Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, March 19, 1916, Page 25

N @M 9P ( );, l ADY DUFF-GORDON, the famous *Lucile’* of London, and @sgflm Y flf 4 Gurbon foremost creator of fashions in the world, writes each week the fashion article for this newspaper, presenting all that is newest and best in styles for well-dressed women. Lady Duff-Gordon's Paris establishment brings her into close touch with that centre of fashion. +res 0p A BN MDY BB e AP GPIe S i A “Trousered” Model of a “Robe Intime” Which s Only for a Lady of a Pronounced Type An “Harmonious Development” of Simplicity —Notice the “Barbaric Note”’—Danger- ous Unless Skilfully Handled Lady Duff Gordon. CLacle” OW often have I heard persons say of some woman, “Oh, yes; she dresses well, but not quite ke a.lady.” And, unfortunately, it is often quite true, Then, sometimes, Just to see what they will say I ask, *“Well, just what {s it that {su't ‘quite ‘lke & lady? " Usually the answers are vague. ‘There {s & “something wrong.” And this {s too bad, also, because while taste is oftentimes not articulate, it would be better for the world if it were. I-mean that while there are many who know taste when they see ft,_.and who can express it in their own dresses, there are not many who can express it in words. And the more people there are who can ex- press themselves clearly, the faster the world moves along the paths of clear thinking and clear seeing. The art of dressing like a lady is, indeed, an art. Like all art its foun- dation 18 simplicity. It is the art of linking one's self with the great har- monies. All law is harmony. The world ‘and the suns and the nebulas which are to become worlds and suns move only by harmonious law. So does the lowest creature in the scale of life. When it becomes at odds with the harmonies of law it dles— whether it be lowest creature or greatest solar system. The Great Source of all is harmony, and har- mony rules all the way along the tre- mendous stretch from that Great Bource to its smallest manifestation. Worlds and suns, angels and hu man beings, pyramids, paintings and dresses are all alike in this one thing—that they must obey the har- monious law. In this all things are really equal. And in the conse quences of their disobedience they are equal. In this we have all of ex istence. When we say “She dresses like a lady" we really say, “She dresses in barmony with eternal law.” When we say “She doesn’t dress quite like a lady” we really say “She has not yet mastered the harmonies,” But if she has not mastered the barmonies of dress she has not, in all probability, mastered the har- monies of life. 1e feathers do not make fine birds” runs the old saw. But fine feathers DO make fine birds —or, to put it in better form—a woman who has mastered the art of fine feathers has actually made her- self a fine bird, She could not en compass the harmonies of the one taking it in the sense of artistic dressing—without moulding her in ner salf harmoniously at the same time. It 1s an art to “dress like a lady" Pueres oy Bumke Arweie. Cu, A Perfect Example of “Draui;/g Like a Lady”—An Exquisite Costume of Pervenche Blue Chiffon with the Hoops Covered with Mauve Satin. A Lace Fichu and Yellow Satin Hat but it is not really a hard art to mas- ter. It may seem odd to you L speak of dress the frivolous as a s bol of the soul—but that is real what dress, woman's dress is. woman thinks right, thinks without fear or malice or I~‘ anything or anyoune, she c unhappy. And if she think in this way she cannot be unhappy in her dress. The sense of order, of beautiful simplicity, of harmony that is in her h(: rt will be reflected in he 85, efore the first step in acquiring the art of dressing like a lady is to have the heart of a lady and | use the term not in any sense of social order or social class, but in its bé® sense of the highest mani- festation of womanhood. There are the harmonies of age, the harmonies of figure, the har monies that we call personal charm the harmonies of face—all these are part of the harmonies of dress, The first lesson {s simplicity. A woman who dresses with entire simplicity and by this I do not mean erudeness or without a touch of imagination annot help dressing like a lady, After she masters this art of sim plicity, the control of the first har monies, she can progress to what | call the acceleration of stmplicity This is the dress that scems simple, that In its effect is simple—but which 1s extremely complex in the thought that has gone into it to give it the effect of super-simplicity. There s the complexity that heaps ornament upon ornament—and this is the complexity sinister, And there is the complexity that refines and re duces to the subtlest point—and this is the good complexity. There I8 one broad rule—if you are in doubt that your dress or hat is in barmonious because of too much or. namentation—too great elaboration —strip it of the doubtful factor. You are seldom in doubt as to whether to edd something, Conselght, 1916, Ly the Star Company Here 1 show a few dresses that I believe conform to the formula of dressing llke a lady. 1 have not space to analyze them-—that you must do for yourself. They are ob- Ject lessons. ‘The large photograph in the centre of the page is from my monthly ar- ticle in Harper's Bazaar. This is a perfect example of dress- ing like a lady. Here every harmony is observed.. The dress f{tself is called “Love’s Garden of Roses,” It is all of pervenche blue chiffon with the hoops covered with mauve satin. A lace fichu and yellow satin hat complete the picture, Here you do Great Britaln Rights Reserved A Lady Dress—Apricot Chiffon Tea Gown Over Underdress of Apricot Satin (“Lucile” Models) not see a jarring note plicity and harmony. And #o0 it is elso in the other photograph. This is an apricot chif- fon tea gown, opening .over an un- derdress of apricot satin. Bands of satin, hemstitched in sllver, adorn it, and a little spray of flowers is at All 1s sim the corsage, Here again you 868 studied and beautiful simplicity. In the little sketch in the left-hand corner is a sample of what has been called “accelerated simplicity Hau a touch of the barbarie n‘s worked luoto the creation, it lll slmplicity has not been destroyed.