South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-06-03
The Well Groomed Woman.


1t is only recently that artists
have admitted modistes TO their
charmed circle, feeling that their
work is worthy to be classed with
so-called works of art. In a talk
before the members of the Fashion
Art league of Chicago. Frank Alva
Parsons expressed some interesting
ideas upon the relation of art TO
dress. Could Mr.. Parsons ideas be
carried out by the profession more
generally, and by those women who
make their own clothes. there could
no longer be any hesitation about
the classification of the modiste and
her handiwork.
"A picture is art" Mr.. Parsons
! declared, mot because of the artist,
! but often in spite of him. What die
tates the costume 10 be worn at a
certain time and OCCASION Not art.
Standardizing styles can never pro
duce art. The costumes of periods
of history, TO the student, mean the
expression of the manners. customs,
methods of thinking of those pc
RODS This is true in furniture, as
we'll Peoples ways of doing things,
the conditions under which they
were done, led up TO their manner
of dressing.
"In the time Of Louis XIV of
chairs. No one can understand their
curves, their veneer, their gilt roses.
without understanding the court of
Louis Ky. There is not an honest
line in those chairs, nor a solid fea-
ture. So with the dress of any pc
Rod. Those who know the history
/ of the Italian Renaissance, and the
work i'm art of Beatrice da Este
and Blanca Ria, will understand the
wonderful beauty and art of the
| Italian brocades, and Will recognize
them as developments of the art of
that time.
This shows the impossibility OF
taking the fashions of any period,
| transferring them TO another period
and calling the result art. When a
little wisp of a girl inherits her
| grandmother large cameo pin, and
puts il on her small gown. with no
regard for the height or size of her
grandmother who wore il so gra-
cicusly. she is not expressing artistic
beauty The cameo does not fit her
Our houses are full Of sentiments
with no appropriateness of setting.
Art is the right thing in the
right place. In the development oi
costume-art. the point 10 determine
is what a garment is intended "a
do. and then, does il do it? If il
does. that is art. Suitability is the
KEYNOTE The study of line and
color which one acquires in archi-
lecture and interior decorating
would help the modiste to bring out
these essentials in her work Placing
the human figure against a back
ground of white. brings out all the
lines of that figure which she needs
10 study. i'm order 10 fit the right
thing to that figure. 1t is necessary
10 study the figure in order 20 know
what lines i'm each person need to be
| brought out. what should be subord-
mated, i'm order 10 make the work
artistic This is why the standard
izing Of fashions is impossible II
is not art 10 dictate the same STYLES
for all women Each womap's mcst
pleasing features must be empha-
sized. if she is 10 be artistically
Cowned"
This same rule Mr.. Parsons ap.
Piled 10 color and material "Colors
and materials must be suita bly, com
bined 10 be artistic. They do not
have to be alike. Put bears skin or
| chiffon. IL YOU wish, but don't cal
il art" In the matter Of foot dress
he scored the present vogue of 60
ing about advertising ones feet"
ANY day you can see on Fifth az.
and Michigan blvd. women in furs,
| with their feet attired i'm a manner
| only beh-ting the ballroom. This
| may be STYLE. but il is not art. There
is no relation between such dress of
the feet and the rest Of the costume.
BE sure that YOU know what each
point OF the costume is intended for,
and see that il fits the occasion and
lthe Individual"