WOMAN'S REALM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 8 December 1913, Page 2

WOMAN'S REALM.

"Marguerite.") [fcioci*i Items for tJua Page would be gladly received by "Marguerite," «ar« of "Age" Office, but to eniure their publication, most be accompanied by tke nam* and hddr©Bi of the tender.]

IN FASHION'S REALM,

UP-TO-DATE NOTES ON WHAT

TO WEAR

A disquisition on colours; such as you will do well to keep for standard reference! Some people havo the artistic eye—they csm. toll colour at. a glance.' What I wish to emphasise is the combination of colours; also their association. To simplify things I should start with the primaries. These are red, yellow and blue. The secondary colours are orange (red combined with yellow), preen (yellow combined with blue), violet (blue combined with red). Then there are the pray colours—yellow gray (orange combined with green), red-gray (orange combined with violet), bluegray (violet combined, with green). Each colour. has its complementary colour, and when those two are placed side by side each appears at its greatest brilliancy. The simplest di- , visions of the spectrum show the fol- j lowing three pairs of complementary colours: —red and green, yellow ..and violet, blue and orange. A broader I division- gives the following pairs—red and bluish-green, orange and blue, greenish-yellow and violet, yellow and violet blue, green and reddish violet. Many other pairs could be formed. The complements to the colours between red and orange, ni'e 'Wtt&m W»»Mw»rcen and toue. Those to the colours between orattge and Yellow are. between blue and violet blue. Unless separated by spacings of black and white the following colours when placed side by side injure each other and become darker or lighter as , indicated. Red against first darker second lighter; orange-red against orange, first darker second lighter; orange against orahgo-yellow, first darker second lighter; orange-yellow against yellow, first darker second lighter; yellowish green against'yellow,: first darker second lighter; green against yellowish green, first darker second lighter; green-blue against green, first darker second lighter; blue against green blue, first darker. second lighter; red-blue against blue, first darker second lighter; violet against purple, first darker second lighter. I have repeated darker and lighter in order to avoid confusion. Colours that do not combine pleasingly may '♦be made harmonious by being separated with black gray and white. Black by contrast makes all colours appear lighter; even as white makes all appear darker. Gray neutralises all middle tones, acts the same as white with dark ones, and lightens the' very light. Black, white and gray are affected by contrast n* follows. Yellow and oranjle make it appear blue; red somewhat green; green, blue and viilet make it look dull and rusty. Black- may be preferable to white 'in the following ar-rangem,ent---red with blue*-' red with violet, orange .with blue, orange with violet, yellow with" 1 /blue, green with blue, green. Avith, violet. Gray is preferable to black in these—orange Avith, violet, green Avith blue, green with violet. Among the barbaric the colour sense is crude. With education comes refinement. Nature as'a matter of fact is a perfect guide. You must remember that she works.on great spaces. As the glance Avill slioav die uses the primaries sparingly. Green is much used, but it is often softened; red only appears here and there, and chiefly in Aoavers. You will notice that it is the samp in birds—red as a touch or in butterflies—spots. A draper as a rule has a- master's knoAvledge of colours, or at least his AvindoAV dresser has.' A good A\ind6w dresser must understand the art of harmonising if he is going to please. Suppose you are contemplating the use of orange, ssay as facings.' You will knoAv that contrasted ivith green it -will appear more red; with blue more brilliant; with violet more yelloav. Or yelloAV! Contrasted Avith red it avill appear .more green; witli green more orange; Avith violet more brilliant. Or green!. Contrasted with red it will appear more brilliant; Avith blue more yelloAV; Vith purple more brilliant. Or blue! Contrasted with" red it will appear more green; with green more violet. Or violet! Contrasted Avith orange it will appear more blue; with yelloAV more brilliant; Avith green more purple. Or. purple! Contrasted with red it will appear more blue; Avith .yellow more rod; Avith blue more re:l. Of course /one has to take extreme contrasts to emphasise the bnv. Tlv's, relating to the effect of one colour upon another, is full of sub-j tleties. Strictly sp'eaking there are only three colours, red, yelloAV and blue. While, hoAvever, they form the basis of .scientific deduction they are too strong and harsh for general use except as mere touches. To.. see any colour in. its full purity the nerves' of the eye must be affected bv all the colour rays which' form white light. By this we knc-Av that the complement of a colour is one which it docs not contain. Green, for example, is the .complement of red, as red is of green. With many people there is this phenomenon—staring at either <may cause the complementary colour to form a, film before the eye, mixed Avith the original. We should remember that the first thing that attracts the gaze in a combination of shades is the most glaring one. For example, imagine someone in an olive brown coat and hat, brown skirt, some red : about tljn

SOCIAL NEWS AND FASHIONS.

neck, and in that red an emerald ornament. Extreme, of course, but it illustrates. What will strike you firsts'—the emerald beyond all doubt. You see all the rest harmonises, but this conflicts, and'that is Avhy it stands out. 'Sometimes hats v in the Avindow look better to the observer than Avhen tried oh. The Avindow dresser, knoAving his business, sees that the setting suits. On a pale gray-green background, perhaps, he will ,sliOAv the hats in tints of yellow, pink and blue. Then probably he Avill use a black hat Avith black plumes and tAvo Avhite hats,\and keep the yellows near the black and the pinks and blues near the white. Tn displaying his dress goods he will be equally Avise—fabrics of delicate bluish grays or tints of blue against ivory Avhite, into which, perhaps, he has introduced an occasional note of orange. His fabrics of dark blue, ■such as indigo, he Avill have a background of medium blue gray Avith an occasional note of Indian red. Again —fabrics in the various broAvns, from yelloAV through red to black, against a gray-green background contrasted, perhaps, with an occasional note of green. ' fabrics in tints of yellowish white'strain st a light bluegray or Avliite ground, with, say, an occasional bunch of violets. ■-....