The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1854-11-11
Choice of CO.ors in Dress,


To ladies who make n cunning use Of col.
or--not by painting their faces, but by
deep and subtle study of costume; to ar.
fists, house iurnishers, ornamental garden
ors, and others, there have been officially
delivered at Paris and Lyons, during the
last quarter of a century, sundry lectures by
NJ. Chcvrcul, upon the practical effect of GER
tain laws connected with the contrast Of col.
Ors. And these lectures, which were formed
by him into a book fifteen years ago, have
been lately translated into English Having
read the translation, We write what fol.
lows
Monsieur Chevrcul, learned in the laws of
colors, was appointed long ago to superin-
tend the dycing department of the manuiac-
tory Of Gobclin tapestries. One of the first
questions asked of him, was, Why are the
black tints bad that are employed as shad-
ows in blue drapericsy lie answered, that
the black was Of course spoiled by contrast.
NJ. Chevrcul followed up his hint by arrang.
ing together various masses Of colorod wool
taken from the warehouse; observed how
colors Put side by side mutually affected one
another; and from that pO nj carried on his
researches in various ways to maturity
We state some Of the results, chiefly having
in mind the uses TO which ladies may put
them.
First must be sot down two very plain
rules One concerns tho setting side by side
Of two different shades Of the same color
Pat side by side squares tinted with indian
ink, each square having one uniform tint,
but no two squares of the same intensity.
Arrange them in u row, according to Il rcgu.
"a ,,,,l.
ending with the darkest Then every
square will be seen to be maliiicd by
those on either side of it; the border next a
darker square will be lightcncd in effect
the border next light square will be dark
cned in effect. The whole row of tinted
squares, seen from little distance, viii be
made in this way to appear not fiat, but
hutcd. Such is the effect Of tin,s upon each
other
The effect Of hucs, or contrasting colorS,
may be expressed in the second main rule
Contrasting or Complementary colGrs arc such
as when blended together give rise to the
perception Of whitcncss. The most perfect
Of these relations is that existing between
blue, yellow, and red for mix these three
colors, and they produce white consequent
ly color complementary to each Of these
is made by blending the other two Be
cousc blue with yellow creates green,
green is the complement Of red; because red
and yellow create orange, orange is the
complement Of blue because red and blue
create violet, violet is the complement Of vel.
low. The eye itself can perform these
changes look upon a blue and ycllow, and
in li,tlc while both viii appear TO be green
t,,.tv, B. a ,,',rnl sol p,,I I,l
serve IT, Take also square cOlOrcd blue,
aud observe it. Place them side by side.
The red square where it is near the blue,
viii have ycllowcr tinge than the rest
and into the blue on the other border, some
little shade ofgrccn will enter. That is be-
cause ever color tends to suggest its oppo-
site (or complement aroundits borders, and
as We have explained, the opposite Of red Is
green the opposite Of bluc, orange.
1t is also to be remembered, that the eye,
fatigued with looking at one color, is disposed
to receive the impression of its complement.
Let Us suppose, for Example, that lady in a
Diapers shop is looking a, red stuisS, and af-
ter having seen five or six pieces, begins Ia
complain of the bad color Of those subse.
qucntly shown TO hcr the color is not bad,
but her eye, weary Of red, no longer dcceiycs
the impression Of il wildly, or az 4 source of
pl,asWc. Let the prudent tradcsnan not
allow ten or eleven rcd stuiis TO be looked
at in succcsson but after about the fifth,
cOntryc to submit for inspection something
green. \ very good green it is surcto seem,
iii be only Of tolcrable color: and after
dwelling on it for a little time, the customer
may 90 on looking at the reds, and will
bc sure to sec them 20 the best advantage.
Accustomed to a little application Of these
principles, and knowing pretty well how col
ors stand related TO each other any person
may avoid gross errors Of taste in house fur.
/ nishing, in dressing in the arrangement OF
/ a nospgay, and in all such matters Tho
I main relation Of the colOrs to be borne in
mind are these. Green is the opposite and
complement to rcd green, therefore, rod
i dens adjacent hucs, and red adds a green
| tinge to them. But green and red set of
| each other to the best advantage when placed
/ side by side: the green looking grcener, the
red redder--and this is, of course, most thor
oughly the effect when the two colors are
alike in depth OF tone. What green is tC
red, yellow is TO violet, and blue to orange
In the same way it may be said that the
yellow tints OF green suggest their compile
mcnts and opposites, the yiolet-red the yel
low.arungcs contrast with violct-blues, ant
the orangc-rcd with the bluc-grcens
Thus, the pink of perfection is brought
ont BY green setting in dress or bonnet
and any lady who has fair complexion
that admits Of having its rosc-tnt littl,
heightened, may make effective use Of th,
green color, but it should be delicate green
since it is of Importance to preserve harmo
ny of tone. When there is in the face tin
of orange mixed with brown, brick-ret
hue will result from the use of green; i
any green at all be used in such case i
should be dark
But for the orange complexion Of n bru
ncttc, there is no color superior to yellow
This mparts violet to a fair skin, and iniure
its effect 4 skin more yellow than orang;
has its yellow ncutralizcd By the suggestion
of the complement and dull white ciicc
imported. The orange skin, however, has
the yellow ncutralizcd and the red left; Sc
that the freshness of complexion is increase,
in black haired beauties.
As the complement Of violet is yellow
which no lady desires to see added TO thC
color of her skin, It follows that violet is on
ly suitable for dress which it is very deep il
tone, and worn by those who wish to hav,
the complexion whitcred by contrast.
Blue imparts orange, which cnriches white
complcxions and light flesh tints; it also, o
course, improves the yellow hair of blondes
Blue, therefore, is the standing color for
blonde as yellow is for brunette Blu
the brunette who has already too much or
angc in her face, must avoid setting it il
/ blue.
| Orange suits nobody 1t wlntcns br,l
ncttc, but that is scarcely dcsirous effect
and it is ugly, Red, unless when il is of
dark hue, to increase thG effect of whtcncs
by contrast Of tone, is rarely suitable in any
close neighborhood to a lady's skin, Rose
rcd destroys the freshness of n good com
/ plcXon; it suggests green. For this rcasoI
it ought not to be chosen for the lining
and hangngs of the boxes ofa theatre, If la
dies who frequent il are to look well in thci
evening toilcttcs. Rosc-rcd, wincrcd, an,
light crimson boxes give a green tint to thu
ladies in them; if they would rather hav
best made ofall natural rose in their faces
the hangings they should wish for ought t.