ZeePedia

CONTENTS:ILLUSTRATIONS

A FEW HINTS FOR THE NOVICE WHO WOULD PLAN HER COSTUMES >>
img
PLATE I
Madame Geraldine Farrar as Thaïs in the
opera of that name. It is a sketch made from
life for this book. Observe the gilded wig and
richly embroidered gown. They are after
descriptions of a costume worn by the real
Thaïs. It is a Greek type of costume but not
the familiar classic Greek of sculptured story.
Thaïs was a reigning beauty and acted in the
theatre of Alexandria in the early Christian
era.
Sketched for "Woman as Decoration"
by Thelma Cudlipp
Mme. Geraldine Farrar in Greek
Costume as Thaïs
img
WOMAN AS DECORATION
BY
EMILY BURBANK
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 1917
COPYRIGHT, 1917
BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, INC.
DEDICATED
to
V. B. G.
FOREWORD
WOMAN AS DECORATION is intended as a sequel to The Art of Interior Decoration
(Grace Wood and Emily Burbank).
Having assisted in setting the stage for woman, the next logical step is the
consideration of woman, herself, as an important factor in the decorative scheme of
any setting,--the vital spark to animate all interior decoration, private or public.
The book in hand is intended as a brief guide for the woman who would understand
her own type,--make the most of it, and know how simple a matter it is to be
decorative if she will but master the few rules underlying all successful dressing.
As the costuming of woman is an art, the history of that art must be known--to a
certain extent--by one who would be an intelligent student of our subject. With the
assistance of thirty-three illustrations to throw light upon the text, we have tried to
tell the beguiling story of decorative woman, as she appears in frescoes and bas
reliefs of Ancient Egypt, on Greek vases, the Gothic woman in tapestry and stained
glass, woman in painting, stucco and tapestry of the Renaissance, seventeenth,
eighteenth and nineteenth century woman in portraits.
Contemporary woman's costume is considered, not as fashion, but as decorative
line and colour, a distinct contribution to the interior decoration of her own home or
other setting. In this department, woman is given suggestions as to the costuming of
herself, beautifully and appropriately, in the ball-room, at the opera, in her boudoir,
sun-room or on her shaded porch; in her garden; when driving her own car; by the
sea, or on the ice.
Woman as Decoration has been planned, in part, also to fill a need very generally
expressed for a handbook to serve as guide for beginners in getting up costumes for
fancy-dress balls, amateur theatricals, or the professional stage.
We have tried to shed light upon period costumes and point out ways of making
any costume effective.
Costume books abound, but so far as we know, this is the first attempt to confine
the vast and perplexing subject within the dimensions of a small, accessible volume
devoted to the principles underlying the planning of all costumes, regardless of
period.
The author does not advocate the preening of her feathers as woman's sole
occupation, in any age, much less at this crisis in the making of world history; but
she does lay great emphasis on the fact that a woman owes it to herself, her family
and the public in general, to be as decorative in any setting, as her knowledge of the
art of dressing admits. This knowledge implies an understanding of line, colour,
fitness, background, and above all, one's own type. To know one's type, and to have
some knowledge of the principles underlying all good dressing, is of serious
economic value; it means a saving of time, vitality and money.
The watchword of to-day is efficiency, and the keynote to modern costuming,
appropriateness. And so the spirit of the time records itself in the interesting and
charming subdivision of woman's attire.
One may follow Woman Decorative in the Orient on vase, fan, screen and
kakemono; as she struts in the stiff manner of Egyptian bas reliefs, across walls of
ancient ruins, or sits in angular serenity, gazing into the future through the narrow
slits of Egyptian eyes, oblivious of time; woman, beautiful in the European sense,
and decorative to the superlative degree, on Greek vase and sculptured wall. Here
in rhythmic curves, she dandles lovely Cupid on her toe; serves as vestal virgin at a
woodland shrine; wears the bronze helmet of Minerva; makes laws, or as Penelope,
the wife, wearily awaits her roving lord. She moves in august majesty, a sore-tried
queen, and leaps in merry laughter as a care-free slave; pipes, sings and plies the
distaff. Sauntering on, down through Gothic Europe, Tudor England, the adolescent
Renaissance, Bourbon France, into the picturesque changes of the eighteenth
century, we ask, can one possibly escape our theme--Woman as Decoration? No,
for she is carved in wood and stone; as Mother of God and Queen of Heaven
gleams in the jeweled windows of the church, looks down in placid serenity on
lighted altar; is woven in tapestry, in fact dominates all art, painting, stucco or
marble, throughout the ages.
If one would know the story of Woman's evolution and retrogression--that rising
and falling tide in civilisation--we commend a study of her as she is presented in
Art. A knowledge of her costume frequently throws light upon her age; a thorough
knowledge of her age will throw light upon her costume.
A study of the essentials of any costume, of any period, trains the eye and mind to
be expert in planning costumes for every-day use. One learns quickly to
discriminate between details which are ornaments, because they have meaning, and
those which are only illiterate superfluities; and one learns to master many other
points.
It is not within the province of this book to dwell at length upon national costume,
but rather to follow costume as it developed with and reflected caste, after human
society ceased to be all alike as to occupation, diversion and interest.
In the world of caste, costume has gradually evolved until it aims through
appropriateness, at assisting woman to fulfil her rôle. With peasants who know only
the traditional costume of their province, the task must often be done in spite of the
costume, which is picturesque or grotesque, inconvenient, even impossible; but
long may it linger to divert the eye! Russia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland,
Scandinavia,--all have an endless variety of costumes, rich in souvenirs of folk
history, rainbows of colour and bizarre in line, but it is costuming the woman of
fashion which claims our attention.
The succeeding chapters will treat of woman, the vital spark which gives meaning
to any setting--indoors, out of doors, at the opera, in the ball-room, on the ice--
where you will. Each chapter has to do with modern woman and the historical
paragraphs are given primarily to shed light upon her costume.
It is shown that woman's decorative appearance affects her psychology, and that
woman's psychology affects her decorative appearance.
Some chapters may, at first glance, seem irrelevant, but those who have seriously
studied any art, and then undertaken to tell its story briefly in simple, direct
language, with the hope of quickly putting audience or reader in touch with the
vital links in the chain of evidence, will understand the author's claim that no detour
which illustrates the subject can in justice be termed irrelevant. In the detours often
lie invaluable data, for one with a mind for research--whether author or reader.
This is especially true in connection with our present task, which involves
unravelling some of the threads from the tangled skein of religion, dancing, music,
sculpture and painting--that mass of bright and sombre colour, of gold and silver
threads, strung with pearls and glittering gems strangely broken by age--which
tells the epic-lyric tale of civilisation.
While we state that it is not our aim to make a point of fashion as such, some of our
illustrations show contemporary woman as she appears in our homes, on our
streets, at the play, in her garden, etc. We have taken examples of women's
costumes which are pre-eminently characteristic of the moment in which we write,
and as we believe, illustrate those laws upon which we base our deductions
concerning woman as decoration. These laws are: appropriateness of her costume
to the occasion; consideration of the type of wearer; background against which
costume is to be worn; and all decoration (which includes jewels), as detail with
img
raison d'être. The body should be carried with form (in the sporting sense), to assist
in giving line to the costume.
The chic woman is the one who understands the art of elimination in costumes.
Wear your costumes with conviction--by which we mean decide what picture you
will make of yourself, make it and then enjoy it! It is only by letting your
personality animate your costume that you make yourself superior to the lay figure
or the sawdust doll.
CONTENTS
A FEW HINTS FOR THE NOVICE WHO WOULD PLAN HER
I
1
COSTUMES
Rules having economic value while aiming at decorativeness.--
Lines and colouring emphasised or modified by costuming.--
Temperaments affect carriage of the body.--Line of body
affects costume.--Technique of controlling the physique.--The
highly sensitised woman.--Costuming an art.--Studying types.
--Starring one's own good points.--Beauty not so fleeting as is
supposed if costume is adapted to its changing aspects.--
Masters in art of costuming often discover and star previously
unrecognised beauty.--Establishing the habit of those lines and
colours in gowns, hats, gloves, parasols, sticks, fans and jewels
which are your own.--The intelligent purchaser.--The best
dressed women.--Value of understanding one's background.--
Learning the art of understanding one's background.--Learning
the art of costuming from masters of the art.--How to proceed
with this study.--Successful costuming not dependent upon
amount of money spent upon it.--An example
II
23
THE LAWS UNDERLYING ALL COSTUMING OF WOMAN
Appropriateness keynote of costuming to-day.--Five salient
points to be borne in mind when planning a costume.--Where
English, French, and American women excel in art of
costuming.--Feeling for line.--To make our points clear
constant reference to the stage is necessary.--Bakst and Poiret.
--Turning to the Orient for line and colour.--Keeping costume
in same key as its settings.--How to know your period; its line,
colours and characteristic details.--Studying costumes in
Gothic illuminations
III  HOW TO DRESS YOUR TYPE
46
A FEW POINTS APPLYING TO ALL COSTUMES.--Background.
--Line and colour of costumes to bring out the individuality of
wearer.--The chic woman defined.--Intelligent expressing of
self in mise-en-scène.--Selecting one's colour scheme
img
IV
54
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CLOTHES
Effect of clothes upon manners.--The natural instinct for
costuming, "clothes sense."--Costuming affecting psychology
of wearer.--Clothes may liberate or shackle the spirit of
women, be a tyrant or magician's wand.--Follow colour instinct
in clothes as well as housefurnishings
ESTABLISH HABITS OF CARRIAGE WHICH CREATE GOOD
V
66
LINE
Woman's line result of habits of a mind controlled by
observations, conventions, experiences and attitudes which
make her personality.--Training lines of physique from
childhood; an example.--A knowledge of how to dress
appropriately leads to efficiency
VI
74
COLOUR IN WOMAN'S COSTUME
Colour hall-mark of to-day.--Bakst, Rheinhardt and Granville
Barker, teachers of the new colour vocabulary.--PORTABLE
BACKGROUNDS
VII  FOOTWEAR
85
Importance of carefully considering extremities.--What
constitutes a costume.--Importance of learning how to buy, put
on and wear each detail of costume if one would be a decorative
picture.--Spats.--Stockings.--Slippers.--Buckles
VIII
94
JEWELRY AS DECORATION
Considered as colour and line not with regard to intrinsic worth.
--To complete a costume or furnish keynote upon which to
build a costume.--Distinguished jewels with historic
associations worn artistically; examples.--Know what jewels
are your affair as to colour, size, and shape.--To know what
one can and cannot wear in all departments of costuming
prepares one to grasp and make use of expert suggestions. How
fashions come into being.--One of the rules as to how jewels
should be worn.--Gems and paste
IX
111
WOMAN DECORATIVE IN HER BOUDOIR
Negligée or tea-gown belongs to this intimate setting.--Fortuny
the artist designer of tea-gowns.--Sibyl Sanderson.--The
decorative value of a long string of beads.--Beauty which is the
result of conscious effort.--Bien soiné a hall-mark of our period
X
116
WOMAN DECORATIVE IN HER SUN-ROOM
img
Since a winter sun-room is planned to give the illusion of
summer, one's costuming for it should carry out the same idea.
--The sun-room provides a means for using up last summer's
costumes.--The hat, if worn, should suggest repose, not action.
--The age and habits of those occupying a sun-room dictate the
exact type of costume to be worn.--Colour scheme
XI
124
I. WOMAN DECORATIVE IN HER GARDEN
In the garden the costume should have a decorative outline but
simple colour scheme which harmonises with background of
flowers.--White, grey, or one note of colour preferable.--The
flowers furnish variety and colour.--Lady de Bathe (Mrs.
Langtry) in her garden at Newmarket, England
II. WOMAN DECORATIVE ON THE LAWN
One may be a flower or a bunch of flowers for colour against
the unbroken sweep of green underfoot and background of
shrubs and trees.--Chic outline and interesting detail, as well as
colour, of distinct value in a costume for lawn.--How to
cultivate an unerring instinct for what is a successful costume
for any given occasion
III. WOMAN DECORATIVE ON THE BEACH
If one would be a contribution to the picture, figure as white or
vivid colour on beach, deck of steamer or yacht
XII  WOMAN AS DECORATION WHEN SKATING
134
Line of the body all important.--The necessity of mastering
form to gain efficiency in any line; examples.--The traditional
skating costume has the lead
XIII
145
WOMAN DECORATIVE IN HER MOTOR CAR
The colour of one's car inside and out important factor in effect
produced by one's carefully chosen costume
XIV  HOW TO GO ABOUT PLANNING A PERIOD COSTUME
154
Period.--Background.--Outline.--Materials.--Colour scheme.
--Detail with meaning.--Authorities.--Consulting portraits by
great masters.--Geraldine Farrar.--Distinguished collection of
costume plates.--One result of planning period costumes is the
opening up of vistas in history.--Every detail of a period
costume has its fascinating story worth the knowing.--Brief
historic outline to serve as key to the rich storehouse of
important volumes on costumes and the distinguished textless
books of costume plates.--Period of fashions in costumes
developing without nationality.--Nationality declared in artistry
img
of workmanship and the modification or exaggeration of an
essential detail according to national or individual temperament.
--Evolution of woman's costume.--Assyria.--Egypt.--
Byzantium.--Greece.--Rome.--Gothic Europe.--Europe of
the Renaissance,--seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth
century through Mid-Victorian period.--Cord tied about waist
origin of costumes for women and men
XV  THE STORY OF PERIOD COSTUMES
172
A RÉSUMÉ
Woman as seen in Egyptian sculpture-relief; on Greek vase; in
Gothic stained glass; carved stone; tapestry; stucco; and
painting of the Renaissance; eighteenth and nineteenth century
portraits.--Art throughout the ages reflects woman in every
rôle; as companion, ruler, slave, saint, plaything, teacher, and
voluntary worker.--Evolution of outline of woman's costume,
including change in neck; shoulder; evolution of sleeve; girdle;
hair; head-dress; waist line; petticoat.--Gradual disappearance
of long, flowing lines characteristic of Greek and Gothic
periods.--Demoralisation of Nature's shoulder and hip-line
culminates in the Velasquez edition of Spanish fashion and the
Marie Antoinette extravaganzas
XVI  DEVELOPMENT OF GOTHIC COSTUME
192
Gothic outline first seen as early as fourth century.--Costume
of Roman-Christian women.--Ninth century.--The Gothic cape
of twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth centuries made familiar on
the Virgin and saints in sacred art.--The tunic.--Restraint in
line, colour, and detail gradually disappear with increased
circulation of wealth until in fifteenth century we see humanity
over-weighted with rich brocades, laces, massive jewels, etc.
THE VIRGIN IN ART
Late Middle Ages.--Sovereignty of the Virgin as explained in
"The Cathedrals of Mont St. Michel and Chartres," by Henry
Adams.--Woman as the Virgin dominates art of twelfth,
thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries.--The girdle.--The round
neck.--The necklace, etc.
XVII
THE RENAISSANCE
214
SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES
Pointed and other head-dresses with floating veils.--Neck low
off shoulders.--Skirts part as waist-line over petticoat.--Wealth
of Roman Empire through new trade channels had led to
importation of richly coloured Oriental stuffs.--Same wealth
img
led to establishing looms in Europe.--Clothes of man like his
over-ornate furniture show debauched and vulgar taste.--The
good Gothic lines live on in costumes of nuns and priests.--The
Davanzati Palace collection, Florence, Italy.--Long pointed
shoes of the Middle Ages give way to broad square ones.--
Gorgeous materials.--Hats.--Hair.--Sleeves.--Skirts.--
Crinolines.--Coats.--Overskirts draped to develop into
panniers of Marie Antoinette's time.--Directoire reaction to
simple lines and materials
XVIII
233
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Political upheavals.--Scientific discoveries.--Mechanical
inventions.--Chemical achievements.--Chintz or stamped
linens of Jouy near Versailles.--Painted wall-papers after the
Chinese.--Simplicity in costuming of woman and man
XIX  WOMAN IN THE VICTORIAN PERIOD
241
First seventy years of nineteenth century.--"Historic Dress in
America" by Elizabeth McClellan.--Hoops, wigs, absurdly
furbished head-dresses, paper-soled shoes, bonnets enormous,
laces of cobweb, shawls from India, rouge and hair-grease,
patches and powder, laced waists, and "vapours."--Man still
decorative
XX  SEX IN COSTUMING
244
"European dress."--Progenitor of costume worn by modern
men.--The time when no distinction was made between
materials used for man and woman.--Velvets, silks, satins,
laces, elaborate cuffs and collars, embroidery, jewels and
plumes as much his as hers
XXI  LINE AND COLOUR OF COSTUMES IN HUNGARY
252
In a sense colour a sign of virility.--Examples.--Studying line
and colour in Magyar Land.--In Krakau, Poland,--A highly
decorative Polish peasant and her setting
XXII
265
STUDYING LINE AND COLOUR IN RUSSIA
Kiev our headquarters.--Slav temperament an integral part of
Russian nature expressed in costuming as well as folk songs and
dances of the people.--Russian woman of the fashionable
world.--The Russian pilgrims as we saw them tramping over
the frozen roads to the shrines of Kiev, the Holy City and
ancient capital of Russia at the close of the Lenten season.--
Their costumes and their psychology
XXIII
276
MARK TWAIN'S LOVE OF COLOUR IN ALL COSTUMING
img
Wrapped in a crimson silk dressing-gown on a balcony of his
Italian villa in Connecticut, Mark Twain dilated on the value of
brilliant colour in man's costuming.--His creative, picturing-
making mind in action.--Other themes followed
XXIV
283
THE ARTIST AND HIS COSTUME
A God-given sense of the beautiful.--The artist nature has
always assumed poetic license in the matter of dress.--Many so
-called affectations have raison d'être.--Responding to texture,
colour and line as some do to music and scenery.--How
Japanese actors train themselves to act women's parts by
wearing woman's costumes off the stage.--This cultivates the
required feeling for the costumes.--The woman devotee to
sports when costumed.--Richard Wagner's responsiveness to
colour and texture.--Clyde Fitch's sensitiveness to the same.--
The wearing of jewels by men.--King Edward VII.--A
remarkable topaz worn by a Spaniard.--Its undoing as a
decorative object through its resetting
XXV  IDIOSYNCRASIES IN COSTUME
292
Fashions in dress all powerful because they seize upon the
public mind.--They become the symbol of manners and affect
human psychology.--Affectations of the youth of Athens.--Les
Merveilleux, Les Encroyables, the Illuminati.--Schiller during
the Storm and Stress Period.--Venetian belles of the sixteenth
century.--The Cavalier Servente of the seventeenth century.--
Mme. Récamier scandalised London in eighteenth century by
appearing costumed à la Greque.--Mme. Jerome Bonaparte, a
Baltimore belle, followed suit in Philadelphia.--Hour-glass
waist-line and attendant "vapours" were thought to be in the rôle
of a high-born Victorian miss.--Appropriateness the
contribution of our day to the story of woman's costuming
XXVI
296
NATIONALITY IN COSTUME
When seen with perspective the costumes of various periods
appear as distinct types though to the man or woman of any
particular period the variations of the type are bewildering and
misleading.--Having followed the evolution of the costume of
woman of fashion which comes under the general head of
European dress, before closing we turn to quite another field,
that of national costumes.--Progress levels national differences,
therefore the student must make the most of opportunities to
observe.--Experiences in Hungary
XXVII
306
MODELS
img
Historical interest attaches to fashions in woman's costuming.--
One of the missions of art is to make subtle the obvious.--
Examples as seen in 1917
XXVIII
313
WOMAN COSTUMED FOR HER WAR JOB
The Pageant of Life shows that woman has played opposite man
with consistency and success throughout the ages.--Apropos of
this, we quote from Philadelphia Public Ledger, for March 25,
1917, an impression of a woman of to-day costumed
appropriately to get efficiency in her war work
324
IN CONCLUSION
A brief review of the chief points to be kept in mind by those
interested in the costuming of woman so that she figures as a
decorative contribution to any setting
ILLUSTRATIONS
MME. GERALDINE FARRAR IN GREEK COSTUME
I
(Frontispiece)
AS THAÏS
Sketched by Thelma Cudlipp
WOMAN IN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SCULPTURE-
II
9
RELIEF
III  WOMAN IN GREEK ART
19
IV
29
WOMAN ON GREEK VASE
WOMAN IN GOTHIC ART
V
39
Portrait Showing Pointed Head-dress
WOMAN IN ART OF THE RENAISSANCE
VI
49
Sculpture-relief in Terra-cotta: The Virgin
WOMAN IN ART OF THE RENAISSANCE
VII  Sculpture-relief in Terra-cotta: Holy Women
59
TUDOR ENGLAND
VIII  Portrait of Queen Elizabeth
69
img
IX
79
SPAIN--VELASQUEZ PORTRAIT
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ENGLAND
X
89
Portrait by Thomas Gainsborough
BOURBON FRANCE
XI
99
Portrait of Marie Antoinette by Madame Vigée Le
Brun
COSTUME OF EMPIRE PERIOD
XII  An English Portrait
109
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY COSTUME
XIII  Portrait by Gilbert Stuart
119
VICTORIAN PERIOD (ABOUT 1840)
XIV  Mme. Adeline Genée in Costume
129
LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY (ABOUT 1890) A
XV
139
Portrait by John S. Sargent
A MODERN PORTRAIT
XVI  By John W. Alexander
149
A PORTRAIT OF MRS. PHILIP M. LYDIG
XVII  By I. Zuloaga
159
MRS. LANGTRY (LADY DE BATHE) IN EVENING
XVIII
169
WRAP
MRS. CONDÉ NAST IN STREET DRESS
XIX  Photograph by Baron de Meyer
179
XX
189
MRS. CONDÉ NAST IN EVENING DRESS
XXI  MRS. CONDÉ NAST IN GARDEN COSTUME
199
XXII  MRS. CONDÉ NAST IN FORTUNY TEA GOWN
209
XXIII
219
MRS. VERNON CASTLE IN BALL COSTUME
MRS. VERNON CASTLE IN AFTERNOON COSTUME-
XXIV
229
-WINTER
img
MRS. VERNON CASTLE IN AFTERNOON COSTUME-
XXV  -SUMMER
239
MRS. VERNON CASTLE COSTUMED À LA GUERRE
XXVI
249
FOR A WALK
XXVII
259
MRS. VERNON CASTLE--A FANTASY
MODERN SKATING COSTUME--1917
XXVIII
269
Winner of Amateur Championship of Fancy
Skating
XXIX
MODERN SILHOUETTE--1917
279
Tailor-Made. Drawn from Life by Elisabeth Searcy
A
TAPPÉ'S CREATIONS
XXX
289
Sketched for Woman as Decoration by Thelma
Cudlipp
MISS ELSIE DE WOLFE IN COSTUME OF RED
XXXI
299
CROSS NURSE
MME. GERALDINE FARRAR IN SPANISH COSTUME
XXXII
309
AS CARMEN
From Photograph by Courtesy of Vanity Fair
MME. GERALDINE FARRAR IN JAPANESE
XXXIII
319
COSTUME AS MADAME BUTTERFLY
Sketched by Thelma Cudlipp
"The Communion of men upon earth abhors identity more
than nature does a vacuum. Nothing so shocks and repels the
living soul as a row of exactly similar things, whether it
consists of modern houses or of modern people, and nothing
so delights and edifies as distinction."
COVENTRY PATMORE.
"Whatever piece of dress conceals a woman's figure, is bound,
in justice, to do so in a picturesque way."
From an Early Victorian Fashion Paper.