FoodNet

A manual of home-making

1919

Page 187

Presented as published in 1919. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
To the woman goiierally hi\h the r<?sjK>n.sibility of the or unwiso expenditure of thzit part of the family income poilioiied to elotliing. Whether sUe sjxhkIs wisely depends on her knowledge of all phases of the clothing prol>lem, ^ One of tht; hr^t quest ioos that arises is whether she shall buy H ready-made garments or l>iiy the materials and make similar garments at home. The eondit ions surrounding eaeh individual or family are so difTerent iii* to make impossible an answer tci ■ this question which will suit all cases. Probably skill, time, and the limitation of one\s purse are the most influential factors in such a choice. When selecting materials or garments, one should be able to ^ judge the durability, including the quality of the material, jl their suitability to the occasion for which the garments are to be worn and to the wearer, the Ijecomingness of color and line, and the price in relation to the clothing allowance from the income. Clothes have the |>ower to make persons feel comfortable and ^ at ease or to make them conspicuous and unhappy. This does | not mean fhat the costume need be new or old; it means that it should \yc appropriate and becoiuing. It means adapting the prevailing style to one's own type of figure and personatity. A person may be just as conspicuous in an ultra-fashionable costume as in one that is very out-of-ilate; but either may be adapted to conform with good taste» without a great expendi- ture of time or money. To Im* well dressed the woman who makes her own garments must depend largely on familiarity witli the principles of design, a critical, discriminating, and thoughtful attitude toward clotli- 330 I A THE MAKING OF CLOTHING 331 ing, common sen.se, skill in the manipulation of fabrics^ in draping, or in cutting cloth l>y a pattern and knowledge of the best eq u i p m e n t to 1m* iisc^d . ' * 1{ i gl 1 1 d re.ss is, t he rt3 f o re , that which is lit for the s^tation in life, and the work to l>e flone in it, and wliich i.s otherwise graceful, becoming, histing, healthful and easy; on occasion splendid; always as beautiful as possible/'* Dictates of fashion too often outweigh one's goo<:l Judgment, w^hich in this case should have as a background the principles of design. Clothing should interpret the personality of the wearer and emphasize pleasing elements of face or figure rather than exhibit the prevailing fashion, which often exaggerates defi- ciencies instead of concealing them. No costume can be artistic or picturesque, although it may l>e considered fashionabk*, if it perverts the natural lines of the figure. In good design it is generally possible to emphasize the good points or lines of the figure and to make the less de- sirable lines inconspicuous. This necessitates careful considera- tion of the silhouette. Simplicity in silhouette, in line, in the divisions of the costume made t>y line or dark and light, and in decoration, cannot be overestimated. The .search for greater simphcity and for original detail arc the two principles followed by the greatest liesigners*