The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-01-01
THE ART oFsDEs1GNING.

 can bring to her craft, the better, provided always that t really is ar tistic sense, and therefore is charac- terized by the restraint-so utterly apart from Hmitation-whfch Is a characteristic of all that has any claim to be art Indeed restraint, and the ruthless elimination of all that is unnecessary to the effect aim ed at, may be the corollary of the most profuse ornament, when this Is essential to the result to be at tained; but this quality is just as necessary in the applied arts, includ ing that of making beautiful clothes, as it is in carrying out a work of art in the grand style.
 Dress, to be really successful, should be entirely suited to its wearer, and 1t is partly the percep- ton of this fact, and rigid adher- ence to it, that leads to achievement in the higher walks of dressmG king. The making of garments, on these lines, may well rank as an artistic handtcraft; and, in following 1t as suChs the right women may well find a congenial and also profitable ca reer It is hardly necessary to say that it is more especially in dress that is to be worn indoors that the artistic craftswoman's opportunities lie. Dress | for the street, the c untry, or for business purposes of all kinds, must i be subject to certain limitation, but | in the making of negligees, a species 1 of garment for which no English word seems yet to have been discov- | cred, cloaks, and jumpers, there are | opportunities for making clothes which may have real claim to be ! called works of art.
 The woman who intends to embark l on such work as a profession will dC well to take good stock of her quail fications for it at the outset. for medi
 ocrity is not in the least likely tt meet with success. Real artistic feeling and a good sense of form ant
 color are, of course, essential; but, il
 addition to these endowments, prac
 tical qualifications, such as som
 business knowledge and capacity ant
 an acquaintance with the techniqu
 of her subject, are essential Tn
 designing Of artistic dress make
 heavy demands, if success is to b
 attained, and there must be some
 thing really distinctive about the gar
 ments, if this is to be achieved.
 Among practical considerations, |
 be taken into account, the best wa
 of procuring materials is an impor
 tant point; and an introduction to
 good wholesale house, which wi
 supply stuffs at a reasonable figure
 will eliminate one Of the chief diff
 culties which enterprises of this kin
 have to face in their early days. The
 comes the question of judicious buy
 ing, and it may be asked whether
 Is not well to make 9 rigid rule the
 nothing shall be bought, at any rat
 until the business is on a fair wa
 to success, for which there is not
 definite purpose in view. Randol ! prove pitfall
 The maker of artistic garments c
 the lines indicated, if she is to | successful, will hold steadily to tt , standards she has set for herself. she has something to give, she wi
 find that those people to whom ht
 ideas appeal will appreciate h. , work. It is for these people thu : she should produce, and she shou have the courage to refuse to low 7, her standard. In this way, she W! , find her own public and will maii q tain the position she has set for he self as an artistic craftswoman, f Such a worker find ideas in g l of, q ,,, A fairly obvious, but the sight of = beechwood in wintertime, or of t leafless hedgerow with it's scar1 r berries, seen against the blue mis . beyond. or an atmosphere effects 2 . sorts of things. wholly apart, appa e ently, from the art of dressmahn 'o as most people conceive it. will t material for her; and she will be WI r. advised to name her garments aft 0 the ideas which gave rise to thel # For, quite apart from the pret @ names which will be found by tr
 method, she will furnish a hint
 the imagination of those who see t , garments, which will enable them n appreciate the source of the unde U lying i!ea; and C blue and gre,
 negligee may serve to recall the loy ina mist, which gave the idea to
 designer.
 Beautiful materials and fine CT
 broidery will play a large part In h productions and all will be grist tn
 comes to her mill. Past centuri
 and distant countries will supply ide . of which use may be made, in t matter both of the form of the ga q ments and of the embroidery whi
 adorns them, Tn this connectiC 1 some of the fine collections of old el e- broideries in the museums are us D. ful, for among them all sorts s- quaint fancies and conceits may r. found, which may well be turned n account.
 > It is wise to begin such a busfnt l. on modest lines and to develop 1- gradually, as occasion and grow n shall demand. In the early da Fe the greater part of the work m
 have to be done by the design B. herself, although it seems that, Tt most cases, she should have the ht d, of one really reliable worker to {
 ecute the more mechanical deta o' AS ner DQSineSS grows, It IS eSSent le that she should keep it thorougl D. under her individual control in all le details, in order that her we '@ should not lose the distinctive fl LII lures which constitute its rais
 d'etre.
 .r,
 e.
 ;: OBITUARY ts