The Omaha Sunday Bee Magazine Page
Sow J
cience s
Surprising Illusion of
Height and Slenderness
That Can Be Given
Men and Women of Too
Generous Proportions by a
Skilful Arrangement of
the "Lines" of Their Clothes
eople
Ily Albert Malnin, M. E.
(PolyUchnlo Institute, Gothen, Anhalt, Germany)
TO make rlotblng for stout pnople that
will conceal Uie (Infects of their too
Keneroua figures and accentual tha
good point does not require the discovery
of any new acfcntlflc principles, Moat of
tha principles Involved are a old aa science
Itself, and many of the in have long been
laccMsriiiijr employed
)
If
-
4
In painting, rauilc,
aculpture, architecture
nd other arts and
sciences.
When a composer
alts down to write a
11k lit, graceful piece of
mimic tin selects an
entirely different type
of melody and rhythm
from that whlrb be
would two if he were
writing a ponderous
funeral march. In
similar fuslilon the
architect knows how
to arrango his ma
terials so as to give
even a very large
bull.llng an effect of
airy (trace, height and
slenderness.
I can think of noth
ing better for the de
signer of clothing for
stout people to keep
conHtantly In mind
than one of the great
O'rthlc cathedrals. As
plratlon, the reartilng
for something higher,
Is the fundamental
principal of Oothlc
architecture, and
very line from the
cornerstone to the
topmost peak of the
spire Is designed and
constructed with this
effect In view.
It Is exactly the
same effect which
stout women must
constantly strive for
In their clothes.
As I explained In this newspaper last Sun
day, aclence knows that for some reason
not yet thoroughly understood It Is natural
for the human eye to try to make every
thing that comes within Its range of vision
look taller than It really Is.
This Instinct to overestimate height Is so
universal that If the designer of clothes foe
the stout woman will give only a half-
ir Yf 7? i
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,
hearted obedience to certain well-knows
laws of optics, color and psychology he can
make her create a pleasing llluHlon of height
and slenderness and at the same time dress
her In the height of fashion.
The common habit of referring to a man's
silk hat as a "hljfh" hat Is as good an Illus
tration as can be found of the tendency of
me nunian eye to
overestimate the
height of everything
It sees. As a matter
of fsct, a silk bat Is
no higher than most
derbies.
In the psychological
laboratories of the
University of Iowa
some Interesting ex
periments were con
ducted recently In the
effort to find out why
It Is that a silk hat
looks so much taller
than It really Is. A
number of students
profoftsors were asked
to agree upon the
height to which a silk
hat would correspond
K It were placed
against the wall of
the window sill.
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"The architects of the great Gothic
cathedrals have produced in mason
ry the same effects which 'stout'
people should strive to produce in
their clothes height, slenderness
and airy grace."
A point was agreed
upon, and when the
hat ws Hct up It fell
short of the mark by
fully 25 per cent of Its
actual height. In oth
er words, every man
taking part In the ex
periment had Judged
the hat to be one
fourth higher than It
really was.
Those In the labor
atory were then asked
to Judge Individually
the ratio of the height
to the diameter, tha
diameter b?lng cousld
as representing ten
unit. The Judgment of height ranged from
twelve to sixteen units, but actual measure
ment of the hat showed that Its height and
diameter were exactly equal.
This tendency of the human eye to over
estimate height Is of the greateHt Importance
to the stout woman who wishes to have her
clothes conceal the defects of her figure and
emphasize its good points.
The problem she has to solve Is how she
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can best encourage this natural tendency
on the part of those who see tier.
This Is all a matter of the selection of the
proper lints and their proper application to
ber clothes. With the right lines rightly
applied, she cn create as deceptive an Illu
sion of height and slenderness as the
architect does with bis buge structures of
brick and stone.
The trouble with tbe stout woman's
clothes In the past has been tbe utter dis
regard which (heir maker have shown for
certain well known scientific laws. They
have Insisted that because a woman was
siout she could not dress la the prevailing
styles without look ng ridiculous. Thty
inad ber dr es a scrlee of broad, perfectly
plain stretches of fahrlo unrelieved by any
frills or furbelows,
Tbie could be no greater mistake than
this. The plslner a stout womsn'e dres fa,
the more unrelieved Its expenses of fsbrle,
the broader and shorter It makes ber look.
I!, me explain brlnfly whsf lines the stout
woman should avoid or subdue in her dress,
and what line she should emphasise.
Ilorlwuitsl line are never good for the
stout women. If they munt be used, they
must be broken or relieved In some wsy.
All lines that (end toward the borlxontal
should have a dowriwsrd curve If the stout
woman I to look her best. There Is nothing
better to counteract the bad effect of the
heavy nHe of fleh found over tbe
shoulder blades of many wom-n than lines
curving downwsrd snd toward the front.
Horizontal lines, of course, cannot be en
tirely avoided, but wherever they appear
they must be broken or softened. The em
pilaris must always be placed on the ver
tical, The unpleasant effect produced by undue
fullness through the back, an effect very
common among American women, Is success
fully overcome by a liberal use of psnel
pleat snd broken belt effects, f'anel seam
are excellent for making the bust appear
smaller than if. really Is, and so are revers
If long snd pointed.
The sclent Ifla designer of clothes for stout
women uses buttons liberally. No other
simple mods of trimming a dress will do
more to make Its wearer look tall and
slender. They are employed In various ways
to relive the belt, and a long line of them
down the front of a skirt will often make a
woman look six Inches taller and fifty pounds
lighter.
The Irre hipped woman should shun
plain tight fitting skirts as she would the
plague, .ft her try soft pointed pleats over
the hips and she will bo pleasantly surprised
to see that Inntead of their making her
figure larger, they seem to reduce Its elxe.
Home of the more elaborate draperies
which are now so popular may be worn
without hesitation by the large hipped
woman, provided they are cbosen In ac
cordance with the principles which I am
outlining In this serle of articles. But
these draperies should always be carried
below the hip line and their effect will be
greally enhanced by tbe skilful use of
pointed panels.
Kach and every part of a gown must he
made to HHlnt In creating the desired Il
lusion. Kveti the pockets can be made to
play an Important part In producing the de
sired effect If they are given the proper
curve or angle.
It Is surprising to see how much can be
iRcompIlshed by a proper handling of tbe
to Look
it if
"The tendency of the human eye is
always to overestimate the height of
anything it sees. A silk list looks at
least 23 per cent taller than its top Is
wide, but as a matter of fact the two
measurement are preclnely the
same. The optical illusion explains
why silk hata are called 'high when
they are really no higher than most
other hats."
most trivial details about a drees. Cascade
revers will work wonders In giving a soft
line to tbe watst and In accentuating Its
length. Just a touch of soft white mate
rial Is often all that Is needed to make a
gown that would otherwise ha quite us
suitable, just tbe thing for tbe stout woman.
Pointed effects are employed everywhere,
Just as tbey are In Uothlo architecture.
Pointed panels In the beck reduce He width.
They are also quite necessary when drap
eries are to be worn on the hips.
Until recently it would have been thought
absurd for any stout woman to attempt to
wear ruffles. These, however, are well
within the bounds of possibility for her If
they are broken by curves, which give them
an up and down Instead of a borlxontal ef
fect. Kven horizontal stripes can be safely
worn by tbe stout woman when skilfully
treated In panel effects.
Let me repeat that the secret of go4
dressing for the stout woman lies In the)
choice of tbe proper lines and their applica
tion to ber gowns In accordance with scien
tific principle. To attain tbe proper lines
a good corset Is tbe first essential. And
the stout woman roust never forget tbat tbe
function of tbe corset Is not merely to sup
port the figure but to give It harmony.
The lines of tbe etout woman's clothes
should always taper toward tbat part of her
figure which she wishes to mske appear
smaller. These line, remember, do not
necessarily have to complete themselves In
the garment. Tbey may be only carried a
little distance, but in even that short length
they furnish a suggestion which the eye is
able to complete so tbat It gets tbe dealred
Illusion,
In this Magaxlne Section next Sunday Mr.
Malaln will explain what colors and me
terlals the stout woman should aelact, and
how she should combine thsm In hsr gowns.
f21,
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On the left, a "stout" woman appearing ''"htouier" than ever In it plain, unadorned gown.
On the ilht, the same woman in gowai constructed on scientific principle. Note what a pleas
ing effect of height and slcndcrncs- U created in each of the four gown on the right by the
skilful uie of vertical and Wanting linen, pointed panel, hroken belt line, curved bodices, etc.
A Good Example of tha
SurpriKing Effects Which Can
He Produced by the Applica
tion of Scientific Principles to
the Design of Clothing. In
This Gown the Long Itow of
Muttons Up and Down the
Front Creates An Illusion of
Added Height and Slender
nt'Ng. The Upward Slant of
the Converging Lines Ilelow,
and the Downward Slant of
Thoae Above the Waist Mne,
Add to the Illusion of Height
and AIho I.'mpliuile tha
Snuillnt'M of the Wnlst.
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