New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-26
JUDGED BY THEIR clO1R
Melville Ellis Talks About h,
tresses' Costumes on Our Star

-
doesn't know about costumes fe o.
women IT didn't appear during the o~'
OF long talk the other day. Mr IN.
signs costumes for the stage lie 49,.
all CT the dresses for the new win,., =.
cen. lie designed tho dresses wom bv "a.
KITTY Gordon. whom he considers m. =.
effectively" dressed woman on the y.
lish speaking stage.
Cloths must hc stage managed b., :.
anything else Is managed behind the :.
tain" said Nj. Ellis One mus, IA.
knowledge ~ everything a woman wa,
before one can tell what costumes sc,rey.
should wear.
1T is all foollshness to say that An~
can women ere the best dressed women
the world. They arc not. Tie Firm
women are far better dressed. We e.,
cur ideas about dress from Paris.
course, what is worn in Paris can't al,,,l
% worn here. our modstes are vcrv c.-.
IN adapting French styles 10 American =.
But they don't originate.
"a woman well dressed in the ORA u,
room would not appear well dressed on !.
stage. The effects are quite opposite 1.
lish actresses dress for the stage ss ..
would for a party. The result Is they ls|
Gowdy. On the street black gloves NIL
4 voman's hands look small; on the sr,|
they make them look large \ white elc'
kand in the street looks large on tho sis
i, looks small. The difference Is probaI
due 10 different conditions Of light"
Mr.. Ellis registered his protest agar
short skirts.
II am great hater ~ short dross,.. RI
longer and more trailing gown tho hcttl
Il woman looks.
Hats are A very important feature in
stage uomans dress" he said. An n
lovely lines of 2 woman head end me-
can he ruined nv tho wrong sort ~ bat
When woman NTH short neck wear,
fat hat or a very large hat, the head ls or
Of proportion 70 the rest ~ tho body 4
woman must never have hat Trimmed
higher than the length Of The face. AM
tic hat should never he trimmed except -
one side. Women with long necks shg.i
wear dropping hats which make sh,tc'.
cutting off one side Of the neck
Whom DO you consider the hest dress.
woman IN tho English speaking stage.
Miss Marie Tempest. Miss kir'v 'inrscn
I consider TIE most effective woman o. 4.
Stage. Miss Constance Collier is SOD f.
the classic costumes because she has l's
lines she is very much alive. She can "
nIontv of color. Miss Collier, Miss Mar
Garden and Miss Julia Marlovs are ~
Only ores that can wear classic robes n
fectively. Let Miss Marove dress " !
modern gown and she appears 70 dks''
vantage. Miss Elsie Janis is 'he rerfec
TYPO Of enc who looks best in a rldir;
habit. Then she looks like \ thoroughbrcc.
Dress her in fancy dress and the effect IS
spoiled.
Mile. Trcntini. il properly lressed -
Nargfty Marietta would lac frrea'ed
10 much greater advantage. ~ "a was, o.
She could have been made 10 look chic sy
taking away her waist line and aiming 70
overcome shortness Of linn As II VAS, sh'
looked wide and dumpy
Nine. Fritz Schon knows svey Inc .
her figure. and she dresses Up 10 thos' lines
That l. why she has tremendous individual
!ty in dress Miss Jane CoNl also kneT'
the points Of her figure. and dresses N a''
cordanco with that knowledge. Nj"
Blanche Bates looks veil IN riding Toli
Let her wear an evening dres and Shs iss's
ruch Of her charm Mines. GiadsN ana
Dcstinn are always overdressed. because
their figures and faces will not stand e's''
Grafton. Miss Blanche Ring IS toe onP
woman on the American stage who can 'ea'
evening clothes and tailor clothes TO elial
because she has such heal'm
that her clothes look heallH
on her.
Clothes. YOU know. arc just like pecps'
they look well or sick Nine Nazlnie'a'
clothes. for example. always look as II 'ne
were recovering from a long Illness.
Dress Mrs Fiske in elaborate e'eails
clothes and she looks like nothing al az
All her worst points arc then shown so'
must dress absolutely plainly and wi'no''
any frils IN order 10 be effective ~
should choose solid colors of rather o'eg
texture N account Of her hair Kitty Wv
don. for the same reason. must dress |"
green's. crays. browns and blues. lhen -
is wonderful. Taking an things mo ''p'
sleration Miss Gordon a. large "o'"'-
and Miss vida Whitmorc a. small Wo'nI
set more effect with stage clothes 'han a."
other women o1 the American stage
Mr.. Ellis designed the costumes tor '"'.
ty-tuo productions last season ana els""-.
this season. lie has accomplishel soy,
striking effects in color I'm The CHI -.
the Kaiser" he used russell tones III -
Balkan Princess" blues. puppies aud s'ss,s
In "ile Camc from Milwaukee, he ussi ~.
pastenc shades pale blues and i.aNs,
,dvantagc Bu, there is nothins 20 ''' ,-,,.,
IS tho Mack and white stripe "" -.
.ayy. tie used il 10 advantas' ID VIC w."
oN s,cuo 1t the Winter Garden. al
.'Contrary to the general imrrcs'lo"'
NJ. Ellis. many OF the color ciIe'f 49,, 49,,
rom rho massins OF white. II j. ta' ~,
hat accentuato the white and n''
al
white that throws IN relic, tho 'oio'S' r. .s,,
rs the purple. green and cerisc ehecS 80 "a
get al the Winter Garden are secs''' :
this way" sI
Mr.. Ellis was asked If he had ever s'u1Y''
,os,uming abroad. .,r
NO" ne said Il learned "ha' ' a.
obout il here in America. Ny ino'".' l..
..ays dressed simply and in exquisite ~ -.
md | always ,ry TO sc, The effects ia.
cot. The best stage e0ects-always ~ "a,
ns of costumcs-are lot from colo' az. IA.
rom stylc. The American people '''
Tally waking up 20 that fact. u,.c.
Il always associate color VII" me
The slow. languorous waltz snsss in
deep puppies. blues and greens ne
march suggests the brightest "t '0n, re.
.olors mist positively strike you Nv w. rs4r
iou can help or retard any musN" n,ue.
by using the wrons colors IN Wy r.l.
he lieh,es, possible tones should y rs.
, hS day OF tlnsol for ballet has sv s,,sn
rhe DAZZLING march requires the p0'' s.,.n
), cerise IN massed effect ! al"a! ,.,e [
% the musical numbers of play .,,n 70