HOW TO DRESS YOUR TYPE
_A Few Points Applying to All Costumes_
Needless to say, when considering woman's costumes, for ordinary use, in
their relation to background, unless some chameleon-like material be
invented to take on the colour of _any_ background, one must be content
with the consideration of one's own rooms, porches, garden, opera-box or
automobile, etc. For a gown to be worn when away from home, when
lunching, at receptions or dinners, the first consideration must be
_becomingness_,--a careful selection of line and colour that bring out
the individuality of the wearer. When away from one's own setting,
personality is one of the chief assets of every woman. Remember,
individuality is nature's gift to each human being. Some are more
markedly different than others, but we have all seen a so-called
colourless woman transformed into surprising loveliness when dressed by
an artist's instinct. A delicate type of blond, with fair hair, quiet
eyes and faint shell-pink complexion, can be snuffed out by too strong
colours. Remember that your ethereal blond is invariably at her best in
white, black (never white and black in combination unless black with
soft white collars and frills) and delicate pastel shades.
PLATE VI
Fifteenth-century costume. "Virgin and Child" in painted
terra-cotta.
It is by Andrea Verrocchio, and now in Metropolitan Museum.
We have here an illustration of the costume, so often shown
on the person of the Virgin in the art of the Middle Ages.
[Illustration: _Metropolitan Museum of Art_
_Woman in Art of the Renaissance Sculpture-Relief in Terra-Cotta:
The Virgin_]
The richly-toned brunette comes into her own in reds, yellows and
low-tones of strong blue.
Colourless jewels should adorn your perfect blond, colourful gems your
glowing brunette.
What of those betwixt and between? In such cases let complexion and
colour of eyes act as guide in the choice of colours.
One is familiar with various trite rules such as match the eyes, carry
out the general scheme of your colouring, by which is meant, if you are
a yellow blond, go in for yellows, if your hair is ash-brown, your eyes
but a shade deeper, and your skin inclined to be lifeless in tone, wear
beaver browns and content yourself with making a record in _harmony_,
with no contrasting note.
Just here let us say that the woman in question must at the very outset
decide whether she would look pretty or chic, sacrificing the one for
the other, or if she insists upon both, carefully arrange a compromise.
As for example, combine a semi-picture hat with a semi-tailored dress.
The strictly chic woman of our day goes in for appropriateness; the
lines of the latest fashion, but adapted to bring out her own best
points, while concealing her bad ones, and an insistance upon a colour
and a shade of colour, sufficiently definite to impress the beholder at
a glance. This type of woman as a rule keeps to a few colours, possibly
one or two and their varieties, and prefers gowns of one material rather
than combinations of materials. Though she possess both style and
beauty, she elects to emphasise style.
In the case of the other woman, who would star her face at the expense
of her _tout ensemble_, colour is her first consideration,
multiplication of detail and intelligent expressing of herself in her
_mise-en-scène_. _Seduisant_, instead of _chic_ is the word for this
woman.
Your black-haired woman with white skin and dark, brilliant eyes, is the
one who can best wear emerald green and other strong colours. The now
fashionable mustard, sage green, and bright magentas are also the
_affaire_ of this woman with clear skin, brilliant colour and sparkling
eyes.
These same colours, if subdued, are lovely on the middle-aged woman with
black hair, quiet eyes and pale complexion, but if her hair is grey or
white, mustard and sage green are not for her, and the magenta must be
the deep purplish sort, which combines with her violets and mauves, or
delicate pinks and faded blues. She will be at her best in shades of
grey which tone with her hair.