New-York tribune., 1905-02-11
GREEK COSTUMES.
Il Columbia Professor Demonstrates
Their Practicabiity.

while don't claim have solved all the prob
lens OF Greek costume do think I have proved
that it is perfectly practicable form of Dress"
nodestly asserted Professor C. H Young, OF Co
lunbia University. to the Classical Club. Normal
College yesterday afternoon and after he had
taken an artists mannikn and robed It In rrinia-
ture Greek garments. models of those worn in the
days OF Pericless his audience agreed with him At
ali events they found his exposition uncommonly
entertaining
The most remarkable thing. perhaps. Pro
fessor Youug's Practical Hints Greek Dress
making progressed, the way IN which the
Greek statues he threw on the screen anticipated
the devices Of these later days. The Eton jacket,
for example. seemed TO be prehgured in archaic
vase, on whose surface several painfully ansu-
lar women could be in short skirts and tight
w1ld-eyed m9nad brandishing a resigned looking
cat IN one muscular arm sported what II Il had
appeared in February fashion magazine. would
have borne the caption, Matinee, or breakfast
jacket-accorr1ion pleated with full elbow sleeves
Of the same"
II was wonderful how many and what beautiful
varieties Of pleats those ancient Greek women
wore Their peplos or gown was more like an
elongated bolstercase than anything else, but by
turning over the top so to make deep bib all
around. pleating IN the fulness the shoulders
and looping the mddles and under girdle,
they contrived to get the marvellous richness and
variety Of classic drapery professor Young said
that the skirts were probably stirrened and then
seyved or ironed into shape) One calm. cold god
dsss OF a woman had her gown cut out IN a V
20 show her marble neck while several were
truly sleeves. which were sometimes only the
ends of the gown fastened together in pleats at
intervals. and these again were made separate and
sown into the gown
The counterpart of the shawl was seen IN the
htmation or outer wrap which generally
doubled with the points falling down behind, like
Pallsey or camel s-hair, but could be utilized to
thrown n over the the head head and then then you had hood
mysteries
Of classic Greek dressnakng began with
tinued with living model and cotton crepon in the
studio of a friend. He showed pictures Of his re-
-she was an excellent model" said the lecturer
experiments In height she was five feet eight
tlc4es % w o41 ner 10 a[ailse the s4rniehtS & WIN
This girl posed Diana. Hebe, Minerva, copy
Ing famous statues well as she could. One OF
the least successful was a Minerva. in which the
ripple effect of the pleats down the sides Of the
u ironed the folds fiat" confessed Professor
Young. while his women hearers laughed There
was such bunch of goods uD by the waist you
About the period of the Minerva pose he lost his
good model Her successor was not satisfactory:
She stuck out her head IKE tortoise ana vas was
so absurdly as TO give herself an unnatural waist
line, This threw out her hips and made her pepIos
look fat. instead Of falling in noble. severe folds
Then came a charming little model, only she had
no neck. an omission which the simple rope MADE
| Young substituted Henrietta cloth for the cotton
fabric, with great Improvement to the rich pertecI
| showed. This model really two women put into
one according to Professor Young. From the waist
\ down she was built the scale of woman seven
| feet tall while from the waist up her proportions
| were those Of a woman five feet in height. This
gave her an extremely short wasted effect Still
She did not look half bad in her gown OF the days
| Of Aspasia (which shows commented Professor
Young. that perfect physique is not essential to
success in wearing classic dress Considering that
| these models not accustomed to wearing IL
| and had never seen il worn think these expert
ments prove that the dress is entirely practical
Quite the most diverting portion of the lecture,
however. was that in which, with The assistance
PROFESSOR
| partment Of the Normal College. Professor Young
dressed his artists nanikn in baby Greek clothes.
A wee chenlise of cheeseGloth, confined at the
waist by a bit Of thread, illustrated to perfection
the house dress Of the Greek A tiny square OF the
same fabric, with little weights at the corners,
was adjusted to the stiff iigure, and, 10! there
stood SophoCles in dramatic pose, as If facing
| an adoring audience. With small oblong Of the
fabric the chlamys, or riding habit, was
shown, fastened over the right shoulder with a
button brooch
This is what the Apollo Belvedere wears" said
Professor Young through mouthful Of pins, only
the sculptor arranged II for purely decorative pur-
poses" Turning the manikin, with its cloak worn
d Ia Apollo. he showed how the back Cf the wearer
would he quite unprotected, while long end
would hang over his left arm. Then, draping 1t
over the extended in the fashion OF the world
famous statue he said: You how graceful the
| effect Is, and how dreadfuly it would be in the
| way!''