Woman as Decoration | Page 2

time records itself
in the interesting and charming subdivision of woman's attire.
One may follow Woman Decorative in the Orient on vase, fan, screen
and kakemono; as she struts in the stiff manner of Egyptian bas reliefs,
across walls of ancient ruins, or sits in angular serenity, gazing into the
future through the narrow slits of Egyptian eyes, oblivious of time;
woman, beautiful in the European sense, and decorative to the
superlative degree, on Greek vase and sculptured wall. Here in
rhythmic curves, she dandles lovely Cupid on her toe; serves as vestal
virgin at a woodland shrine; wears the bronze helmet of Minerva;
makes laws, or as Penelope, the wife, wearily awaits her roving lord.
She moves in august majesty, a sore-tried queen, and leaps in merry

laughter as a care-free slave; pipes, sings and plies the distaff.
Sauntering on, down through Gothic Europe, Tudor England, the
adolescent Renaissance, Bourbon France, into the picturesque changes
of the eighteenth century, we ask, can one possibly escape our
theme--Woman as Decoration? No, for she is carved in wood and stone;
as Mother of God and Queen of Heaven gleams in the jeweled
windows of the church, looks down in placid serenity on lighted altar;
is woven in tapestry, in fact dominates all art, painting, stucco or
marble, throughout the ages.
If one would know the story of Woman's evolution and
retrogression--that rising and falling tide in civilisation--we commend a
study of her as she is presented in Art. A knowledge of her costume
frequently throws light upon her age; a thorough knowledge of her age
will throw light upon her costume.
A study of the essentials of any costume, of any period, trains the eye
and mind to be expert in planning costumes for every-day use. One
learns quickly to discriminate between details which are ornaments,
because they have meaning, and those which are only illiterate
superfluities; and one learns to master many other points.
It is not within the province of this book to dwell at length upon
national costume, but rather to follow costume as it developed with and
reflected caste, after human society ceased to be all alike as to
occupation, diversion and interest.
In the world of caste, costume has gradually evolved until it aims
through appropriateness, at assisting woman to fulfil her rôle. With
peasants who know only the traditional costume of their province, the
task must often be done in spite of the costume, which is picturesque or
grotesque, inconvenient, even impossible; but long may it linger to
divert the eye! Russia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland,
Scandinavia,--all have an endless variety of costumes, rich in souvenirs
of folk history, rainbows of colour and bizarre in line, but it is
costuming the woman of fashion which claims our attention.
The succeeding chapters will treat of woman, the vital spark which

gives meaning to any setting--indoors, out of doors, at the opera, in the
ball-room, on the ice--where you will. Each chapter has to do with
modern woman and the historical paragraphs are given primarily to
shed light upon her costume.
It is shown that woman's decorative appearance affects her psychology,
and that woman's psychology affects her decorative appearance.
Some chapters may, at first glance, seem irrelevant, but those who have
seriously studied any art, and then undertaken to tell its story briefly in
simple, direct language, with the hope of quickly putting audience or
reader in touch with the vital links in the chain of evidence, will
understand the author's claim that no detour which illustrates the
subject can in justice be termed irrelevant. In the detours often lie
invaluable data, for one with a mind for research--whether author or
reader. This is especially true in connection with our present task,
which involves unravelling some of the threads from the tangled skein
of religion, dancing, music, sculpture and painting--that mass of bright
and sombre colour, of gold and silver threads, strung with pearls and
glittering gems strangely broken by age--which tells the epic-lyric tale
of civilisation.
While we state that it is not our aim to make a point of fashion as such,
some of our illustrations show contemporary woman as she appears in
our homes, on our streets, at the play, in her garden, etc. We have taken
examples of women's costumes which are pre-eminently characteristic
of the moment in which we write, and as we believe, illustrate those
laws upon which we base our deductions concerning woman as
decoration. These laws are: appropriateness of her costume to the
occasion; consideration of the type of wearer; background against
which costume is to be worn; and all decoration (which includes
jewels), as detail with raison d'être. The body should be carried with
form (in the sporting sense), to assist in giving line to the costume.
The chic