Jane Warren Wells

“ HARMONIOUS PROPORTIONS—THE AIM OF EVERY WOMAN I cannot be too emphatic in my assertion that the wrong clothes, or even a wrong detail in a costume may mar an entire effect and may indeed create the illusion of ungainliness and dumpiness even in a girl who may be underweight, as far as actual pounds go. Perfect proportions then are the aim of every woman who wants to make the best of herself and I am certain that a careful study of these rules of optical illusion and an intelligent application of them will improve the appearance of every woman. ”

“ Remember continually that it isn’t the dress alone that you need watch, but every detail, for the little things can destroy the big, you know, and the principles of optical illusion must be adhered to as strictly in the little things as in the big. For instance, eyeglasses can accentuate a round face or slenderize it, depending upon their prominence and shape. Buttons can stick out and look bulky; shirtwaists when worn with different color skirts can cut you in two; and belts of different color than skirt or blouse can prove even more treacherous. ”

“ We may not have beautiful clothes, and may grieve that we are not willowy enough to wear the smart extremes in dress, but our grieving is totally unnecessary. We can learn truly to be as attractive, as admirable as our slender sisters if we set out with the will and determination to express perfection so far as our ability and intelligence will allow. A fresh bath, some bath talcum, clean, well-fitting underthings, neat, good-looking shoes, and modest stockings can give an enhancing foundation for the dress we have so carefully planned. ”

“ DRESS SMARTLY, NO MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE There is nothing more discouraging than to see a woman become careless of her appearance as she grows older. Indeed, nowadays no woman with proper self-respect would be guilty of such a crime, for although dignity and womanliness are much to be admired in the mature woman, there is certainly no excuse for a woman to allow herself to look old or dowdy, no matter what her age may be. ”

“ A good plan for those of us who like ruffles, frills, and bright colors is to put them on our night clothes where no one but our very own selves can see.
The house, too, lends opportunity for our color appetites and there we may use color freely and safely. But because we love red, orange, or King’s blue is no sign we must wear it on our backs for all to see. Buy a little piece of fabric with just the colors you revel in; put it in the dresser drawer, or let it ornament a chair back, look at it every day, and thus satisfy your longing for color. ”

“ When the slender woman is careful about her corset, what must the responsibility be of the large woman? It is just this—that she must wear a corset—that she must select it with such care and have it fitted with such perfection that even she can forget it once it is on. No evidence of a corset is ever seen on a correctly dressed woman. ”

“ Color has so much to do with the final appearance of any costume, that you must find your particular color pace. Remember that if you are stout you cannot stray from the less colorful byways to the brilliant main road trodden by your slim sisters. Never lose sight of the fact that true artistry may be expressed in the subtle shades to a much greater degree than by the use of brilliant colors. As civilization advances, it is gradually drawing away from pure color. ”

“ You have heard, no doubt, the famous story about the lecturer, who, when asked by a big woman dressed in red what color she should wear, said, “Gray, Madam, gray. Nature makes humming birds red and elephants gray. Follow Nature, Madam.” ”

“ Those valuable laws of optical illusion teach us always to select colors that have a tendency to recede, that is, those that are indefinite and difficult to classify. For instance, the moment rose is added to gray, or yellow to tan, it takes on light and tends to intensify size rather than to reduce it, while we can add white to gray, or brown to tan with the opposite result. So often we see someone who has achieved a beautiful color plan, change it to satisfy her own desire for variety and in the changing lose all that she has worked to gain. ”

“ The eyes in a certain portrait seem to follow you, no matter where you may go in the room in which it is hung. This illusion persists, no matter how much you may tell yourself that the eyes do not actually move. When you are on a moving train it is only by the constant succession of passing trees, posts, and landscape that you realize you are going forward. ”

“ Every woman should study her temperament and mood along with her type of figure and work to dress both as perfectly as possible, remembering that a little frosting is 159good on any cake, and even the plainest bread is improved with butter and jam. Don’t be afraid of the smart hat, the new trimming, or a trim new collar that is fashionable. It may help somebody to fall in love with you all over again. Keep on the alert for whatever will add youthful charm, womanly dignity, and lovely smartness, as well as slenderness. ”

“ And so I insist that once you find the color or combination of colors that is becoming, that is 135flattering, as to size and complexion, hair and eyes, hold to it as a valued possession and have your color variety in other things rather than your dress.
I have not yet considered white, or rather cream, or old blue, or pastel green in discussing shades. These many of us can wear. The wearing of white is a luxurious habit once acquired. The charm of immaculateness may balance in some minds its tendency to increase size, but if you wish to look as small as possible, avoid it. ”

“ I have always said that if I should ever go into the dress business, it would be to make slender dresses for big folks, and I would employ all big women to sell them, because, as I said about our jolly big friend, the corsetiere, she has an understanding heart, knows how difficult it is to find dresses that have enough youth, enough value in line, and are sufficiently becoming to us who tip the scales to any great degree. ”

“ It can become as much a hobby as can art in pictures or music. Remember you have the responsibility of your own loveliness. If you are not pleasing to see morning, noon and night, you can blame nary a soul but yourself. Wholesomeness is beautiful anywhere, any time, so work to achieve perfection by way of simplicity. Your responsibility will be less and the result more sure.
Wear trim, one-piece dresses with narrow belts and long, smart collars. Work yourself into the new fads wisely. Enjoy the new in dress but do it discreetly so that it blends perfectly with size, type and inclinations. ”

“ Also it is her duty not only to attract and please, but to hold the admiration of those who believe in her, and by her charming appearance, poise, and dignity to make her particular sphere, no matter how small or seemingly unimportant it may be, radiate joy, peace, and progress.
Nearly everybody agrees with the adage that “a woman is as old as she looks and a man as old as he feels;” at least, there is no doubt that the mature woman has a big advantage over the mature man. ”

“ Frequently, a woman does not become noticeably stout until she has reached the neighborhood of 45 or 46 years. This time of life is usually the most trying for any woman, for when youth has taken flight it makes necessary three things if a woman wishes to continue to appear attractive and pleasing: dignity, careful grooming, and correct selection of color, lines, and fabric. Correct corseting is, of course, absolutely essential in order that the entire costume may be in perfect harmony with her individuality and that she may have the appearance of absolute comfort and ease. ”

“ The woman at the left with her uninterrupted, harmonious, gracefully flowing up-and-down lines looks taller, slenderer, more dignified and in every way more pleasing than the woman at the right, the radiating lines of whose gown make her figure seem to bulge outwards in a most discouraging manner. ”

“ The stout woman improves her position by omission rather than addition. “Every little bit added to what you have makes just a little bit more” is all right for Scotch pennies, but not for one who is working to look 30 or 40 pounds lighter. Be slim by being trim; be attractive by being immaculate; and strive with all your might for grace, ease, and personal charm. Never yield to a misuse of color, line, or fabric. Never give up in your determination to dress for slenderness. You must admit right now that it is far more interesting than diet and much more effective. ”

“ One day smart turn cuffs may be worn, and the next day omitted, all giving variety without deviating from the path of good taste and slender emphasis. And navy blue is always smart, no matter what the prevailing fashion may be. ”

“ CHOOSE THESE SUBTLE SHADES It has always seemed to me that we women who have the opportunity of making either a pleasing, indifferent, or offending picture of ourselves in our dress should realize our opportunity, sense fully that we are in competition with real artists and work to achieve a degree of perfection that at least would be pleasing to our very own selves and that could not offend any who might see us. ”

“ Never should the collar, the belt, or the finish at the bottom of the skirt be permitted to attract the eye before the garment itself does, but they should be arranged so as to be as inconspicuous as possible. Tucks, plaits, and seams should be made to extend up and down the garment instead of around it. Nowhere else can the laws of optical illusion be so effectively applied, with such noticeable results, as in the matter of trimmings. A single ornament, wrongly placed, can mar an entire costume for the woman who wants to achieve slenderness. ”

“ Let us take a simple example to begin with having directly to do with the use of straight lines in dress. You have probably read a thousand times and heard a hundred times more that stout people must work for straight line effects and the straight line silhouette. But it is one thing to know this fact and another actually to accomplish it in your clothes. You can’t just hang a straight line down from the shoulder like a carpenter’s plumb on a door sill. ”

“ Don’t be satisfied to buy green, blue, or gray simply because it’s the season’s color—find the tone or shade of that color that is lovely for you—then you can be fashionably dressed and becomingly so. ”

“ Every woman can gain a reputation for being well dressed if she remembers not to be haphazard in buying, wearing, and caring for her clothes. If you have any of these habits, come, let us talk them over confidentially, 52because I, too, have had to learn by sheer necessity to overcome, one by one, these very expensive, annoying tendencies, and the only way I succeeded was to learn, as a matter of habit, to hang things up carefully when I took them off, to make sure that dress shields were in place, and to take special care to have everything in right shape when it was time to dress. ”

“ You must do everything you can, therefore, to retain every possible attraction, and your hair is one of them for it suggests womanliness.
We don’t want our friends to say that we have a great “mother lap” or a shoulder of Gibraltar to weep on, but we must set out to be substantial in thought, act, and deed to be attractive. A little slim girl can giggle and be silly if she wants to—she can even wear mussed up dresses—but a big girl must be modest, and always immaculate in every particular. And why not? It’s an effort, yes, to be always striving for perfection, but it can be made a real hobby. ”

“ The whole art rests upon a certain scientific principle known to artists and a few expert designers. It is called the Principle of Optical Illusion, by which things appear to the eye to be different than they really are. By understanding and properly using this principle, objects may be made to appear larger or smaller, taller or shorter. And by employing this principle in dress any woman can be made to look older or younger, shorter or taller, stouter or slenderer than she actually is. ”

“ Don’t look overgrown in your clothes, but don’t ever make yourself any older than you are.
If your ankles are large, have your dresses a wee bit longer than fashion calls for. If your ankles are small and the legs large above the ankle, have your dress slightly long for the same reason. If the legs and ankles are correctly proportioned for the rest of the body, remember that even you need to have the skirt just a little bit longer because when you sit down you take up some of the skirt length. ”

“ Many designers insist that “color tone” evidenced somewhere is essential for every well-dressed woman, maintaining that if the individual does not have it herself it must be provided by means of her dress or complexion, assuming, of course, that it will always be discreetly and smartly done. If the hair or eyes are colorless, avoid brown and wear blue, and use definite color—a bit of braid, an ornamental buckle, a strap on a purse, a hat trimming—something that has a smart color note. ”

“ YOUTHFUL STYLES YOU CAN WEAR If you are young, don’t be indifferent about any phase of your dress, and don’t ever show any humiliation because of it. Women who are continually conscious of their size seem to look fatter than those who plan to make the least of it and to enjoy it. Emerson says, “Never go to a man to tell him that you can’t pay a debt when you haven’t any money. Your whole attitude will cause him to lose confidence in you.”
So it is with stout women. ”

“ Stout women, and, in fact, most women look better in materials of plain or indistinct design in harmonizing colors than in those of bold design and of decided color combinations.
The heavy silks, striped by means of the weave, and in self color, are the best for tailored dresses. The heavy crêpe weaves are more appropriate for draped dresses planned for occasional wear. And the best quality means the best wear, appearance and general satisfaction. It is better to have one very good, smart dress and take care of it than two cheap dresses that you are never quite satisfied with. ”

“ Life is too short and too real for that. Learn to be proud of yourself and dress so that even you will feel a sense of security and assurance. After all, we can be rather selfish about just looking right. ”

“ THE LINE OF YOUTH AND GRACE There is a distinct difference between the appropriate clothes for the young stout girl and those for the elderly stout woman. The first must work to emphasize trim smartness; the second simplicity and becomingness. Not so much difference in the two, you will say, but think carefully about it and you will realize that there is a difference. The whole idea of dress is different at 20, let us say, than it is at 50. If you are 20, you may wear 20–year clothes, but if you are 50, you may wear 40–year clothes. ”