INSPIRATION FROM DRESS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 9263, 8 April 1918, Page 5

INSPIRATION FROM DRESS.

Scores of writers, composers, painters, and sculptors, have believed that their flood of ideas was helped by the adoption of some '/peculiar " styie of dress.:

-Uascagni, 'the famous Italian composer, wnile working on his Japanese opera, arrayed himaoif in a tiowing robe ot Eastern style, with all his surrouud'ings Oriental in character, gallons of '.•once being consumed as necessary to inspiration.

ived was a colour detested by "Lewis Carroll," the creator of " Alice in Wonderland," -and., a 'little girl who.eauie to visit him was absolutely forbidden to wear a red frock of bright hue while in his company. .Pink and grey were his favourito combinations of colour: In personal matters he Ijad a great fear of extravagance, and would only wear cotton gloves. Ho never wore an overcoat, and always sported a tall hat, whatever might he the climatic conditions. ■':

Ho was devoted to t.ho cup'that cheers, but riot inolufiatos, and while writing "Alice'-i ill Vj'onderlarid " ho consumed enormous quantities of tea. While composing <: he .lisecl to .walk 'up and down the room, Winging the tea--pot backwards aiid forwards while tho toil .stooped. Dumas used to take off his coat and vest','unfasten his shirt collar, and turn up his sleeves to the elbows before bofuming to write. A fancy costume, ol olack velvet was always' donned by Waguer when he was composing, and a tam-o'-shanter cap. A sjgnec "ring, presented to hira by Frederick .of.Prussia, -was worn by iiaydn while he was working; and ."Beethoven would wash his hands dozens, of times beiove' beginning any composition. 'iTiat "famous writer of boys' books, George A. Henty, always wore clothes i suited to the atmosphere of his stories. When writing a novel describing the thrilling adventures or "one his youthful heroes m the region of. the Equator he would invariably clqn the Very lightest of suits. Ho is said to have admitted on one I,occasion that lioHt»und it quite impossible to obtain ■hjeal. colour ..to his story in an environment which did .not lend itself to the plot. Another , favourite author who was fastidious in the matter of clothes when penning hi,s stories was Zola. Hi: s iiood of ideas was helped by donning evening dress, and it was nothing out of the ordinary to sew Zola, wandering about his estate at the break of day dressed as though he wore' on his way to the theatre.