Dress and Individuality.

“My love in her attire doth show her wit It doth so well become her.”

The importance of dress to the modern woman is a subject of amazement to many—they feel that far too much time, money and energy is expended on the adornment of Eve—that clothes, as such, were originally designed for utility, and certainly not intended to assume a place of such paramount importance in our lives. These critical souls have evidently never studied the fascinating romance of dress, watched it through the ages from the filmy colourful gauzes and blazing jewels of Cleopatra to the marvellous laces, superb silks and satins which graced our “Good Queen Bess,” to the powdered hair and beauty spots of Marie Antoinette, the most beautiful woman in Europe. Surely there is romance and meaning in this pageant of fashion. Our clothes very soon abandoned their sphere of mere utility and became an expression of our individuality. Why, you have only to glance at the particular costumes affected by both men and women of a definite period, and you will learn more than their books and their histories can tell you, about the whole spirit and character of the age. One glimpse at the costumes at Versailles in the giddy days preceding the Revolution will indicate immediately the arrogant, pleasure-loving life of luxury of the French Court. Here, again, is a demure little Puritan costume (England under the great Cromwell); here, a gallant courtier resplendent in laces and satins (prosperity and luxury under Queen Elizabeth).

By the dress of a people can we see their lives, thoughts, occupations—who can say that it is of slight importance?

Nearly all our great poets have succumbed to the inspiration that lies hidden in charming clothing—from the very earliest times to the days when Herrick admired (more skilfully than the modern man) the allure of feminine garb.

“When as in silk my Julia goes, Then, then (methinks) how sweetly flows

That liquefaction of her clothes.”

Was “Julia's” time indeed wasted when it produced such tribute?

Passing to modern days, we find that dress is still of tremendous importance. Although our husbands do not express their admiration for the subtle general effect of our costumes by a lyric, their “By jove, you do look topping in that page 54 ‘thing'!” is music in our ears. They have the very vaguest idea of the “thing”— couldn't possibly describe it—but it is the general effect which is not wasted. The man who wants to be loved by his wife should make a point of noticing what she is wearing, even if his remarks are somewhat crude and untutored. She will

In the Wellington Province.
Railway District Engineer's Office Staff, 1930.

understand that he noticed, and that is all that matters for her. Some husbands even help to chose a frock, and the wise wife will let her “hubby” think he is assisting even though she has quite made up her mind weeks before. His pride will be gratified.

It is true that we are somewhat slavish followers of Dame Fashion, but after all she is an expression of ourselves as a whole. We have created her for our ever-changing needs, and we grant her demands. I heard it said that at the present time fashions are so exacting that all women present very much the same appearance—this was from a man! I hastened to assure him that to the uninitiated we might appear as peas in a pod, but that if he only knew it every woman's clothes are essentially different from those of her sister. We all conform to a general standard, as we always have done from the days when what was worn at Court was worn by the community—with variations. Those two little words contain the whole secret of the “romance of dress”—each one of us adopts the prevailing fashion, expressing at the same time her own individuality. This is what you should and must do! You will never feel that perfect assurance and confidence in yourself, so necessary to your general happiness, if you cannot express yourself in your clothes. Money is useful, but not vital for this. The office girl, with her small salary, can, if she really wants to, be “individual” in her attire. If you feel, instinctively, that it doesn't suit you at all, don't wear something just because “everyone else is wearing it.” Such is mere slavish imitation. If you feel happy, and “yourself” in something, wear it, and let the world laugh if it happens to be a year behind the times. Seek to find your individuality in your clothes and make them part of yourself. An expression of you—perhaps a colour, perhaps a certain style, or even a suspicion of a perfume— all to be associated definitely with yourself.

Our ancestors in history understood the subtlety of dress, and nowadays we have reduced it to a fine art. You are not wasting your time in bestowing some thought to your clothes, and your efforts won't be wasted.

It is your duty to be as beautiful as possible, and study of dress is not by any means to be despised—rather to be cultivated, each one for herself. You are a type, unique and individual, let your clothes be likewise.