WHAT DRESS MAKES OF US By DOROTHY QUIGLEY Illustrations byANNIE BLAKESLEE 1897 I am indebted to the editors of the New York _Sun_ and New York _Journal_ for kindly allowing me to include in this book articles which I contributed to their respective papers. PREFACE. Did you ever observe, dear comrade, what an element of caricature lurksin clothes? A short, round coat on a stout man seems to exaggerate hisproportions to such a ridiculous degree that the profile of his manlyform suggests "the robust bulge of an old jug. " A bonnet decorated with loops of ribbon and sprays of grass, or flowersthat fall aslant, may give a laughably tipsy air to the long face of asaintly matron of pious and conservative habits. A peaked hat and tight-fitting, long-skirted coat may so magnify themeagre physical endowments of a tall, slender girl that she attains thelank and longish look of a bottle of hock. Oh! the mocking diablery in strings, wisps of untidy hair, queertrimmings, and limp hats. Alas! that they should have such impish powerto detract from the dignity of woman and render man absurd. Because of his comical attire, an eminent Oxford divine, whose life andworks commanded reverence, was once mistaken for an ancient New Englandspinster in emancipated garments. His smoothly shaven face, framed incrinkly, gray locks, was surmounted by a soft, little, round hat, fromthe up-turned brim of which dangled a broken string. His long frock-coatreached to just above his loosely fitting gaiters. The fluttering string, whose only reason for being at all was to keepthe queer head-gear from sailing away on the wind, gave a touch of theludicrous to the boyish hat which, in its turn, lent more drollery thandignity to the sanctified face of the old theologian. Who has not seenjust such, or a similar sight, and laughed? Who has not, with thegenerosity common to us all, concluded these were the mistakes andself-delusions of neighbors, relatives, and friends, in which we had noshare? I understand how it is with you. I am one of you. Before I studied ourcommon errors I smiled at my neighbor's lack of taste, reconstructed myfriends, and cast contemptuous criticism upon my enemies. One day I tooka look at myself, and realized that "I, too, am laughable on unsuspectedoccasions. " The humbling knowledge of seeing myself objectively, gave me courage tospeak to the heart of you certain home truths which concern us all, inhomely language which we can all understand. That you may discern the comicality and waggery in ill-chosen clothes, Ihave endeavored to hint to you in these talks some of the ways gew-gawsand garments make game of us. May you discover that your dress is not making you a laughable object;but if, by any chance, you should note that your clothes arecaricaturing you, take heart. Enjoy the joke with the mirth that healsand heartens, and speedily correct your mistakes. The lines of your form, the modelling of your face, are they not worthyof your discerning thought? Truly! Whatever detracts from them detractsfrom sculpture, painting, and poetry, and the world is the loser. A word to the thinking is sufficient. D. Q. CONTENTS. PREFACE CHAPTER I. HOW WOMEN OF CERTAIN TYPES SHOULD DRESS THEIR HAIR Style for Wedge-Shaped Faces Style for Heavy Jaws Style for Eyes Set Too High Style for Eyes Set Too Low Style for Long Faces with Long Noses For Faces with Protruding Noses CHAPTER II. HINTS FOR THE SELECTION OF BECOMING AND APPROPRIATE STYLES IN HEAD-GEAR The Magic of the Bonnet Style for Women with Broad Face and Heavy Chin Style for Women with Tapering Chin Hat for the Chubby Woman For Women Who Have Sharp and Prominent Profiles For the Woman with an Angular Face Women Who should Not Wear Horns CHAPTER III. LINES THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AND CONSIDERED IN MAKING COSTUMES Style for Tall Slender Women The Coat the Short Stout Women should Wear The Cloak or Cape for a Tall Women CHAPTER IV. HOW PLUMP AND THIN BACKS SHOULD BE CLOTHED CHAPTER V. CORSAGES APPROPRIATE FOR WOMEN WITH UNBEAUTIFULLY MODELLED THROATS ANDSHOULDERS CHAPTER VI. HINTS ON DRESS FOR ELDERLY WOMEN CHAPTER VII. HOW MEN CARICATURE THEMSELVES WITH THEIR CLOTHES 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 whoasserted, "In the merciful scheme of nature, there are no plain women, "is not as disputable as it may seem. Honest husbands, to be sure, greetthe information with dissenting guffaws; gay deceivers reflect upon itstruth by gallantly assenting to it, with a mocking little twinkle intheir eyes; and pretty women, upon hearing it, remark sententiously"Blind men and fools may think so. " Discerning students of womankind, however, know that if every woman would make the best of herpossibilities, physically, mentally, and spiritually, it would bedelightfully probable that "in the merciful scheme of nature" there needbe no plain women. Have we not Lord Chesterfield's word for it, that "No woman is ugly whenshe is dressed"? It is no unworthy study to learn to make the best of, and to do justiceto, one's self. Apropos of this, to begin--where all fascinatingsubjects should begin--at the head, it behooves every woman who wishesto appear at her best, to study the modelling of her face that she mayunderstand both its defective and perfect lines. By a proper arrangementof her hair a woman can do much to obscure or soften her bad features, and heighten the charm of her good ones. Romancers have written, and poets have sung, of the bewitchment innut-brown locks, golden tresses, and jetty curls. Every woman, if soinclined, may prove for herself the transfiguring effect in a becomingcoiffure. In fact, the beauty of a woman's face and her apparent age aregreatly affected by the way she wears her hair. A most important detail that too few consider, is, the proper directionin which to comb the hair. Women literally toss their tresses togetherwithout any attention to the natural inclination of the individualstrands or fibres. They comb their hair "against the grain. " Those whodo so never have beautifully and smoothly arranged coiffures. Eachlittle hirsute filament has a rebellious tendency to go in the directionnature intended it should, and refuses to "stay where it is put, " givingthe head in consequence, an unkempt and what is termed an "unladylike"appearance. The criss-cross effect resulting from combing and arrangingthe hair contrary to "the grain" is conspicuously apparent in thecoiffure of no less a personage than Eleanora Duse, who, as may be seenfrom the picture, pays little attention to the natural tendency of thedark tresses that cover her shapely head. The bang has the dishevelledappearance of a pile of jack-straws. The side-locks instead of beingcombed or brushed to follow the contour of the head, fall loosely andfly in opposite directions. [Illustration: NO. 2] The difference in appearance between the women of the smart sets inAmerica and those of less fashionable circles is due, in a greatmeasure, to the beautifully dressed coiffures of the former. Ahair-dresser arranges, at least once a week, the hair of the modishwoman if her maid does not understand the art of hair-dressing. Manywomen of the wealthy world have their maids taught by a French coiffeur. A wise woman will adopt a prevailing mode with discretion, for, what maybe essentially appropriate for one, may be fatally inappropriate foranother. In adjusting her "crown of glory" a woman must consider theproportions of her face. She should be able to discern whether her eyesare too near the top of her head or, too far below; whether she has asquare or wedge-shaped chin; a lean, long face, or a round andbountifully curved one. She should be alert to her defects and studynever to emphasize nor exaggerate them. Why, through stupidity or carelessness, make a cartoon of yourself, when with a proper appreciation of your possibilities you can be apleasing picture? It is just as glorious to be a fine picture or a poemas it is to paint the one, or write the other. Indeed, a woman whoharmoniously develops the best within her has the charm of an exquisitepoem and inspires poets to sing; and if by the grace and beauty of herdress she enhances her natural endowments and makes herself a pleasingpicture, the world becomes her debtor. In the important matter of becomingly arranging the hair, the followingsketches and suggestions may hint to bright, thinking, women whatstyles to choose or avoid. For Wedge-Shaped Faces. [Illustration: NO. 3] [Illustration: NO. 4] The least-discerning eye can see that the wedge-Shaped face No. 3 iscaricatured, and its triangular proportions made more evident, byallowing the hair to extend in curls or a fluffy bang on either side ofthe head. Women with delicately modelled faces with peaked chins shouldavoid these broad effects above their brows. It is obvious in the sketch No. 4, that the wedge-shaped face isperceptibly improved by wearing the hair in soft waves, or curls closelyconfined to the head and by arranging a coil or high puff just above andin front of the crown. This arrangement gives a desirable oval effect tothe face, the sharp prominence of the chin being counteracted by thesurmounting puffs. For Heavy Jaws. It may readily be seen that a woman with the square, heavy-jawed facepictured by No. 5, should not adopt a straight, or nearly straight, bang, nor wear her hair low on her forehead, nor adjust the greaterportion of her hair so that the coil cannot be seen above the crown ofher head. The low bang brings into striking relief all the hard lines ofher face and gives the impression that she has pugilistic tendencies. [Illustration: NO. 5] To insure artistic balance to her countenance, and bring out the womanlystrength and vital power of her face, her hair should be arranged incoils, puffs, or braids that will give breadth to the top of her head asshown by No. 6. A fluffy, softly curled bang adds grace to the foreheadand gives it the necessary broadness it needs to lessen and lighten theheaviness of the lower part of the face. A bow of ribbon, or an aigretteof feathers, will add effectively the crown of braids or puffs which awise woman with a square jaw will surmount her brow if she wishes tosubdue the too aggressive, fighting qualities of her strong chin. [Illustration: NO. 6] 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 haveheavy chins. As may be observed even with a casual glance, the little short-facedwoman depicted by No. 7, causes her round facial disk to appear muchshorter than it really is by allowing her hair to come so far down onher forehead. She further detracts from her facial charms by wearing"water-waves. " Water-waves are scarcely to be commended for any type offace, and they are especially unbecoming to the woman who isconspicuously "roly-poly. " The round eyes, knobby nose, and round mouthare brought into unattractive distinctness by being re-duplicated in thecircular effects of the hair. This mode of dressing the hair makes ashort face look common and insignificant. [Illustration: NO. 7] Do you not see that this type is immensely improved by the arrangementof the coiffure in No. 8? By combing her hair off her forehead her faceacquires a look of alertness and intelligence, besides being apparentlylengthened. She can wear her bang in soft crimps brushed back from herbrow, if this plain arrangement is too severe. [Illustration: NO. 8] For Eyes Set Too High. A low forehead is supposed to be a sign of beauty in woman. The brows ofthe famous Venuses are low and broad. Perhaps for this reason many womenwear their hair arranged low upon their foreheads. Whether the hairshould be worn low on the brow depends chiefly on two things, --"thesetting of the eyes, and the quality of the face. " [Illustration: NO. 8-1/2] A good rule to observe is the artistic one, to the effect that "the eyesof a woman should be in the middle of her head. " That is, if animaginary line were drawn across the top of the head and another belowthe chin, exactly midway between the two the eyes should be set. The Japanese type of woman should carefully observe the foregoing hint. Observe No. 8-1/2. Nature has not been artistic. The eyes are too nearthe top of the head. The defect is exaggerated and emphasized by thewearing of the hair low on the forehead. In some faces of this type theface is brutalized in appearance by this arrangement. The expression andwhole quality of the countenance can be greatly improved by arrangingthe hair as shown by No. 9, which is the soft Pompadour style. TheDuchess of Marlborough, formerly Consuelo Vanderbilt, frames her naïve, winsome face, which is of the Japanese type, in a style somewhat likethis. Her dark hair forms an aureole above her brow, and brings intorelief the dainty, oval form of her face. Even simply brushing the hairoff the forehead without crimp or roll will improve the appearance ofthis type of face and give it a better artistic balance. [Illustration: NO. 9] [Illustration: NO. 10] For Eyes Set Too Low. Women whose eyes are set too far down in their faces should adopt a modeof arranging their hair exactly the opposite of those whose eyes are settoo near the top of their heads. It is apparent that No. 10 exaggerates the distance of her eyes from thecrown of her head, and makes them appear to be set lower than theyreally are by building her hair high, and by brushing her bang back soseverely from her brow. A bald forehead is rarely becoming to anywoman. A few stray curls or soft waves lend grace to even the mostperfect of brows. [Illustration: NO. 11] By bringing the hair down over the forehead, as suggested in No. 11, awoman with this type of face can easily improve her appearance. By thisgraceful arrangement her face loses the childish and sometimes stupidexpression that is peculiar to the type, as may be discerned in No. 10. When the hair is properly arranged this element of childlikeness lends acertain appealing sweetness not unattractive even in the faces ofmatured matrons. By dressing the hair low so the coil does not appearabove 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 herhead, draped like curtains from a central parting, is to be envied ifshe can do it and yet look young and pretty. She is the Madonna type andseems to possess all the attributes of gentleness, modesty, andmeekness, and angelic sweetness that are supposed to characterize thedistinctively feminine woman. This is the ideal style of coiffure muchbepraised by man, because, according to a bright modern Amazon, "itmakes a woman look so meek. " [Illustration: NO. 12] The only type to which it is really becoming is the Italian. The typewith _matte_ complexion, soft eyes, finely chiselled nose, anddelicately oval chin, look ideally sweet and feminine with the hairarranged _à la_ Madonna. [Illustration: NO. 13] Long faces of the form pictured by No. 12 exaggerate the longness andleanness of their faces by wearing their locks like looped curtains. Along nose with two long lines on either side of the cheek seems longerthan it is, as the observer may discern three lines instead of only thenasal one, and the impression of longness is emphasized. Not only isthe length of the countenance made more noticeable, but years and yearsare apparently added to the actual age. That No. 13, which shows a parting and soft waves that do not come belowthe ears, is to be preferred by a woman whose features are of thischaracter need hardly be explained. The improvement in looks is quiteobvious. [Illustration: NOS. 14 AND 15] No. 14 is an example of a misguided woman of the pudgy type who, forsome inexplicable reason, arranges her hair in the Madonna style. It isutterly unsuited to her face. Unless her ears are deformed this style ofhirsute lambrequins should not be worn by a full, round-faced woman. The arrangement sketched in No 15 adds effectively to her appearance, not only making her look younger, but less inane. [Illustration: NO. 16] For Faces with Protruding Noses. Women with decidedly protruding, or irregular, tip-tilted noses shouldbe especially careful in arranging their coiffures. Any woman who arranges her hair as in sketch No. 16 caricatures herfacial defects by increasing the too protuberant lines of her nose. Thedistance from the end of her nose and the tip of the topmost knot ofhair is too long for either beauty or intelligence. The shape of herhead acquires idiotic proportions, and her nose is placed entirely "outof drawing" and is obtrusively conspicuous when seen in profile. Thistype of woman is generally classified among the inquisitive, bright, andenergetic. She should aim to modify the unhappy angularity of herprofile as well as to repress her gossipy tendencies. The graduated coilof hair and waved coiffure, shown by No. 17, are most felicitous intheir effect on this type of face. [Illustration: NO. 17] [Illustration: NO. 18] No. 18 reveals an error in an opposite direction. The snubbed-nose girl, by fixing her hair in a bun-like coil, gives the impression that hercoiffure is held by invisible strings by her nose, which gets a moreelevated look than it otherwise would have, because of the bad angle atwhich the coil is placed. [Illustration: NO. 19] No. 19, which is a picturesque variation of the popular coif, manifestlyimproves 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; thesetting of her eyes; and the breadth and form of her brow, and adopt abecoming coiffure that will give artistic balance to her face, and neverabsolutely change the style whatever the mode in hair-dressing may be. In England, the court hair-dresser years ago studied the character ofthe head and face of the Princess of Wales, and designed a coiffure forher which she has never varied until recently; then she merely arrangedher fringe lower down on her forehead than she has ever worn it before. The general style, however, she preserves intact, and wears her hair, and has for many years, as is shown in the picture--No. 20. Herdaughters, who have faces the same shape as hers, dress their coiffuressimilarly. In never changing the style of arranging her hair, thePrincess of Wales owes in no small degree her apparent air ofyouthfulness. [Illustration: NO. 20] NO MATTER WHAT THE PREVAILING STYLE THESE RULES MAY BE PRACTICALLYAPPLIED. CHAPTER II. HINTS FOR THE SELECTION OF BECOMING AND APPROPRIATE STYLES IN HEAD-GEAR. Closely allied to the subject of hair-dressing is that of head-gear. Indeed many of the hints regarding appropriate coiffures for certainstyles of faces are equally applicable to the selection of suitable hatsand bonnets. The choosing of millinery is the more momentous of the two, of course, for I need scarcely remind you that Nature left us no choicein hair. No matter what its color or texture we desire to keep it and ifwe are wise we will make the best of it. In regard to hats we are personally responsible and our follies are uponour own heads. The power of caricature being greater in hats than in hair-dressing, isit not fit that we should give careful and intelligent consideration tothe selection of our millinery that the ugly lines in our otherwisebeautiful faces may not be at the mercy of mocking bunches of ribbons, comically tilted straws, or floppy bits of lace? The Magic of The Bonnet. Once upon a time, I think that was the exact date, there was a mandistinguished in a certain kingdom as the ugliest person in the realm. According to a blithe romancer, he was so distinctively unpleasing inform and feature that he challenged the attention of the king who, inwhimsical mood, made him a royal retainer. The man so conspicuouslylacking in beauty enjoyed his eminent position and privileges for sometime. But even ugliness, if it attain distinction, will excite envy inthe low-minded. A former associate of the unbeautiful man in invidioustemper brought the news one day to the king, that there was an oldwoman in his domain that was uglier than the lowly-born man who bykingly favor held so high a place. "Bring her to the court. Judges shallbe called to decide. If she is uglier she shall stay and he shall go, "was the royal mandate. When the old woman appeared she was easilydecided to be by far the uglier of the two. At the critical moment whenthe king was upon the eve of dismissing the man from his retinue, afriend of the unfortunate shouted, "Put her bonnet on him!" This wasdone, and lo! a fearful change was wrought. By unanimous acclamation hewas declared to be "the ugliest creature on earth. " The old woman, true to the instincts of her sex, refused to wear herbonnet again. Like many of her sisters of modern times, she had notbefore discovered the possibilities in a bonnet to enhance the beauty ofthe face or decrease its charms. If woman could see themselves objectively, as did the old woman, theywould keenly realize the necessity of considering the lines of hat orbonnet in relation to those of their faces, and would learn to obscuredefects and bring into prominence their prettiest features. As there are a few rules to govern what each type should select, everyone of the fair sisterhood has an equal opportunity to improve herappearance by selecting in the millinery line the distinctive adornmentsuited to her individual style. [Illustration: NO. 22] For Women with Broad Face and Heavy Chin. By a curious law of contrariety the woman with a broad, heavy chin seemsto have an ungovernable penchant for trig little round bonnets, or trimturbans with perky aigrettes, like that in sketch No. 22. By obeyingthis wilful preference she obscures whatever delicacy may be in themodelling of her features and brings into conspicuous relief theugliest lines of her face. Her chin is apparently increased in heavinessand the broadness of her face is made prominent. She could easily haverestored the artistic balance to her facial lines by wearing a largehat, rather heavily trimmed, as in No. 23, thus effectively modifyingthe strong curves of the chin and signally improving her appearance. Ifa 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 abecoming balance to her face by adopting hats that are trimmed withflamboyant bows that flare horizontally across the hat, diverging from acentral knot in the from. [Illustration: NO. 23] For the Woman with Tapering Chin. [Illustration: NO. 24] The woman who is the exact opposite of the type with the ample lowerjaw, but whose chief disadvantage lies in her broad, manly brow and tinytapering chin, should avoid all horizontal trimmings, bows or broadhat-brims. It is clear, in No. 24, that such trimmings increase thewedge-like appearance of the face and give it the grotesque suggestionof an ordinary flower-pot in which grows a sickly plant. This type canperceptibly improve upon nature by choosing the style of hat andneck-gear shown by No. 25. [Illustration: NO. 25] The crinkly ovals that form the brim of the hat, and the soft, gracefularrangement of the hair in front that decreases the too broad effect ofthe brow, and the full fluffy ruff snuggled up closely to the chin, produce a pleasing transformation of the meagre-looking original thatto the uninitiated seems little short of magical. The broad, cravat-likebows, and the flaring ones known as "incroyables, " were beneficentlywedge-like faces and throats that have lost the seductive curves ofyouth. Hat for the Chubby Woman. [Illustration: NO. 26] That amiable type of woman formed conspicuously upon the circular planoften unconsciously impresses the fact of her fatal tendency torotundity by repeating the roundness of her globular eyes, the disk-likeappearance of her snub nose and the circle of her round mouth, and thefulness of her face by wearing a little, round hat in the styleportrayed by No. 26. [Illustration: NO. 27] The curls of her bang, the feathers in her hat, the high collar of herjacket make more significant the fact that her lines are not artisticand that her face is unbeautifully round. She can enhance her charms andapparently decrease the too spherical cut of her countenance by adoptingthe mode illustrated in No. 27. The angular bows on the hat, thegeometric lines of the broad hat-brim, the precise cut of the lapels onthe corsage, the neat throat-band and V-shaped vesture--all insinuate ina most engaging way a dignity and fine, high-bred poise totallyobliterated by the circular style of dress erroneously adopted by themisguided woman in No. 26. [Illustration: NO. 28] For Women Who Have Sharp and Prominent Profiles. In buying a hat many of the "unfair sex"--as the modern wag dubs theprogressive sisters who wish to have all man's rights and privileges andkeep their own besides--never seem to consider their heads but from afront point of view. In consequence, as sketch No 28 hints, a head seenfrom the side frequently appears, if not idiotically, veryinartistically, proportioned. [Illustration: NO. 29] Occasionally a hat presents as comical an effect in a from as in a sideview, as may be seen in No. 29. The wearer was an elderly woman withgray hair which hung down in a half-curled bang on either side of herthin face. Her hat which was simply "dripping" with feathers suggested afanciful letter "T" and exaggerated the thinness of her face in aremarkably funny way. The feathers overhanging the brim increased thebroadness of the hat, and looked singularly waggish fluttering againstthe spriggy-looking projections of gray hair. The rules for thewedge-shaped face, as may readily be discerned, apply here. [Illustration: NOS. 30 AND 31] Women who have sharp and prominently outlined profiles have a curioustendency to choose hats, the brims of which project too far forward infront, and turn up too abruptly and ungracefully in the back. As shown in No. 30 the protruding brim gives the head and face theunattractive proportions of the capital letter "F. " The length of thenose is emphasized by the line of the hat-rim above it and it appearsunduly obtrusive. The flat arrangement of the hair and the curve of thehat-brim in the back also exaggerate the obtrusive qualities of thefeatures. By choosing a hat somewhat similar to the one sketched in No. 31, the unattractive sharpness of the profile is modified, and thealert, agreeable quality of the face, that was obscured by theshelf-like brim, becomes apparent. The observer feels, if he does notvoice it, that it is a progressive spirit advancing forward instead ofan ungainly head-piece that looks like a curious trowel. For the Woman with an Angular Face. [Illustration: NOS. 32 AND 33] The woman with the angular features presented in No. 32 should not weara sailor-hat or any hat with a perfectly straight rim. The sailor-hat or any style bordering on it should be selected withutmost discrimination. This mode is unbecoming to a woman more thanforty; or, to one who through grief or worry prematurely attains a lookof age, or to one whose features are irregular. The straight brim acrossthe face 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 faceat an inartistic angle. The woman with angular features, as may be seen by No. 33, can wear withimpunity, and always should wear, a hat the brim of which is waved, turned, twisted, or curved in graceful lines. The uneven brim of her hatmakes an effective complement to the angularity of her chin, which isfurther softened by the feathery ruff that encircles her throat. Thecurves of the ostrich plumes, and the studied carelessness of thearrangement of her coiffure, subdue the angles of her face which arebrought 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 centraladornments that were once much in favor, and the Mercury wings thatornament the coiffure for evening dress, produce some startling, disagreeable, and amusing effects not altogether uninteresting toconsider. Faces in which the eyes are set too near the forehead acquire a scaredlook by being surmounted by a bonnet upon which the trimming gravitatesto a point in an arrangement not unsuggestive of a reversed fan, horns, or a steeple. The most unpleasing developments result from the wearing of thehorn-like trimmings either in velvet or jet. If the face above whichthey flare has less of the spiritual than the coarse propensities in it, the grotesque turns and twists in the head-gear emphasize the animalityin the lines characteristic of low-bred tendencies, and the wholecountenance is vulgarized. One face acquires the look of a fox, anotherof a certain type of dog, and so on. The most amusing exaggerations of distinctive facial lines are producedby Mercury wings. The good-natured woman of the familiar type depictedin No. 34 brings every bovine attribute of her placid countenance intoconspicuous relief by surmounting her face with the wings of thefleet-footed god. The cow-like form and serenity of her features aremade laughably obvious. [Illustration: NO. 34] Short, delicately-faced women can adorn their coiffures with Mercurywings with most charming results. Wings, or perpendicular bows, addlength to the lines of the short face, giving it a certain suggestionof refinement and distinction that is wholly destroyed by the wearing ofany trimmings that show at the sides. NO MATTER WHAT THE PREVAILING STYLE THESE RULES MAY BE PRACTICALLYAPPLIED. CHAPTER III. LINES THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AND CONSIDERED IN MAKING COSTUMES. Mme. La Mode, much misrepresented as are all who are embarrassed withworld-wide popularity always considers when designing fashions thatwomen vary in form, as in mood. She suits all needs, although this facthas never been cast to her credit. With a beautiful sense ofadjustment--as obvious as that in Nature, that projects the hugewatermelon to ripen on a slender vine on the ground and swings agreengage plum on the stout stem of a tree to mature in storm orshine--Mme. La Mode, arbiter of styles, balances her fashions. Never came the big hat without the small bonnet. Accompanying the longcloak is the never-failing short cape. Side by side may be found thelong coat and the short, natty jacket. This equilibrium in wearingapparel may be traced through all the vagaries of fashion. Everybody's need has been considered, but everybody has not consideredher need. The short, stout woman passes by the long coat better adapted to herand seizes a short jacket--a homeopathic tendency of like suiting like, sometimes efficacious in medicine, but fatal in style. Style for Tall Slender Woman. The very tall, slender woman frequently ignores a jaunty jacket andtakes a long coat like that shown in No. 36. To even the sluggish fancy of an unimaginative observer she suggests achampagne bottle, and to the ready wit she hints of no end of amusingpossibilities for caricature. The very tall woman should know that long lines from shoulder to footgive height, and she must discerningly strive to avoid length of linein her garments until she dons the raiment of the angels. [Illustration: NOS. 36 AND 37] Horizontal lines crossing the figure seem to decrease height, and shouldbe used as much as possible in the arranging and trimming of the tallwoman's garments. By selecting a shorter coat equally modish, as shown by No. 37, the tootall 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 highcollar, such as finishes the coat, in No. 36, adds to the length. Thosewho have too long arms can use horizontal bands on sleeves mostadvantageously. The Coat the Short Stout Woman should Wear. The short jacket that so graciously improved the appearance of theslender specimen of femininity is sinister in its effect on the short, stout woman, in sketch No. 38. It should be the study of her life toavoid horizontal lines. Length of limb is to be desired because it addsdistinction. Her belt, the horizontal effect of the skirt of the jacket, the horizontal trimming of the bottom of the skirt, all apparentlyshortening her height, tend to make her ordinary and commonplace inappearance. [Illustration: NOS. 38 AND 39] If her hips are not too pronounced she can wear the long coat, shown inpicture No. 39. The V-shaped vesture gives her a longer waist, and thelong lines of the revers add to the length of her skirt. If her hips aretoo prominent, she should avoid having any tight-fitting garments thatbring the fact into relief. She should not wear the long coat, but shecan effectively modify it to suit her needs, by only having a skirt, ortabs, or finishing straps in the back. If her jacket or basque isfinished off with a skirt effect, it is best to have the little skirtswerve away just at the hip-line, half revealing and half concealing it. The front should be made in a jacket effect, finishing just at thewaist-line and opening over a blouse front that will conceal thewaist-line. It is best for the too short, stout woman to obscure herwaist-line as much as possible, to apparently give her increase ofheight. To put the waist-line high up adds to length of limb, and, of course, isto be desired, but the fact that what is added below is taken from abovethe waist, should impel careful discrimination in the arrangement ofthis equatorial band. The Cloak or Cape for a Tall Woman. The long circular cloak is another graceful garment that can be wornwith charming effect by the woman of classic height, but should never bein the wardrobe of a very tall woman except for use at the opera, whenits service is chiefly required in the carriage, or when its wearer issitting. It is so obvious, in sketch No. 40, that the vertical lines thefolds of the cloak naturally fall into give a steeple-like appearance tothe tall woman it enfolds, that it is scarcely necessary to comment uponit. [Illustration: NO. 40] That her judicious selection should have been the short cape, whichcomes, as all capes should, to be artistic, well below the elbows, isclearly illustrated in picture No. 41. The horizontal trimming verybecomingly plays its part in the generally improving effect. [Illustration: NO. 41] The one who can wear the long cloak in an unchallengeable manner is theshort, stout woman, shown in sketch No. 42. By wearing the short cape with circular, fluffy collarette, sketched inNo. 43, she gives herself the look of a smothered, affrighted CochinChina chicken; or, as an imaginative school-girl remarked of her motherwho wore a cape of similar style, "she looks as if her neck wereencircled by bunches of asparagus. " [Illustration: NOS. 42 AND 43] The military dignity she acquires by wearing the long cape is becomingto a degree, and gives her distinction in form. By remembering that horizontal trimmings apparently decrease theheight, and that vertical lines add to it, those who desire to appear attheir best will use discernment in dividing their basques with yokes, orcorsage 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, andyet another at the bottom of the shirt, increases the impression ofbulkiness most aggressively and gives a barrel-like appearance to theform of a stout woman that is decidedly funny, as may be seen in sketchNo. 44. A study of the lines of the form will not only aid one in adopting amore becoming style of dress, but will sharpen the artisticperceptions, thus adding to the joy of life. [Illustration: NO. 44] "A beautiful form is better than a beautiful face" and should be clothedso that its lines may appear at their best, and not be exaggerated andcaricatured. The figure is seen many more times than the face, and thedefects of the former are more conspicuous than those of the latter. Do not be unjust to your beautiful body, the temple of your soul; aboveall, do not caricature it by selecting your clothes withindiscriminating taste. NO MATTER WHAT THE PREVAILING MODE THESE RULES MAY BE PRACTICALLYAPPLIED. 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 enwreathed her lastbirthday cake, she had the alert, quizzical brightness of a child whochallenges everybody and everything that passes with thecountersign--"Why?" She investigated New York with unabashed interest, and, like many another superior provincial, she freely expressed herlikes and dislikes for its traditions, show-places, and people with acommanding and amusing audacity. Her objections were numerous. The chief one that made a deep impressionupon her metropolitan friends was her disapproval of Sarah Bernhardt'sacting. The middle-Westerner, instead of becoming ecstatic in heradmiration, and at a loss for adjectives at the appearance of the divineSarah, merely perked at the great French artist for some time and thendemanded, querulously: "What's the matter with her? Why does she playso 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 soirreverently criticised. They loyally united in her defence, and soughtto squelch the revolter by loftily explaining that the actress turnedher back so often to the audience because she had such a noble, generousnature and desired to give the other actors a chance. "She lets themtake the centre of the stage, as they say in the profession, " remarkedone of the party, who prided herself upon being versed in the _argot_ ofthe theatre. "But she plays with her back to the audience when she is speaking andacting, and everybody else on the stage is still but herself, "petulantly insisted the Western Philistine, showing no signs of defeat. The situation was not wholly agreeable. The worshippers of Sarah couldsay nothing more in justification of her turning her back on them, but, with true feminine logic, concluded, "If Sarah Bernhardt turns her backon the audience it is right, and that is all there is to say. " Just at this dramatic moment a voice from the adjoining rowprovidentially interposed. The voice belonged to a well-known exponentof physical culture, who was never so happy as when instructing theintellectually needy. She said: "I will tell you why she plays with herback towards the audience more than any other actress upon the stageto-day. " The middle-Westerner, no less impressed than her metropolitanfriends, listened eagerly. The exponent of straight backs and high chests explained didactically:"The back is wonderfully expressive; indeed it is full of vitalexpression. Bernhardt knows this better than any other actress becauseshe has studied statuary with the passion of a sculptor, and because sheunderstands that, not only the face, but the entire physical structure, is capable of expressing dramatic emotions. Strong feeling and actionmay be strikingly revealed by the back. Imprecations, denunciations, even prayers, seem to be charged with more force when an actressdelivers them with her back turned, or half-turned to the audience. "Bernhardt's back expresses a storm of fury when she imprecatesvengeance, " said the voice of authority. "Not only on the stage is theexpression of the back discernible, and a knowledge of its charactervaluable, but in every-day life in drawing-room and street. How manywomen consider their backs when they dress? Look at the backs heredeformed by laces and fallals, " she went on contemptuously. "Themajority of women never look below their chins and I believe not one inten ever looks thoughtfully at her back, " she said emphatically. The dramatic value of a well-poised, expressive back may only concernthe thousands of young women who are aspiring to be a Sarah Bernhardt ora Rachel; but a knowledge of what constitutes a properly andartistically clothed back should be of interest to all women incivilized countries. That there is much truth in the assertion that "the majority of womennever look below their chins, and not one in ten ever looksthoughtfully at her back, " every observer of womankind might testify. [Illustration: NO. 45] The open placket-hole and sagging waist-band, sketched in No. 45, is anall too familiar sight that advertises the fact that too few women takeeven a cursory look at their backs. Fathers and brothers who wish toprotect their womankind from adverse criticism frequently give impromptulectures upon this very subject, as this slovenly arrangement of skirtand basque is not only seen in Grand Street, Second Avenue, and equallyunfashionable quarters, but in Fifth Avenue where the modish set are _enévidence_. If the dainty safety-pin displayed in No. 46, goes out ofvogue, the time-honored custom of sewing hooks to the waist-band of thedress, is always in fashion. Indeed, many women prefer this way ofconnecting separate skirt and waist to using a conspicuous pin. This isalmost too trivial a detail to discourse upon, but it is as true thatdetails make dress as it is that "trifles make life"--and neither lifenor dress is a trifle. [Illustration: NO. 46] The offence in No. 45 is more the result of untidiness than of a lack ofartistic discrimination. Nos. 46-1/2 and 47, on the contrary, outragethe laws of art, and display ignorance of the value and beauty of lines. No. 46-1/2 might serve to conceal a deformity of the shoulders. Thatreally seems its only excuse for being. The full, ugly, straight pleatthat falls to just below the waist-line lends neither grace nor style tothe figure. It is too short to give the distinction and dignity thathandsome wraps with long lines almost invariably do, although they seemto add age to the form. There is a hint of youth in this ungracefuljacket to be sure, but it is not especially attractive in its suggestionof youthfulness. [Illustration: NO. 46-1/2] [Illustration: NO. 47] No. 47, with a line at the neck-band, crossed bands in the centre of theshoulders, and lines across the back, is obviously inartistic. The backof a Venus, even, would be detracted from by such criss-crossed effects. Happy the woman who has so shapely a back she can afford to allow herwaist to fit smoothly and plainly, unbroken by any conspicuous lines. Ifbands must be used to remedy the deficiencies of ungenerous Nature, letthem be at the neck and waist; and if the back is unconscionably long, aband, or fold, or ruffle across the shoulders is to be commended. [Illustration: NO. 48] No. 48 reveals a glaring error frequently made by the thin sisterhood. Atall, slender woman with a long waist, should not emphasize her lengthof lines by wearing pointed or V-shaped effects. The V-shapedarrangement, either in cut or trimmings, apparently increases her"longness and leanness. " She should aim to shorten her waist instead oflengthening it as the basque finished with a point obviously does. Thedrooping sleeves elongate her shoulder-lines, and bring into clearerrelief her meagre proportions. She can easily improve her appearance byadopting either style of gown portrayed by Nos. 49, or 50. The broadbelt at the waist-line in No. 49, and the flamboyant lace or braidedpiece that adorns the shoulders, perceptibly adds to her breadth anddecreases her length. [Illustration: NO. 49] [Illustration: NO. 50] No. 50 is a felicitous cut for a street dress for a slim sister. Thejaunty bloused waist smartly conceals deficiencies in fine points. The tall, thin sisterhood should eschew pointed effects and study toattain apparent breadth by using trimmings arranged horizontally. Bandsof velvet, braid in waved lines, ruffles, and not too deeply cutscallops, may be used effectively by the very slender, who sometimesappear as if they are "without form and void, " as the earth was "in thebeginning. " [Illustration: NO. 51] No. 51 is an exposition of the mistake made by the sturdy sisterhood ofstout and pendulous proportions. It is plain to be seen that the fluffyruche at the throat-band, and the ruffle at the shoulder, and thespreading bow at the waist, and the trimmed sleeves, add bulkiness to aform already too generously endowed with flabby rotundity. Corpulentwomen must forego the swagger little basques or any sort of short, flounced effects below the waist-line. [Illustration: NO. 52] [Illustration: NO. 53] Nos. 52 and 53 are eminently adapted to the matron of ample dimensions. One observer of beauty-giving effects has not unadvisedly called thewaist-line "the danger-line. " A stout sister, above all others, shouldnot accentuate the waist-line. She should conceal it as much aspossible. The coat back of No. 52 apparently lengthens the waist. The same effect is produced by the arrangement of ribbons in No. 53, andby the long-pointed basque. V-shaped effects and long-pointed basquesare as becoming to those burdened with flesh as they are unbecoming totall, thin women. Long, graceful folds and draperies are admirable for the stoutsisterhood, who should avoid short sacques and tight-fitting garmentsthat give the on-looker an uncomfortable impression; there is too muchin a small space. Very light colors and thin textures that billow andfloat should be eschewed by the large, fleshy woman who wishes to givethe impression that she possesses the lines of a finely modelled statue. She should avoid puffs and any suggestion of the pulpy and clumsy, andbe careful not to sub-divide the body of her dress by plaits or braidslaid on horizontally across or above the bust, or below the hips. Horizontal lines invariably decrease the height; for that reason stoutwomen should not wear dresses cut square in the neck, but should adhereto the graceful V-or heart-shaped cut which has a tendency to givelength. The rotund woman with a short waist, sketched in No. 54, may improve herfigure, as shown in No. 55, by choosing belts and collars the exactshade of her shirt-waists in summer, and by not cutting off her heightby any sort of outside belt on winter gowns. [Illustration: NO. 54] [Illustration: NO. 55] Tall, stout women should forego high heels on their shoes, high hats, and striped dresses. Although stripes increase the effect of height, they also add to that of breadth. A plain cloth basque and skirt ofstriped material make a happy compromise and can be worn with becomingeffect by a stout woman. [Illustration: NO. 56] A basque cut high behind and on the shoulders apparently gives height. A very stout woman should never wear double skirts or tunics or dresseswith large sprawling patterns, such as depicted by cut No. 56, whichsuggests furniture stuffs. A large woman who had a fancy for wearingrich brocades figured with immense floral designs was familiarly calledby her kind friends "the escaped sofa. " White, or very light colors, should never be worn by the stout; theygreatly increase the apparent size. Large plaids should also beeschewed. Small checks and plaids may sometimes be becoming. Neither the too thin nor the too stout should adopt a style of gownthat caricatures the form as does the voluminous wrapper, finished witha box-pleat, as shown in No. 57. There is no grace in straight lines. [Illustration: NOS. 57 AND 58] No. 58, which accentuates the height of the over-tall, thin woman, isbetter adapted to enhance the charms of a woman of finer proportions. The bony and scrawny, of the type of No. 58, seem to have a perversedesire to wear what makes their poverty in physical charms only moreconspicuous. A woman of distinction in Boston, who is exceedingly thinand tall, wore Watteau pleats so frequently, even on reception andevening gowns that she was dubbed by a wag "the fire-escape, " a titlewhich so strikingly characterized her style, that the term was adoptedby all her friends when they exchanged confidences concerning her. The garment with the Watteau pleat is not unlike the princesse gownwhich is a very trying style except to handsomely proportioned women. Atall, well-developed woman, such as shown in sketch No. 59, adorns theprincesse gown and attains in it a statuesque beauty. In suggestingstatuary it fulfils the true ideal of dress, which should hint ofpoetry, art, sculpture, painting. The massing of colors; the arrangementof lines, the quality of textures, the grace and poise of the wearer--donot these hint of picture, statue, music? CHAPTER V. CORSAGES APPROPRIATE FOR WOMEN WITH UNBEAUTIFULLY MODELLED THROATS ANDSHOULDERS. Despite the traditional belief that a décolleté corsage is a tyrannousnecessity of evening dress, a woman not graciously endowed with abeautifully modelled throat and shoulders may, with perfect propriety, conceal her infelicitous lines from the derisive gaze of a criticalpublic. Women are indebted to that gentle genius, La Duse, for the suggestionthat a veiled throat and bust may charmingly fulfil the requirements ofevening dress, and also satisfy that sense of delicacy peculiar to somewomen who have not inherited from their great-great-grandmothers thecertain knowledge that a low-necked gown is absolutely decorous. The women who does not possess delicate personal charms commends herselfto the beauty-loving by forbearing to expose her physical deficiencies. Unless it is because they are enslaved by custom, it is quiteincomprehensible why some women will glaringly display gauntproportions that signally lack the exquisite lines of firm and solidflesh. A throat like a ten-stringed instrument, surmounting square shouldersthat end in knobs that obtrude above unfilled hollows, is an unpleasingvision that looms up conspicuously too often in opera-box anddrawing-room. [Illustration: NO. 61] The unattractive exhibition 61, is a familiar sight in the social world. How insufferably ugly such uncovered anatomy appears in the scenery of arich and dainty music-room may be readily imagined by those who havebeen spared the unpleasing display. It is so obvious that shoulderslike these should always be covered that it seems superfluous to remarkthat this type should never wear any sleeve that falls below theshoulder-line. [Illustration: NO. 62] The sleeve falling off the shoulder was invented for the classiccontour, set forth in No. 62. Nor ribbons, nor lace, nor jewel areneeded to enhance the perfect beauty of a fine, slender, white throat, and the felicitous curves of sloping shoulders. One whose individual endowments are as meagre as are those presented inNo. 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 hershoulders may recede in awkward lines, and yet between these defectivefeatures the curves may have a not unpleasing daintiness and delicacy inmodelling that can be advantageously revealed. A modish velvetthroat-band, such as is shown by No. 63, is one of the most gracefulconceits of fashion. The too slim throat encircled by velvet orornamented with a jewelled buckle or brooch is effectively framed. Theunsightly lines of the shoulders are covered, and just enoughindividual robustness is disclosed to suggest with becoming proprietythe conventional décolleté corsage. The Princess of Wales is as constantto her velvet or pearl neck-band, as to her especial style of coiffure. Her throat, in evening dress, never appears unadorned by one or theother of these beautiful bands that so cleverly conceal defects andseem to bring out more richly the texture and coloring of handsome bareshoulders. [Illustration: NO. 63] [Illustration: NO. 64] Those who do not approve of the décolleté style of dress, or whoseungraceful proportions might well be entirely concealed, can wear withappropriateness and benefit the corsage shown in No. 64. This has muchin its favor for a slender body. The upper part of the waist may be madeof chiffon or crêpe, which is beautifully--one might saybenignly--translucent. It has an insinuating transparency that neitherreveals nor conceals too much. The neck-band of velvet or satin, fulland soft, apparently enlarges the throat. The sleeves may be in whateverstyle in cut prevails. This costume carries perfectly into effect therequirements of evening dress, and may be worn with equal fitness toformal functions or to informal affairs. A coat-sleeve of lace, crêpe, or chiffon, beflounced at the wrist, may be inserted under the shortsatin sleeves when the occasion does not require gloves. The soft, whitesetting of thin textures around the throat and shoulders clears thecomplexion and brings into relief the pretty, delicate lines of arefined face. [Illustration: NOS. 65 and 66] It is plain to be seen that the unattractive specimen of femininity, No. 65. , with the long, wrinkled neck and sharply lined face isunbecomingly costumed in the V-shaped basque and corsage whichapparently elongate her natural lankness. A charming and alwaysfashionable 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 toomuscular neck. The filling is of tulle. A square-cut corsage is most becoming to the woman whose narrowshoulders have a consumptive droop. The angular cut apparently heightensthe shoulders and decreases their too steeple-like inclination. Theround cut, if it frames a full throat, is also an effective style forsloping shoulders. The V-shaped cut is most becoming to the short-neckedwoman, whose aim should be to increase the length of her throat. It is not only the too thin neck that needs to be clothed withdiscrimination. Throats and shoulders that are too robust are improvedby being covered. The arms and shoulders, however, are often the chiefbeauty of a fleshy woman, and it is to her advantage to give them aseffective a setting as possible. [Illustration: NO. 68] [Illustration: NO. 67] As is obvious in No. 67, the stout woman apparently increases herbreadth by wearing a flamboyant corsage, and she hides the mostexquisite lines of her arm with her sleeves. The princesse style of gown, in No. 68, gives her apparent length ofwaist. The modest lace flounce that falls in vertical folds decreasesher formidable corsage. The knotted twist of silk reveals the fullbeauty of her arm. [Illustration: NO. 69] In dressing the throat there are a few rules to be remembered. A toolong, stem-like neck may be apparently shortened by a standing ruff or afull, soft band of velvet. The tight, plain band of velvet should neverbe worn by a woman with a very slim neck, as is plainly discernible insketch No. 69. [Illustration: NO. 70] The plain, military collar emphasizes the thinness of the slenderwoman's throat; but the soft crushed fold of velvet apparently enlargesthe pipe-like proportions of the thin woman's neck, as may be seen insketch No. 70. The tight-fitting collar should not be worn by thecorpulent woman with a thick neck, as is shown by sketch No. 71. [Illustration: NO. 71] The thickness of the throat of the woman pictured in No. 72 may seem dueto the folds of the velvet, which give a pleasing hint of a slenderthroat, a delusion not to be despised by the woman burdened with flesh. [Illustration: NO. 72] All the sisterhood, --stout, thin, long-throated, or short, --should knowthe hour when the withering touch of age begins to shrink the soft, round curves distinctive of the full, sweet throat of healthful youth. No regretful vanity should be allowed to glamour their eyes to the factthat Time has them by the throat, to put it melodramatically. The wisewoman will not please herself with a fatal delusion. She will realize itis illusion she needs-yards of it--lace or velvet, or any beautifyingtexture that will conceal the deadly lines of age. CHAPTER VI. HINTS ON DRESS FOR ELDERLY WOMEN. Dress has much to do with a youthful or aged appearance. Shawls and longmantles that fall from the shoulders give even youthful figures a lookof age, because the lines are long and dignified and without especialgrace. Beautiful wraps, or coats that do not come very far below thehip-line, can be worn becomingly by elderly ladies, neither emphasizingtheir years nor making them appear too frivolously attired. There is asmack of truth in the maxim, _As a woman grows old the dress materialshould increase in richness and decrease in brightness_. Handsomebrocades, soft, elegant silks, woollen textures, and velvets areeminently suitable and becoming to women who are growing old. Black, and black-and-white, soft white chiffon veiled in lace, cashmeres, and such refined tissues should be selected by those in "thefirst wrinkles of youth. " Grays combined with filmy white material, dullbronzes lightened with cream-tinted lace, are also charminglyappropriate. Pale blue veiled in chiffon is another gratefulcombination. White should be worn more than it is by old ladies. It is so suggestiveof all that is clean, bright, and dainty; and if there is anything anold lady should strive to be in her personal appearance it is dainty. Exquisite cleanliness is one of the most necessary attributes ofattractive old age, and any texture that in its quality and coloremphasizes the idea of cleanliness should commend itself to those intheir "advanced youth. " Little old thin women, large ones too, for that matter, who are wrinkledand colorless, should not wear diamonds. The dazzling white gems withpitiless brilliancy bring out the pasty look of the skin. The soft glowof pearls, the cloudlike effects of the opal, the unobtrusive lights ofthe 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 youthfulnessonly make that fact more obvious. Forget-me-nots, mignonettes, certainpretty white flowers, the palest of pink roses, or the most delicatetint of yellow veiled with lace are not inappropriate for those who donot enjoy wearing sombre bonnets and hats which are composed only ofrich, black textures. Lace cleverly intermingled with velvet andjewelled ornaments of dull, rich shades are exceedingly effective on thehead-gear of the old. Those who are gray-haired--and indeed all women as they grow old--shouldwear red above their brows instead of under their chins. A glint of richcardinal velvet, or a rosette of the same against gray hair isbeautiful. Lace! Lace! Lace! and still more Lace for the old. _Lace is an essentialto the dress of a woman more than forty years of age_. Jabots, ruches, yokes, cascades, vests, and gowns of lace, black or white, are all forthe old. Rich lace has an exquisitely softening effect on thecomplexion. Thin women with necks that look like the strings of a violinshould swathe, smother, decorate, and adorn their throats with lace orgossamer fabrics that have the same quality as lace. These airytextures, in which light and shadow can so beautifully shift, subdueroughnesses of the skin and harshness in lines. Old Dame Nature is theprime teacher of these bewitching artifices. Note her fine effects withmists and cobwebs, with lace-like moss on sturdy old oaks, the bloom onthe peach and the grape. Nature produces her most enchanting coloringswith dust and age. Laces, gauzes, mulls, chiffons, net, and gossamerthrow the same beautiful glamour over the face and they are fit andcharming accompaniments of gray hair, which is a wonderful softener ofdefective complexions and hard facial lines. Too much cannot be written upon the proper arrangement in the neck-gearof the aged. The disfiguring wrinkles that make many necks unsightly maybe kept in obeyance by massaging. No matter what the fashion inneck-gear, the aged must modify it to suit their needs. An old ladywith a thin, pipe-stem neck should adopt a full ruche and fluffy, softcollar-bands. I cannot forbear repeating that tulle as light as thistlebubbles, either white or gray or black, is exquisitely effective forthin, scrawny necks. The fleshy, red neck should be softened with powderand 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 ownmodes. Absolute cleanliness, cleanliness as exacting as that propernurses prescribe for babies, is the first and most important factor inmaking old age attractive. Rich dress, in artistic colors, soft, misty, esthetic, comes next; then the idealizing scarfs, collars, jabots, andfichus of lace and tulles. Old people becomingly and artisticallyattired have the charm of rare old pictures. If they have soul-illuminedfaces they are precious masterpieces. CHAPTER VII. HOW MEN CARICATURE THEMSELVES WITH THEIR CLOTHES. Although in the dress of man there are fewer possibilities of caricaturethan in that of woman, yet, "the masterpieces of creation" frequentlyexaggerate in a laughable--and sometimes a pitiable--way, certainphysical characteristics by an injudicious choice of clothes. As the fashion in hair-dressing does not grant man the privilege ofenhancing his facial attractions; nor of obscuring his defects by abecomingly arranged coiffure; and, as the modes in neck-gear are suchthat he cannot modify the blemishes of a defective complexion byencircling his athletic or scrawny throat with airy tulle, or daintylace, that arch-idealizer of pasty-looking faces; and as he has forswornsoft, trailing garments that conceal unclassic curves and uninspiringlines of nether limbs, it behooves him to be more exactingly particulareven than woman in the selection of his wearing apparel. Far be it from me, however, to remind man of his many limitations--indress. That he can never know the rapture of donning a becoming springbonnet, nor the pleasure of possessing "real lace" things, nor thesensuous charm of being enwrapped in caressing furs, or sleazy, silkengarments as exquisite in color and texture as beautiful, fresh flowers, only delicate consideration for his feelings constrains me fromexpatiating upon at length. I would rather be able to remind him that he can make his limitationshis advantages, than reveal to him what he misses in not being a woman. To treat of this important subject adequately and convincingly, onewould require the masterly discernment of a skillful and accomplishedtailor, the experienced knowledge of a well-dressed man, and the alertlycritical perception of a loving woman who, even in the matter ofclothes, wishes the dearest of men to her, to do full justice to himselfand her ideal of him on all occasions. Although certain of the foregoing qualifications must needs be lacking, nevertheless this timorous pen, with more trepidation than courage itmust be confessed, begs to call attention to a few obvious details inmasculine attire that caricature, more or less, peculiarities in theforms and features of men. To be sure, in the matter of head-gear man is not conspicuously at themercy of burlesquing ribbons, flowers, and feathers, and he has feweropportunities than women to make himself ridiculous, yet a fewsuggestions regarding certain shapes of head-gear for certain types offaces, applicable to women are equally applicable to him. The same rule that applies to the women of the wedge-shaped type of faceapplies to the man of the wedge-shaped type, as may be seen in sketchesNos. 75 and 76. It is obvious that the youth depicted in No. 75detracts from the manliness of his face and emphasizes the pointedappearance of his countenance by wearing a hat with a broad brimprojecting over his ears. This style of hat appears more frequently instraw than in any other texture, but the effect of a wide, projectingrim is the same in any material. No. 76, it is plain, improves theappearance of the long, slim-faced man. An alpine hat would not beunbecoming to him, the high oval of the crown forming a balance for thelower part of the face. [Illustration: NO. 75] [Illustration: NO. 76] The man with a pugilistic chin should endeavor to select a hat that willnot make his heavy jaw as prominent as does the stiff derby, in No. 77. [Illustration: NO. 77] A soft alpine hat, or one somewhat of the style of No. 78, improves hisappearance. The high crown and wide, gracefully rolling brimcounter-balance the weight and prominence of the jaw. [Illustration: NO. 78] Apropos of the minor details of man's garments, the button as a featureof clothes has never been fully done justice to. It is a sustainingthing we know, something we can hang to, fasten to, and even tie to. That properly placed buttons contribute to our mental poise andtherefore to our physical repose, is hinted in that absurdly engagingstory, anent the smart boy who was the envy of his spelling-class, because he always stood first. You remember, no doubt, that an enviousbut keen-eyed classmate observed that the smart speller worked off hisnervous apprehensiveness by twirling the top button of his coat as hecorrectly spelled word after word, day in and day out; and how thekeen-eyed one played the part of a stealthy villain and surreptitiouslycut the button off the coat. And do you remember the dramatic ending?How the smart one on the fatal day sought to "press the button" andfinding it gone, lost his wits completely and failed ignominiously? Manyof us when we have lost a sustaining button, have we not felt asridiculously helpless and wit-benumbed as the smart speller? [Illustration: NO. 79] We all sub-consciously acknowledge our dependence upon buttons, but notmany of us, evidently, have observed that even buttons have a certainpossibility of caricature in them; and that they may add to, or detractfrom, the appearance of manly forms. The consideration of properlyplaced buttons may seem trivial to you, but if you will observe sketchesNos. 79 and 80, you may discern that a thin man may apparently increasehis breadth and add a certain manly touch to his figure, by changing thebuttons at the waist-line of his coat. The buttons placed so neartogether, in No. 79, really make his toothpick proportions too obvious. His back is made to look broader by placing the buttons wider apart, asshown in No. 80, and changing the cut of his coat-tail. [Illustration: NO. 80] That the fat man may also present a more attractive back to his enemiesby considering the placing of his buttons, may be seen in drawings Nos. 81 and 82. The buttons decorating No. 81 are placed so far apart thatthey increase in an ungainly way the breadth of the back at thewaist-line. If they are placed nearer together, and the seams graduatedto meet them, they give the illusion of better and more desirableproportions, as may be seen in No. 82. [Illustration: NO. 81] [Illustration: NO. 82] That the thin man may also present a more imposing and broader front tothe world, is suggested in sketches Nos. 83 and 84. The contracted lookof the coat in No. 83 is somewhat due to the buttons of hisdouble-breasted coat being placed too closely together. The slender manwho wishes to give the impression of being broad-chested may have thebuttons on his coat placed a little farther apart than fashion mayallow, as shown in sketch 84. The proportions may be easily preserved bya careful adjustment of the shoulder-seams and the seams under the arms. [Illustration: NO. 83] [Illustration: NO. 84] [Illustration: NO. 85] The waist-line is not so much "a danger line" to man as to woman, yetman should not wholly ignore his equator. If he is long-waisted he canapparently balance his proportions by having his skirt shortened, as inNo. 85, and his waist-line raised the merest bit. If he is tooshort-waisted he can lengthen his skirt and lower his waist-line, asshown in No. 86. In the one he escapes appearing too long and lanky inbody, and in the other he obscures a lack of becoming inches that tendsto give him a dumpy appearance. [Illustration: NO. 86] If you study your fellow-men you will observe that few are reallyperfectly proportioned. One man will have the body of a viking on thelegs of a dwarf, or one will have the legs of an Apollo supporting theshort body of a pigmy. The man who has a kingly body, too broad inproportion to his legs, as shown in sketch No. 87, should endeavor tomodify his physical defect by the careful selection of his coats. Heshould have his coats cut to give him as much length of leg as possible. A skilful tailor will know just what subtle changes and adjustments tomake. The improvement in appearance and gain in height is pictured insketch 88. The coat being shorter and the waist of the trousers beingraised a trifle, the man's limbs seem longer, which is an improvement. Long lines tend to give elegance and grace in bearing. Another thing forthe too robust type of man to consider is the style of his trousers. No. 87 hints what he must not choose. Such brazen plaids only make himappear offensively aggressive in size. Long, fine lines, such as shownin No. 88, give an impression of length and apparently lessen the width. [Illustration: NO. 87] Too long lines, however, are almost as undesirable as too short ones. Over-tall, thin men sometimes make themselves look like telegraph polesor flagstaffs by wearing short coats that expose in a graceless way thewhole length of their limbs. They suggest cranes and other fowl thatgive the impression of being "all legs. " [Illustration: NO. 88] When the legs are proportioned more like a stick of macaroni or a leadpencil than the shapely limbs of an Adonis, they appear exceedinglyfunny when surmounted by a short coat, such as pictured in No. 89. Afamous general in the Civil War did not despise cotton as afortification to protect him from the onslaught of the enemy. Theover-tall, thin man, who is not unsuggestive of a picket, should not beashamed to fortify himself with cotton or any other sort of padding thatintelligent tailors keep in stock. He should build his shoulders up abit and be generally, but most carefully and artistically, enlarged. Hiscoat should be lengthened, as in sketch go, to cut off just as much ofthe longness of limb as can possibly be allowed without destroyingartistic proportions. The very tall, thin man who unthinkingly wears avery short coat should be brave and never turn his back to his enemy. [Illustration: NO. 89] If he wears black and white check trousers and a short blue coat, heshould travel with a screen. A man in just such a rig attracted no endof comment in a fashionable hotel. The caricaturing effect of histrousers and coat were unspeakably comical. The wearer had a face asgrave as an undertaker's and the air of a serious-minded collegeprofessor; but he had the nondescript look of a scarecrow composed ofwhatever available garments could be obtained from the cast-off wardrobeof summer boarders in a farmhouse. [Illustration: NO. 90] Coats assuredly have the power of making cartoons--living, jocularcartoons--of their wearers. It would hardly seem necessary to callattention to the fact that a man of huge dimensions should not wear ashort coat, such as shown in sketch No. 91, yet his type is toofrequently seen attired in this style. A man so dressed certainly seemsthe living exemplification of the definition of a jug, namely, "a vesselusually with a swelling belly, narrow mouth, and a handle, for holdingliquors. " It cannot be reiterated too often that a large, stout manshould aim to acquire the distinction and dignity given by long lines. If his body is proportioned so he really has neither length of torso norof limb he must pay more attention to the cut of his clothes and attainlength in whatever artistic way he can. The long coat, as may be seenin sketch No. 92, not only apparently adds length but it conceals tooprotuberant curves. [Illustration: NOS. 91 and 92] Of course, character counts far more than clothes, we will all agree tothat, but at first glance it is a man's clothes that impress people. Clothes affect our behavior somewhat. For instance, "When the youngEuropean emigrant, after a summer's labor puts on for the first time anew coat, he puts on much more. His good and becoming clothes put him onthinking that he must behave like people who are so dressed; andsilently and steadily his behavior mends. " Of course, there is anuplifting truth in George Herbert's maxim, "This coat with my discretionwill be brave, " yet, I am inclined to think that the majority of men whowill stop to consider will agree with Emerson, who says, "If a man hasnot firm nerves and has keen sensibility, it is perhaps a wise economyto go to a good shop and dress himself irreproachably. He can thendismiss all care from his mind, and may easily find that performance anaddition of confidence, a fortification that turns the scale in socialencounters, and allows him to go gayly into conversations where else hehad been dry and embarrassed. I am not ignorant, --I have heard withadmiring submission the experience of the lady who declared 'that thesense of being perfectly well dressed gives a feeling of inwardtranquillity which religion is powerless to bestow. '" A popular clothier in New York, understanding this trait of hisfellow-men, voices this same sentiment in his advertisement in thissuccinct way: "Seriously now. Have you ever stopped to think that if youwear good clothing it adds much to that independent, easy feeling youshould have when you come in contact with other men?" I think it was Lord Chesterfield who said: "A man is received accordingto his appearance, and dismissed according to his merits. " There is abit of truth in this we would all admit, I have no doubt, if we studiedthe question. Clothes affect our own poise, ease, and attitude towardothers and the expression of others toward us, but, after all, we relyupon the man or woman instead of upon the impression we receive from theclothes. The garments, after we have noticed them in a superficial way, are chiefly interesting to us, because they are arch-betrayers of thephysical and mental poise of the man. No matter what the cut of thecloth, no matter what _cachet_ of a fashionable tailor a suit may have, or what its richness of material, the attitude "à la decadence" of No. 93 would make the best clothes in Christendom look shabby andunattractive. [Illustration: NO. 93] This too familiar carriage of the American man makes one wish to havethe power to reverse the faces--as Dante did those of the falseprophets, so those who stand "à la decadence" might see what ridiculousfigures they cut in drawing-room and street. The curved backs androunded-out shoulders would make fair-looking chests, and the flatchests would represent respectable-looking backs. A man owes it to the spirit within him not to stand or walk in such anattitude. He should brace up and keep bracing up persistently, unremittently, until he attains a more manly bearing. [Illustration: NO. 94] The wholly alive fellow pictured in sketch No. 94 would make homespunlook elegant. His chest is forward. He does not sag in front at thewaist, protruding his abdomen in not only an inartistic, but anunhealthy manner; but he strides masterfully forward with an air ofinspiriting "aliveness. " The perfect poise of his attitude is notunsuggestive of the Apollo Belvedere--the model for all men--a pictureof which every college boy should have to place beside the prettiestgirl in his collection of pretty girls, to constantly remind him tocarry himself like a young god.