\ S OF US BY DOROThlY OVIGLeV LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Chap...:.... (\)pyriii:ht No. Sholt'..._i.Q_^ UNITED STATES OF AAIERICA. I am indebted to the editors of the New York Sun and New York yournal for kindly allowing me to include in this book articles which I con- tributed to their respective papers. U'Q-O.C^H'O PREFACE. DID you ever observe, dear comrade, what an element of caricature lurks in clothes ? A short, round coat on a stout man seems to exaggerate his propor- tions to such a ridiculous degree VI PREFACE that the profile of his manly form suggests '' the robust bulge of an old jug." A bonnet decorated with loops of ribbon and sprays of grass, or flowers that fall aslant, may give a laughably tipsy air to the long face of a saintly matron of pious and conservative habits. A peaked hat and tight-fitting, long-skirted coat may so magnify the meagre physical endowments of a tall, slender girl that she at- tains the lank and longish look of a bottle of hock. Oh ! the mocking diablery in strings, wisps of untidy hair, queer trimmings, and limp hats. Alas ! that they should have such imp- PREFACE Vll ish power to detract from the dignity of woman and render man absurd. Because of his comical attire, an eminent Oxford divine, whose Hfe and works commanded reverence, was once mistaken for an ancient vm PREFACE -52^ New England spinster in emanci- pated garments. His smoothly shaven face, framed in crinkly, gray locks, was surmounted by a soft, little, round hat, from the up- turned brim of which dangled a broken string. His long frock- coat reached to just above his loosely fitting gaiters. The fluttering string, whose only reason for being at all was to keep the queer head-gear from sailing away on the wind, gave a touch of the ludicrous to the boyish hat which, in its turn, lent more drol- lery than dignity to the sanctified face of the old theologian. Who has not seen just such, or a simi- lar siorht, and lauofhed ? Who has PREFACE IX not, with the generosity common to us all, concluded these were the mistakes and self-delusions of neighbors, relatives, and friends, in which we had no share ? I understand how it is with you. I am one of you. Before I studied our common errors I smiled at my neighbor's lack of taste, re- constructed my friends, and cast contemptuous criticism upon my enemies. One day I took a look at myself, and realized that ** I, too, am laughable on unsuspected occasions." The humbling knowledge of see- ing myself objectively, gave me courage to speak to the heart of you certain home truths which X iPREFACfi concern us all, in homely language which we can all understand. That you may discern the comi- cality and waggery in ill-chosen clothes, I have endeavored to hint to you in these talks some of the ways gew-gaws and garments make game of us. May you discover that your dress is not making you a laugh- able object ; but if, by any chance, you should note that your clothes are caricaturing you, take heart. Enjoy the joke with the mirth that heals and heartens, and speed- ily correct your mistakes. The lines of your form, the mod- elling of your face, are they not worthy of your discerning thought ? PREFACE XI Truly ! Whatever detracts from them detracts from sculpture, paint- ing, and poetry, and the world is the loser. A word to the thinking is suffi- cient. D. Q. CONTENTS. PAGE Preface v CHAPTER I. How Women of Certain Types SHOULD Dress Their Hair . i Style for Wedge-Shaped Faces . 9 Style for Heavy Jaws . . .10 Style for Eyes Set Too High . 14 Style for Eyes Set Too Low . .17 Style for Long Faces with Long Noses ig For Faces with Protruding Noses 22 CHAPTER II. Hints for the Selection of Becoming and Appropriate Styles in Head-gear . . 27 The Magic of the Bonnet . . 29 xiii XIV CONTENTS PAGE Style for Women with Broad Face and Heavy Chin . . -32 Style for Women with Tapering Chin ...... 34 Hat for the Chubby Woman . . ;^6 For Women Who Have Sharp and Prominent Profiles . . -38 For the Woman with an Angular Face ...... 42 Women Who should Not Wear Horns . . . . .44 CHAPTER III. Lines That should be Recognized AND Considered in Making Costumes 48 Style for Tall Slender Woman . 50 The Coat the Short Stout Woman should Wear . . . .52 The Cloak or Cape for a Tall Woman . . . . -55 CHAPTER IV. How Plump and Thin Backs SHOULD BE Clothed . . 62 CONTENTS XV CHAPTER V. PAGE Corsages Appropriate for Women WITH UnBEAUTIFULLY MOD- ELLED Throats and Shoulders 85 CHAPTER VI. Hints on Dress for Elderly Women 99 CHAPTER Vn. How Men Caricature Themselves with Their Clothes . . 108 •WSi WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US. CHAPTER I. HOW WOMEN OF CERTAIN TYPES SHOULD DRESS THEIR HAIR. THE pleasing, but somewhat audacious statement of the clever writer who asserted, ** In the merciful scheme of nature, there are no plain women," Is not as dis- putable as It may seem. Honest husbands, to be sure, greet the 2 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US information with dissenting guf- faws ; gay deceivers reflect upon its truth by gallantly assenting to it, with a mocking little twinkle in their eyes ; and pretty women, upon hearing it, remark sententiously : ** Blind men and fools may think so." Discerning students of wo- mankind, however, know that if every woman would make the best of her possibilities, physically, men- tally, and spiritually, it would be delightfully probable that *' in the merciful scheme of nature" there need be no plain women. Have we not Lord Chesterfield's word for it, that *' No woman is ugly when she is dressed " ? It is no unworthy study to learn DRESSING THE HAIR 3 to make the best of, and to do jus- tice to, one's self. Apropos of this, to begin — where all fascinating subjects should begin — at the head, it behooves every woman who wishes to appear at her best, to study the modelling of her face that she may understand both its defective and perfect lines. By a proper arrangement of her hair a woman can do much to obscure or soften her bad features, and height- en the charm of her good ones. Romancers have written, and poets have sung, of the bewitch- ment in nut-brown locks, golden tresses, and jetty curls. Every woman, if so inclined, may prove for herself the transfiguring effect 4 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US in a becoming coiffure. In fact, the beauty of a woman's face and her apparent age are greatly af- fected by the way she wears her hair. A most important detail that too few consider, Is, the proper direc- tion in which to comb the hair. Women literally toss their tresses together without any attention to the natural inclination of the indi- vidual strands or fibres. They comb their hair ** against the grain." Those who do so never have beau- tifully and smoothly arranged coif- fures. Each little hirsute filament has a rebellious tendency to go in the direction nature intended it should, and refuses to *' stay where it is put," giving the head in con- DRESSING THE HAIR 5 sequence, an unkempt and what is termed an ''unladylike" appearance. The criss-cross effect resulting from combing and arranging the hair NO. 2 contrary to ** the grain " is con- spicuously apparent in the coiffure of no less a personage than Elea- nora Duse, who, as may be seen 6 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US from the picture, pays little atten- tion to the natural tendency of the dark tresses that cover her shapely head. The bang has the di- shevelled appearance of a pile of jack-straws. The side-locks instead of being combed or brushed to fol- low the contour of the head, fall loosely and fly in opposite direc- tions. The difference in appearance be- tween the women of the smart sets in America and those of less fash- ionable circles is due, in a great measure, to the beautifully dressed coiffures of the former. A hair- dresser arranges, at least once a week, the hair of the modish woman if her maid does not understand the DRESSING THE HAIR 7 art of hair-dressing. Many women of the wealthy world have their maids taught by a French coiffeur. A wise woman will adopt a pre- vailing mode with discretion, for what may be essentially appropriate for one, may be fatally inappropri- ate for another. In adjusting her *' crown of glory " a woman must consider the proportions of her face. She should be able to discern whether her eyes are too near the top of her head or, too far below ; whether she has a square or wedge- shaped chin ; a lean, long face, or a round and bountifully curved one. She should be alert to her defects and study never to emphasize nor exaggerate them. 8 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US Why, through stupidity or care- lessness, make a cartoon of yourself, when with a proper appreciation of your possibilities you can be a pleas- ing picture ? It is just as glorious to be a fine picture or a poem as it is to paint the one, or write the other. Indeed, a woman who har- moniously develops the best within her has the charm of an exquisite poem and inspires poets to sing ; and if by the grace and beauty of her dress she enhances her natural endowments and makes herself a pleasing picture, the world becomes her debtor. In the important matter of be- comingly arranging the hair, the following sketches and suggestions DRESSING THE HAIR 9 may hint to bright, thinking, women what styles to choose or avoid. For Wedge-Shaped Faces. The least-discerning eye can see that the wedge-shaped face No. 3 is caricatured, NO. 3 NO. 4 and its triangular proportions made more evident, by allowing the hair to extend in curls or a fluffy bang on either side of the the head. Women with delicately modelled faces with peaked chins should lO WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US avoid these broad effects above their brows. It is obvious in the sketch No. 4, that the wedge-shaped face is per- ceptibly improved by wearing the hair in soft waves, or curls closely confined to the head and by arrang- ing a coil or high puff just above and in front of the crown. This arrangement gives a desirable oval effect to the face, the sharp promi- nence of the chin being counter- acted by the surmounting puffs. For Heavy Jaws. It may readily be seen that a woman with the square, heavy- jawed face pictured by No. 5, should not adopt a straight, or DRESSING THE HAIR II nearly straight, bang, nor wear her hair low on her forehead, nor ad- just the greater portion of her hair so that the coil cannot be seen above the crown of her head. The low bang brings into striking relief all the hard lines of her face and gives the impression that she has pugilistic tendencies. To insure artistic balance to her countenance, and bring out the womanly strength and vital power of her face, her hair should be ar- ranged in coils, puffs, or braids that will give breadth to the top of her head as shown by No. 6. A fluffy, softly curled bang adds grace to the forehead and gives it the nec- essary broadness it needs to lessen NO. 5 12 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US NO. 6 and llofhten the heaviness of the lower part of the face. A bow of ribbon, or an aigrette of feathers, will add effectively the crown of braids or puffs which a wise woman with a square jaw will surmount her brow if she wishes to subdue the too aggressive, fighting quali- ties of her strong chin. For Short Faces. The sisterhood who have short, chubby faces should, in a measure, observe certain rules that apply in a small degree to those who have heavy chins. As may be observed even with a casual glance, the little short-faced woman depicted by No. 7, causes DRESSING THE HAIR 13 her round facial disk to appear much shorter than it really is by- allowing her hair to come so far down on her forehead. She fur- ther detracts from her facial charms by wearing ** water-waves." Water-waves are scarcely to be commended for any type of face, and they are especially unbecoming to the woman who is conspicuously "roly-poly." The round eyes, knobby nose, and round mouth are brought into unattractive distinct- ness by being re-duplicated in the circular effects of the hair. This mode of dressing the hair makes a short face look common and insig- nificant. Do you not see that this type is NO. 7 NO. 8 14 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US immensely improved by the ar- rangement of the coiffure in No. 8 ? By combing her hair off her forehead her face acquires a look of alertness and intelligence, be- sides being apparently lengthened. She can wear her bang in soft crimps brushed back from her brow, if this plam arrangement is too severe. For Eyes Set Too High. A low forehead is supposed to be a sign of beauty in woman. The brows of the famous Venuses are low and broad. Perhaps for this reason many women wear their hair arranged low upon their fore- heads. Whether the hair should DRESSING THE HAIR 1 5 be worn low on the brow depends chiefly on two things, — ''the setting of the eyes, and the quality of the face." A good rule to observe Is the artistic one, to the effect that *' the c eyes of a woman should be in the middle of her head." That is, if an imaginary line Were drawn across the top of the head and another below the chin, exactly midway between the two the eyes should be set. The Japanese type of woman should carefully observe the fore- going hint. Observe No. 8^. Nature has not been artistic. The eyes are too near the top of the head. The NO. 8^. 1 6 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US rr^-. NO. 9 defect is exaggerated and empha- sized by the wearing of the hair low on the forehead. In some faces of this type the face is brutal- ized in appearance by this arrange- ment. The expression and whole quality of the countenance can be greatly improved by arranging th^ hair as shown by No. 9, which is the soft Pompadour style. The Duchess of Marlborough, formerly Consuelo Vanderbilt, frames her naive, winsome face, which is of the Japanese type, in a style some- what like this. Her dark hair forms an aureole above her brow, and brings into relief the dainty, oval form of her face. Even sim- ply brushing the hair off the fore- DRESSING THE HAIR 17 head without crimp or roll will improve the appearance of this type of face and give it a better artistic balance. For Eyes Set Too Low. Women whose eyes are set too far down in their faces should adopt a mode of arranging their hair exactly the opposite of those whose eyes are set too near the top of their heads. It is apparent that No. 10 exag- gerates the distance of her eyes from the crown of her head, and makes them appear to be set lower than they really are by building her hair high, and by brushing her bang back so severely from her NO. 10 1 8 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US NO. II brow. A bald forehead Is rarely becoming to any woman. A few stray curls or soft waves lend grace to even the most perfect of brows. By bringing the hair down over the forehead, as suggested in No. 1 1, a woman with this type of face can easily improve her appearance. By this graceful arrangement her face loses the childish and some- times stupid expression that Is peculiar to the type, as may be dis- cerned In No. lo. When the hair is properly arranged this element of childlikeness lends a certain ap- pealing sweetness not unattractive even in the faces of matured ma- trons. By dressing the hair low so the coil does not appear above DRESSING THE HAIR 1 9 the crown, as in No. 11, the eyes are apparently properly placed. For Long Faces with Long Noses. The woman who wears her silken tresses arranged on either side of her head, draped like curtains from a central parting, is to be envied if she can do it and yet look young and pretty. She is the Madonna type and seems to possess all the attributes of gentleness, modesty, and meekness, and angelic sweet- ness that are supposed to character- ize the distinctively feminine wo- man. This is the ideal style of coiffure much bepraised by man, because, according to a bright mod- NO. 13 20 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US ern Amazon, ** it makes a woman look SO meek." The only type to which it is really becoming is the Italian. The type with matte complexion, soft eyes, finely chiselled nose, and delicately oval chin, look ideally sweet and feminine with the hair arranged a la Madonna. Long faces of the form pictured by No. 12 exaggerate the long- ness and leanness of their faces by wearing their locks like looped curtains. A Ions: nose with two long lines on either side of the cheek seems longer than it is, as the observer may discern three lines instead of only the nasal one, and the impression of longness is DRESSING THE HAIR 21 emphasized. Not only is the length of the countenance made more no- ticeable, but years and years are If^ '^\\ apparently added to the actual age. That No. 13, which shows a part, inof and soft waves that do not come below the ears, is to be pre- ferred by a woman whose features are of this character need hardly be explained. The improvement in looks is quite obvious. No. 14 is an example of a mis- guided woman of the pudgy type who, for some inexplicable reason, arranges her hair in the Madonna style. It is utterly unsuited to her face. U nless her ears are deformed this style of hirsute lambrequins should not be worn by a full, round- NOS. 14 AND 15. NO. 16 2 2 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US faced woman. The arrangement sketched in No. 15 adds effectively to her appearance, not only mak- ing her look younger, but less in- ane. For Faces with Protruding Noses. Women with decidedly protrud- ing, or irregular, tip-tilted noses should be especially careful in ar- ranging their coiffures. Any woman who arranges her hair as in sketch No. 16 caricatures her facial defects by increasing the too protuberant lines of her nose. The distance from the end of her nose and the tip of the topmost knot of hair is too long for either beauty or intelligence. The shape DRESSING THE HAIR 23 of her head acquires idiotic pro- portions, and her nose is placed entirely '' out of drawing " and is obtrusively conspicuous when seen in profile. This type of woman is generally classified among the in- quisitive, bright, and energetic. She should aim to modify the un- happy angularity of her profile as well as to repress her gossipy tend- encies. The graduated coil of hair and waved coiffure, shown by No. 1 7, are most felicitous in their effect on this type of face. No. 18 reveals an error in an op- posite direction. The snubbed- nose girl, by fixing her hair in a bun-like coil, gives the impression that her coifTure is held by invis- NO 24 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US NO. 19 ible strings by her nose, which gets a more elevated look than it other- wise would have, because of the bad angle at which the coil is placed. No. 19, which is a picturesque variation of the popular coif, mani- festly improves this type of face, and makes the nose appear less obtrusive. A woman should carefully study the contour of her head from every side ; the modelling of her face ; the length and inclination of her nose ; the setting of her eyes ; and the breadth and form of her brow, and adopt a becoming coiffure that will give artistic balance to her face, and never absolutely change DRESSING THE HAIR 25 the style whatever the mode in hair-dressing may be. In Eng- land, the court hair- dresser years ago studied the character of the head and face of the Princess of Wales, and designed a coiffure for her which she has never varied until recently ; then she merely ar- ranged her fringe 11 1 NO. 20 lower down on her forehead than she has ever worn it before. The general style, how- ever, she preserves intact, and wears her hair, and has for many years, as is shown in the picture — 26 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US No. 20. Her daughters, who have faces the same shape as hers, dress their coiffures similarly. In never changing the style of arranging her hair, the Princess of Wales owes in no small degree her ap- parent air of youthfulness. No Matter What the Pre- vailing Style these Rules may BE Practically Applied. CHAPTER II. HINTS FOR THE SELECTION OF BECOMING AND APPROPRIATE STYLES IN HEAD-GEAR. CLOSELY allied to the sub- ject of hair-dressing is that of head-gear. Indeed many of the hints regarding appropriate coif- fures for certain styles of faces are equally applicable to the selection of suitable hats and bonnets. The choosing of millinery Is the more momentous of the two, of 27 28 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US course, for I need scarcely remind you that Nature left us no choice in hair. No matter what its color or texture we desire to keep it and if we are wise we will make the best of it. In regard to hats we are person- ally responsible and our follies are upon our our own heads. The power of caricature being greater in hats than in hair-dress- ing, is it not fit that we should give careful and intelligent considera- tion to the selection of our millinery that the ugly lines in our other- wise beautiful faces may not be at the mercy of mocking bunches of ribbons, comically tilted straws, or floppy bits of lace ? HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 2() The Magic of The Bonnet. Once upon a time, I think that was the exact date, there was a man distinguished in a certain kingdom as the ugliest person in the realm. According to a blithe romancer, he was so distinctively unpleasing in form and feature that he challenged the attention of the king who, in whimsical mood, made him a royal retainer. The man so conspicuously lacking in beauty enjoyed his eminent posi- tion and privileges for some time. But even ugliness, if it attain dis- tinction, will excite envy in the low-minded. A former associate of the unbeautiful man in Invidious temper brought the news one day 30 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US to the king, that there was an old woman in his domain that was ugHer than the lowly-born man who by kingly favor held so high a place. '' Bring her to the court. Judges shall be called to decide. If she is uglier she shall stay and he shall go," was the royal man- date. When the old woman ap- peared she was easily decided to be by far the uglier of the two. At the critical moment when the king was upon the eve of dis- missing the man from his ret- inue, a friend of the unfortunate shouted, " Put her bonnet on him ! " This was done, and lo ! a fearful change was wrought. By unani- mous acclamation he was declared HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 3 1 to be ** the ugliest creature on earth." The old woman, true to the in- stincts of her sex, refused to wear her bonnet again. Like many of her sisters of modern times, she had not before discovered the pos- sibilities in a bonnet to enhance the beauty of the face or decrease its charms. If women could see themselves objectively, as did the old woman, they would keenly realize the neces- sity of considering the lines of hat or bonnet in relation to those of their faces, and would learn to obscure defects and bring into prominence their prettiest features. As there are a few rules to gov- 32 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US ern what each type should select, every one of the fair sisterhood has _ an equal opportunity to improve '"^ her appearance by selecting in the l^^ W millinery line the distinctive adorn- ment suited to her individual style. NO. 22 For Women with Broad Face and Heavy Chin. By a curious law of contrariety the woman with a broad, heavy chin seems to have an ungovern- able penchant for trig little round bonnets, or trim turbans with perky aigrettes, like that in sketch No. 22. By obeying this wilful preference she obscures whatever delicacy may be in the modelling of her features and brings into conspicu- HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 33 ous relief the ugliest lines of her face. Her chin is apparently in- creased in heaviness and the broadness of her face is made prom- inent. She could easily have restored the artistic balance to her facial lines by wearing a large hat, ^ rather heavily trim- med, as in No. 23, thus effectively modifying the strong curves of the chin and signally improving her appearance. If a woman's face is fairly proportioned, not too short for its breadth, and she can not afford plumes, this type of woman can still give a becoming balance NO. 23 34 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US to her face by adopting hats that are trimmed with flamboyant bows that flare horizontally across the hat, diverging from a central knot in the front. For the Woman with Tapering Chin. The woman who is the exact opposite of the type with the am- ple lower jaw, but whose chief disad- vantage lies in her broad, manly brow and tiny tapering chin, should avoid all horizontal trim- mings, bows or broad hat-brims. It is clear, in No. 24, that such trim- NO. 24 HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 35 mings Increase the wedge-like ap- pearance of the face and give it the grotesque sugges- tion of an ordinary flower-pot in which grows a sickly plant. This type can per- ceptibly improve up- on nature by choos- ing the style of hat and neck-gear shown by No. 25. The crinkly ovals that form the brim of the hat, and the soft, grace- ful arrangement of the hair in front that decreases the too broad effect of the brow, and the full fluffy ruff snuggled up closely to the chin, pro- duce a pleasing transformation of NO. 25 36 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US NO. 26 the meagre-looking original that to the uninitiated seems little short of magical. The broad, cravat- like bows, and the flaring ones known as ** incroyables," were be- neficently invented for women with wedge-like faces and throats that have lost the seductive curves of youth. Hat for the Chubby Woman. That amiable type of woman formed conspicuously upon the circular plan, often unconsciously impresses the fact of her fatal tend- ency to rotundity by repeating the roundness of her globular eyes, the disk-like appearance of her snub nose and the circle of her round HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 37 mouth, and the fulness of her face by wearing a Httle, round hat in the style portrayed by No. 26. The curls of her bang, the feathers in her hat, the high col- lar of her jacket make more significant the- fact that her lines are not artistic and that n°- ^7 her face is unbeautifully round. She can enhance her charms and apparently decrease the too spheri- cal cut of her countenance by adopting the mode illustrated in No. 27. The angular bows on the hat, the geometric lines of the broad hat-brim, the precise cut of 38 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US the lapels on the corsage, the neat throat-band and V-shaped vesture — all insinuate in a most engaging way a dignity and fine, high-bred poise totally obliterated by the cir- cular style of dress erroneously adopted by the misguided woman _ in No. 26. For Women Who Have Sharp and Prominent Profiles. In buying a hat many of the "unfair sex" — as the modern wag dubs the progressive sisters who wish to have all man's rights and privileges and keep their own be- sides — never seem to consider their heads but from a front point of view. In consequence, as sketch HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 39 NO. 29 No 28 hints, a head seen from the side frequently appears, if not idi- otically, very inartistic- ally, proportioned. Occasionally a hat presents as comical an effect in a front as in a side view, as may be seen in No. 29. The wearer was an elderly woman with gray hair which hung down in a half-curled bang on either side of her thin face. Her hat which was simply ** dripping " with feathers suggested a fanciful letter ** T " and exaggerated the thinness of her face in a remarkably funny way. The feathers overhanging the brim increased the broadness of the hat, 40 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US and looked singularly waggish flut- tering against the spriggy-looking projections of gray hair. The rules for the wedge- shaped face, as may readily be discerned, apply here. Women who have sharp and prominently outlined profiles have a curious tendency to choose hats, the brims of which project too far forward in front, and turn up too abruptly and un- gracefully in the back. As shown in No. 30 the pro- truding brim gives the head and face the unattractive proportions of the capital letter ** F." The NOS. 30 AND 31 HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 4I length of the nose is emphasized by the line of the hat-rim above it and it appears unduly obtrusive. The flat arrangement of the hair and the curve of the hat-brim in the back also exaggerate the obtru- sive qualities of the features. By choosing a hat somewhat similar to the one sketched in No. 31, the un- attractive sharpness of the profile is modified, and the alert, agree- able quality of the face, that was obscured by the shelf-like brim, becomes apparent The observer feels, if he does not voice it, that it is a progressive spirit advancing forward instead of an ungainly head-piece that looks like a curious trowel. 42 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US For the Woman with an Angular Face. The woman with the angular features presented in No 32 should not wear a sailor-hat or any hat with a per- fectly straight rim. The sailor-hat or any style bordering on it should be selected with utmost discrimin- ation. This mode is unbecoming to a wo- man more than forty ; or, to one who through NOS. 32 AND 33 . - griet or worry prema- turely attains a look of age, or to one whose features are irregular. The straight brim across the face HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 43 is very trying. It casts a shadow deepening the " old marks " and instead of being a frame to set off, it seems to cut off, the face at an inartistic angle. The woman with angular feat- ures, as may be seen by No. ^^, can wear with impunity, and always should wear, a hat the brim of which is waved, turned, twisted, or curved in graceful lines. The un- even brim of her hat makes an effective complement to the angu- larity of her chin, which is further softened by the feathery ruff that encircles her throat. The curves of the ostrich plumes, and the studied carelessness of the arrange- ment of her coiffure, subdue the 44 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US angles of her face which are brought out in unbecoming prominence by the sailor-hat. Women Who should Not Wear Horns. The velvet horns on either side of a hat, the steeple-like central adornments that were once much in favor, and the Mercury wings that ornament the coiffure for even- ing dress, produce some startling, disagreeable, and amusing effects not altogether uninteresting to con- sider. Faces in which the eyes are set too near the forehead acquire a scared look by being surmounted by a bonnet upon which the trim- HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 45 ming gravitates to a point In an arrangement not unsuggestlve of a reversed fan, horns, or a steeple. The most unpleaslng develop- ments result from the wearing of the horn-like trimmings either in velvet or jet. If the face above which they flare has less of the spiritual than the coarse propen- sities in it, the grotesque turns and twists in the head-gear emphasize the animality In the lines character- istic of low-bred tendencies, and the whole countenance is vulgarized. One face acquires the look of a fox, another of a certain type of dog, and so on. The most amusing exaggerations of distinctive facial lines are pro- 46 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US duced by Mercury wings. The good-natured woman of the famil- iar type depicted in No. 34 brings every bovine attribute of her placid counten- ance into conspicuous relief by surmount- ing her face with the NO. 34 wings of the fleet- footed god. The cow-like form and serenity of her features are made laughably obvious. Short, delicately - faced women can adorn their coiffures with Mer- cury wings with most charming results. Wings, or perpendicular bows, add length to the lines of the short face, giving it a certain sug- HINTS FOR HEAD-GEAR 47 gestion of refinement and distinc- tion that is wholly destroyed by the wearing of any trimmings that show at the sides. NO MATTER WHAT THE PREVAIL- ING STYLE THESE RULES MAY BE PRACTICALLY APPLIED. CHAPTER III. LINES THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AND CONSIDERED IN MAKING COSTUMES. MME. La Mode, much misrep- resented as are all who are embarrassed with world-wide popu- larity, always considers when de- signing fashions that women vary In form, as in mood. She suits all needs, although this fact has never been cast to her credit. With a beautiful sense of adjustment — as 48 MAKING COSTUMES 49 obvious as that in Nature, that pro- jects the huge watermelon to ripen on a slender vine on the ground and swings a greengage plum on the stout stem of a tree to mature in storm or shine — Mme. La Mode, ar- biter of styles, balances her fashions. Never came the big hat without the small bonnet. Accompanying the long cloak is the never-failing short cape. Side by side may be found the long coat and the short, natty jacket. This equilibrium in wearing apparel may be traced through all the vagaries of fashion. Everybody's need has been con- sidered, but everybody has not considered her need. The short, stout woman passes 4 so WHAT DRESS MAlCES OF US by the long coat better adapted to her and seizes a short jacket— a homeopathic tendency of Hke suit- ing Hke, sometimes efficacious in medicine, but fatal In style. Style for Tall Slender Woman. The very tall, slender woman fre- quently ignores a jaunty jacket and takes a long coat like that shown in No. 36. To even the sluggish fancy of an unimaginative observer she sug- gests a champagne bottle, and to the ready wit she hints of no end of amusing possibilities for caricature. The very tall woman should know that long lines from shoulder to foot give height, and she must MAKING COSTUMES SI discerningly strive to avoid length of line in her garments until she dons the raiment of the angels. NOS. 36 AND 37 Horizontal lines crossing the fig- ure seem to decrease height, and should be used as much as possible in the arranging and trimming of the tall woman's garments. 52 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US By selecting a shorter coat equal- ly modish, as shown by No. 37, the too tall woman shortens her figure perceptibly. The belt cuts off from her height in a felicitous way, and the collar, also horizontal, materially improves the size of her throat. The high collar, such as finishes the coat, in No. 36, adds to the length. Those who have too long arms can use horizontal bands on sleeves most advantageously. The Coat the Short Stout Woman should Wear. The short jacket that so gracious- ly improved the appearance of the slender specimen of femininity is MAKING COSTUMES 53 sinister in its effect on the short, stout woman, in sketch No. 38. It should be the study of her Hfe to avoid horizontal lines. Length of limb is to be desired be- cause it adds dis- tinction. Her belt, the horizontal ef- fect of the skirt of the jacket, the hori- ^°^" ^^ '''''' ^^ zontal trimming of the bottom of the skirt, all apparently shortening her height, tend to make her ordin- ary and commonplace in appear- ance. If her hips are not too pro- nounced she can wear the long 54 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US coat, shown in picture No. 39. The V-shaped vesture gives her a longer waist, and the long lines of the revers add to the length of her skirt. If her hips are too promi- nent, she should avoid having any tight-fitting garments that bring the fact into relief. She should not wear the long coat, but she can ef- fectively modify it to suit her needs, by only having a skirt, or tabs, or finishing straps in the back. If her jacket or basque Is finished off with a skirt effect, it Is best to have the little skirt swerve away just at the hip-line, half revealing and half con- cealing it. The front should be made In a jacket effect, finishing just at the MAKING COSTUMES 55 walst-llne and opening over a blouse front that will conceal the waist- line. It is best for the too short, stout woman to obscure her waist- line as much as possible, to appar- ently give her increase of height. To put the waist-line high up adds to length of limb, and, of course, is to be desired, but the fact that what is added below is taken from above the waist, should impel careful discrimination in the arrangement of this equatorial band. The Cloak or Cape for a Tall Woman. The long circular cloak is an- other graceful garment that can be 56 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US worn with charming effect by the woman of classic height, but should never be in the ward- robe of a very tall wo- man except for use at the opera, when its ser- vice is chiefly required in the carriage, or when its wearer is sitting. It is so obvious, in sketch No. 40, that the vertical lines the folds of the ^°- '^^ cloak naturally fall into give a steeple-like appearance to the tall woman it enfolds, that it is scarcely necessary to comment up- on it. That her judicious selection should have been the short cape, MAKING COSTUMES 57 which comes, as all capes should, to be artistic, well below the elbows, is clearly illus- trated in picture No. 41. The horizontal trimming very becom- ingly plays its part in the generally improv- ing effect. The one who can wear the long cloak in an unchallengeable manner is the short, ''°- ^^ stout woman, shown in sketch No. 42. By wearing the short cape with circular, fluffy collarette, sketched in No. 43, she gives herself the look of a smothered, affrighted 58 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US Cochin China chicken ; or, as an imaginative school-girl remarked NOS. 42 AND 43 of her mother who wore a cape of similar style, " she looks as if her neck were encirled by bunches of asparagus." The military dignity she acquires by wearing the long cape is becom- ing to a degree, and gives her dis- tinction in form. MAKING COSTUMES 59 By remembering that horizontal trimmings apparently decrease the height, and that vertical lines add to it, those who desire to appear at their best will use discernment in dividing their basques with yokes, or corsage mountings at the bust-line or frills at the hip-line. A flounce on the corsage at the bust-line, another at the hip-line, and yet another at the bottom of the shirt, increases the impression of bulkiness most aggressively and gives a barrel-like appearance to the form of a stout woman that is decidedly funny, as may be seen in sketch No. 44. A study of the lines of the form will not only aid one in adopting a 6o WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US more becoming style of dress, but will sharpen the artistic perceptions, thus adding to the joy of life. NO. 44 ** A beautiful form is better than a beautiful face " and should be clothed so that its lines may appear at their best, and not be exaggerated and caricatured. The figure is seen many more times than the face, and the de- fects of the former are more con- spicuous than those of the latter. MAKING COSTUMES 6 1 Do not be unjust to your beau- tiful body, the temple of your soul ; above all, do not caricature it by selecting your clothes with indis- criminating taste. NO MATTER WHAT THE PREVAIL- ING MODE THESE RULES MAY BE PRACTICALLY APPLIED. CHAPTER IV. HOW PLUMP AND THIN BACKS SHOULD BE CLOTHED. SHE was from the middle-West, and despite the fact that she was married, and that twenty-one half-blown blush roses had en- wreathed her last birthday cake, she had the alert, quizzical brightness of a child who challenges everybody and everything that passes with the countersign — ** Why ? " She inves- tigated New York with unabashed 62 PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 6;^ interest, and, like many another superior provincial, she freely ex- pressed her likes and dislikes for its traditions, show-places, and peo- ple with a commanding and amus- ing audacity. Her objections were numerous. The chief one that made a deep impression upon her metropolitan friends was her disapproval of Sarah Bernhardt's acting. The middle-Westerner, instead of be- coming ecstatic in her admiration, and at a loss for adjectives at the appearance of the divine Sarah, merely perked at the great French artist for some time and then de- manded, querulously : ** What 's the matter with her ? Why does 64 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US she play so much with her back to the audience ? I don't like it." It was a shock to the adorers of Sarah Bernhardt to hear her so irreverently criticised. They loy- ally united in her defence, and sought to squelch the revolter by loftily explaining that the actress turned her back so often to the audience because she had such a noble, generous nature and desired to give the other actors a chance. ** She lets them take the centre of the stage, as they say in the pro- fession," remarked one of the party, who prided herself upon being versed in the argot of the theatre. ** But she plays with her back to the audience when she is speaking PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 65 and acting, and everybody else on the stage is still but herself," petu- lantly insisted the Western Philis- tine, showing no signs of defeat. The situation was not wholly agreeable. The worshippers of Sarah could say nothing more in justification of her turning her back on them, but, with true feminine logic, concluded, '' If Sarah Bern- hardt turns her back on the audi- ence it is right, and that is all there is to say." Just at this dramatic moment a voice from the adjoining row provi- dentially interposed. The voice belonged to a well-known exponent of physical culture, who was never so happy as when instructing the 66 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US intellectually needy. She said : ** I will tell you why she plays with her back towards the audience more than any other actress upon the stage to-day." The middle- Westerner, no less impressed than her metropolitan friends, listened eagerly. The exponent of straight backs and high chests explained didactic- ally : '* The back is wonderfully expressive ; indeed it is full of vital expression. Bernhardt knows this better than any other actress be- cause she has studied statuary with the passion of a sculptor, and be- cause she understands that, not only the face, but the entire physical structure, is capable of expressing PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 67 dramatic emotions. Strong feeling and action may be strikingly re- vealed by the back. Imprecations, denunciations, even prayers, seem to be charged with more force when an actress delivers them with her back turned, or half-turned to the audience. ** Bernhardt's back expresses a storm of fury when she imprecates vengeance," said the voice of au- thority. ** Not only on the stage is the expression of the back dis- cernible, and a knowledge of its character valuable, but in every-day life in drawing-room and street. How many women consider their backs when they dress ? Look at the backs here deformed by laces 68 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US and fallals," she went on contempt- uously. '' The majority of women never look below their chins and I believe not one in ten ever looks thoughtfully at her back," she said emphatically. The dramatic value of a well- poised, expressive back may only concern the thousands of young women who are aspiring to be a Sarah Bernhardt or a Rachel ; but a knowledge of what constitutes a properly and artistically clothed back should be of interest to all women in civilized countries. That there is much truth in the assertion that '' the majority of women never look below their chins, and not one in ten ever looks I'LUM)' ANIJ THIN HACKS 69 thourHitfiilly .'it licr back," cycry observer of woiii.inkind mi^ht tesU'fy. The open placket-hole and sag- ^in^- waist-band, sketched in No. /|5, is an all too familiar sl^ht that advertises the fact that too few women take even a cursory look at tlieir backs, leathers and brothers wlu) wish to protect their woman- kind from adverse criticism fre- quently ^ive impromptu lectures uj><>u lliis very subject, as this slovenly arrangement of skirt and basque Is not only seen In Grand Street, Second Avenue, and equal- ly (mfashionable quarters, but in Jwftli Avenue where the, modish set are en dvidencc. If the dainty '*". ^ij JO WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US NO. 46 safety-pin displayed in No. 46, goes out of vogue, the time-honored custom of sewing hooks to the waist-band of the dress, is always in fashion. Indeed, many women pre- fer this way of connecting separate skirt and waist to using a conspicu- ous pin. This is almost too trivial a detail to discourse upon, but it is as true that details make dress as it is that " trifles make life " — and neither life nor dress is a trifle. The offence in No. 45 is more the result of untidiness than of a lack of artistic discrimination. Nos. 46-I- and 47, on the contrary, outrage the laws of art, and display ignorance of the value and beauty of lines. PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 71 No. 46|- might serve to conceal a deformity of the shoulders. That really seems its only ex- cuse for being. The full, ugly, straight pleat that falls to just below the waist-line lends neither grace nor style V^' to the figure. It is too short to give the dis- tinction and dignity that handsome wraps with long lines almost invari- ably do, although they seem to add age to the form. There is a hint of youth in this ungraceful jacket to be sure, but it is not especially attractive in its suggestion of youth- fulness. NO. 46J 72 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US No. 47, with a line at the neck- band, crossed bands in the centre of the shoulders, and lines across the back, is obviously inartistic. The back of a Venus, even, would be detract- ed from by such criss- crossed effects. Happy the woman who has so shapely a back she can afford to allow her waist to fit smoothly and plainly, unbroken by any conspicuous lines. If bands must be used to remedy the de- ficiencies of ungenerous Nature, let them be at the neck and waist ; and if the back is unconscionably long, a band, or fold, or ruffle NO. 47 PLUMP AND THIN BACKS n across the shoulders is to be com- mended. No. 48 reveals a glaring error frequently made by the thin sister- hood. A tall, slender woman with a long waist, should not emphasize her length of lines by wearing "^^ pointed or V-shaped effects. The V-shaped arrangement, either in cut or trimmings, apparently in- creases her *' longness and lean- ness." She should aim to shorten her waist instead of lengthening it as the basque finished with a point obviously does. The drooping sleeves elongate her shoulder-lines, and bring into clearer relief her meagre proportions. She can eas- ily improve her appearance by NO. 48 74 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US adopting either style of gown por- trayed by Nos. 49, or 50. The broad belt at the waist- line in No. 49, and the flamboyant lace or braid- ed piece that adorns the shoulders, perceptibly adds to her breadth and decreases her length. No. 50 is a felicitous cut for a street dress for a slim sister. The jaunty bloused waist smartly conceals deficiencies in fine points. The tall, thin sister- hood should eschew pointed effects and NO. 49 NO. 50 Study to attain apparent breadth PLUMP AND THIN BACiCS 75 by using trimmings arranged hori- zontally. Bands of velvet, braid in waved lines, ruffles, and not too deeply cut scallops, may be used effectively by ^^/^ the very slender, who ^^ sometimes appear as if they are ** without form and void," as the earth was *' in the beginning." No. 51 is an exposition of the mistake made by the sturdy sister- hood of stout and pendulous pro- portions. It is plain to be seen that the fluffy ruche at the throat- band, and the ruffle at the shoulder, and the spreading bow at the waist, and the trimmed sleeves, add bulk- 76 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US iness to a form already too gener- ously endowed with flabby rotund- ity. Corpulent women must forego -iir^. NO. 53 NO. 53 the swagger little basques or any sort of short, flounced effects below the waist-line. Nos. 52 and 53 are eminently adapted to the matron of ample dimensions. One observer of beauty-giving effects has not un- PLUMP AND THIN BACKS "]"] advisedly called the waist-line '' the danger-line." A stout sister, above all others, should not accentuate the waist-line. She should conceal it as much as possible. The coat back of No. 52 apparently length- ens the waist. The same effect is produced by the arrangement of ribbons in No. 53, and by the long-pointed basque. V-shaped effects and long-pointed basques are as becoming to those burdened with flesh as they are unbecoming to tall, thin women. Long, graceful folds and draper- ies are admirable for the stout sis- terhood, who should avoid short sacques and tight-fitting garments that give the on-looker an uncom- 78 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US fortable impression ; there is too much in a small space. Very light colors and thin textures that billow and float should be eschewed by the large, fleshy woman who wishes to give the impression that she possesses the lines of a finely mod- elled statue. She should avoid puff's and any suggestion of the pulpy and clumsy, and be careful not to sub-divide the body of her dress by plaits or braids laid on horizontally across or above the bust, or below the hips. Horizon- tal lines invariably decrease the height ; for that reason stout wo- men should not wear dresses cut square in the neck, but should ad- here to the graceful V- or heart- PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 79 shaped cut which has a tendency to give length. The rotund woman with a short NO. 54 NO. 55 waist, sketched in No. 54, may im- prove her figure, as shown in No. 55, by choosing behs and collars the exact shade of her shirt-waists in summer, and by not cutting off her height by any sort of outside belt on winter gowns. Tall, stout women should forego 8o WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US high heels on their shoes, high hats, and Striped dresses. Although stripes increase the effect of height, NO. 56 they also add to that of breadth. A plain cloth basque and skirt of striped material make a happy- compromise and can be worn with becoming effect by a stout woman. PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 8 1 A basque cut high behind and on the shoulders apparently gives height. A very stout woman should never wear double skirts or tunics or dresses with large sprawling pat- terns, such as depicted by cut No. 56, which suggests furniture stuffs. A large woman who had a fancy for wearing rich brocades figured with immense floral designs was familiarly called by her kind friends ** the escaped sofa." White, or very light colors, should never be worn by the stout ; they greatly increase the apparent size. Large plaids should also be es- chewed. Small checks and plaids may sometimes be becoming. 6 82 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US Neither the too thin nor the too stout should adopt a style of gown that caricatures the form as does NOS. 57 AND 58 the voluminous wrapper, finished with a box-pleat, as shown in No. 57. There is no grace in straight lines. No. 58, which accentuates PLUMP AND THIN BACKS 83 the height of the over-tall, thin woman, is better adapted to en- hance the charms of a woman of finer proportions. The bony and scrawny, of the type of No. 58, seem to have a perverse desire to wear what makes their poverty in physi- cal charms only more conspicuous. A woman of distinction in Boston, who is exceedingly thin and tall, wore Watteau pleats so frequently, even on reception and evening gowns that she was dubbed by a wag "the fire-escape," a title which so strikingly characterized her style, that the term was adopted by all her friends when they exchanged confidences concerning her. The garment with the Watteau 84 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US pleat is not unlike the princesse gown which is a very trying style except to handsomely pro- portioned women. A tall, well-developed woman, such as shown in sketch No. 59, adorns the prin- cesse gown and attains in it a statuesque beauty. In suggesting statuary it ful- fils the true ideal of dress, which should hint of poe- , art, sculpture, painting. The massing of colors, the arrangement of lines, the quality of textures, the grace and poise of the wearer — do not these hint of picture, statue, music ? NO. 59 CHAPTER V. CORSAGES APPROPRIATE FOR WOMEN WITH UNBEAUTIFULLY MODELLED THROATS AND SHOULDERS. DESPITE the traditional be- lief that a decollete corsage is a tyrannous necessity of evening dress, a woman not graciously en- dowed with a beautifully modelled throat and shoulders may, with per- fect propriety, conceal her infelici- tous lines from the derisive gaze of a critical public. 85 86 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US Women are Indebted to that gen- tle genius, La Duse, for the sug- gestion that a veiled throat and bust may charmingly fulfil the re- quirements of evening dress, and also satisfy that sense of delicacy peculiar to some women who have not inherited from their great-great- grandmothers the certain knowl- edge that a low-necked gown is absolutely decorous. The woman who does not pos- sess delicate personal charms com- mends herself to the beauty-loving by forbearing to expose her physi- cal deficiencies. Unless it is be- cause they are enslaved by custom, it is quite incomprehensible why some women will glaringly display CORSAGES 87 gaunt proportions that signally lack the exquisite lines of firm and solid flesh. A throat like a ten-stringed instrument, surmounting square shoulders that end in knobs that obtrude above unfilled hollows, is an unpleasing vision that looms up conspicuously too often in opera- box and drawing-room. The unattractive exhibition of shoulders, pictured in No. 61, is a familiar sight in the social world. How insufferably ugly such uncov- ered anatomy appears in the scen- ery of a rich and dainty music- room may be readily imagined by those who have been spared the ' no. 61 unpleasing display. It is so obvi- 88 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US ous that shoulders Hke these should always be covered that it seems superfluous to remark that this type should never wear any sleeve that falls below the shoulder-line. The sleeve falling off the shoulder was invented for the clas- sic contour, set forth in No. 62. Nor rib- bons, nor lace, nor jewel are needed to enhance the perfect beauty of a fine, slen- der, white throat, and the felicitous curves of sloping shoulders. One whose individual endow- ments are as meagre as are those NO. 63 CORSAGES 89 presented In No. 61 may Improve her defects by adopting either style of corsage, shown in sketches Nos. 63 and 64. A woman's throat may lack a certain desirable roundness, and her shoulders may recede in awkward lines, and yet between these defect- ive features the curves may have a not unpleasing daintiness and delicacy in modelling that can be advantageously revealed. A mod- ish velvet throat-band, such as is shown by No. 63, is one of the most graceful conceits of fashion. The too slim throat encircled by velvet or ornamented with a jew- elled buckle or brooch is effectively framed. The unsightly lines of the 90 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US shoulders are covered, and just enough individual robustness is disclosed to suggest with becoming propriety the conventional decol- lete corsage. The Princess of NO. 63 NO. 64 Wales is as constant to her velvet or pearl neck-band, as to her espe- cial style of coiffure. Her throat, in evening dress, never appears un- adorned by one or the other of CORSAGES 91 these beautiful bands that so clev- erly conceal defects and seem to bring out more richly the texture and coloring of handsome bare shoulders. Those who do not approve of the decollete style of dress, or whose ungraceful proportions might well be entirely concealed, can wear with appropriateness and benefit the corsage shown In No. 64. This has much in Its favor for a slender body. The upper part of the waist may be made of chiffon or crepe, which is beautifully — one might say benignly — translucent. It has an insinuating transparency that neither reveals nor conceals too much. The neck-band of velvet 92 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US or satin, full and soft, apparently enlarges the throat. The sleeves may be In whatever style in cut prevails. This costume carries perfectly into effect the require- ments of evening dress, and may be worn with equal fitness to formal functions or to informal affairs. A coat -sleeve of lace, crepe, or chiffon, beflounced at the wrist, may be inserted under the short satin sleeves when the occasion does not require gloves. The soft, white setting of thin tex- tures around the throat and shoul- ders clears the complexion and brings into relief the pretty, delicate lines of a refined face. It is plain to be seen that the un- CORSAGES 93 attractive specimen of femininity, No. 65., with the long, wrinkled neck and sharp- ly lined face is unbecomingly cos- tumed in the V- shaped basque and corsage which ap- parently elongate her natural lank- ness. A charming and always fashionable yoke-effect that she can wear to advantage is shown by No. 66. This style of corsage is equally effective for a too thin or a too muscular neck. The filling is of tulle. A square-cut corsage is most becoming to the woman whose NOS. 65 AND 66 94 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US narrow shoulders have a con- sumptive droop. The angular cut apparently heightens the shoulders and decreases their too steeple- like inclination. The round cut, if it frames a full throat, is also an effective style for sloping shoulders. The V-shaped cut is most becominor to the short-necked woman, whose aim should be to increase the lenoth of her throat. It is not only the too thin neck that needs to be clothed with discrimination. Throats and shoulders that are too robust are improved by being covered. The arms and shoulders, however, are often the chief beauty of a lieshy woman, and it is to her advanta^i^e CORSAGES 95 to give them as effective a setting as possible. As is obvious in No. 67, the stout woman apparently increases NO. 68 NO. 67 her breadth by wearing a flam- boyant corsage, and she hides the most exquisite lines of her arm with her sleeves. The princesse style of gown, in No. 68, gives her apparent length 96 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US NO. 70 of waist. The modest lace flounce that falls in vertical folds decreases her formidable corsage. The knot- ted twist of silk reveals the full beauty of her arm. In dressing the throat there are a few rules to be remembered. A too long, stem-like neck may be apparently shortened by a stand- ing ruff or a full, soft band of velvet. The tight, plain band of velvet should never be worn by a woman with a very slim neck, as is plainly discernible in sketch No. 69. The plain, military collar empha- sizes the thinness of the slender woman's throat ; but the soft crushed fold of velvet apparently CORSAGES 97 enlarges the pipe-like proportions of the thin woman's neck, as may be seen in sketch No. 70. The tight-fitting collar should not be worn by the corpulent woman with a thick neck, as is shown by sketch No. 71. The thickness of the throat of the woman pictured in No. 72 may seem due to the folds of the velvet, which give a pleasing hint of a slender throat, a delusion not to be despised by the woman burdened with flesh. All the sisterhood, — stout, thin, long - throated, or short, — should know the hour when the withering touch of age begins to shrink the soft, round curves distinctive of the >^->'*% NO. 71 NO. 72 98 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US full, sweet throat of healthful youth. No regretful vanity should be al- lowed to glamour their eyes to the fact that Time has them by the throat, to put it melodramatically. The wise woman will not please herself with a fatal delusion. She will realize it is illusion she needs — yards of it — lace or velvet, or any beautifying texture that will con- ceal the deadly lines of age. CHAPTER VI. HINTS ON DRESS FOR ELDERLY WOMEN. F^RESS has much to do with a ^^ youthful or aged appearance. Shawls and long mantles that fall from the shoulders give even youth- ful figures a look of age, because the lines are long and dignified and without especial grace. Beauti- ful wraps, or coats that do not come very far below the hip-line, can be worn becomingly by elderly 99 lOO WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US ladles, neither emphasizing their years nor making them appear too frivolously attired. There is a smack of truth in the maxim, As a woman grows old the dress mate- rial should increase in richness and decrease in brightness. Handsome brocades, soft, elegant silks, wool- len textures, and velvets are emi- nently suitable and becoming to women who are growing old. Black, and black-and-white, soft white chiffon veiled in lace, cash- meres, and such refined tissues should be selected by those in '' the first wrinkles of youth." Grays combined with filmy white material, dull bronzes lightened with cream -tinted lace, are also DRESS FOR ELDERLY WOMEN lOl charmingly appropriate. Pale blue veiled in chiffon is another grateful combination. White should be worn more than it is by old ladies. It is so sug- gestive of all that is clean, bright, and dainty ; and if there is anything an old lady should strive to be in her personal appearance it is dainty. Exquisite cleanliness is one of the most necessary attributes of at- tractive old age, and any texture that in its quality and color em- phasizes the idea of cleanliness should commend itself to those in their " advanced youth." Little old thin women, large ones too, for that matter, who are wrinkled and colorless, should not I02 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US wear diamonds. The dazzling white gems with pitiless brilliancy bring out the pasty look of the skin. The soft glow of pearls, the cloud- like effects of the opal, the unob- trusive lights of the moonstone harmonize with the tints of hair and skin of the aged. Elderly women should not wear bright flowers on their bonnets or hats. Fresh-looking roses above a face that has lost its first youthful- ness only make that fact more obvious. Forget-me-nots, mignon- ettes, certain pretty white flowers, the palest of pink roses, or the most delicate tint of yellow veiled with lace are not inappropriate for those who do not enjoy wear- DRESS FOR ELDERLY WOMEN I03 Ing sombre bonnets and hats which are composed only of rich, black textures. Lace cleverly in- termingled with velvet and jewelled ornaments of dull, rich shades are exceedingly effective on the head- gear of the old. Those who are gray-haired — and indeed all women as they grow old — should wear red above their brows instead of under their chins. A glint of rich cardinal velvet, or a rosette of the same against gray hair is beautiful. Lace ! Lace ! Lace ! and still more lace for the old. Lace is an essential to the dress of a woman more than forty years of age. Jabots, ruches, yokes, cascades, I04 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US vests, and gowns of lace, black or white, are all for the old. Rich lace has an exquisitely softening effect on the complexion. Thin women with necks that look like the strings of a violin should swathe, smother, decorate, and adorn their throats with lace or gossamer fabrics that have the same quality as lace. These airy textures, in which light and shadow can so beautifully shift, subdue roughnesses of the skin and harsh- ness in lines. Old Dame Nature is the prime teacher of these be- witching artifices. Note her fine effects with mists and cobwebs, with lace-like moss on sturdy old oaks, the bloom on the peach and DRESS FOR ELDERLY WOMEN IO5 the grape. Nature produces her most enchanting colorings with dust and age. Laces, gauzes, mulls, chiffons, net, and gossamer throw the same beautiful glamour over the face and they are fit and charming accompaniments of gray hair, which is a wonderful softener of defective complexions and hard facial lines. Too much cannot be written upon the proper arrangement in the neck-gear of the aged. The disfiofurinof wrinkles that make many necks unsightly may be kept in obeyance by massaging. No matter what the fashion in neck- gear, the aged must modify it to suit their needs. An old lady I06 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US with a thin, pipe-stem neck should adopt a full ruche and fluffy, soft collar-bands. I cannot forbear repeating that tulle as light as thistle bubbles, either white or gray or black, is exquisitely effective for thin, scrawny necks. The fleshy, red neck should be softened with powder and discreetly veiled in chemisettes of chiffon and delicate net. Old ladies may keep in the style, thus being in the picture of the hour ; but it is one of the divine privileges of age that it can make its own modes. Absolute cleanli- ness, cleanliness as exacting as that proper nurses prescribe for babies, is the first and most important fac- DRESS FOR ELDERLY WOMEN I07 tor in making old age attractive. Rich dress, In artistic colors, soft, misty, esthetic, comes next ; then the IdeaHzIng scarfs, collars, jabots, and fichus of lace and tulles. Old people becomingly and artistically attired have the charm of rare old pictures. If they have soul-illum- ined faces they are precious mas- terpieces. CHAPTER VII. HOW MEN CARICATURE THEMSELVES WITH THEIR CLOTHES. ALTHOUGH In the dress of man there are fewer possibili- ties of caricature than in that of woman, yet, '' the masterpieces of creation " frequently exaggerate in a laughable — and sometimes a pitiable — way, certain physical characteristics by an injudicious choice of clothes. io8 CARICATURES IO9 As the fashion in hair-dressing does not grant man the privilege of enhancing his facial attractions ; nor of obscuring his defects by a becomingly arranged coiffure ; and, as the modes in neck-gear are such that he cannot modify the blemishes of a defective complex- ion by encircling his athletic or scrawny throat with airy tulle, or dainty lace, that arch-idealizer of pasty-looking faces ; and as he has forsworn soft, trailing garments that conceal unclassic curves and uninspiring lines of nether limbs, it behooves him to be more exact- ingly particular even than woman in the selection of his wearing ap- parel. no WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US Far be it from me, however, to remind man of his many limita- tions — in dress. That he can never know the rapture of donning a becoming spring bonnet, nor the pleasure of possessing ** real lace " things, nor the sensuous charm of being enwrapped in ca- ressing furs, or sleazy, silken gar- ments as exquisite in color and texture as beautiful, fresh flowers, only delicate consideration for his feelings constrains me from expa- tiating upon at length. I would rather be able to remind him that he can make his limita- tions his advantages, than reveal to him what he misses in not being a woman. CARICATURES 1 1 1 To treat of this important sub- ject adequately and convincingly, one would require the masterly discernment of a skillful and accom- plished tailor, the experienced knowledge of a well-dressed man, and the alertly critical perception of a loving woman who, even in the matter of clothes, wishes the dear- est of men to her, to do full justice to himself and her ideal of him on all occasions. Although certain of the forego- ing qualifications must needs be lacking, nevertheless this timorous pen, with more trepidation than courage it must be confessed, begs to call attention to a few obvious details in masculine attire that car- 112 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US icature, more or less, peculiarities in the forms and features of men. To be sure, in the matter of head- gear man is not conspicuously at the mercy of burlesquing ribbons, flowers, and feathers, and he has fewer opportunities than women to make himself ridiculous, yet a few suggestions regarding certain shapes of head-gear for certain types of faces, applicable to women are equally applicable to him. The same rule that applies to the woman of the wedge-shaped type of face applies to the man of the wedge-shaped type, as may be seen in sketches Nos. 75 and 76. It is obvious that the youth de- NO. 75 CARICATURES II3 picted in No. 75 detracts from the manliness of his face and empha- sizes the pointed appearance of his countenance by wearing a hat with a broad brim projecting over his ears. This style of hat appears more frequently in straw than in any other texture, but the effect of a wide, projecting rim is the same in any material. No. 76, it is plain, improves the appearance of the long, slim-faced man. An alpine hat would not be unbecoming to him, the h'lQ-h oval of the crown forming a balance for the lower ^^^^'■ part of the face. ''°- ^^ The man with a pugilistic chin should endeavor to select a hat that will not make his heavy jaw NO. 77 NO. 78 114 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US as prominent as does the stiff derby, in No. "]"]. A soft alpine hat, or one some- what of the style of No. "j^, improves his appearance. The high crown and wide, gracefully rolling brim counter-balance the weight and prominence of the jaw. Apropos of the minor details of man's garments, the button as a feature of clothes has never been fully done justice to. It is a sus- taining thing we know, something we can hang to, fasten to, and even tie to. That properly placed but- tons contribute to our mental poise and therefore to our physical re- pose, is hinted in that absurdly engaging story, anent the smart CARICATURES II5 boy who was the envy of his spell- ing-class, because he always stood first. You remember, no doubt, that an envious but keen-eyed class- mate observed that the smart speller worked off his nervous apprehen- siveness by twirling the top button of his coat as he correctly spelled word after word, day in and day out ; and how the keen-eyed one played the part of a stealthy villain and surreptitiously cut the button off the coat. And do you remem- ber the dramatic ending? How the smart one on the fatal day sought to ''press the button" and finding it gone, lost his wits com- pletely and failed ignominously ? Many of us when we have lost a Il6 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US NO. 79 sustaining button, have we not felt as ridiculously helpless and wit- benumbed as the smart speller ? We all sub-consciously acknowl- edge our dependence upon but- tons, but not many of us, evidently, have observed that even buttons have a certain possibility of carica- ture in them ; and that they may add to, or detract from, the ap- pearance of manly forms. The consideration of properly placed buttons may seem trivial to you, but if you will observe sketches Nos. 79 and 80, you may discern that a thin man may apparently increase his breadth and add a cer- tain manly touch to his figure, by changing the buttons at the waist- CARICATURES llj line of his coat. The buttons placed so near together, in No. 79, really make his toothpick propor- tions too obvious. His back is made to look broader by placing the buttons wider apart, as shown in No. 80, and changing the cut of his coat-tail. That the fat man may also pre- sent a more attractive back to his enemies by considering the placing no. 80 of his buttons, may be seen in drawings Nos. 81 and 82. The buttons decorating No. 81 are placed so far apart that they in- crease in an ungainly way the breadth of the back at the waist- line. If they are placed nearer together, and the seams graduated Il8 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US to meet them, they give the illusion of better and more desirable pro- portions, as may be seen in No. 82. NO. 81 NO. 82 That the thin man may also pre- sent a more imposing and broader front to the world, is suggested in sketches Nos. 83 and 84. The con- tracted look of the coat in No. 83 CARICATURES 119 IS somewhat due to the buttons of his double-breasted coat being placed too closely together. The NO. 83 NO. 84 slender man who wishes to give the impression of being broad- chested may have the buttons on his coat placed a little farther I20 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US apart than fashion may allow, as Q shown in sketch 84. The propor- <^| tions may be easily preserved by a careful adjustment of the shoulder- seams and the seams under the arms. The waist-line is not so much "a danefer line " to man as to wo- man, yet man should not wholly ignore his equator. If he is long- waisted he can apparently balance his proportions by having his skirt shortened, as in No. 85, and his waist-line raised the merest bit. If he is too short-waisted he can lengthen his skirt and lower his waist-line, as shown in No. 86. In the one he escapes appearing too long and lanky in body, and in the NO. 85 CARICATURES I 2 I Other he obscures a lack of becom- ing inches that tends to give him a dumpy appearance. If you study your fellow-men you rf^ will observe that few are really per- fectly proportioned. One man will have the body of a viking on the legs of a dwarf, or one will have the legs of an Apollo supporting the short body of a pigmy. The ^^^ gg man who has a kingly body, too broad in proportion to his legs, as shown in sketch No. 87, should en- deavor to modify his physical de- fect by the careful selection of his coats. He should have his coats cut to give him as much length of leg as possible. A skilful tailor will know just what subtle changes 122 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US and adjustments to make. The improvement in appearance and gain in height is pictured in sketch 88. The coat being shorter and the waist of the trousers being raised a trifle, the man's limbs seem longer, which is an improvement. Long Hnes tend to give elegance and grace in bearing. Another thing for the too robust type of man to consider is the style of his trousers. No. Sy hints what he must not choose. Such brazen plaids only make him appear offen- sively aggressive in size. Long, fine lines, such as shown in No. 88, give an impression of length and apparently lessen the width. Too long lines, however, are CARICATURES 1 23 almost as undesirable as too short ones. Over-tall, thin men some- times make themselves look like telegraph poles or flagstaffs by wearing short coats that expose in a graceless way the whole length of their limbs. They suggest cranes and other fowl that give the im- pression of being " all legs." When the legs are proportioned more like a stick of macaroni or a lead pencil than the shapely limbs of an Adonis, they appear ex- ceedingly funny when surmounted by a short coat, such as pictured in No. 89. A famous general in the Civil War did not despise cotton as a fortification to protect him from the onslaught of the enemy. The NO. 124 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US over-tall, thin man, who is not un- suggestive of a picket, should not be ashamed to fortify himself with cotton or any other sort of padding that intelligent tailors keep in stock. He should build his shoul- ders up a bit and be generally, but most carefully and artistically, en- larged. His coat should be lengthened, as in sketch 90, to cut off just as much of the longness of limb as can possibly be allowed without destroying artistic pro- No. 89 portions. The very tall, thin man who unthinkingly wears a very short coat should be brave and never turn his back to his enemy. If he wears black and white check trousers and a short blue coat, he CARICATURES 1 25 should travel with a screen. A man in just such a rig attracted no end of comment in a fashionable hotel. The caricaturing effect of his trousers and coat were unspeak- ably comical. The wearer had a face as grave as an undertaker's and the air of a serious-minded col- lege professor ; but he had the nondescript look of a scarecrow composed of whatever available garments could be obtained from the cast-off wardrobe of summer boarders in a farmhouse. Coats assuredly have the power of making cartoons — living, jocu- lar cartoons — of their wearers. It would hardly seem necessary to call attention to the fact that a man of 126 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US huge dimensions should not wear a short coat, such as shown in sketch No. 91, yet his type is too frequently seen attired in this style. A man so dressed certainly seems the living exemplification of the definition of a jug, namely, "a vessel usually with a swelling belly, narrow mouth, and a handle, for holding liquors." It cannot be re- iterated too often that a large, stout man should aim to acquire the distinction and dignity given by long lines. If his body is pro- portioned so he really has neither length of torso nor of limb he must pay more attention to the cut of his clothes and attain length in what- ever artistic way he can. The CARICATURES 127 NOS. 91 AND 92 long coat, as may be seen in sketch No. 92, not only apparently adds length but it con- ceals too protuberant curves. Of course, charac- ter counts for more than clothes, we will all agree to that, but at first glance it is a man's clothes that impress people. Clothes affect our behavior some- what. For instance, '' When the young European emigrant, after a summer's labor puts on for the first time a new coat, he puts on much more. His good and becoming clothes put him on thinking that he must behave like people who are 128 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US SO dressed ; and silently and steadily his behavior mends." Of course, there is an uplifting truth in George Herbert's maxim, " This coat with my discretion will be brave," yet, I am inclined to think that the ma- jority of men who will stop to con- sider will agree with Emerson, who says, '' If a man has not firm nerves and has keen sensibility, it is per- haps a wise economy to go to a good shop and dress himself irre- proachably. He can then dismiss all care from his mind, and may easily find that performance an ad- dition of confidence, a fortification that turns the scale in social en- counters, and allows him to go gayly into conversations where else CARICATURES 1 29 he had been dry and embarrassed. I am not ignorant, — I have heard with admiring submission the ex- perience of the lady who declared ' that the sense of being perfectly well dressed gives a feeling of in- ward tranquillity which religion is powerless to bestow.' " A popular clothier in New York, understanding this trait of his fel- low-men, voices this same sentiment in his advertisement in this succinct way: ** Seriously now. Have you ever stopped to think that if you wear good clothing it adds much to that independent, easy feeling you should have when you come in contact with other men ? " I think it was Lord Chesterfield 130 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US who said : ** A man is received ac- cording to his appearance, and dis- missed according to his merits." There is a bit of truth in this we would all admit, I have no doubt, if we studied the question. Clothes affect our own poise, ease, and atti- tude toward others and the expres- sion of others toward us, but, after all, we rely upon the man or woman instead of upon the impression we receive from the clothes. The gar- ments, after we have noticed them in a superficial way, are chiefly interesting to us, because they are arch-betrayers of the physical and mental poise of the man. No mat- ter what the cut of the cloth, no matter what cachet of a fashionable CARICATURES 131 tailor a suit may have, or what its richness of material, the atti- tude *' a la decadence " of No. 93 would make the best clothes in Christendom look shabby and un- attractive. This too familiar carriage of the American man makes one wish to have the power to reverse the faces — as Dante did those of the false prophets, so those who stand *' a la decadence " might see what ridicu- lous figures they cut in drawing- room and street. The curved backs and rounded-out shoulders would make fair-looking chests, and the flat chests would represent respect- able-looking backs. A man owes it to the spirit NO. 93 132 WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US NO. 94 within him not to stand or walk in such an attitude. He should brace up and keep bracing up persistently, unremittently, until he attains a more manly bearing. The wholly alive fellow pictured in sketch No. 94 would make homespun look elegant. His chest is forward. He does not sag in front at the waist, protruding his abdomen in not only an inartistic, but an unhealthy manner ; but he strides masterfully forward with an air of inspiriting '' aliveness." The perfect poise of his attitude is not unsuggestive of the Apollo Belve- dere — the model for all men — a picture of which every college boy should have to place beside the CARICATURES 133 prettiest girl In his collection of pretty girls, to constantly remind him to carry himself like a young god.