CONTENTS:ILLUSTRATIONS

A FEW HINTS FOR THE NOVICE WHO WOULD PLAN HER COSTUMES >>

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

WOMAN AS DECORATION

EMILY BURBANK

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 1917

BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, INC.

DEDICATED

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

116

WOMAN DECORATIVE IN HER SUN-ROOM

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Frontispiece)

AS THAÏS

Sketched by Thelma Cudlipp

WOMAN IN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SCULPTURE-

RELIEF

III WOMAN IN GREEK ART

WOMAN ON GREEK VASE

WOMAN IN GOTHIC ART

Portrait Showing Pointed Head-dress

WOMAN IN ART OF THE RENAISSANCE

Sculpture-relief in Terra-cotta: The Virgin

WOMAN IN ART OF THE RENAISSANCE

VII Sculpture-relief in Terra-cotta: Holy Women

TUDOR ENGLAND

VIII Portrait of Queen Elizabeth

SPAIN--VELASQUEZ PORTRAIT

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ENGLAND

Portrait by Thomas Gainsborough

BOURBON FRANCE

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

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

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

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

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.

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