond in combination will brighten and seem to give her life. Only a small proportion of the diamond, however, should be attempted, just enough to effect the purpose of its being there, namely to add life and sparkle. A pink and white or rosy blonde whose hair is perhaps aggressively golden should choose pearls for the same reason as the lifeless blonde chose diamonds, except that the results are opposite. The pearls will subdue un- due exuberance of color just in the same degree as the diamond intensifies it. Hence the reason for the respective selections. A sallow blonde must never attempt diamonds, although brunettes whose skin is dark may wear them, provided it is also perfectly clear as well. Semi-precious Stones. Among the less expensive jewels that will be found becoming to the average brunette are am- ber and coral. Amber has the effect of whitening the skin, therefore it is suited to those inclined to sallowness. A deep red coral will do the same service, and a string of pale pink coral beads around the neck of a fair brunette will often suit her better than the most costly ornament. The delicate tints of her skin, brought into proximity 140 The Jewels I Should Wear. with palest pink coral gives the suggestion of a dainty wild rose. The most difficult class of women to suit in the choice of jewels is the between color type, those who are neither dark nor fair; pretty in their own way, but requiring the utmost care in adornment. Diamonds alone, on account of tbeir brilliancy, are out of the question, for their bright- ness will entirely eclipse any beauty the wearer may possess. Pearls, going to the opposite degree, fail to answer, both jewels and woman sinking into insignificance by the combination, while such stones as emeralds, sapphires and rubies are as impossible as diamonds on account of their im- portance. It would appear then perhaps better to rely upon the semi-precious stones for the adornment of the nondescript or between color type. These have a soft brilliancy of their own that seems to harmonize with the class in ques- tion, a glistening in a lesser degree than the precious stones and therefore infinitely more be- coming. The lustre of the topaz will bring out any brightness in eyes that are perhaps pale brown, while jade will emphasize any glints in hair neither light nor dark, something the more costly emerald will fail to do. Turquoise will often be becoming when used in small quantities and the soft blue of the moon- stone will be especially kind to the woman of delicate coloring. Coral too, she may wear, and amethysts should not be unbecoming. There is still another class, often distinguished 141 I'Ai.Ks ON Successful Gowning. looking in a way, to whom stones of all sorts and conditions seem to be entirely unsuitable. This type should choose their ornaments among the metals. Oftentimes a string of gold beads, or a necklace of dull silver will be just the very thing, or perhaps an odd looking pendant, a quaint necklet of coins or a dull oriental looking necklace will add a charm that would be simply impossible were colored stones substituted. Briefly, then, the pure blonde type may success- fully wear turquoise, diamonds, sapphires, ame- thysts, emeralds, opals, pearls, very pale coral, jade, lapis lazuli and onyx. AVhen sallow, the green stones must be omitted from the list and when quite pale and colorless, diamonds should be used in combination only. The brunette may don diamonds, rubies, pearls, amber, coral, turquoise in moderation, and jade. The latter only when she has color in lips and cheeks, while turquoise should not be worn if there is a trace of sallowness in the skin. The very dark brunette will look her best dec- orated with the rich red of the ruby brightened by a sprinkling of diamonds. The red-haired blonde will become green stones, opals and pearls, better than any others. Sapphires she may wear, but turquoise will be trying. Those between colors, as I said before, must choose jewels that are in keeping with their own particular style, which, while perhaps not exactly nondescript, is certainly not pronounced to any degree. A medium course will be the safer. Just 142 The Jewels i Should Wear. as the wearer is neither dark nor fair, so should her ornaments be neither too brilliant — so as to overpower her — nor too insignificant that they make her look like a dowdy. When the skin by nature is too dull to form a becoming background to a diamond necklace, the same effect may be obtained but with better results if the diamonds are distributed about the corsage, caught upon a light lace, say around the decollete but not on the actual skin. Worn as a tiara or other hair ornament diamonds will be generally becoming, no matter what the age of the wearer. It will be well to consider the question of wearing diamond earrings or not thoroughly before deciding. If the eyes are decidedly dull I should say "don't." If, however, a woman suc- cumbs to temptation against her better judgment, there is a partial way of getting over the difficul- ties in the way. Nowadays, when ears are seldom pierced, it is possible to screw the earring at any point of the lobe of the ear, as preferred, and when the becomingness of earrings is in doubt, they should be screwed as closely to the face as possible, so that they cannot be seen when viewed from the front. In this way the brilliant stones and the dull eyes cannot be taken in at the same glance, which will be a decided advantage to the owner. Selecting Jewels. Another point to be remembered in selecting jewels is their form or design. Persons who have 143 Talks on Successful Gowning. a very long narrow face will only increase this defect by surmounting it with a centre ornament, be it a butterfly or a short tiara. What should be worn would be the bands in filet style, two or three in dull gold set with stones. These will lie flat on the head and possibly extend from ear to ear. The round fat face will become a tall hair ornament, as a jewel, aigrette, or a butterfly wriggling on a spring attached to a hair pin and set in at a becoming angle. A slender, girlish face can wear strings of pearls .twisted in and out of locks that may be either dark or fair. In regard to neck ornaments, a collar of pearls is the prettiest decoration for a thin or scrawny neck, the waist brought up to almost meet the collar. It is obvious that a fat, short neck should not be so dressed, but must choose in the opposite direction. The lavallieres afford a very wide choice for this type of woman, and almost any design will be found becoming from a slender gold chain and locket to an elaborate or a barbarous-looking fringe attached to a narrow collar. When the face is round and the chin a veritable cushion, the most becoming ornament is a chain just falling away from the neck and supporting a pendant, broad as it meets the chain and taper- ing to almost a point. A square face may be made to appear better balanced if the neck dressing below takes the form of an ornament deeper in the centre than 144 The Jewels I Should Wear. at the sides, as a chain hung with coins or other pendants arranged as a lace work deep in the centre and graduated as to width as it reaches the back. The dainty little Dresden China woman may wear the band of black velvet tight around the throat studded with jewels. When the neck is too full to make the velvet becoming, and it is desired to wear a diamond ornament as a brooch or a pendant it can be secured to the flesh by means of court plaster. A strip of the plaster is passed under the pin or loop of the ornament as the case may be, and the ends are fastened to the neck. Earrings. Earrings fell into disfavor some years ago, chiefly, probably, because women in general found them so unbecoming. For they certainly were in the majority of cases in the days when the ears were pierced. This was always done at the broadest part of the lobe in order to support, if necessary, quite heavy ornaments. This point was often seen to be quite away from the face therefore earrings were really only becoming to those possessing slender faces. When the face was broad the earrings only served to emphasize its breadth and when short, the decoration broke the lengthwise line and con- sequently the face appeared to be shorter than it really was. Now that screw earrings are the more popular, there is not so much objection to these adorn- 145 Talks on Successful Gowning. ments, because the earrings can be adjusted quite close to the cheeks, which brings them more adaptable for wear in general. A short face may wear pendant drops. A broad face must have the earrings set in to the face as closely as possible and preferably the jewels should be small. Large hoops or rings must be left to the girlish figure or the matron of tall and rather unusual style. The ^^stud'' earrings will be found generally becoming. In the matter of brooches a large medallion should not be made the reclining spot for a nice double chin; a long brooch in pendant form will be better. A square chin may be seen to better advantage above an oval setting, but a sharp pointed chin should not have its lines intensified by adding a brooch in a lengthwise form, but apparently reduced by using a broad pin. Bracelets make pretty ornaments to wrists that are neither too fat nor too thin. The over-plump wrist and the one all too bony should be dressed with bracelets on the bangle order, just defining but not caressing the arm, while the normal wrist may be decorated in any preferred style. The bracelet may be a tight close-fitting band or it may be quite loose in bangle style. It is useless for me to say that rings should not be seen on fat short fingers, for every type of woman is going to wear rings if she has them, regardless of all consequences. Chains around the neck are decorative when not carried to excess. A large florid woman would do well to confine herself to a long slender design 146 The Jewels I Should Wear. — a gold chain unset with colored stones is a good choice. Slender women or those of the more refined looking type may indulge in chains more elaborate in design and setting. Strings of beads are becoming as a rule, whether for day or evening wear ; and neat sets of studs in gold or mounted with the semi- precious stones are always a nice finish to a blouse. 147 Talks on Successful Gowning. CHAPTER XVI. HINTS ON BEING PHOTOGRAPHED. 771 HAT to wear when being pliotographed A ft I is a problem that the average woman ^^^^ often finds extremely puzzling. The solution is not a difficult one if being photo- graphed is an every-day affair, for, given a fash- ionable gown, an up-to-date coiffure and the ^'latest thing" in accessories, she is correctly equipped sartorially for the occasion. But there are a number of women who have a positive dread of posing before a camera, and claim that (to them) a visit to the dentist's chair has no greater terrors. As a consequence, these persons give as few sittings as possible, — probably not more than three or four in a life-time, — and therefore the toilet must be w^ell and wisely chosen, otherwise the picture will only too readily "date" itself. Color, of course, plays an important part in the success or failure of a photograph, some "taking" better than others. Many a picture is a failure for the simple reason that the color worn is not one that comes out well in a photo- graph and every reason but the right one is often given as an excuse. Another requisite is perfect ease of manner. This is something that cannot be bought and 148 Hints on Being Photographed. not always acquired, yet it is absolutely necessary to the success of the picture. Now, a woman never feels perfectly "at home" in a gown she is wearing for the first time, there- fore it is obvious she should at least become thoroughly acquainted with the dress she wishes to wear in her photograph before she presents herself to the artist. She can only do this by wearing it. The gown will then take on the lines of the wearer, con- sequently the picture will be more natural-look- ing than it w^ould be w^ere she wearing a toilet strange to her. From an artistic as well as a natural viewpoint a new dress should not be worn, for the stiffness of the average textures prevents them from falling into graceful lines. Another most important point to remember when dressing for a photograph that is to be preserved, is the necessity for care in the selection of the small details or accessories of the toilet. These are the trifles that "date" the picture. For instance, if long earrings are in style, or large round ones a passing fad, it will be better to wear none at all than either style. Ornaments for the ears are not staple like rings or brooches, therefore it is wise to discard them wiien sitting for a photograph, even though the sitter wears them every day. The fashionable millinery of the moment will come under the same edict, no matter how fascinating or even becoming such headwear may be. 149 Talks on Successful Gowning. The reason is obvious. Nothing changes so quickly as millinery styles, and the '4ove of a hat'' of this season is apt to be voted a ^'fright" the next. Hence the good reason why it should be excluded from the toilet. Not all hats, be it said, but the fashionable one. In choosing the gown it is safe to assert that a simple style will come out much better than an elaborate one, apart from the fact that the latter will also probably be a fashionable one which makes it doubly objectionable. When other than an every day photograph is desired, it will be better to choose a frock on the picturesque or historical order, as these models are not subjected to the same change as are modern fashions. By this I do not intend anything bordering on the fancy costume as it is understood, but there are a number of pictures of women of an earlier day whose toilets might be copied with good results, making adaptations to the needs of the present. It will be seldom necessary to carry out each detail. Probably it may be only a trick of the coiffure or the arrangement of a drapery that has to be borrowed. Again, the whole picture may offer suggestions to the sitter that may be carried out to her ad- vantage. A dress that is cut out at the neck is always better than one finished with a high collar artist- ically considered, because this style never goes out of fashion. Some women imagine a low neck is unbecoming to them. This may be so "in the 150 Hints on Being Photographed. flesh/' but it may be said that a decollete waist correctly planned is the most becoming style a woman can wear when she goes to be photo- graphed, no matter whether the neck is plump, skinny, fat, slender or bony. Plump, bare necks are always pretty and when the throat is thin or scrawny or the shoulders bony, then such defects may be concealed by means of a soft tulle tucker, a lace fichu or a feather boa thrown carelessly around the figure. The result will be both pleasing and graceful. A positively fat neck should never be pictured wearing a high collar, for it will only call at- tention to the circumference, and, as a fat neck is usually a short one also, the effect will be as of a head set into a band, for no neck at all will be visible. How much more graceful then will be the slightly low bodice exposing what will appear in the picture as a very pretty neck! A locket suspended from a slender chain may be worn if the chin is extremely plump or too round, because this ornament will break the line of the chin and lengthen it. For the same reason a V-shaped outline at the neck is preferable to the round or square cut. After saying this it seems unnecessary to add that a necklace fitting the plump neck closely should not be worn because it will only serve to emphasize the round line of the chin. On the contrary, when the neck is long and slender, the wide dog collar style of necklace is the very best possible choice. 151 Talks on Successful Gowning. Such an ornament not only breaks the length of the neck, but it also apparently adds to its circumference, both most desirable features. Strangely enough a long neck looks longer than it really is and a plump one fatter when photographed than in the flesh, so that anything that tends to modify such an effect should be adopted. When the neck and shoulders are pretty the dress may be cut lower and the edge be trimmed with anything that is soft and fluffy, as a thin scarf or a feather boa. Fat shoulders should be defined by a flat trim- ming. If a softening of any kind is thought necessary it may be given by means of a narrow tucker of tulle. An out-door costume is not desirable, when the picture is to be preserved, otherwise there is no objection to it, provided each detail is in keeping. For instance — a picture hat will not look well with a tailored suit, neither will a fancy parasol or a pair of dainty slippers. The hat must be on the stiff order, the parasol a plain one of taffeta or linen and the shoes adaptable for street wear. On the same principle, a shopping or hand bag, no matter how costly or elaborate out of the pic- ture, should not be carried with a handsome after- noon toilet. Persons of taste do not go shopping in elaborate gowns. The picture hat will be correct, while a fluffy parasol or a dainty card case may be carried. Unless the sitter is youthful and a beauty as 152 Hints on Being Photographed. well a veil should not be worn. It looks patchy at best, although perhaps it is only just to admit that it is also coquettish in a few cases, a very few, however, and again, the photographer's art cannot be brought to bear upon the picture. When the face is veiled it is impossible to touch it up at all without ruining the effect, and most of us stand in a little need of art. Gloves will make the hands look larger than they really are, and a very tightly fitting garment is to be avoided on general principles whether it be gown, waist or wrap. Few of us possess forms so perfect that they may be clearly defined in a picture. Coiffure. The question of a coiffure is an important one. While the picture will be much more natural- looking if the sitter appears with hair arranged in her usual way it will probably be found that a little fluffing is necessary. This may seem to the possessor, probably will be, nothing short of untidy, but the picture will undoubtedly be much improved by such treatment. Most women after reaching maturity are apt to w^ear the hair too flat and strained looking. Full fat faces will become the hair dressed high on the head and brought toward the front, while the oval type of face will find the low dressing in the nape of the neck graceful and becoming. While too much forehead exposed is not agree- able, the lack of it is a greater fault. Hair must not be brought down too far or too heavily 153 Talks on Successful Gowning. on the forehead, because the effect will be in- tensified in the photograph. Just a few fluffy hairs framing the face will give the best effect. A number of hair ornaments should be avoided. They add nothing to the beauty of the picture, A single high comb will often add dignity to a coiffure, but small ornaments, as they are under- stood, are apt to look tawdry in a photograph. Some people have an idea that by making up for a photograph the picture will reflect these borroAved plumes. So it does, but not in the way imagined. There is no objection to a little powder but rouge applied will result in two black spots on the cheeks and black lips. Dark people, as a rule, take better than those of fair complexion, on account of their more de- cided coloring. When eye brows and lashes are very faint — often the case when the person is extremely fair — then they may be accentuated by using a dark pencil. The picture will be improved thereby and no one will suspect the ruse. Sometimes eyebrows are so very light that they fail to show at all in a photograph, although plainly visible to the eye upon the face. Such faint lines then really need a touch of art. Coming to the length of a photograph, unless the sitter is very tall or dressed in sweeping draperies a full length should be avoided. The three-quarter length is becoming to the average figure, and just the head and shoulders is the safest of all if the form is of doubtful propor- tions. No one then can tell whether the waist 154 Hints on Being Photographed. is thick or the abdomen unduly large, or in fact discover any other defect. As long as the photo- graph is attractive the rest may be left to the imagination. Wearing a good deal of jewelry is a mistake and the same remark will apply to a profusion of flowers. These accessories tend to attract the e^^e and so take it from the sitter. Colors. In regard to colors that take well, it has long been a popular belief that black comes out better than a color or than white. A celebrated photo- grapher differs from this general opinion. He says, "The soft pastel shades are to be preferred to any others, as mauve, rose, and pretty greens, because, while they come out white, they do not impart the ghastly effect that pure white is apt to do, but add very much to the artistic effect of the picture." He adds, "If, however, a person habitually wears black and a perfectly natural picture is desired, then black should be worn in the photo- graph, relieved with a little Avhite about the face.'' All shades of red, from cherry color to crimson, come out black. In fact, almost all dark colors, such as seal brown, dark heliotrope, purple, dark green and navy blue, all come out black in a photograph. Plain materials are to be preferred to figured, striped or plaid fabrics. In the first place the design has a tendency to cut the figure, and one needs all possible length when being photo- graphed, for even a tall person appears to be 155 Talks on Successful Gowning. only of average height in a picture, and again, the features are not so clearly defined or brought out when the face appears above a figured dress. There is not sufficient contrast betAveen the face and clothing. A gown of a plain fabric will be a much more effective setting. It goes Avithout saying that one should not be in a hurry Avhen preparing for a visit to the photo- grapher's. There should be ample time allowed for dressing, and no detail should be overlooked. Form rather than color should be considered when making the toilet. It will not make the slightest bit of difference in the finished black and white picture whether the gown was red and the accessories flaming orange as long as the balance is perfect, or whether the fichu that drapes the bust be folds of mosquito netting or beautiful silk illusion. The main thing is to get a good silhouette. Posing. In the matter of posing it is impossible to give any hard and fast rule, and anyway a good artist will not welcome any suggestion from his sitter as a rule. He understands his art (or should) better than she does. Speaking generally, an awkward figure Avill appear more graceful when sitting than standing and will not be so apt to lose the pose once the artist arranges it. It is much more difficult to stand than to sit in a position which for the time being seems to be unnatural, and ever so slight a deviation from 156 Hints on Being Photographed. a correct standing pose is emphasized ten-fold in the finished picture. A person should not sit for a photograph unless feeling in the best of health and spirits, for mel- ancholy and sickness will surely be revealed there by haggard features and drawn looks. If the sitter can forget herself for a moment and the photographer take advantage of it, then it is that the most natural picture is produced. This is seldom possible to achieve, however, and so, the next best thing is to try and feel perfect!}^ satisfied with yourself and the world in general and hope for the best results. To go back to the preparation for the visit. When the toilet is quite complete I should con- sider the hire of a private conveyance a good investment. The studio can then be reached without hustle or bustle, tear or wear, and surely the tranquility of mind gained is Avell worth the money expended. Let there not be trace of anxiety apparent, just be simply natural (easy to say this isn't it?) looking as animated and bright as possible, ueither grinning nor frowning, the body appar- ently at ease and a successful protrait may reasonably be expected. 157 Talks on Successful Gowning. CHAPTER XVII. WHAT STYLE OP COIFFURE SHALL I ADOPT? CHERE is no detail of greater importance in a woman's toilet than the coiffure. This is a broad statement, I know, but it is nevertheless a true one. A woman may wear an expensive gown, costly jewels and a veritable Paris creation of a hat, but if the hair is unbecomingly dressed the toilet is bound to be a dead failure. By this I do not mean that the hair should be dressed in the latest or most fashionable style. This should only be done when it is found to suit the wearer. Fashion's demands are, however, so elastic nowadays, that, as a rule, prevailing styles can be always so adapted as to suit individual needs. It is always a good plan when a new coiffure is launched to try it in its true form, then, without entirely releasing the hair and dressing all over again, to make slight changes as suggested to one's mind from viewing the present effect sup- posing the mode is found to be only "half becoming." Oftentimes a little puffing here or a slight raise there will make all the difference in the world. It may be only the question of hair drawn too tightly either up or back, or the point 158 What Style of Coiffure Shall I Adopt? of the head upon which the back hair is arranged that is in fault, but whatever it may be it will be brought to light by doing a little experimenting, and incidently take plenty of time for the process. Lots of patience, too, is a valuable asset when wrestling with a new coiffure. Hair that has been trained in one direction for many months or perhaps years does not take kindly to changes but needs lots of coaxing and fussing to make it take on the desired lines. So one should not be discouraged if success does not crown first efforts but go on trying until perfect satisfaction is the result, as it will be if persisted in long enough. Types of Faces. Strictly speaking, there are two types of faces, the round and the oval, and, if all womenkind were included in these two classes a successful coiffure would be a very simple matter, because standard rules could then be made for their guidance which, if followed, must make for suc- cess. But to lay down any hard and fast rules that would be practical is well nigh impossible, because there are so many variations of the oval and the round face, each requiring a different treatment. There are, however, certain directions which may be followed with both pleasure and profit by those willing to experiment. As a rule, a new style of hair dressing is launched by a popular actress or perhaps the latest professional beauty. Now it stands to reason that what will be suitable for the stage, 159 Talks on Successful Gowning. or becoming to a perfect beauty, is not going to be the same success when adopted by all sorts and conditions of women. When it is becoming then by all means wear it, but unless it is, pass it by at any cost, for, as I said before, sartorial success begins — and I may add Avith equal truth — ends with the coiffure. Taking the types of faces in their order there is the oval face, the square face, the hatched shaped, the thin face, the round face, the short face, the face too broad and the face too fat. Then there is a kind of oblong shaped face and another that is almost pointed. Features, too, must be considered. The forehead may be high or low, broad or narrow. The nose may be only a snub, or, again, it may go to the other extreme and be on the acquiline or the Roman order. The cheek bones may be all too prominent or the chin receding. The jaws may be heavy or the ears too large. Dear me ! I had no idea there could be so many flaws in our faces until I began to write about them, but I am afraid it is true all the same, and I suppose it is better for us to recognize them as such — be- cause then we shall look around us for a remedy — than never to have discovered them, unless, perhaps, "where ignorance is bliss." Still I fancy we all Avant to look our best, I know all nice women do anyway. The perfect oval and the perfect round face can carry successfully any style of coiffure. The hair may be dressed high or low, or be coiled midway in the back between the crown of the head and the nape of the neck with equal suc- 160 What Style of Coiffuee Shall I Adopt? cess. The Grecian coil is especially becoming to the oval type of face. When, however, the oval is inclined to slender- ness— speaking more plainly perhaps— boniness —then a softening effect becomes necessary. The hair must be fluffed about the face. If it will not do this naturally, artificial means must be resorted to. Then the hair should be parted in the centre and taken back from the face as softly as possible to the nape of the neck in a broad rather than a long effect. This treat- ment of breadth will modify the length of the face. A thin face looks longer than it really is, and this length will be further emphasized by arranging the hair lengthwise, while breadth will cut the length. A broad bow of ribbon in the nape of the neck is often very charitable to the thin face. And so, in fact, is anything fluffy that will serve as a background for the lower half of the face. There will be no trouble, as I said before, about dressing the hair to suit the perfectly round face, provided the features are regular; but when the round face is inclined to be fat, certain modifica- tions become necessary. In the first place there must be no straining of the hair from any point on the head of a woman possessing a round, fat face, or it will take on the appearance of a beautiful, clear full moon or perhaps a nice pud- ding of a generous size. Both are pleasing sights, of course, in their own way, but nobody wants to look like either. The most becoming coiffure for this type of 161 Talks on Successful Gowning. face is to fluff the hair all around the face and dress high upon the head. This arrangeiaent gives the necessary height and the requisite soft- ening erfect respectively. When the face is oblong the hair should be dressed low in the back, never higher than mid- way between the crown of the head and the nape of the neck. In the front the hair may be parted if the forehead is unduly high and taken back from the sides of the face as softly as possible. If the forehead is Ioav then a small pompadour effect Avill prove becoming. When the face is actually square the hair should be dressed as high as possible. This will suggest length, and, incidentl}^, take away the square effect of the face, creating instead a modi- fied oval. When the face is a long square, that is, about the length of the oblong but differing in contour, the square corners, as it Avere, being absent from the true oblong, then the hair should be dressed low in the back and puffed at the sides. A high arrangement would only serve to increase the length. The thin, hatchet shaped face must have the hair dressed as low as possible always. When the face is short as well as round, the hair should be arranged high upon the head. There is no better style for this type of face than the pompadour, the back hair brought up to the crown of tlie head and pinned down there in coils. A broad face or one unusually fat should have 162 What Style of Coiffure Shall I Adopt? the hair dressed as high as possible over the forehead and only very slightly puffed at the sides, just sufficient to form a background to the full cheeks. The same rule will apply to high cheek bones. The hair should be made to extend quite beyond the prominent bony structure, but should be dressed fairly high over the forehead in order to preserve a proper balance and so save the face from appearing too broad. Women with small noses may have the hair dressed in Grecian style, the soft knot arranged In the back, midway between the crown of the head and the nape of the neck, but any person with a receding chin or a prominent nose cannot choose a coiffure more unbecoming. Just imagine for yourself an outstanding coil of hair arranged in tiie back of the head on a line with a large or hooked nose. Not only is the line from the nose to the twist of hair out of all proportion to the length of the face when viewed from the side, but the arrangement of the hair actually calls attention to the size of the nose. Whenever the nose is out of proportion to the face or the rest of the features, the hair should lie as flat as possible on the head. It may be arranged on the top of the head or in the nape of the neck as found becoming, but the coil, twist or braid 7niist be laid perfectly flat. With a receding chin it is quite clear that it will be a mistake to draw the hair tightly back or away from the lower part of the face, because this will only bring the defective feature into bold relief. The hair should be arranged as 163 Talks on Successful Gowning. loosely as possible and quite low on the head, not outstanding in the least, be it understood, but pinned down to the head perfectly flat. Here again, a proper balance of feature is re- stored or achieved. In selecting a becoming style of hairdressing, height has to be considered. A very tall, slender girl or woman will apparently reduce her inches if she will effect a very low coiffure, while the girl who lacks height will do well, of course, to take exactly opposite measures and dress her hair as high on the head as possible, always provided such arrangements suit the style of features. Elderly Women. Elderly women naturally find more difficulty in the way of obtaining a successful coiffure than do younger matrons or girls, because locks have become thinner and faces grown fatter as a rule, unless, as sometimes happens, the latter have lost their roundness and the pretty plumpness has given place to scrawniness. Both conditions are equally disagreeable, and when nature ceases to be kind there is certainly no reason why artificial aids may not be resorted to. A few years ago few women could be found who cared to acknowledge they carried false locks upon their head, while nowadays it is well known that decidedly more tlian half of women- kind do not depend upon their own hair for good effects. Again, false hair can be dyed so perfectly, 164 What Style of Coiffure Shall I Adopt? that no woman need hesitate about wearing it for fear of its not matching her own, and indeed, those whose locks are scanty should be thankful that such an aid is theirs to command. The Pompadour^ While it is impossible to suggest in a book of this kind any particular style of hairdressing, still the pompadour, I fancy, will never go out of fashion as long as there are elderly women to wear it, for there is no arrangement so gen- erally becoming to this type, and again, it is a mode that allows of so many modifications that one can always be found to suit any type almost without exception. When the forehead is too high to make the brushed up and back pompadour becoming then the hair may be parted at little to one side and be dropped slightly over the forehead before tak- ing it back. This dropping, however, should be approached cautiously. To certain features it will impart a coarseness to the face, while to others it gives just a softening effect. So one should make quite sure of the result before adopting it. It will be better to display too much forehead by raising the hair than to make the face look coarse by trying to conceal a certain portion of it. The hair dressed high always suggests dignity even though it may not always be becoming. A woman possessing a fat round face should not emphasize its lines by wearing a perfectly round pompadour. She should divide the front X65 Talks on Successful Gowning. hair into three strands taking one back over a small cushion above the forehead and putnng those strands at the sides before pinning them back. A very broad face or one that has high cheek bones will need a little more puffing than the normal face. An arrangement becoming elderly Avomen of the slender t^^pe whose faces are long and thin is to part the hair and then roll it back from the face, taking it to the back of the head over the tips of the ears, and coiling in coronet fashion on the crown of the head. AYhen the hair is not becoming rolled back the result will often be satisfactory if the hair, after being parted, is waved, then brought down the sides of the face. The ^'grande dame" style of Avoman Avill carry the rolled back coiffure Avell, while the motherly face Avill probably be improved if the pretty waved hair frames it. A style becoming to middle-aged Avomen gener- ally is the entire head of hair all taken softly back from the face and up from the neck to the crown of the head and there coiled, the hair afterAvards being pulled here and there until the effect is entirely becoming tO' the owner. There must be no drawn look about this coiffure, for the locks should be a loose mass from the nape of the neck and from over the forehead to the top of the head Avliere it is secured. Combs and fancy hair pins are ahvays an im- proA^ement to the coiffure of an elderly woman and may be used at discretion. 166 CHAPTER XVIII. WEDDING ETTIQUETTE. TT I HAT a delightful buzz of interest is £11 always evident around the preparations ^^^ for a wedding, and what a most ex- acting, difficult to please young person the prospective bride is! She will plan certain details to-day and change them to-morrow — should it please her sweet will — refuse professional advice and later on prob- ably accept it — consult this friend and that authority, change her mind a dozen times in as many hours, so that really, by the time the happy day arrives, the poor little woman often finds herself so utterly worn out and fatigued that she is inclined to give thanks that a wedding comes only once in a life-time. These conditions will be the rule, I suppose, while there are maidens to marry, but in this chapter I want to offer such advice and guidance as will save as much as possible the inevitable mental strain such a function involves. It goes without saying that each bride will wish to introduce some little individuality into the ceremony. That is perfectly natural and it will be quite an easy matter to work out her idea. It is the conventional rules that are often so puzzling unless one goes out into society a good deal and can see how things are done, 167 Talks on Successful Gowning. Both the bride and her family are anxious to do the "correct thing," but are not always certain how to carry it out, and then the opinion of relatives or friends are sought. Perhaps it is a cousin who brings her view of the question, and should it differ from that held by the bridesmaid or the maid of honor, then the subject is discussed, weighed and reviewed and perhaps after all no real decision arrived at. It may be only the detail of the bride's veil, or the seating of the guests, but to the bride and her family these are mighty matters indeed. Coming, however, as they do, under the head on "conventionalities," the solution to these and many other puzzling questions may be solved by a perusal of this chapter. The Invitation. The very first detail of the wedding is sending out the invitations. These are engraved, are folded once into an envelope to fit and enclosed in a second envelope which is addressed to the guest and sent through the mail. The wording is as follows: 3IR. AND MRS. CHARLES BLANK request your presence at the marriage of their daughter MARGARET ANNE to MR. EDWARD BROWN. Tuesday afternoon, Septeniher tenth, at 2 o'clock. St John's Episcopal Church, Albany^ New York, 168 Wedding Etiquette. In addition to the above a card which reads, ^Tresent this card to the usher," should be placed- in the envelope. When the invitation to the reception as well as the church is given the hours will be stated on the card. Invitations to the wedding should be sent out three weeks ahead, in order that invited guests may have plenty of time to prepare for the func- tion. In the case of an invitation to the church only no reply to it is to be expected, but when guests are asked to the house a response should be made as soon as possible, and only under exceptional circumstances should such an invitation be declined. As soon as the cards are out the wedding presents will begin to be sent in. Those attend- ing the reception will, of course, pay tribute to the bride's popularity, being, of course, intimate friends, but a church invitation does not call for such a response unless the invited guest feels so disposed. Acknowledging Gifts. Each gift received must be promptly acknowl- edged by the bride herself in a neat little note written in the following tone : Dear So and So : Your lovely gift came this morning and I am so delighted with it, I want to thank you at once. It was indeed kind of you and nothing you could have chosen could have given me 169 Talks on Successful Gowning. greater pleasure than the beautiful (here men- tion article) you have sent me. How well you know my tastes! Sincerely yours, Margaret A. Blank. Of course, the wording will differ a little in acknowledging presents but mention should always be made of the particular gift one wishes to thank the donor for, otherwise the acknowl- edgement is apt to appear a little stereotyped, and as every one connected with a Avedding is always more or less a little irresponsible at the time it is well to have a calmer person around who may be depended upon to see that the letters are addressed to the right persons. It is rather awkward to receive thanks for a most delightful book Avhen the offering was perhaps a costly piece of silver. The Caterer. As soon as the invitations for the reception have been responded to, the consultation with the caterer takes place. If it is desired to place the serving of refreshments entirely in his hands, then, of course, the labor of the bride's mother is greatly lessened, for it is scarcely necessary to mention, the family of the bride always provides the weddino- feast. When a caterer undertakes this, he does it at so much per head, probably a dollar. For this he will provide bouillon, a salad, fancy cakes, ices in individual forms, coffee, tea, chocolate and perhaps sandwiches, 170 Wedding Etiquette. He furnishes dishes and silver and brings his *nvn assistants. The wedding cake is a separate item. Some people prefer a large cake ^yhich the bride cuts, and sends around in small pieces to the guests. Others prefer a small cake placed on the bride's table, which she cuts, and is eaten by the oc- cupants of that table (tiny portions of course), while a box of satin or a satin paper neatly packed with wedding cake is passed to each guest as they depart, by some person stationed in the hall for the purpose. The remainder of the actual w^edding cake is put away until the time the new-made bride herself receives. If the refreshments are to be prepared at home the menu for an afternoon or evening reception will include chicken salad, all kinds of dainty sandwiches, small iced cakes, ices, tea, coffee, chocolate, lemonade and a simple punch. The guests are served while sitting around the rooms, by hired help or friends of the bride's family. The Maid of Honor. The busy time before the event is shared by the maid of honor. She is generally the most in- timate friend of the bride and therefore will fit into the confidential position assigned to her. It will devolve upon her to spare the bride all needless trouble. She should be prepared to write notes (except acknowledge presents), do errands, shop, decide any small detail, and other- wise assist as circumstances present themselves, 17X Talks on Successful Gowning. The Bridesmaids. The bridesmaids chosen will be expected to be constantly on hand (when this is possible, of course), so as to attend conferences on costumes, wedding etiquette and the hundred and one details incidental to such an important event. The bride usually decides upon the color and style of the gowns worn by her attendants, but only after consultation with her maids. In this way she learns the personal tastes of each and decides accordingly. What the maid of honor does for the bride the best man does for the bridegroom. He is usually an intimate friend and advises in all matters relating to the gToom's outfit, takes charge of the wedding ring until the bridegroom enters the church, looks after the ordering of the bride- groom's carriage, fees the clergyman, sees that the order is given for the carriage to be quite ready to bear away the happy pair upon their honeymoon and in fact, usually buys the tickets and prepares the way for the going away in every detail. The Decorations. The decorations for the house may be arranged by the family, or be given into the hands of a florist, depending upon the wealth and inclina- tions of the family. Persons living in the country have quite a good deal of flora at their disposal and often only for the gathering, with which a friend possessing artistic instincts may work wonders. Country churches, too, are often decor- 172 Wedding Etiquette. ated by friends, but, of course, in the city a florist must be engaged. The carriages for the wedding party, that is, the bride, her maids and her immediate family, are provided by the bride's parents. The bride- groom pays for his own. That the procession be effective the better plan is to have the bridesmaids and the ushers in equal numbers, four, six or eight as has been decided upon. The ushers are selected by the bridegroom from among his intimate friends exactly as the bride has chosen her maids. The guests should reach the church in good time, because after the bride's mother arrives and is seated only the bridal party may enter. This lady is always escorted to her pew by the chief usher. The relatives of the bride occupy the seats on the left of the church as the clergyman faces the congregation and the bridegroom's family sit on the right. The Ushers. The ushers lead the procession in twos, and the bridesmaids follow in the same form. The maid of honor walks alone leaving a space be- tween herself and the bridesmaids. The bride follows, her right arm through that of her father or the man who takes his place that day in giving her away. As soon as the ushers lead the way the wedding march is played. At this signal the bridegroom will leave the vestry with his best man and take up his position on the chancel steps awaiting the bride. As the chancel is 173 1?ALKS ON Successful Gowning. approached the procession divides itself, the bridesmaids forming a group on the left while the ushers stand on the right. The maid of honor takes her place a little in advance of the brides- maids in order to be nearer the bride. She holds the bride's bouquet, glove or prayer book as called upon, when the betrothed couple go to the altar, and after the ceremony throws back the bridal veil and restores the bouquet. On the return march the order of procession is changed. The new^ly married couple lead, followed by the maid of honor escorted by the best man, each usher doing like duty for a bridesmaid. The ushers take the maids to their carriages and then return for the relatives of the married couple. The guests then begin to disperse, carriages conveying those who are invited to the reception to the house w^here they are met by the bride's mother. After greeting her they pass on to the place where the bridal party is seated and offer their good wishes. After this ceremony, the guests mingle, chatting to- gether, and in a short time refreshments are served. The bride usually takes advantage of any spe- cial bit of merry making to slip away and change her Avedding frock for her travelling costume. In a short time the mother will probably be missing and then it is time to watch for the bride's de- parture. When she appears it is the signal for the rice and slipper throwing to begin. 174 Wedding Etiquette. Brides Outfit. And now in regard to the bride's outfit. While the man is expected to buy the furniture, the bride must provide the house linen which will be marked with her maiden name or initials. If wedding gifts are to bear monograms the order must still be given for the bride's maiden name. Her trunk, if lettered will give the initials of her single, not married name, as will also all the articles included in the trousseau that bear any, mark at all. In planning a trousseau the linen is usually bought first. The number of each set will depend entirely upon the means of the bride. Twelve each of drawers, vests, night dresses, corset covers and stockings are not too many, at the same time, six of each will be sufficient for a bride of modest means. There will be what is known as a bridal set of underwear provided in addition to the set of six, also one pair of stock- ings of very fine thread or silk for the wedding and one pair for best afternoon or evening wear. Six pairs of common stockings should then be sufficient. Two pairs of corsets will be necessary, two gingham or chambray petticoats for morning or house wear, two white petticoats; one of sateen or moreen and if means will allow a silk petticoat may be included. As foot covering there will be two pairs of walking shoes or one pair of shoes and one pair of ties, the wedding slippers and one pair for ordinary wear. One long wrapper and a couple of short ones may be classed as necessities, and a pretty negligee may 175 Talks on Successful Gowning. be added to the list without seeming at all extravagant. Quite a number of these articles may be made at home, if there is time, with the result that the cost will be less and the wear much better than if the garments are bought ready to wear. For underlinen that will give good service there is no better fabric than the English long- cloth. It is soft, washes extremely well and keeps a good color. These come in twelve yard lengths varying in price from |1.50, to |3.00, the piece. Nainsook and cambric make dainty under- garments suitable for best wear, and a little good lace will be found to be the prettiest trimming. Underwear for common use may be trimmed with narrow embroidery as being more service- able than lace. I do not think there is any economy in making white petticoats at home, unless it be the one to go with the bridal toilet. Very pretty petticoats can be bought quite as cheap as they can be made at home but when it comes to a really good quality then there is a great saving if one has time for making. It is a good plan to have a plain white well fitting petticoat of fine but substantial material and make two separate flounces knee depth that can be made to button off and on. One ruffle could be of a very fluffy nature — finest lawn and lace — the other of nainsook inlaid with pretty embroidery. Then there would always be a choice of two petticoats on hand. 176 Wedding Etiquette. In marking linen — chemises and corset covers bear the initials over the left breast. Drawers are marked at the left knee ; night dresses direct- ly in center front or a little to the left side, and stockings just above the knee. Flannel petti- coats, if they are worn are embroidered with the initials ten inches below the band a little to the left front. When it comes to outer garments, of course the size of the purse will determine largely the extent of the wardro^be, but, as I am talking to those of moderate means my idea of a sufficiency of which any girl may be proud would be the wedding gown, a travelling suit that would come in for best afterwards, a separate wrap, which might be worn on the street, also to any evening affair, a pretty between dress, a simple afternoon frock, and a couple of gingham morning dresses for wear when doing the housework. The materials selected would be decided by the time of year at which they will be worn. The Wedding Gown. The wedding gown will be white, of course. Suitable materials are voile, crepe de chine, net, point d'esprit, lingerie, lansdowne, any of the silk and wool mixtures and India silk. A very youthful bride may choose among the more fragile fabrics, as net lingerie and the soft silks ; while one more matured would become voile, lansdowne or crepe de chine. If the gown must be worn a good deal afterwards then it will be better to select a durable material and have it 177 Talks on Successful Gowning. made up without too much fussiness or in any extreme style, that, more likely than not, will go out of fashion quickly and thus date the gown. A wedding dress should never be short, unless of course in the case of a travelling suit being worn, but I am speaking of the conventional frock. Moreover, it must be high-necked always ; the sleeves long or elbow length as may be fash- ionable at the time. Gloves will, of course, meet short sleeves. The dress may shoAV a transparent yoke but a decollette effect will be in very bad taste. Hose and slippers will be white and very few jcAvels should be worn. As a rule only the gift of the groom is displayed upon such an occa- sion. The wedding veil will be a simple square of white tulle finished with a hem on all sides, and the wreath a spray of orange blossoms. The bouquet is composed ol white flowers. The maid of honor usually wears a pretty net or lace frock over a delicate color and a hat wreathed with roses, or any preferred trimming. The bridesmaids may all be gowned alike or they may be dressed in twos representing a rain- bow, two in yellow, two in blue, two in mauve, two in pale green, and two in pale pink. Let pink lead, followed by those in blue, next in order the yellows then the greens and lastly the mauves. Pale pink is not strictly a rainbow color of course, it should be either indigo or red. The last named color is, however, too harsh and violets do not show up Avell in artificial light, so I suggest pink. This bright coloring makes an 178 Wedding Etiquette. excellent setting for the pure white of the bride's toilet. Lingerie or straw shepherdess hats are always in good taste for head- wear, in fact, any- thing bordering on the picturesque may be at- tempted. Bridesmaids carry bouquets of colored flowers, usually pink roses, and wear as decorations the gift of the bride, supposing they can be worn. Their gloves should be white. Hose and slippers may match the color of the toilets or be entirely w^hite. Cost of Tkousseau. Supposing $100 must provide the trousseau I should apportion it thus : For wedding gown, 8 yards of ma- terial at $1.00 a yard f 8.00 Lace for trimming 1.50 Gloves for wedding 1.50 Slippers 1.50 Stockings 50 Petticoat 3.00 Making dress 10.00 Separate wrap (material) 10.00 Suit ready made 20.00 Best hat 6.00 Stiff ready to wear hat 3.00 Gloves 1.00 Silk for pretty blouse to wear with suit, 4 yards at 69c. a 3^ard. . . * 2.76 Afternoon frock made at home. . 5.00 179 Talks on Successful Gowning. 18 yards of gingham for two work- ing dresses at 10c. a yard 1.80 Shoes will cost inclusive 6.00 Corsets fl.50 and |3.0O respec- tively 4.50 Four pairs of stockings at 25c. per pair 1.00 Four pairs of drawers at 50c per pair 2.00 Four vests at 25c. each 1.00 Four night dresses at 75c. each. . 3.00 Material for short and long kim- onas 1.00 Two corset covers at 50c. each, two at 25c. each 1.50 Gingham for petticoats, 10 yards at 10c. a yard 1.00 Moreen or brilliantine petticoat. 3.50 This is by no means an elaborate wardrobe, of course, but the list includes every article that is necessary to meet the needs of the average busi- ness or home girl who is marrying. There will be, no doubt, half worn clothing that will be taken to the new home, for instance the tailored suit. This should not be discarded, it will come in for knockabout or bad weather wear and save the new suit for church, calling, matinee or in- formal affairs. The Avedding gown will be worn for evening receptions, concerts, etc., an impor- tant lunch or a formal tea. The skirt of the suit and a pretty silk blouse provides an ap- propriate toilet for receiving callers informally, ISO Wedding Etiquette. supposing weather conditions alloAv and the light afternoon frock will answer for general wear. The evening coat should be of light weight broadcloth if for winter wear and of pongee or rajah if for warm weather. So it can be clearly seen that a toilet is provided for every ordinary occasion. House Linen. The bride's mother usually presents the house linen, and a modest outfit will be four everyday table cloths and two of the better quality for company use. From two to three dozen napkins may be in- cluded, while in regard to sideboard or buffet covers, carving cloths and fancy linen doylies, a bride can never have too many. At least three pairs of sheets should be pro- vided for each bed if the linen is to give good service and six pillow slips will be none too many. One pair of woolen blankets and one pair of cotton and wool mixed are necessary. Two nice spreads for every bed complete the bed furnishings. Two dozen bedroom towels and one dozen bath towels are necessary, one dozen kitchen towels, six glass cloths, three roller towels, with pudding cloths, dusters and dish cloths will furnish the kitchen towel drawer. Marking. Sheets are marked in the middle of the upper edge about four inches from the hem. The 181 Talks on Successful Gowning. pillowslips are lettered in about the same posi- tion and so are bedroom towels. Table and side board cloths are marked so that the letters appear at one corner resting on the table about three inches from its edge. Napkins have the monogram placed in one corner. Kitchen towels display a single letter worked in red at one corner, either the initial of the owner, or the department to which they belong, as dish, glass, dust and so on. Bride at Home. After the honey moon the bride announces by card that she is at home on the days specified or evenings as the case may be. Cards are sent to all those who attended the wedding and indeed to all those persons whom the bride desires to retain as acquaintances. The wedding frock will be worn and light re- freshments should be served. The bridesmaids will assist the newly made matron in her duties, making the guests feel at ease, introducing peo- ple when necessary, and performing any little acts of courtesy that lie in their power. Guests come and go at these informal affairs and are not expected to stay very long unless very intimately acquainted with the bride. Heavy wraps may be removed but hats and gloves are retained. 182 CHAPTER XIX. DRESS FOR THE SCHOOL GIRL. TORTUNATELY for those concerned — mother and daughter alike, and, inci- dently, observers as well — it is considered very bad taste now-a-days for a school girl to appear abroad elaborately dressed. This being the rule, not only are expenses lessened, also the trouble of planning the ward- robe for the mother, but there is far less of heart-burnings and longings on the part of the girl who cannot afford to dress herself as hand- somely as some of her companions compared with conditions existing a few years ago. At one time — quite within the memory of youthful matrons too — a girl whose parents were in modest cir- cumstances and who could only provide a simple wardrobe for her was apt to be subjected to un- kind criticism and sundry humiliations by those who were more bountifully provided with this world's goods during school life. But all this is changed and simplicity is the keynote of the up-to-date school girl's toilets of to-day, whether required for the school room, street, home or entertainments. Indeed, so much has taste improved that an overdressed school girl or debutante is really an exception. This is certainly well, for youth decked out as a dowager is not a pleasing sight. 183 Talks on Successful Gowning. While it is acknowledged that the average girl with fresh face, sunny hair and youthful figure may choose almost any color and style and look well in it, still, it must not be forgO'tten that there are plain girls, sallow girls, and girls of a nondescript type as well as pretty ones, and awkward, lanky, or over-fat forms as well as graceful, symmetrical figures. Dress can do a very great deal toward disguising such imperfec- tions, and even a beauty may be improved upon or suffer according to the way she dresses. Becomingly gowned, her beauty is enhanced, while in the wrong frock she may lose half her charms. However, pretty girls can, as a rule, take care of themselves sartorially, so special attention will be given to those types, which, by reason of any deficiencies make a special demand for help. School Frocks. Beginning with the school toilet there is really no smarter or more practical dress than the Peter Thompson sailor suit made up with pleated skirt and loose, eas}^ blouse. At the same time this jaunty looking toilet is not becoming to every type of school girl. The too plump girl is apt to look sloppy about the waist line, while to a thin girl of the bean pole type this sagging fullness will be a charity. The blouse cannot be too broad and floppy to suit her. Again, not all figures alike can stand the long shoulder seam usually seen in the sailor suit. The tall, thin girl can, however, wear it any length she pleases. Still, with modification 184 Dress for The School Girl. even this model can be made to suit all but the exceptional figure. The decidedly fat girl, especi- ally if she is short as well, should never attempt the sailor suit, but the normal plump girl may wear it if she will bring the blouse into a belt instead of allowing it to fall loose. Then she must take care that the collar is not too wide at the back and that it finishes in very sharp points in the front; and that the chemisette suggests length rather than breadth. The shoul- der seam must not be too long or the wearer will appear to be too broad in proportion. Another style of school frock better suited to the plump girl is that known as the shirt waist suit. Beginning with the skirt, when pleats are worn, then it should show pleats in some form or another. A pleated skirt will give twice the service of a plain one for school-room wear. There should be a plain, narrow width down the front and the waist should be built on long lines. Tucks tapering from shoulders to belt are always becoming to this typa Unless the wearer is quite slender only a narrow belt should be worn and preferably of the goods. Leather or kid belts are good for school-room wear but an elaborate waist ribbon is entirely out of place there. A neat collar or a small chemisette will be a pretty finish at the neck. During cold weather a separate wrap is a necessity, and there is nothing better for all around wear than a long, semi-fitting tourist coat of mixed tweed, built on plainly tailored lines 185 Talks on Successful Gowning. and furnished with commodious pockets. It should be fairly loose so that it may be con- veniently slipped off and on. The school hat should be substantial but at the same time becoming. There is one style of girl, notably she of saucy features and fluffy hair, that never looks more attractive than when she is crowned with a woolly Tam o' Slianter, but this kind of hat placed above a demure looking face will be more than trying. A girl of this type should choose head wear on a more conventional order. Probably a simple little sailor hat for school will suit her. The girl with a breezy manner will carry off a cowboy shape Avith flaring brim exceedingly well. In choosing a school hat simplicity and becomingness are the only requisites. The next on the list is the tailored suit that must come in for quite a number of occasions. This will be of serge or broadcloth, light or dark in color but of a shade becoming to the wearer. The plump girl will adopt long straight up and down lines and if she is short as well, care must be taken that these lines are allowed to remain unbroken. The tall, thin, angular girl will select her models on entirely opposite lines and will try to break her height as much as possible by horizontal effects and trimmings. In a work of this kind it is, of course, im- possible to suggest any definite style, those pre- vailing at the time, if not entirely becoming, will be in good taste if modified, as I suggested before, to suit the needs of the wearer. 186 Dress for The School Girl. The best hat should be chosen with the same discretion. Tall girls may indulge in large shapes, but shorter girls should wear brims no wider than medium. Suitable trimmings are ribbons, plumes, wings, flowers and velvet, the selection depending en- tirely upon the season, of course. For summer street wear there is nothing better than the skirt and coat suit of linen, white and a color being in equally good taste. A straw sailor hat goes well with such a costume. The suit of cream serge is always in good taste for street or day occasions, as calling or a matinee, worn with a hat to suit the time and function. Tan kid or Mocha gloves are correct for winter wear, silk and lisle thread for summer. Footwear should be stockings of lisle thread or cotton, and sub- stantial shoes, high or low cut depending upon weather conditions. Furs becoming to girls are squirrel, krimmer and blue and white fox. Extreme styles or sizes should be avoided. The same may be said of the sunshade or parasol. It may be as dainty as the wearer pleases, but never elaborate. Materials for simple house frocks are cotton voile, challi, henrietta, serge, poplin and cash- mere, chosen in becoming colors (see foregoing chapters when making a choice), and made up prettily and modishly. The tailored suit will answer for church, call- ing, matinee, lunch or tea, worn with the best hat and white gloves, and then there must be a smart practical frock that will be suitable for best 187 Talks on Successful Gowning. afternoon, informal evening entertainments, and similar functions. A chiffon broadcloth or any light-weight fabric may be chosen for this, made up in the prevailing style. Then there is the party frock. While still a school girl she may, if she will, wear any of the girlish silks: net, lawn, organdy, voile, Swiss dotted or plain and point d'esprit. White is so generally becoming that one is apt to think that every girl can wear it successfully. True, most of them can, but there is a type to Avhom a color would be more becoming. There is the scrawny, sallow skinned, often plain faced girl to whom it would be no less than cruel to deck out in dainty, airy looking white fabrics belonging to the list of materials suitable for evening frocks. No matter how tempting the white may be it must be set aside in favor of something more striking, more suited to the needs of the wearer. A rich cardinal, a pale orange, or a pretty prim- rose yellow will be much more harmonious than white. Neither must she indulge in low necks or short sleeves. The average girl will become the Dutch neck and babyfied puff sleeves, but not so when there are prominent collar bones to be concealed, or a flat hollow chest to be reckoned with. A deep ivory-toned lace yoke topping a frock of rich, deep red will be found extremely becoming to the sallow-faced thin girl. Sleeves should always be long, picturesque if you will (such styles never go out of fashion), 188 Deess for The School Girl. but thin, ofteatimes red arms, must necessarily be covered in some form or fashion. Attention should be given to the coiffure of this type of girl. It is not kind to draw atten- tion to a plain face by decking the head with dainty, fresh-looking ribbon garnitures. The hair should be dressed as smartly as possible, and by way of ornaments use the dull gold filet bands, a few pretty pins, or a bow of rich, dark colored velvet, setting in as found becoming to the wearer. An evening wrap of some description is a necessity. Broadcloth is a desirable material for the purpose, and loose graceful lines should be carried out in the development. White gloves, dainty hose and slippers, pretty fans, scarfs and belts will all be included in a girPs wardrobe. Veils will not be required, un- less, perhaps, a chiffon protection. A school girl's lingerie should be of good qual- ity and daintily made, but there should be an absence of all fussiness and over-abundance of trimming. She may wear pretty white petti- coats, during the summer, with fine chambray for mornings. An underskirt of mohair or moreen should be provided for colder weather, and, if her purse will allow, a silk petticoat may be added to the list. Bloomers are most comfortable, as well as convenient, taking the place of any underskirt; and may be made from sateen, nun's veiling, silk or albatross. 189 Talks on Successful Gowning. It is sometimes puzzling to mothers who are sending their daughters away to school for the first time to know just how to prepare a suitable wardrobe. Some schools furnish a list of what is required, and, of course, this is a help. Very often the girls are asked to wear a uniform during school hours. This is a simple one-piece frock of black serge relieved at neck and wrists with white. When a uniform is not demanded then a couple of school frocks will be necessary ; the same num- ber of dresses for afternoon, a nice skirt and some pretty blouses, a street suit, a best dress and a dancing frock. Then there will be a rain or storm coat, a wrap for evenings, two hats at least, six pairs of gloves, three pairs of shoes, two high and one pair of oxfords, patent leather pumps and a pair of kid slippers. A woolen bath robe will be provided, and a pretty loung- ing gown will be found a comfort quite often. A couple of short kimonas that will stand a tub- bing is a necessity, and white will be the better choice when selecting the material for them. Delicate colors will not stand the average laun- dry ing, and dark fabrics for combing jackets, etc., are not to be recommended. Tlie list of accessories, as collars, belts and ribbons, may only be limited to the depth of the purse, for girls never seem to have too many of these dainty trifles. The underwear should consist of six pieces of each article. Girls grow so fast, that this num- ber will last as long as it is large enough to be 190 Dress for The School Girl. worn. The plainer the trimming, the better, unless the owner is fond of mending, for the average laundress is none too careful. In addition to six pairs of stockings for gen- eral wear, there should be two or three pairs of a daintier character for best. Two pairs of corsets will be sufiacient, and two dark petticoats should be included when entering upon the winter term. It is a mistake to have too many dresses for they cannot be worn out if too many changes are provided, and consequently it often happens that they must be brought back to school again, and this girls generally dislike doing, preferring to display new toilets the following term. And, in speaking of displaying, I should like to warn the girl going to school for the first time not to show off all her pretty possessions at once. As a rule she is so anxious to have them admired that she will make a different toilet every day. But this is a mistake. She must wait. I have known cases where girls not being wise, have run through their entire list of pretty things in a week, while more sensible girls will spring surprises during the entire term, in the way of some fresh accessory, or perhaps a dainty blouse seeing the light for the first time. Again, it may be only a set of ribbons, or a pair of new rosettes for slippers kept in reserve till occasion required. Then the girl who has been too hasty in parading her frocks will be apt to feel a little chagrined and perhaps humiliated. When attending boarding school for the first 191 Talks on Successful Gowning. time, girls will do well to take particular notice of what is done by pupils who have been longer in school rather than follow their own inclin- ations. By doing so they will seldom go wrong. The correct length of skirts is often a puzzling question to girls over fourteen. As young people vary so much in height and build it is impossible to lay down any hard and fast rule, but the fol- lowing will apply to girls in general. When the wearer is very tall for her age, the skirts may be as short as modesty will allow. On the contrary, the girl who is short for her age, should wear them as long as is consistent with good taste. Very fat legs, also those unduly thin, should be covered with the skirts more fully than in the case of limbs of normal proportions. 1U2 CHAPTER XX. RULES FOR CORRECT MOURNING. TTIhILE it must be acknowledged that the ^^ ■ rules in regard to mourning are far ^^^ more lax than formerly, still the con- ventionalities are still observed, if not quite so rigidly — except perhaps by the very few — and the question of correct apparel to suit the occasion is more or less a difficult one to the average woman when brought to face it suddenly, as is usually the case and always at a time when the mind is not in a condi- tion to discuss matters sartorial. Consequently, mistakes in selections are often the result, and the mourner has either to endure the mortifica- tion of feeling herself incorrectly gowned or make new purchases. As mourning fabrics are always more costly than colors, a second pur- chase is often out of the question, therefore, I hope within the pages of this chapter to cover every detail of the mourning wardrobe in such a plain and direct way that any woman in time of sorrow may — ^and with confidence — turn to them and find there the help and assistance she needs with as little effort as possible. The Widow. To begin — it goes without saying that the deepest mourning is worn by a widow. She will 193 Talks on Successful (jOwnin(J. be expected to wear crepe for at least six montlis. This means crepe trimmings for gowns or wraps, for the covering of hats or bonnets and for the veil. The last named may not necessarily be worn over the face unless the wearer so desires. It will be quite correct to drape it over the bon- net, falling in folds down the back, adding a short face veil of black net bordered with a crepe fold. The conventional toilet to be worn by the widow during the first six months of mourning consists of a gown of dull, black soft woolen material as crepe cloth, armure, henrietta and cashmere. This list, however, does not include all mourning fabrics, for new weaves are con- stantly being added. The skirt will be trimmed with crepe in a fold knee depth or bands in a narrower width. No other form of application will be in good taste, such as shirring or a fussy design. The waist will be simply fashioned and may be almost covered with crepe. The neck band is finished with a narrow turnover folded lawn collar. A small, dull, jet brooch is admissible, also a jet watch chain, and, if necessary, a black belt buckle, but, aside from these articles jewelry should not be worn, excepting the wedding ring, of course. A widoAV wears long sleeves in her dresses, white lawn bands buttoning at the wrists. For street wear a walking suit of dull cheviot will be correct, if the widow is still youthful, together with a hat of crepe draped with a veil 194 Rules for Correct Mourning. of the same fabric and a short net face veil edged with a deep band of crepe. Suede gloves and dull black kid shoes will complete her toilet. In the case of a middle-aged or elderly woman she will wear a plainly tailored suit of dull black broadcloth, a small bonnet showing a strip of white resting upon the hair, the back draped with a crepe veil. If preferred the long veil may be worn over the face for a short time after don- ning mourning. This is a matter that may be governed entirely by one's feelings. When the veil falls over the back of the bonnet a short face veil is, of course, necessary. This may be of net or grenadine edged with a fold of crepe. When it is desired to go to the extreme in mourning, the widow's veil may reach to the knees in front while a second — also of crepe — may be draped over the bonnet falling to the waist line in the back. Dresses for house wear may be lavishly trimmed with crepe, providing straight, flat lines are ad- hered to, as folds, either in horizontal or perpen- dicular effects, as considered becoming to the wearer. A cap is seldom seen now-a-days. When worn, however, it is composed of white lisse and crepe, and, on the whole, may be described as a coquettish bit of head-wear. Dinner gowns will be of dull voile relieved with a transparent yoke of black mousseline de soie. The sleeves will be long, regardless of any pre- vailing fashion, and wliite should be entirely dispensed with in this toilet. After a period of six months a widow may dis- 195 Talks on Successful Gowning. card crepe if she chooses. Twelve months, how- ever, is the conventional length of time for wear- ing crepe. She may now wear mourning silks, as dull India weaves, dull chiffon broadcloths, Panama, and similar mourning fabrics. Gowns should be self-trimmed only and preferably with folds. The white lawn bands may now be hemmed instead of just folded on the edges, and the crepe veil will be replaced by one of grenadine or Brussels net finished with a band of crepe. Crepe de chine may be responsible for dinner gowns or house frocks made on simple lines and only slightly trimmed. Dull finished voile or Panama will be a good choice for afternoon gowns, the selection depend- ing upon the time of year. The street suit may be of broadcloth, dull chiffon taffeta or henrietta, depending upon the season. A plain morning dress of black India silk relieved by the white lawn bands will be charm- ing for summer wear and if the bonnet and long veil are considered too warm a flat, fairly wide- brimmed hat made of dull silk and trimmed with net edged with crepe may be adopted. After the first year of mourning, a widow wears plain black for the next nine months. AVhile the fabrics will be preferably dull, relief may be given with trimmings of a glossy nature, as silk, ribbon and silky braid. She will wear a black hat, but it may be trimmed with black wings or mourning flowers. If a veil is worn at all, it should be of Brussels net or any plain weave, but a dotted veil will not be in good taste. 196 Rules for Correct Mourning. The last three months half mourning is worn. The costume may be in black and white, gray, gray and black combined or all white. In the case of the last named the accessories may be black, differing from the white toilet that is preferred by some persons to black for very deep mourning. After wearing mourning for a period of two years a widow may resume colors. Son or Daughter. A mother mourning a son or a daughter will, if following strictly conventional rules, wear crepe for six months, plain black for three months and half mourning for three. In many cases crepe is not worn at all, a most sensible plan when there are young children in the family. It is not kind to them to let them see mother clad in crepe and looking so sombre. Indeed, if she could bring herself to do so, it would be very much nicer to wear white instead. ^Yh.en this is impracticable, she could com^^romise by cutting out the necks of her black frocks, filling in with tucked mousseline de soie. White or black lace is of course out of the question, but plain black net, chiffon and mousseline de soie are all per- fectly correct by Avay of relief, whether white or black. Parents. A daughter mourning a parent wears crepe for six months, black for three months and half mourning for three. After the first three months she may discard the face veil she wears if she 197 Talks on Successful Gowning. wishes and substitute any ordinary net, provided it is without dots. Linen collars may be worn but not those em- broidered or lace trimmed, and for morning wear plain white lawn blouses finished with tie and belt of black may be worn with a black skirt after the first six months without provoking comment, especially when the weather is warm. Voile, hen- rietta and Panama are suitable materials for afternoon frocks and simple evening dresses may be of plain Brussels net, India silk, crepe de chine and fabrics of like nature. Net, chiffon or mousseline de sole, either white or black, may be used for relieving gowns of sombre materials. A sister mourning for a brother or a sister wears crepe for three months, plain black for three months and half mourning for two months. After that period colors may be resumed. Headwear. Only a widow wears a bonnet, except in the case of a very old lady, who would wear a bonnet any way were she not in mourning. All other women wear hats. Still there are certain rules in regard to shape, materials, etc., that must be observed. Needless to say that nothing approach- ing the "picture" hat is appropriate. Round hats and sailor shapes are suitable and correct for young women's wear, older ones will wear medium sized hats, toques and turbans, choosing the model for its becomingness. Dull black chip, dull silk, net and chiffon-covered hats are alike in good taste; while correct fabrics for trimmings 198 Rules for Correct Mourning. are dull weaves of ribbon, black flowers (no yellow or white centres), birds, net, wings, and crepe. Some authorities claim that ostrich feathers may be included in the list of mourning millinery, but, to my thinking they are not in good taste. Other trimmings that are excluded are velvet, satin, satin ribbon, lace, also stripes or dots in either silk or ribbon. The weave must be per- fectly plain. Jewelry. Jewelry worn to any extent while in mourning is not in good taste. An engagement ring will, of course, not be removed from the finger and any rings set with pearls, the mountings gold, will be entirely unobjectionable. The same rule will apply to plain gold rings. Those, however, that are mounted with colored stones should be locked away for a time. There is no reason why advantage may not be taken of the beautiful jet jewelry lately introduced, and some of it made use of as decoration, not profusely, of course, but small earrings, a medium-sized brooch, a necklet, watch chain and belt buckle may all be worn at the same time when the mourning begins to be lightened. Jet combs must be used, if any, in the hair, and black ball hairpins are exceedingly effective as well as correct. A set of black studs should be worn in a white shirt waist for half mourning and dull black jet buckles will decorate the toes of dull kid slippers for evening wear. X99 Talks on Successful Gowning. Hat pins in dull and cut jet are to be had for securing mourning hats. There are als^ very beautiful black bracelets, but these had better be reserved until the later stages of mourning. Accessories. Coming to the question of accessories it is generally agreed that handsome furs, regardless of color, may be considered mourning, except in the case of a widow. She must adopt black furs or else dispense with them altogether. Dark brown furs, as dyed fox, marten and mink, are correct for general mourning. Gray furs, as squirrel and chinchilla, may be donned with a plain mourning costume but not with one crepe- trimmed. Persian lamb or black fox, lynx, etc., should be chosen for very deep mourning. A boa of silk chiffon or plain net are correct, and many people believe ostrich feather boas may also be included. In my opinion, however, mar- abou as a substitute will be in better taste. The kind of veils that are considered correct have already been mentioned and as an extra precau- tion I should like to advise against the use of collars, cuffs, yokes and fichus of lace, whether in black or white. Lace can never be regarded as mourning and neither can velvet. A gown may be trimmed with rows of ribbon but not with velvet. Black gloves will be worn unless the toilet is entirely white, when, of course, the gloves will be white. Shoes should be of dull finished black kid, when in first mourning. Gun metal may be worn when in half mourning. 200 Rules for Correct Mourning. Belts will either be of the dress material or else of dull kid, or ribbon without gloss. Plain black elastic belting closing with a dull jet buckle is also admissible. Hose will, of course, be black and the handker- chief will show a black border the width of which will be reduced as the mourning stage advances. Embroidery and in fact any decoration should be entirely absent from the mourning handkerchief. Parasols and umbrellas will be of perfectly plain black silk. The hand-bag should be of dull black leather mounted in black or gun metal, and the pocket book should correspond. If liked, these necessities may be entirely in gun metal shades. The fan, including mountings, should be black and preferably quite plain. Ties should be either all white or all black, and collars should be of lawn, handkerchief linen or the stiff linen collar according to the period of the mourning and the occasion. Black-bordered cards will be used until mourn- ing is entirely discarded. When crepe is set aside then the "Italian'' width of black edge will be correct ; and when half mourning begins the line of black will be the very narrowest, scarcely more than a hair's breadth. Evening dress has only received a passing men- tion, for obvious reasons. Persons in mourning do not receive formally, neither do they accept in- vitations w^liile wearing crepe except in the case of near relatives. These dine with and entertain each other in a quiet way. A widow is not seen at public affairs for at least a year. After that 201 Talks on Successful Gowning. period there is no reason why an informal after- noon function, a concert (evening) or a matinee may not be attended. After the death of a x)arent a 3'Oung woman may accept invitations for simple functions, con- certs, quiet games or even athletic sports at the end of six months if she feels so disposed. Dinner parties may be attended when wearing half mourning, and a gown of all white or transparent black will suggest mourning better than a com- bination of the two tones. A girl or young matron may appear in a simple frock of white crepe with trimmings of narrow white ribbon and net or faggoting, wearing white hose and slip- pers, white gloves and fan of the same hue. An older woman may wish to wear a gown of black net, or, if something more important is desired, it may be of rich silk relieved with tucker or yoke of tucked mousseline de soie, which in this case may be white on account of the dress material being so heavy. She will add a stiff aigrette, white or black, to her coiffure, wear black silk hose and slippers and carry a black fan. Her gloves, however, will be white. The wrap for evening wear should be of black broadcloth, trimmed with dull black silk or fur suiting weather conditions, and be lined with white. The handkerchief may be pure white finished on the edges with a narrow hemstitching. Some persons prefer the narrow black border, but, to my thinking, the use of the all white suggests superior taste. It is not kind to others to bring any emblem of mourning into public notice unnecessarily. 202 Rules for Correct Mourning. Mourning garments for girls who are still in the schoolroom should be of the most simple character. Crepe will not be worn at all, and for street wear a suit of dull cheviot or any dull cloth that will be seasonable will be quite correct. For first mourning there Avill be an absence of trimming save for tailor stitchings. Afterwards braid and silk facings may be employed as a relief. School frocks will be of black serge and house gowns may be developed from Panama, henrietta, any of the crepy goods, and voile, relieved with white about the throat. Plain white linen collars finished with a black tie will be correct for morning wear, and simple tuckers of net or chiffon will complete afternoon toilets. Plain white turn-over collars may be worn but not those embroidered. For general wear a black felt hat trimmed with dull black taffeta will be both correct and prac- tical, while for better wear the hat may be cov- ered with silk and be trimmed with mourning flowers or wings as preferred. Gloves are black, of course, and footwear will be of the same hue in a dull finish. Patent leather is not in good taste for mourning. Girls of this age should not be debarred from all pleasures. They may attend school friends' homes at informal gatherings which include others of the same years and receive them occasionally also. After three months they may be seen at a matinee now and then or any other place (except 203 Talks on Successful Gowning. a dance) frequented by school girls. When a girl is out, even though she be no older thaa the one still in the schoolroom, she is expected to observe more closely the rules of conventional mourning, and will not be seen (except in a very quiet way) to any extent until after six months of mourning. Only the barest amount of jewelry may be worn by the school girl, and when a veil is worn it will be of plain black chiffon and be for pro- tection only — not effect. Handkerchiefs may show a thin line of black, at first, afterwards a plain white hemstitched mouchoir may be carried even before mourning is discarded. Girls under twelve 3'ears of age are seldom put into mourning at all, except in the case of the loss of a parent, and then just simple black gar- ments are provided, or, as some people prefer, entirely white toilets. In summer the dresses will be of fine plain white lawn untrimmed save for tucks for afternoon wear, heavier plain linen or cotton for mornings and white wash silk or any of the crepy goods for best. A lingerie hat fashioned from lawn frills may be worn and a white chip trimmed with dead white ribbon will be in good taste for better wear. For winter wear tliere is white serge (which must be white, not cream) and a white felt hat. Little house frocks can be made from white wool batiste, henrietta, cashmere and like ma- terials. When black is worn the guimpe model is per- .204 Rules for Correct Mourning. haps the best to adopt because then yoke and sleeves may be of white lawn. Tucks, as a decora- tion, are allowable, but there must be neither lace nor embroidery in evidence. No child should be put into solid black unrelieved by white. Of course, these little people may take part in any childish affairs after the first few weeks of mourning, exception being made to a children's ball or masquerade. At the same time, there are some who think even these festivities should not be denied those of an age of whom it cannot be expected to have a knowledge of mourning be- yond the outward and visible sign. 205