Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-15
= NaW9 ferns
,NRANOEiS)
PetrOUa's Idea
of Dress ..

is at least one woman in
| the world who is not a slave to
tashion In her opinion, fashion
us the autocrat of autocrats, and if
, the world is to be made safe for
democracy, tyrant to be done away
with is the one that reigns supreme
ly over the international kingdom OF
vogue.
Madame Petrova is at unusual
person. The idea of wearing a
thing simply because some decree
says it should be worn, to her. is the
height OF righteousness. Livery of
any form is distasteful, and fashions
i'll any form are a mild effort to put
the world i'll livery. Why should
many women of different builds. dif-
terent h>shts. different complexions.
different colored hair. different
weights and different shapes even
think of wearing the same style.
What is to become of personality,
individuality if you disguise it with
some article of apparel that makes
you dress the same as million odd
other women throughout the coun-
try
Clothing is an art, is the belief of
Madame Petrova, and it should be
designed by an artist. No artist
ever paints the same picture twice,
and neither should any two gowns
or any two pair of boots, or hats,
be the same. The well-dressed
woman is the woman who under
stands herself. The fault in so many
cases is with the woman. They want
to look like someone else. If a
woman would just try to look like
herself at her best instead of Lillian
Russell and Mary Pickford at their
worst. the result would be much bet
ter Because Maxine Elliott looks
we'll in an Elizabethan ruff is no
sign that the woman whose head
squarcly rests on her shoulders, with
no neck at all But this lady wants
to wear one because she saw a
beautiful picture in one OF the maga-
zines.
Cinderella had a small foot, but if
some woman weighs two hundred
and some odd pounds and tries to
wear a slipper the size of Cinder-
elias, the appearance is that she is
deformed. Yet this woman never be-
lieves it. She, on the other hand,
believes that everyone admires her
for her small feet.
According to Madame Petrova,
then, although it doesn't express
Madame Petrova's language, is
Don't kid yourself"
The next thing for the woman
who would be we'll dressed, to
learn, is harmony-the harmony of
color, just what colors her own
personality will stand One woman
can wear a gown of the most pro-
nounced color without its appear
ing loud. Another woman with the
same color combination would look
like circus poster. No artist would
attempt to make a lily more beauti-
full by putting patches of green and
red and yellow on it. Neither would
any woman try to make herself
more beautiful by dressing in a
crazy quilt.
If you happen to be tall, you may
look we'll in a circular creation, but
heaven help the short woman who
attempts to wear dress, the colors
OF which run horizontally and
change alternately.
/ Madame Pctrova is one of the
best dressed women in America.
Her dress is absolutely distinctive.
Her appearance makes it possible
for her to be bit bizarre. She
can wear the most startling crea-
tions without looking loud. Her
advice to other women she follows
absolutely, and this is Woman,
know thyself" This, of course, is
applied solely and entirely to her
attire.