CLOTHES, COLOUR, AND CHARACTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 96, 16 January 1908, Page 3

CLOTHES, COLOUR, AND CHARACTER.

A COLOUR FOR EACH MOOD. The .study of colour has_ gained immensely . m -.importa.nce and significance, says an American woman in.a'whimsical discourse'on clothes;• It j 3 utterly. aud entirely feminine to suit the. colour of one's gown to one's m'ood. It -is 'the', inevitable sequel to tho. colour values displayed - in the gowning of stage ■ women. The yoiing woman whose lovo' tangles - form ' the V basis of modem drama wpa'rs .white ! aind a singiilarly entrancing hat. By these signs she is .instantly recognisable. The stagS adventuress ; never wears ; white.' For her the brilliant red; the vivid green, or th"e priDcess; gown of black, glittering with sequins. ' The stage confidante appears in'innocfotius.garments.of.neutral blues.and dull pinks /whieh > serve as; background for the leading 'lady's white, laces, i And -on ' tho operatic' stage,. Carmen* would hot dare to appear, in white muslin.and. blue sash; and Alichaela •;would scream in.'c real . mezzosoprano terror- were.'she asked to put on a scarlet frock-and' a'black wig.- ; Dare Mar-, gfierite ■ 'don cerise with coquettish black bSws? i- Would, the 'Flower. Maidens allure Tfer.bf'-th'fcy to'exchange their delicious tinted draperies garlands for raiment 6f grey, and brown? Jh private' life these standards niu'st be altered. • Many a Woman resplendent in - flpwor-hiaidon colcriirs- lpo];s--a' guy. And it would-neyerdotocall Mrs. Smith an ad--renturess because sho appeared at your dinndr.viii a tfaming. red; gown. v Were weito suit thg colour, perfectly to the type', red'. should be worn by the commonminded, sbaridal-moiigering, evil-fspeaking woman.- Red is too obvious, and, not half, as wickcd; as it is supposed to be. It. is jinuch njore. inclined, to. bo - hot and; stuffy; than imaginativeand brilliant. The . colour we selected, to resemble live flame too often is like nothing so much as the sullen glare of dilll coals. r Also, ,red is generally a .vulgar, colour,, though some df its shades aro not. I| is imipoSsibl? for any one bvor .thirty, and only for .the. exceptional woman over twenty. Vet, ..sometimes one .see's a vivacious, pulsating yoiing-girl in a ; scarlet fluff of an evening- gown; which is_ at once an interpreter of her mood and a . joy to -the eye of the beholder. But sho.must' bo blond, she must be small and, perfectly proportioned, and she must-.De.gaiity personifie'd. ■ A? for .black—oiie can do. anything .artistic in i-blqck, feel anything artistic,. be anything There is but one drawback to blscki.it.must riot be worn bn.,water and you must not. go. among flowers in it. Yqu.can be very happy in black and very unhappy. Tj) feM deeply the black gown will seem' to aid .'you. Ohc.may be clever and witty in black, but ■ never sfacetious or, humorqus. , Had -Mrs.-; Ward's,,poor : sehse : of-huraour-less Julie worn, baby blue she would have lost all her .effectiveness as a dramatic figure. Never wear; black when.in physical pain: then it is quite, impossible. But if your Jack has bwn. daiicirig' three times in succession with the'wrong Jill; if yoii had only half as many cotillion favours ( as'you should; if you have nPt.bccn invited to Sally Smartly's luncheon, then; my dear girl, jf your complexion is good and you have .no lines-in your face, put on your black gown-and revel in your knowledge.that youare an-abused person. > . WHEN TO WEAR WHITE. White is not so difficult to place. White is for summer and for tho snowiest daj\ of midwinter, if there are open fires in the house. White to wear on, water —bluo water—and ia. gardens, and near hills. White for "a green thought' in a -green shade,"-and when one. is very young and fresh and innocent. White when there is a great deal of mental champagne-in the,!air, white.when one is very, good; white when one is.,honestly try-: ing.to.play the, game; and ypt, white when one is just as bad as ever one can be. Navy blue should never bo worn when one feels sentimental. It .is , for outdoqrs, for dogs and horses and sporty and when ,011 c sits on the. grass, elbows qn knees,. chin in hand. It -is possible to. be ■ very boilcamarade in' navy blue. And brown. Brown is also for outdoors",' Out not for earlj summer. .... , . Pale blue is- difficult to put wrong. It carries with it an. element of spirituality, doubtless because it is the colour of the'heavens. It may not always.'be .suitable, but howcvei wretched fa. woman may be, wearing a rathei turquoisy .shade of palo blue will braco he: up wohde'rfu| ly—give.'her spirit and uplift As fqr grey,- it is the'Jcolour of insipidity-—no not exactly insipidity;, but rather non-'stimula tiqn. Mt.-.is. always .quietly attractive, bu' tho nervous woman should shun it like th'o plague. It heeds smoothness of gait ,an< & ..low;: r.voice, and very white much* bti-nhgedjbut placid hands. •' THE DEMANDS OF COLOUR. Jj'.qr red-haired women and women in red haired, ~moods-~rheliotrope.' As it is, red haiiod women fly to blue until it is an offence Ecru,' biscuit, dun colour, these aro.fo gracious' moods, and demand a bjack-plumei ,hpt',' brooches and chains. The; ihould trail splendidly in long sweepin; ..; ij; Aiid yellow I Don't over wear yellow. , I ,15"the. colour of sunshine, and liko sunshin jt is fatal to any save the most pcrfcct com yloxion, whit-o teeth, and good - features Shadows/agreeably soften the imperfection pf beauty, but sunlight and the-colou f'tllow alike cruelly display all defects. Ye 1 oir.is for the exceptional Venus, not th casual brunette. . ; Will there, perhaps, ever come a time whe the afternoon s hostess will mentally classif and'provide for the amusement of her guest by,,the colours tboy wear? "Mrs. Robinso is■■ in .navy . blue —111 just ask • young Brow to show her the kennels and the new' tenni eourts. Mrs. Smith in palo blue —well, sh will amuse that group of-tiresome, creature tin tho verandah. - Mrs. Jorios in white—sh will enjoy n flirtation with that good-lookin little 'Englishman; Mrs. Martin in heliotrop —rrhew, perhaps she will be .'safest with tn rector; Mrs. Wcndall in black —then she di 'decide to-sing for us .after all." Ver amusing, very interesting, and—very., in possible,, is it not? Tliough it is revolutionary, to advance, th thought, yet some of;us arc willing to bftlicv that she,who gives't-o her gowning.at one *71 ethical ' and esthetic interest, does a much for tho ultimate —and much more fc the present—happiness of tho world as tli woman' who neglects Wer-appearance for tl pursuit ..-'of dry-as-dust learning in the ai jfidrit tomes,-