Woman as Decoration

Woman as Decoration, by Emily
Burbank

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Burbank
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Title: Woman as Decoration
Author: Emily Burbank

Release Date: July 23, 2006 [eBook #18901]
Language: English
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WOMAN AS DECORATION
by
EMILY BURBANK
Illustrated

[Illustration]

New York Dodd, Mead and Company 1917 Copyright, 1917 By Dodd,
Mead and Company, Inc.

DEDICATED TO V. B. G.

PLATE I
Madame Geraldine Farrar as Thaïs in the opera of that name. It is a
sketch made from life for this book. Observe the gilded wig and richly

embroidered gown. They are after descriptions of a costume worn by
the real Thaïs. It is a Greek type of costume but not the familiar classic
Greek of sculptured story. Thaïs was a reigning beauty and acted in the
theatre of Alexandria in the early Christian era.
[Illustration: Sketched for "Woman as Decoration" by Thelma Cudlipp
Mme. Geraldine Farrar in Greek Costume as Thaïs]

FOREWORD
WOMAN AS DECORATION is intended as a sequel to The Art of
Interior Decoration (Grace Wood and Emily Burbank).
Having assisted in setting the stage for woman, the next logical step is
the consideration of woman, herself, as an important factor in the
decorative scheme of any setting,--the vital spark to animate all interior
decoration, private or public. The book in hand is intended as a brief
guide for the woman who would understand her own type,--make the
most of it, and know how simple a matter it is to be decorative if she
will but master the few rules underlying all successful dressing. As the
costuming of woman is an art, the history of that art must be known--to
a certain extent--by one who would be an intelligent student of our
subject. With the assistance of thirty-three illustrations to throw light
upon the text, we have tried to tell the beguiling story of decorative
woman, as she appears in frescoes and bas reliefs of Ancient Egypt, on
Greek vases, the Gothic woman in tapestry and stained glass, woman in
painting, stucco and tapestry of the Renaissance, seventeenth,
eighteenth and nineteenth century woman in portraits.
Contemporary woman's costume is considered, not as fashion, but as
decorative line and colour, a distinct contribution to the interior
decoration of her own home or other setting. In this department,
woman is given suggestions as to the costuming of herself, beautifully
and appropriately, in the ball-room, at the opera, in her boudoir,
sun-room or on her shaded porch; in her garden; when driving her own
car; by the sea, or on the ice.

Woman as Decoration has been planned, in part, also to fill a need very
generally expressed for a handbook to serve as guide for beginners in
getting up costumes for fancy-dress balls, amateur theatricals, or the
professional stage.
We have tried to shed light upon period costumes and point out ways of
making any costume effective.
Costume books abound, but so far as we know, this is the first attempt
to confine the vast and perplexing subject within the dimensions of a
small, accessible volume devoted to the principles underlying the
planning of all costumes, regardless of period.
The author does not advocate the preening of her feathers as woman's
sole occupation, in any age, much less at this crisis in the making of
world history; but she does lay great emphasis on the fact that a woman
owes it to herself, her family and the public in general, to be as
decorative in any setting, as her knowledge of the art of dressing admits.
This knowledge implies an understanding of line, colour, fitness,
background, and above all, one's own type. To know one's type, and to
have some knowledge of the principles underlying all good dressing, is
of serious economic value; it means a saving of time, vitality and
money.
The watchword of to-day is efficiency, and the keynote to modern
costuming, appropriateness. And so the spirit of the