The times dispatch. [volume], November 30, 1913, Image 51

About The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
M. Poiret Arranging a Jet Necklace So That It Fell* Just Within the Lines He Wishes. It Is in Thes#
Little Touches That M. Poiret Excells. The Gown Is the Mourning Dress Shown on the Rieht.
A Silk Crepe with All the Radiant
Coloring of the Orient Has Been
Uted by Poirct in Thi# Gown. Note
the New Muff Sleeve* Which Like
the Edgci of the Garment Are
Finthcd with Real White Skunk
Fur.
By PAUL POIRET,
In the Current December Num
ber of HARPER'S BAZAR.
iASHION! That appalling word!
At lc-rst to mo it is appallinir
A . because it stands for that
?which I have rebelled against ever
since I began designing, years ago. I
never could understand why fashion
is supposed to convey the idea of
whimsicality and amusement. To my
mind, it means uniformity and
tediousness. Fashion to me implies
lack of taste, because a thing arbi
trarily set up as a model for every
body to follov.* is an insult to one's
Intelligence and individuality. Ever
fdnce I can remember I have hated
routine, aud I have been opposed to
tliis artitlcfiul and absurd generaliza
tion which has reigned in women's
clothes.
Of course there was a reason for it
in olden times when sovereigns of a
country set the fashions and the
mechanism for weaving textiles was
imperfect. It was then logical that
women should follow the fashion, for
the lady in waiting copied the dress
of her Queen, as the most delicate of
compliments. In turn, the lady in
waiting was copied, and so it 'spread
from one circle to another. At the
same time, the manufacturers pro
duced materials required for such a
costume. And as it took a long tlmo
to readjust a loom for a different de
sign or fabric, the fashion prevailed
for a considerable
period.
Individuality Is
the Essential.
,1' A woman is free
nowadays to dress as
she chooses, yet nino
times out of ten she
does not avail her
self of the privilege.
Why does Bhe lack
the courage to make
herself attractive,
when on the othe.
hand she is quite
willing to make her
self ridiculous by
following unbecoming .sty!p< in dress?
That is the curious thing. A woman
considers herself clever If she imi
tutes other women, even to the point
of absurdity, and Is fearful of at
tracting too much attention if -ho
dares to be original.
I dislike fashions. They make all
women look alike, and thev reduce
to one standard something which
should be Infinitely varied, distinctive
and attractive. Routine i? never
agreeable. Individuality is charming.
I would have a woman dye her hair
purple, if purple hair was becoming
to her. At least, I should admire her
courage.
PAUL POIRET, one of the most original and certainly the
most talked about of the famous French dressmakers,
is writing a series of exclusive articles in HARPER'S
BAZAR. The articles are illustrated by photographs of his
own charming and odd creations.
In the current number of HARPER'S BAZAR Mr. Poiret
has a novel and interesting little essay upon the logic of dress.
So unusual is the viewpoint that by permission of HARPER'S
BAZAR the article and some of the fascinating photographs
that illustrate it are reproduced on this page.
I would have womon what
ever is suitable to them, consistent
with their social position and with
the occasion. Those three things are
the only ones that should be con
sidered in the choice of a dress, and
they -should be adhered to rigorously.
For example. I consider it a crime
for a woman to wear conspicuous
jewels in the morning.
Build a Gown After
a Logical Design.
Dress is an art?an art to be
studied as conscientiously a? any
other art; and I would have the
adept in it exemplify her art bv
dressing consistently with conditions
and with her own state of mind. In
other words, sad colors typify grief
and brilliant hues indicate joy.
Clothes should be" chosen according
fT> their suitability?the old principle
of the Romans?decorum. But they
should lie worn and made according
to one other principle?logic.
In my work I have always tried to
be logical. I conceive an idea, or get
a suggestion which I think will work
out well, and I carry it out to a
logical conclusion. People tell me
that the gowns I create are entirely
different from the designs of other
makers. If they arc different it is
becau>e they are logical. They are
designed and executed without com
promise with any fad or fashion.
That is one reason why my dresses
are unusual and in advance of the
prevailing mode. The so-called harem
skirt, for example, was developed to
its logical conclusion. It proved
somewhat of a revolution when first
presented, but it is now approved.
The logic in a design should be
completed. A dress showing the
punier effect is illogical with a
Grecian border of n divided skirt. If
you want a panier, then see to it that
the rest of the dress is carried out
accordingly.
If your gown is to be built on
Oriental lines, then have no stiff
laces or Medici collars to up.set the
fundamental scheme. If the Tana^ra
is your model, then see that your
draperies are exactly like those of the
original statuettes. Do not start out
with straight lines in your design
and permit them to develop into bulgy
curves. Build n gown as logically as
an architect plans a church. Every
garment, in fact, should be architec
turally designed.
Draperies, Too, Should
Have Meaning.
I abhor on a dress buttons that are
not meant to button. A button is not
an ornament?it is an object of
utility. If it does not serve any pur
pose then do not put it on. A button
should button, or be placed so that It
might button, but placed haphazard
on a dress it spoils the logic and
consequently the ensemble.
Draperies are beautiful when logic
ally handled; otherwise they are
The Etiquette of Cards end Go.11 s?
|USTOM regulates the matter of
cards and calls. Social visit
ing has an established code,
and the rules should be understood
which regulate visiting cards and
their use.
These bits of pasteboard are re
quired to do duty ou many occa
sions. For centuries they have been
the accredited representatives .of
their owners. They are the means
of discharging social obligations, and
the endless Interchange of cards be
tween friends and acquaintances
may be truly said to keep soclety
united. Without these useful little
bits of pasteboard social debts
could not be paid. Cards are very
often reminders to acquaintances of
our very existence as woll as a step
toward renewing friendships or en
larging a circle of frlendB.
Cards are often expressions of
kindliness, sympathy, condolence or
congratulation. In fact, there are
few things more Important than the
etiquette of cards and calls.
Card-leaving is necessary after
having received invitations to a
wedding breakfast, a dinner, lunch
eon, card party or theatre party.
The reason is that Invitations of this
sort are personal. They are not in
vitations of a general nature to gen
eral affairs, but are an especial
mark of courtesy or compliment.
Church weddings, teas or large re
ceptions may be classified as gen
eral affairs. A church, for Instance,
is supposed to be amplo enough to
hold a'very large number of per
sons and general acquaintances bid
den to a wedding. They may be
present or not, as they pleasa. ^
The proper acknowledgment of
the Invitation is to send cards on or
after the day of the event to those
in whose name the invitation was
issued and to the newly-married
pair. If in doubt as to what may
be the new address of the bride,
cards are sent to the home of her
parents. These obvious points aro
explained herein because they are
frequently a problem to the inex
perienced. The same rule applies
to sending cards in acknowledgment
of marriage announcements.
On the occasion or a tea a hostess
sends cards to her general list of
friends. Thus she notifies them that
she will be at home on a certain aft
ernoon. They are not obliged to go.
If they go, they leave cards so that
the hostess may be reminded of
their presence and may give them
credit for coming. If they cannot
go, cards are sent on the day of the
tea, and duty has been fulfilled. It
is not expected that a call should
be made afterward.
If a lady has a day for being at
home, her friends should try to call
at that time.
A card is a reminder of one's call
and address, and it Is left whether
the hostess is at home or not. It
may be laid down on the hall table
when entering or leaving a house
or may be laid down unobtrusively
on any convenient table.
Women attend to the duties of
card-leaving, men being considered
exempt from making calls when
they have wives or mothers to leavo
their cards, but of course a young
man must call on his hostess after a ?
dinner invitation. It is to be re
gretted that some young men are
Copyright, 1915
not sufficiently punctilious in mak
ing prompt acknowledgment of
courtesies and hospitalities.
The general rule to remember Is ,
that a married woman leaves her
husband's cards with her own when
making a formal call, whether it be
the first call of the season or a call
as anrindebtedness after an invita
tion. ' She leaves one of her cards
for each lady in a family and one
each of her husband's cards for each
lady and one for the man of the
household. If she has a son she
may leave two of his cards. If the
lady on whom she is calling is at
home she places the cards of her
husband and son cn the hall table
and sends her own card by the
servant. In future calls during thu
year it Is not required that she
should leave her husband's cards,
unless, as has been stated, in ac
knowledgment of invitations. Her
son assumes his own obligations in
future.
The old custom has been revived
of having a card "Mr. and Mrs."
This simplifies matters generally,
as a woman leaves one of theso
cards and one of her husband's
cards when making a call.
During the first year or two of a
girl's entrance in society her name
is beneath tho mother's name on a
card:
Mrs. Henry Mason.
Miss Mason.
If there are two or more grown
daughters, the custom is to have
"The Misses Mason" under tho
mother's name. If a younger
, daughter is making her entrance to
society her name may be beneath
the others, "Miss Winifred Mason.''
J, by the Star Company. Great Britain
Young girls have their card3 sepa
rately after a year or two in society
and ure expected to assume their
obligations about making calls, al
though a daughter should accom
pany her mother in making first
o.alls or ceremonious calls. A girl
who has been in society for a few
years may relieve her mother of a
certain amount of formal card-leav
ing.
The rulo is that first calls should
be returned within a week, although
some persons claim that within a
fortnight Is allowable. When you
have, accopted an Invitation from a
new acquaintance a call must be
made within a week after the enter
tainment.
The hours for calling are between
3 and 6 o'clock in the afternoon. A
formal call does not exceed fifteen
or twenty minuteB.
Cards of compliment or courtesy
save time and express a kindly re
membrance. For Instance, a card
is sent with flowers, books, bonbons,
fruit, or any of tho small gifts of
fered among friends. In acknowl
edging these attentions it is not
proper to send a card in return. A
note should be written.
Nothing may ever be written on a
visiting card but an informal mes
sage or invitation. It is not proper
to write an acceptance or a regret
on a card.
Cards of condolence or sympathy
are sent to friends in bereavement,
with the words "With deep sympa
thy" written across tho top. Ot
course, one should if possible, call
and leave cards without asking to
j-ee any one, but if this cannot be
done cards are sent by post.
Rights Reserved.
All Photo^rapKa
on This Page
Copyrighted
by and
Published
by Permission
of
HARPER'S
BAZAR.
The Br*.rk View of the Black
and White Mourning Cos
tume Showing the Skilful
Drapng of the Chiffon Into
the Black Velvet Panel of the
Wrpp. The Arrangement of
the Draping Carries Out the
Rul es Laid Down by M.
Poi. =t in His Argument on
the Logic of Dress.
An Original
Poiret
Model Made
for the
Russian
Ballet.
It Is
Developed
in Mahogany
Faille
with Yoke
Sleeves and
Belt of
Black Velvet. Drapings Are
Gathered in a Fitted Band of
Black Velvet Embroidered in
Coral end Gold and Edged
with Skunk to Match
Scarf and Cuffs.
quite tho opposite. Tliey are ex
tremely ditllcult to handle unless
logic is kept in mind. A drapery
must come from somewhere and end
somewhere. I mean It must start,
logically, at tho shoulder or the waist
line, aud U must be caught at the
other extremity by a buckle, a bit of
passementerie, or an ornament of
some kind. But the How of the ma
terial must bo in accordance with tho
lines of the gown, and there must be
an apparent reason for its use. Some
times you seo draperies that come
from one knows not where, caught
here and there, everywhere, one
knows not how; and instead of ad
miring the dress or feeling the pleas
ing effect of the ensemble, you won
der how the dress is made, how it
was possible to make it hang together.
And when the woman who wears it
takes a step you tremble lest she dis
arrange a fold and ruin the garment.
To be able to move about in a dress
is logical. Nothing about drapery
should give the impression that it.
hampers the wearer. Drapery should
fall naturally, and if walking dis
arranges the pleats, the material
ought to fall back into the logical
fold$ as .soon as the wearer Is in re?
jioso, leaviiii; the impression that 110
harm had been. done.
Logic, in a dress, to my mind,
stands for beamy. Uecorum and
logic?these are th?- two filings which
should govern n woman in the choice
of her dress. Fashions should be
ignored. A prevailing mode may
guide a woman?but nothing more?
for the really well-dre&.sed woruay
never follows it blindly.