BS: Your Life in Polyester

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: wysiwyg
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 03:22 PM

A new tip that has worked GREAT: Twice a year I get a couple of gift checks that add up to a decent amount. The amounts are quite reliable. So twice a year, about 2 months before the checks arrive I make a humongous catalog purchase on DEFERRED BILLING, billed to my debit card. I order things I HOPE will fit in at least two different sizes, as well as anything I am not sure I will like that I MIGHT like (that fits my wardrobe needs). When the order arrives, I try it all on just like I would at the store. Obviously, I have a good idea which size to start with, so often the duplicate items are never even opened.

I used to work at a western-wear shop so I am pretty good at refolding and rebagging (and the catalog people know the items will for sure be tried on).

I keep only what I know these anticipated gift checks will cover, and send back all the rest using the handy UPS return label that's included. I add up the total I will owe, and start saving it up out of grocery bucks just in case. When the holiday or birthday checks arrive, the saved money becomes my fund for my own Christmas/birthday shopping. I worry so much about being able to cover the debit when the deferred billing kicks in, that I always have about twice as much as I need!


UPDATE

It's seasonal switchover time and my closet is stuffed. Out it all
came, from the storage drawer upstairs I'd used for offseason, from the main closet downstairs, from the hanging rack where the latest 5 new shirts had been hung up while I de-sleeved them, from the several overnight cases and garment bags I had not unpacked promptly..... Fortunately I had a couple of standing racks and nearby slatted doors, to sort it and to work on it all. I'd just added some new items, plus I'd gotten a bag of dresses-converted-to skirts back from my current seamstress. And a bunch of inexpensive shirt hangers-- I'd never hung it all UP at the same time before.


When I was done, I had to add an over-the-door rack to the main closet door to hold a season's worth of skirts in the best light that unlit closet has, so I can SEE the pretty prints clearly when the door is open into the well-lit hallway. The skirt choice determines the whole color palette: from the skirt I can find a jacket and shell (or shirt) in that main closet, plus the accessories, shoes, and bags. There are 7-8 skirts per half-year-- fall/winter and spring/summer.

I actually have enough blazers/jackets now to have a warm weather set and a cold weather set. The newer jackets are heavier and dontcha know, the colors and textures are darker and fall/wintery. The warm weather set includes two in a linen blend and two in cotton jerseys-- both comfy on a hot day in town, or on a cooler day up at one of the more mountainous parishes.

I had not known I had enough to do that until I fetched them all out at once! For awhile yesterday the whole rack was jackets being put onto newly-made hangers. I used old pool noodles to pad the hanger-shoulders for better shape and non-slippage. The result is that they take up a lot more closet space-- but also I can see what color they are better. There's more fabric showing on those padded hangers.


The shells and shirts I consider fair game all year round, so I know I will have enough and there will be a huge variety of colors to spice up the outfits in endless combinations. So they are taking up a little more than half the main closet's main hanging rod. And they leave room only for a few jackets. (I can't hang a second, lower rod-- everything is too long for the height of closet I have to work with.)


All the offseason skirts and jackets are going upstairs until the next seasonal changeover. The temp rack is going up to hold them. When I can afford a zippered portacloset I'll get one; till then each item is plastic-wrapped.


When I wear an item that's been in storage, I toss it in the dryer with a wet softener sheet to dewrinkle it and freshen it up. At that time I also do any mending needed, lint removal, etc., the night before.


Also due to the lack of main closet space I jettisoned another whole
category of my wardrobe to go live upstairs with the off-season items. That is, the equivalent of the Basic Black items that, since they are separates, provide BOTH the funeral and the semi-formal wardrobe. The reason I can send them upstairs is because the garment bags also are stored upstairs, and these items are for events I usually know about a day or more ahead of time-- I can select and bring them down, garment-bagged, from a cat-hair-free area to the dusty, hairy downstairs.

Most of the semi-formal events are Diocesan events that require an overnight stay or at least a costume change after a 3-hour+ drive, so these are items that are gonna get bagged anyhow. Now, the packing will simply start upstairs.

In the basic Black department are the older polyester jackets I could not wait to replace (navy and black). And the skirts that go with. For semi-formal: a long black solid, a long rose pink solid, a long aqua solid. For funerals: two shorter black prints skirts and one cornflower/navy/beige skirt. Plus a slipdress (red floral on black background print).

All of these are for any season, in different weights, and enough for 4-5 funerals in a week (and that happens sometimes) without having to machine wash or wait for the drycleaner. I LOVE it that the items that used to be my ONLY decent clothes are now the funeral clothes! They stood me in good stead; I was so sure I'd never be able to replace them, that I took really good care of them. They can stand occasional wear and cleaning, and I'll enjoy seeing them as the old friends they are, when I head off to a sad event-- but the rest of the time I'll be wearing the newer, more fun stuff that's in the main closet.


I have never had so much "show clothing" (as some folks call it), but then I've never had so many public events of my husband's and my own to attend, either. Nor such a love for our wonderful drycleaner.


So I now have 3 closets: Now, Later, and Occasionally.

Plus the grunt wear in my bathroom shelves, and there's another funny thing. I have several pairs of medium weight, all-cotton bike shorts. I drive to these faraway events in bike shorts, with a comfy, long men's shirt thrown over them. When I change into the show clothes, the bike shorts stay on as undies, so I am comfy all evening long. I just throw the "show" skirt, shell, and jacket on over them, and I can change anywhere. Thursday I changed in a back porch in Harrisburg because that's what was available before everyone else showed up. Last summer, I changed in a parking garage one day with my husband holding my open overcoat behind me to shield me as I grabbed the dressy items out of the open van door. Because the undies do
not have to be changed, there isn't that awkward "step all over the
knickers" moment and I am decently covered the whole time! :~) For the long drive home from these, I just shrug of the jacket and skirt at the first gas station we pass, and drive home in my shell and shorts, comfortably!


Many times this past year I have left on the run for an event, saying under my breath, "Bless that closet!" and of course that includes the ladies who sewed my way to it. The closet has not let me down, yet! I'd love to have a big walk-in closet, but there isn't a room here I could give up to do that. (Yet.)

~Susan, who grew up a Daddy's Tomboy

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 07:59 PM

Susan-

How much closet space is needed for your husband's wardrobe? I would guess a whole lot less but then men have it much easier in our society. We're not expected to dress differently from one day to another. Life is unfair! Or are men deprived??

I do have a wardrobe that I select from when I am appearing as a nautical singer. Seldom do I get to select the blue blazer with the bright brass anchor buttons, the wicked sharp cheese cutter hat, and the white silk muffler, but they're there if called for. Most of the time I get to go in a striped shirt, Greek fishing cap, and jeans.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: wysiwyg
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 08:58 PM

He has his own much-smaller closet for off-duty wear, but of course he has a large area at church for all the work garb. We have more closet space upstairs, but it's the downstairs where we shower and dress to go out, and where the laundry happens, so we use all available downstairs closets as our main closets. The upsatirs ones aren't that big anyhow-- old farmhouses seldom had much closet space and ours actually has much more than usual, both upstairs and down.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Sep 07 - 02:35 PM

Susan-

We used to have a front livingroom until my wife began sorting her clothes there, season by season, a process which evidently has no end!

In her defense, she's packed up a van full of clothes that were now too big for her (she lost 40 pounds in the last 3 years) and I've dropped them off at the local Good Will store.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Sep 07 - 03:17 PM

Hm... I hesitate to tell you this, but the living room was only tied up thus, here, for 2 days. With Hardi's help, it's all upstairs now.

But if my maw in law weren't due in a coupla weeks, I bet it would all still be down here! :~)

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 10:10 AM

Susan-

I value guests. That's the only time we stand a chance of clearing the decks here.

Of course as soon as they depart, all the stuff comes trickling out of the closets, corners, from under tables, and redeposits itself onto every available surface. It's a good thing that I have an appreciation of gravity and the process of sedimentation.

Judy's back from her conference and her previously empty duffle bag appears pregnant. The large garment bag is lurking in the kitchen awaiting an opportunity to spew its contents, while the smaller bag has already exploded!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 10:18 AM

Yes.... I think I may be related to Judy. :~)

Last time we were doing the "search process" interviewing at parishes for a new position, I just left the garment bag of "show clothes" permanently packed. All the contents were wrinkle-proof items. It got unpacked at the dry cleaners, and repacked back into it at the dry cleaners. I had standard "undie packs" to swap in, and the toiletries, dress shoes, and hair dryer never DID get out of that bag for a long time. I have so much ministry travel in this year's fall season that I think I'm going to have to go back to that approach.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Oct 07 - 01:25 PM

HANDBAGS

The essentials travel in a cloth, zippered makeup pouch.

For everyday, I have three larger, pouch-shaped shoulder bags the makeup pouch fits into. One denim, one black leather, one beige tapestry print. Each was under $8, new. In each of these also travels a generic, long strand of costume-jewelry-quality beads ("Oops, it's dressier here than I anticipated"), a pair of hair clips, a headband ("Oops, I need to get my hair out the way!"), and a pair if nylon knee-highs ("Oops!"). Coordinating shoes are good-quality, leather, supportive walking shoes.

For dressier occasions, I have smaller leather and woven-cord shoulder bags in colors that match coordinating dress shoes. Each was under $7, gently used.

They all have long strap handles to pull them out from under banquet tables, at which I seem to be making regular appearances at formal dinners and at conferences. Poor Hardi won't have to crawl under these anymore to pull out my clutch-style makeup pouch!

An item to keep an eye out for in thrift shops is little stationery/ card cases for leaving nice little notes behind or collecting get-well wishes for people "back home" on the prayer list. We keep a set in the car but it turned out I need a flat case in the handbag, too.


TO JEAN, OR NOT TO JEAN?

Mindful of the recent thread about uniform trousers, I found all-cotton stretch trous that fit like jeans but are stitched like trousers, for those long drives downstate to business events. Twills and denims. Toss on a business-dressy jacket in my mix-n-match separates inventory, those beads and hair clips, and viola!


Wow, "dressy" in this clergy-rich atmosphere I move in now requires a very particular "style" that is hard to describe. I finally think I have it, though!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: wysiwyg
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 10:19 AM

Mr. UPSman (we have a regular driver here who is male) is out back now, picking up the deferred-billing items he brought Monday for me to try on. This one is a first-- not a thing fit or looked as nice as it had in the catalog, so I sent it ALL back. It had been over the free-shipping amount, so there was no cost to get it, and the return shipping is less than I'd have paid in gasoline to drive an hour north to discover one of my favorite stores is now closed. It's too bad-- that's where I learned to ask the saleslady to just bring one of any item in my size range, to the dressing room, for me to try on. Oh well! I can do that all at home now!

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: Rowan
Date: 30 Jan 08 - 08:47 PM

A friend of mine, who works in a part of his (and my) workplace that services several others, was seconded to another position for six months or so. The new task required him to interview heads of various departments and offer them assistance that would enable them to meet their KPIs. My friend told the story that he made the appointments and interviewed them all and made the offers and was universally ignored; he wore his usual workplace clobber, which was neat trousers, collar and tie, but a woollen jumper over the top. It was winter in Oz, at the time so the jumper (what Americans would call a sweater) was appropriate.

He then repeated the exercise, wearing a dark "power dressing" suit; this time they all listened and accepted his (identical) offers.

Because I'm on call as a volunteer firefighter I wear no artifical fibres and the nature of my work means such clothing is desirable and I tend to dress "down" rather than "up"; various people around my workplace have realised that it is in their interest to take notice of what I say, irrespective of their perception(s) of relative status or dress, so I don't use a polyester life. I think I can still find a tie if I look hard.

Then again, my daughters insist that what I regard as a perfectly adequate personal style (of dress) is most definitely déclassé.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 06:31 AM

I bought a new coat... it wasn't red, but the scarf I bought last year is.

In my defence, the coat was pre-loved and leather. I still wear the same comfortable stuff underneath.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Oct 09 - 11:11 AM

Librivox to the rescue!

See http://librivox.org/woman-as-decoration-by-emily-burbank/

I haven't audio-read it yet, but I expect it will either be hilarious, helpful, or infuriating-- probably all 3 depending on one's viewpoint. (It's read for Librivox by women, at least.)

The TOC below is pasted exactly as it appears at Project Gutenberg, where there are illustrations. (Link at Librivox.)

CONTENTS
I        A Few Hints for the Novice who Would Plan Her Costumes        1
        Rules having economic value while aiming at decorativeness.—Lines and colouring emphasised or modified by costuming.—Temperaments affect carriage of the body.—Line of body affects costume.—Technique of controlling the physique.—The highly sensitised woman.—Costuming an art.—Studying types.—Starring one's own good points.—Beauty not so fleeting as is supposed if costume is adapted to its changing aspects.—Masters in art of costuming often discover and star previously unrecognised beauty.—Establishing the habit of those lines and colours in gowns, hats, gloves, parasols, sticks, fans and jewels which are your own.—The intelligent purchaser.—The best dressed women.—Value of understanding one's background.—Learning the art of understanding one's background.—Learning the art of costuming from masters of the art.—How to proceed with this study.—Successful costuming not dependent upon amount of money spent upon it.—An example        
                 
II        The Laws Underlying All Costuming of Woman        23
        Appropriateness keynote of costuming to-day.—Five salient points to be borne in mind when planning a costume.—Where English, French, and American women excel in art of costuming.—Feeling for line.—To make our points clear constant reference to the stage is necessary.—Bakst and Poiret.—Turning to the Orient for line and colour.—Keeping costume in same key as its settings.—How to know your period; its line, colours and characteristic details.—Studying costumes in Gothic illuminations        
                 
III        How to Dress Your Type        46
        A Few Points Applying to all Costumes.—Background.—Line and colour of costumes to bring out the individuality of wearer.—The chic woman defined.—Intelligent expressing of self in mise-en-scène.—Selecting one's colour scheme        
                 
IV        The Psychology of Clothes        54
        Effect of clothes upon manners.—The natural instinct for costuming, "clothes sense."—Costuming affecting psychology of wearer.—Clothes may liberate or shackle the spirit of women, be a tyrant or magician's wand.—Follow colour instinct in clothes as well as housefurnishings        
                 
V        Establish Habits of Carriage Which Create Good Line        66
        Woman's line result of habits of a mind controlled by observations, conventions, experiences and attitudes which make her personality.—Training lines of physique from childhood; an example.—A knowledge of how to dress appropriately leads to efficiency        
                 
VI        Colour In Woman's Costume        74
        Colour hall-mark of to-day.—Bakst, Rheinhardt and Granville Barker, teachers of the new colour vocabulary.—PORTABLE BACKGROUNDS        
                 
VII        Footwear        85
        Importance of carefully considering extremities.—What constitutes a costume.—Importance of learning how to buy, put on and wear each detail of costume if one would be a decorative picture.—Spats.—Stockings.—Slippers.—Buckles        
                 
VIII        Jewelry as Decoration        94
        Considered as colour and line not with regard to intrinsic worth.—To complete a costume or furnish keynote upon which to build a costume.—Distinguished jewels with historic associations worn artistically; examples.—Know what jewels are your affair as to colour, size, and shape.—To know what one can and cannot wear in all departments of costuming prepares one to grasp and make use of expert suggestions. How fashions come into being.—One of the rules as to how jewels should be worn.—Gems and paste        
                 
IX        Woman Decorative in Her Boudoir        111
        Negligée or tea-gown belongs to this intimate setting.—Fortuny the artist designer of tea-gowns.—Sibyl Sanderson.—The decorative value of a long string of beads.—Beauty which is the result of conscious effort.—Bien soiné a hall-mark of our period        
                 
X        Woman Decorative in Her Sun-Room        116
        Since a winter sun-room is planned to give the illusion of summer, one's costuming for it should carry out the same idea.—The sun-room provides a means for using up last summer's costumes.—The hat, if worn, should suggest repose, not action.—The age and habits of those occupying a sun-room dictate the exact type of costume to be worn.—Colour scheme        
                 
XI        I. Woman Decorative in Her Garden        124
        In the garden the costume should have a decorative outline but simple colour scheme which harmonises with background of flowers.—White, grey, or one note of colour preferable.—The flowers furnish variety and colour.—Lady de Bathe (Mrs. Langtry) in her garden at Newmarket, England        
                 
        II. Woman Decorative on the Lawn        
        One may be a flower or a bunch of flowers for colour against the unbroken sweep of green underfoot and background of shrubs and trees.—Chic outline and interesting detail, as well as colour, of distinct value in a costume for lawn.—How to cultivate an unerring instinct for what is a successful costume for any given occasion        
                 
        III. Woman Decorative on the Beach        
        If one would be a contribution to the picture, figure as white or vivid colour on beach, deck of steamer or yacht        
                 
XII        Woman As Decoration When Skating        134
        Line of the body all important.—The necessity of mastering form to gain efficiency in any line; examples.—The traditional skating costume has the lead        
                 
XIII        Woman Decorative in Her Motor Car         145
        The colour of one's car inside and out important factor in effect produced by one's carefully chosen costume        
                 
XIV        How To Go About Planning A Period Costume        154
        Period.—Background.—Outline.—Materials.—Colour scheme.—Detail with meaning.—Authorities.—Consulting portraits by great masters.—Geraldine Farrar.—Distinguished collection of costume plates.—One result of planning period costumes is the opening up of vistas in history.—Every detail of a period costume has its fascinating story worth the knowing.—Brief historic outline to serve as key to the rich storehouse of important volumes on costumes and the distinguished textless books of costume plates.—Period of fashions in costumes developing without nationality.—Nationality declared in artistry of workmanship and the modification or exaggeration of an essential detail according to national or individual temperament.—Evolution of woman's costume.—Assyria.—Egypt.—Byzantium.—Greece.—Rome.—Gothic Europe.—Europe of the Renaissance,—seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth century through Mid-Victorian period.—Cord tied about waist origin of costumes for women and men        
                 
XV

        The Story Of Period Costumes

A Résumé        172
        Woman as seen in Egyptian sculpture-relief; on Greek vase; in Gothic stained glass; carved stone; tapestry; stucco; and painting of the Renaissance; eighteenth and nineteenth century portraits.—Art throughout the ages reflects woman in every rôle; as companion, ruler, slave, saint, plaything, teacher, and voluntary worker.—Evolution of outline of woman's costume, including change in neck; shoulder; evolution of sleeve; girdle; hair; head-dress; waist line; petticoat.—Gradual disappearance of long, flowing lines characteristic of Greek and Gothic periods.—Demoralisation of Nature's shoulder and hip-line culminates in the Velasquez edition of Spanish fashion and the Marie Antoinette extravaganzas        
                 
XVI        Development Of Gothic Costume        192
        Gothic outline first seen as early as fourth century.—Costume of Roman-Christian women.—Ninth century.—The Gothic cape of twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth centuries made familiar on the Virgin and saints in sacred art.—The tunic.—Restraint in line, colour, and detail gradually disappear with increased circulation of wealth until in fifteenth century we see humanity over-weighted with rich brocades, laces, massive jewels, etc.

The Virgin in Art

Late Middle Ages.—Sovereignty of the Virgin as explained in "The Cathedrals of Mont St. Michel and Chartres," by Henry Adams.—Woman as the Virgin dominates art of twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries.—The girdle.—The round neck.—The necklace, etc.        
                 
XVII

        The Renaissance

Sixteenth And Seventeenth Centuries        214
        Pointed and other head-dresses with floating veils.—Neck low off shoulders.—Skirts part as waist-line over petticoat.—Wealth of Roman Empire through new trade channels had led to importation of richly coloured Oriental stuffs.—Same wealth led to establishing looms in Europe.—Clothes of man like his over-ornate furniture show debauched and vulgar taste.—The good Gothic lines live on in costumes of nuns and priests.—The Davanzati Palace collection, Florence, Italy.—Long pointed shoes of the Middle Ages give way to broad square ones.—Gorgeous materials.—Hats.—Hair.—Sleeves.—Skirts.—Crinolines.—Coats.—Overskirts draped to develop into panniers of Marie Antoinette's time.—Directoire reaction to simple lines and materials        
                 
XVIII        Eighteenth Century        233
        Political upheavals.—Scientific discoveries.—Mechanical inventions.—Chemical achievements.—Chintz or stamped linens of Jouy near Versailles.—Painted wall-papers after the Chinese.—Simplicity in costuming of woman and man        
                 
XIX        Woman In The Victorian Period        241
        First seventy years of nineteenth century.—"Historic Dress in America" by Elizabeth McClellan.—Hoops, wigs, absurdly furbished head-dresses, paper-soled shoes, bonnets enormous, laces of cobweb, shawls from India, rouge and hair-grease, patches and powder, laced waists, and "vapours."—Man still decorative        
                 
XX        Sex In Costuming         244
        "European dress."—Progenitor of costume worn by modern men.—The time when no distinction was made between materials used for man and woman.—Velvets, silks, satins, laces, elaborate cuffs and collars, embroidery, jewels and plumes as much his as hers        
                 
XXI        Line And Colour Of Costumes In Hungary        252
        In a sense colour a sign of virility.—Examples.—Studying line and colour in Magyar Land.—In Krakau, Poland,—A highly decorative Polish peasant and her setting        
                 
XXII        Studying Line and Colour in Russia        265
        Kiev our headquarters.—Slav temperament an integral part of Russian nature expressed in costuming as well as folk songs and dances of the people.—Russian woman of the fashionable world.—The Russian pilgrims as we saw them tramping over the frozen roads to the shrines of Kiev, the Holy City and ancient capital of Russia at the close of the Lenten season.—Their costumes and their psychology        
                 
XXIII        Mark Twain's Love of Colour in all Costuming        276
        Wrapped in a crimson silk dressing-gown on a balcony of his Italian villa in Connecticut, Mark Twain dilated on the value of brilliant colour in man's costuming.—His creative, picturing-making mind in action.—Other themes followed        
                 
XXIV        The Artist And His Costume        283
        A God-given sense of the beautiful.—The artist nature has always assumed poetic license in the matter of dress.—Many so-called affectations have raison d'être.—Responding to texture, colour and line as some do to music and scenery.—How Japanese actors train themselves to act women's parts by wearing woman's costumes off the stage.—This cultivates the required feeling for the costumes.—The woman devotee to sports when costumed.—Richard Wagner's responsiveness to colour and texture.—Clyde Fitch's sensitiveness to the same.—The wearing of jewels by men.—King Edward VII.—A remarkable topaz worn by a Spaniard.—Its undoing as a decorative object through its resetting        
                 
XXV        Idiosyncrasies in Costume        292
        Fashions in dress all powerful because they seize upon the public mind.—They become the symbol of manners and affect human psychology.—Affectations of the youth of Athens.—Les Merveilleux, Les Encroyables, the Illuminati.—Schiller during the Storm and Stress Period.—Venetian belles of the sixteenth century.—The Cavalier Servente of the seventeenth century.—Mme. Récamier scandalised London in eighteenth century by appearing costumed à la Greque.—Mme. Jerome Bonaparte, a Baltimore belle, followed suit in Philadelphia.—Hour-glass waist-line and attendant "vapours" were thought to be in the rôle of a high-born Victorian miss.—Appropriateness the contribution of our day to the story of woman's costuming        
                 
XXVI        Nationality In Costume        296
        When seen with perspective the costumes of various periods appear as distinct types though to the man or woman of any particular period the variations of the type are bewildering and misleading.—Having followed the evolution of the costume of woman of fashion which comes under the general head of European dress, before closing we turn to quite another field, that of national costumes.—Progress levels national differences, therefore the student must make the most of opportunities to observe.—Experiences in Hungary        
                 
XXVII        Models        306
        Historical interest attaches to fashions in woman's costuming.—One of the missions of art is to make subtle the obvious.—Examples as seen in 1917        
                 
XXVIII        Woman Costumed for Her War Job        313
        The Pageant of Life shows that woman has played opposite man with consistency and success throughout the ages.—Apropos of this, we quote from Philadelphia Public Ledger, for March 25, 1917, an impression of a woman of to-day costumed appropriately to get efficiency in her war work        
                 
        In Conclusion        324
        A brief review of the chief points to be kept in mind by those interested in the costuming of woman so that she figures as a decorative contribution to any setting

Subject: RE: BS: Your Life in Polyester
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 26 Oct 09 - 08:52 PM

just what a woman needed to know in the middle of WW1!

Tho the author does say in her intro that she "does not advocate the preening of her feathers as woman's sole occupation, much less at this crisis in the making of world history ... "

Irene Castle modelling costumes for the book

thanks for the fascinating link, Susan

sandra (alas, not always a decorative contribution to a setting)