Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-16
DRESS RECALLS THE
SHINING CUIRASS


SHINING CUIRASS
ID ACk to the days when In coats OF
ID mail the Amazon bore her share of
wars onsiaughts the fashions Of to-
day have taken the fair sex.
The "cuirass" dress as II is called by
some. or the Jersey suit as it is named
by Others Is nothing mo e than a modi-
ncauon of the old-time coat of mail that
hgures in representations of the deeds of
wariike maidens.
IL is nothing new for fashion to consult
history for ideas
A fashion now passing. the empire. was
revival of what was deemed good form
IN the days when Napoleon, new to the
throne, was striving to impart originality
70 his court. What is known as the en-
pre- vogue represented more than a mere
Womans Whfm of how she should dress
1t was part of a historic system, and
the observance Of 1t was almost a test of
loyalty to the fortunes OF the Corsican.
Napoleon did not originate this fashion
with Its slashed skirt showing the lower
part of the leg of the wearer, the So
called sheath gown was an idea brought
from ancient Greece when 1t was thought
no harm to display the physical beauties
has ever known.
Now the coming OF the cuirass dress
means another excursion into history: i'm
fact. 1t goes still farther back. for IT in
mythology.
Everybody has seen the cuirass dress
1t fills the streets. it is to be seen at the
theater, in the restaurants, everywhere
1t is the excitement the sensation of the
!ail and winter modes: it will be followed
In It's original forms and adaptations by
every daughter of Eve who has the in
stinct Of her sex to want to be strictly i'm
The fashion.
The distinctive part Of the dress is the
upper part, to describe it according to
strictly masculine standards.
The waist part fits very closely to the
body. much in the way that a sweater
would do, or the old-fashioned jersey that
has always had a certain popularity
Then 1t is drawn in sharply below the
waist, like the bottom of a sweater. and
then the skirt flares out as in the case of
any other dress.
The striking feature Of the gown is its
very close adherence to the form of the
fair wearer. In this respect, it is very
much to the sheath skirt in the excite
ment it has created. though whether or
not 1t is properly subject of criticism
depends entirely on the closeness with
which the individual wearer has elected
to have he's cut. Some are undoubtedly
little bit extreme. others are in good
taste and deserve only praise.
The main charm of the gown is in the
silhouette. 1t must make a classical out
line, to be the proper thing, and it is once
hands of the stout woman. In fact, she
OF the supernuous adipose is seldom con-
suited when the dictates OF fashion are
planned, but it is the tall and wilowy
lady who gets all the better of the modes
from year to year.
But returning to the cuirass. or the
Jersey or the sweater. or the robe Dago-
bert, as it Is variously called.
A cuirass was the protection of the
knight in the middle ages. 1t sufficed to
protect him, for all he then had to deal
with was the arrow. The modern fire.
arm, which would send a projectile
through any armor, was not then in
vented.
This tenth century garment belonging
to the male persuasion has been bor-
rowed by the lady of the twentieth GEN.
fury, but if she be spurred to prove her
right to it and to dispute it's masculine
origin she can do it most readily by in
voking the testimony of mythology.
In that wonderful legend of the Nibe-
lung ring, which Richa d Wagner took
from the Morse lore and made the SUBJ
ject of his marvellous music drama. the
woman with cuirass plays a most inn
portant part.
From the first act from the prelude,
the heroic warrior maidens are prom-
nently in the action.
They wear the cuirasS which has been
modified for the use of their sisters Of
today.
Brunnhilde. the great principal figure
of the drama, when she makes her en-
trance in the first act of the "Valkyrie,"
standing on the mountain and sending
forth the wild battle call to her wild sis
tiers of the air, is equipped in coat of
shining mail, and all who have seen some
of the great interpreters OF the role, beau
titul women like Brema, Lehman Cad
ski, Ternina, Nordica or Klafsky. will
recall what a superb picture is presented
by the daughter of Wotan as she steps
forth in her white robe, her head topped
by a white feathered helmet, spear in
hand and her chest covered by the shin
ing cuirass.
Not only Brunnhilde. but all her sis
tiers of the air. the other Valkyrie maid
ems. have the same shield, helmet. cuirass
and white robe.
The cuirass used in these music dramas
follows very closely the form of the
wearers. and it is only necessary to imag-
inc metal instead of some soft dress ma
terial to picture some of the beautiful
society queens of today in the heroic
roles of the greatest of all German musi-
clans.
The cuirass of Joan of Arc has some
was not mail. That was solid armor. that
weighed considerable amount and COW
cred virtually the whole body of the
blessed maiden
first seen the possibilities Of the new
mode. The name was In its favor. it
had a knightly sentimental ring it re-
called the glories of time when knight
hood was In flower, when men for the
favor OF some fair lady were willing to
essay any peril. asking no other reward
than the smile of the divinity.
Redfern began by applying the actual
colors of the cuirass as it had been worn
by the Amazons Of the myth stage
He had recourse to old paintings and
tapestries In his research, and the colors
were dazzlingly brilliant. the most strik-
ing being those made of the gold and
silver net which at a small distance look
strikingly like the actual coat of mail
shown In venerable art works.
Now the cuirass has become a vital part
OF the glory of the fall and winter sea-
son, and a place crowded by a company
OF women dressed in the mode brings
back host of memories of history's ro-
mances, tales of valorous deeds performed
by heroic women who took the place of
men In defense of their hearthstones and
their families