Evening star., 1933-07-09
Smart Simplicity Needs
To Win Wider Recognition

greater opportunity for mistakes. There
are 50 many charming details that
many a woman makes the heinous error
Of combining them all in q single cos
tune. It takes courage to eliminate.
and too many women lack that cour-
age. They are intrigued by berufned
skirts or by lego mutton sleeves. or
any Of the other gay bits Of Victorian
ism that are everywhere in the mode.
Then, instead Of studying themselves.
and choosing such details as are beeom-
Of Victorian frvolity in . single COS
tume-with painful result.
WOMEN, n they are going TO be
w smart, especially with the mode as
1t IS today. must learn to eliminate. I
suggest first the elimination of line.
You may never have learned to think
Of your costume in terms Of line. You
know that decorators in arranging .
room avoid unnecessary line. Even
more than that, they try to build the
room around a certain kind of line.
vertical or horizontal, it may be. They
follow the architectural lines Of the
room itself and hesitate to set table
diagonally across a corner.
I think women would be wise to fol-
low architectural lines-in other words.
the lines Of the body itself. and to elm
mate as far as possible lines that give
an effect Of confusion. For instance, II
you are wearing . Victorian evening
frock with rufiles and sashes, It may Be
more flattering if you avoid cct6ure
Of curls and ringlets and adopt . classa-
a frock, you will not want to wear elAb-
orately designed jewelry. BY eliminat-
ing certain lines you achieve an effect
Of smart simplicity, instead Of one Of
confusion.
I should always advise every woman
to study her costume from the stand
point Of line. A rufied blouse may
complete your suit and give 1t unusual
charm; on the other hand, 1t may Be
that by eliminating that irregular line
and substituting q simple enc. your cos
tune will have greater chic. Earrings.
necklaces, bracelets, however lovely in
themselves. may cause confusion Of
line and SO destroy the harmony and
smartness Of your costume. Don't add
them unless there Is q reason for doing
20. And whatever the mode, whether
it be for ruf1les and frills, do not adopt
them unless they are becoming to you.
4 +
HAVING studied the costume from
IL the standpoint OF line, you should
next think of it in terms of color Most
women have learned to match acces-
learned it too we'll. They feel that
handkerchief. jewelry, and 50 on should
match In color. But after they have
made the effort to assemble these ar
ticles, iE the result smart? On the
contrary. it Is spotty and unpleasant.
should lay 1t down - a rule that your
costume will be far more distinguished
II you will match two or three Access
sories, at most, and let the others har-
monte with the background color Of
your costume. It is matter Of choice
what accessories you match In color.
Il might be handkerchief and blouse,
or bag. shoes and hat. Or you may
have other original ideas OF introducing
against a neutral background the color
of the accessories. But, in any case
your costume will be more distinguished
il you will once again practice elimina-
ton and not attempt to introduce too
many spots of color into the costume.
do not believe in creating distinct
costumes for the older woman. The
woman past her first youth can wear
anything that the young woman can
wear, providing she will keep in mind
these principles of simplicity. Her
clothes do not need to be dull or unin-
teresting. Rather, on the contrary, they
may be very distinguished. Often her
skin has a clearness that 1t lacked q few
years before, her hair may be beauti-
fully white. BY selecting costumes
built around . simplicity Of lire and Of
color she may easily outshine hef
younger friends.
(Copyright, 1889