The Washington herald., 1914-03-15
HOW TO MAKE THE
MOST OF YOURSELF
Combination of Color Is Most Char
acteristic Mark of Good or
Bad Taste in Dress.
ny EIIZAAETH LEE.
ny EIIzABETH LEE.
dCopyrnht. Islt1

The combination Of color In dress is the
most Characteristic mark OF good or had
taste a woman can display. Other err
rorr as fit. style or trimming, may be
due TO her dressmaker but not SO color.
woman's taste Except In color)
should not be judged entirely by the
clothes she wears. because very often
she is expressing the taste Of her DRESS
maker rather than her own. So few of
us really get what we want especially
from the hands of the so-cailed fashion
able modiste, who is inclined to sacri-
fice everything to the --latest ideas.
So when we see woman wearing un-
becoming models we should not condemn
her. 1t may be her taste is quite as good
as our own, but she is compelled to carry
around her mistakes because lack OF
funds prevents other and more becoming
clothes being purchased.
She can however, choose and refuse
coloTs as she considers them In good
ur bad taste. At the same time It should
he said il is not given to every woman
to know how to combine colors artistical-
~. for true eye for eolors is Unborn
and cannot be acquired; but there are
quite lumber of women who know
iustiI. as il were, that there is
wrong t,.1rs meet. vet they lack the
power To say exactly where the fault
LAYS.
There is still another class-judsing
from the exhibitions TO be met with
every day-whose idea OF harmony in re-
lation to colors is almost or wholly ab-
sent. But il is possible. II any woman
so desires, to cultivate taste in colors
and to gain sufficient knowledge OF the
general principles OF color combination
as TO prevent her from making any very
grievous errors in this respect.
These principles I hope to be able to
simplify so that they will be readily
understood by all who care to read
further.
Few Helpful Words.
1t is quite unnecessary to go into all
the laws of solors, describing in de-
tail the why and the wherefore to the
lay mind. although a few words on the
subject will be helpful
That there are only three colors, blue,
red and yellow, is very generally known.
of course. These are termed primary, or
first colors, and all other colors come
from combinations OF these three.
Yellow represents light. There is some
yellow In every ray of light. Blue is the
representative of shade. 1t is a cold color
and coois every color in which it is
found. while what is known as color Is
represented by red, which warns every
shade in which it is present. For in
stance, a cold navy blue with the addi-
ton of a little red warns into rich
indigo. A dash of red in foliage gives
the same effect while a pale yellow is
changed TO a rich orange by its rfcs-
encc Therefore. red is one of the fnost
important colors. not the actual color,
exactly, but its presence in other colors-
Colors warmed by red will be much
more successful than the same colors
used pure and cold. whether for home
decoration or .ur dress.
Secondary colors are green. orange ana
purple. The first is combination OF
yellow and blue. the second yellow and
red. and the third red and blue The
secondary coIors are made up by COM
bining the primaries, modifying the depth
of color by me addition of white or in
tensifying it uy using black. These are
green. orange and purple. The first is
a combination Of yellow and blue. the
second of fellow and red and the third
Of red and blue. The six colors, blue,
green. yellow. orange and violet-or pur-
ple-are included in the expression, "All
the cOlors of the rainbow"
II all these colors in their pure state
were mixed together the result would be
rure white.
ANY question suggested by this article
will be answered by Mrs. Lee personally
if a stamped Ind self-addressed envelope
he inclosed IN :he inquirer's letter.
Color is determined by the absorption
or reflection of rays of light by the dif-
ferent objects. The reason given for 4
flower being pure white. as lily or a
white rose, is that il reflects all the rays,
hut absorbs none. red rose reflects the
red rays and absorbs the blue and yellow
rays. Black absorbs all the light. reflect
ing none.
What We Seek.
In combining coIors we seek for har-'
mony- or contrast. as taste dictates. 1t
goes without saying the latter selection
is the more striking. but either. provided
the colors are rightly chosen. will be in
good taste.
The law Of contrast is very simple after
all The color with which any other color
contrasts is called its Complementary. A
Complementary color is one which sup
plies what is lacking in the other. For
instance, green. which contains blue and
yellow. but lacks red. finds its COM
plement in red. Nature proves this. As
an example. IL one Il Jks at red and then
closes the eyes the object will appear to
he green. not red. II the eyes rest upon
a bright yellow until thoroughly satu-
ated with the color md are then closed
a ricn purple will be produced. Again,
when the eyes are opened, supposing red
has been seen while closed and they rest
upon green. that color will appear in
tensified. Hence the wisdom of selecting
colors separately. The eyes become filled
witt color anC so are often unable to
judge correctly.
This is one of the :essons women are
some: hes disappointed in the shade Of
material purchased. The eyes have been
deceptive in the first llace and, another
thing when different colors are grouped
together one is apt to change or in