Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-09-12
WOMAN AND HER WAYS.
How a Woman Can Be Richly and
Tastefully Dressed.
Marie JOhnereau Gives Some Useful
Hints for Wearing Clothes.

| Hints for Wearing Clothes.
| 1t is the little thing that make up life;
| likewise it Is the little things that make up
a well-dressed woman's dress. A gentle
nan once said: s'Only let ne see wom-
an handkerchief, ard | can tell you if she
is lady. This, perhaps, Is a little too
fine distinction. A lady should, however,
always wear dainty gloves, perfect boots
and shoes, delicate handkerchiefs, and i'm
maculate lingerie and linen. A woman
who does this will never be found guilty of
wearing a shabby gown. 1t lends a re-
fning influence to a woman S taste to keep
constant watch over the details of her
costume; and after a time it would be-
come an impossibility for her to appear in
a gown that was not In perfect keeping
with the rest of her apparel.
There are, | grieve to say, many women
who spend large sums upon elaborate
gowns, and think that they will take upon
themselves the guise of charity and cover
a multitude of sins, against good taste, in
| the form of shabby shoes and gloves, and
shoddy millinery A woman thus attired
is invariably conscious of her hands and
feet. She knows that they are not clad as
they should be, and thinks that everybody
is noticing them she endeavors to keep
| them out of sight and grows more awk-
ward at each attempt. Her gown is not a
success, because its beauty of effect is
| spoiled by its lack of dainty finish; where
as, on the other hand, the well-dressed
woman, with her less expensive gown, per-
| haps, with its perfect and refined detail, is
| sef-possessed, reposed and graceful; she is
not ashamed of her hands and feet, and
| they take their proper places In a natural
manner. She knows she is all right, and
does not give herself or her apparel anoth-
er thought Observe for yourself and see
| if am not correct.
Many women neglect the little things
about their dress because they foolishly
| fancy that men do not notice anything but
the effect in general of their costumes;
true, but almost invariably men get the
| idea of that same effect from the impress
sion made upon them by the detail. They
realize very quickly when anything is
amiss. Perhaps they could not tell what
| the failing was, but they are almost sure
to be conscious of it. Every man living
admires a dainty woman, and woman to
be dainty must be scrupulous to the mi
nutest detail.
A little instance came to my knowledge
not long ago. A gentleman was asked by
his sister to describe lady evening dress
which he had greatly admired ''Oh
can t exactly tell you, he said, but it was
made of some kind of soft, yellow stuff
that hung close to her figure. There was
lot of drapery business upon the front Of
the skirt, and some fine lacy stuff set UP
around her shoulders in some sort of q
stunning way. Somehow she looked diff
ferent from the other ladies in the room;
she gave you the impression of being al
yellow from head to foot, like sunbeam
or something"
1t is quite evident that the lady in ques-
ton was dressed In costume of yellow In
every detail, but the gentleman did not
notice that fact, as perhaps, many more
observing men might have done. He die
not notice her yellow gloves and fan and
slippers, etc.; he only realized that the
costume was ''all yellow" and shat il
pleased him; he got his pleasing impress
sion from the little things, but did not
know it.
1t is little things that make up the style
elegance, chic, of woman apparel. The
more attention she pays to these same little
things the more style she will possess
will take care of itself, is a good way Of
rendering the ancient adage.
There is so much qualification, such In
tense satisfaction in picking to pieces, with
ones eyes, the attire of perfectly dressed
woman; to find each little article faultless
finished, refined; not a flaw, not a single
violation of good taste A woman thus
carefully dressed, even if she is plain, cal
easily take her place above a woman pos
sessed of much facial beauty but careless
of her dress; for beauty alone is of but sec
ondary importance beside perfect taste anC
faultless style.
There is all the difference in the world
in the manner in which women wear thei1
clothes. Frequent question of the grea
Worth is: docs she know how to veal
! her clothes ?" Of course, some women art
blessed with a natural art for wearing
their clothes with elegance and ease.
1t is, however, so subtle an art that it il
almost impossible to explain it; but t.
those unfortunates who always look out O.
place In their own garments, let me say {
word of advice. In the first place, | i'm
plore you, wear your clothes as if they be
longed to you; secondly, get acquainted
with them. Every woman knows how
much better she can wear a dress the sec
ond time than the first. She discovers tn,
little faults, and tries to remedy them; sh,
realizes the good points and endeavors t.
wear her dress In a way to show them t.
! best advantages Perhaps the collar need
to be pinned closer about the throat
the sleeves to be pushed up higher, tn
belt worn higher, the skirts tied NOR
,, closely, or vice versa. Is she takes suffi
cient interest in her new gown to discove
and remedy these little faults, she will
/, wear it well; if not she will go on looking
as if she had met with an accident AM
had gotten into somebody else's clothe
while her own were being repaired. He
dresses will lack personality and there
fore, style, for style is personality to
great degree.
? 1t is the same with millinery; a woman
, may put on a hat or bonnet In such wa
as to make both it and the wearer dis
pleasing to look upon, whereas, the sam
hat upon the same person, but placed diff
, ferently upon the head, becomes a pleasin:
creation of the artists skill, and an adorn
, ment to the wearer.
Alas, how many women at home with
new bonnet, have wept bitter tears of dis
, appointment; feeling sure that some jug
glery had been performed upon them IL
the shop, to cause them to see with eyes s.
; deceptive, the same bonnet, which nov
donned by herself, has nothing in com
mon with the chic that it possessed whel
deity placed upon her head by the accom-
plished hands of the milliner. Oh, VIII,
do you despair so sooni Because you hav
put your bonnet upon your head you thin
that that is the one and only way In Whlcl