Who would have reckoned that the subject of women's clothing would one day be not only controversial but political as well? Standards of previous centuries seem to be lost to us, except for their beautiful paintings. Let us see what we ladies can learn from them about feminine dressing.
Pinkie: Sarah Barrett Moulton, 1794 Sir Thomas Lawrence You Can Order This Art Print from AllPosters.com | For example, check out one of my favorite paintings, "Pinkie," of which I have seen the original at the Huntington Library in California. It was painted by Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) of a little girl named Sarah Barrett Mouton. Her brother was the father of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. What do you see? I see an innocent expression, a wonderful day in the outdoors overlooking an English valley. The girl does not contradict her surroundings. Her dress is beautiful, flowing, soft, clear. There are no "muddied" colors in her attire. In contrast to the white dress is the beautiful satin ribbon of which so many girls were fond in that day. This little girl is so adorable that one is tempted to embrace her. There is nothing immodest about her dress, yet it is extremely appealing. |
| We see this in other paintings, such as the one above right. Today, this dress is being copied by designers and seamstresses. It looks soft, pure, lovely and womanly without creating the wrong kind of attention that would endanger a woman's reputation and safety. And note the maternal grouping in the painting below right--the mother with her lace shawl and garden hat. Perhaps one clue to the values of the era in which pictures like this were painted, is in the theme of motherhood and babies. It would do well for the modern woman to note that many of these beautiful scenes were painted by men, and through the study of them, we can understand what the men of that era (and yes, ladies, our own times, no matter what the media wants to tell you), admired in women. Today, it is rare to find a man who admires goodness above physical beauty. I hasten to say, just from viewing paintings like this, that there was a time when goodness equaled beauty. Men admired women who wanted to be mothers and fastidious little homemakers. Men admired women who were pure and did not fix their affections playfully on one man after another. Men admired women whose appearance and mannerisms were directly opposite to the men. The femininity of the women was distinctly different than the masculinity of the men. It is these contrasts that gave these paintings their beauty. |
A Favour Edmund Blair Leighton You Can Order This Art Print from AllPosters.com
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What Makes Something Feminine?
 Apple Blossoms by Peter Quidley | Feminine dress is that which appears to be soft (sometimes even fragile), fluid and draping rather than stiff and mannish. No one looking at the wearer would wonder whether he was looking at a man or a woman! Sometimes I see female newscasters or the ladies in real estate offices, and it occurs to me that their clothing looks very hard and plastic, especially suits with built-up shoulders and shirts with ties. Ladies, there are plenty of jeans and masculine clothes to look at in this world. You aren't really expressing much individuality by wearing the grunge stuff that most females are wearing these days. I was once at the San Diego Zoo, and, as the line was rather slow, had the privilege of listening to a male French tourist speaking to his mother in English. "What is with the American women?" he asked. "Don't they care what they look like?" I was ashamed of the women, and sorry for him, that he had to encounter such a "view" as this. And do you think the women of the past were all stiff and starch and limited in their activities? View this painting of a woman picking blossoms. Her graceful dress is so well designed that she can easily reach without things tugging and pulling to reveal her underthings. There are many such paintings, and even photographs, depicting women doing a myriad of work and recreation in beautiful, functional modest clothing. |
| The Victorian women enjoyed such magazines as Godey's Lady's Book and The Delinator for their guide in fashion, patternmaking and sewing. Today we seem to have no such national guide, except for the popular magazines which depict "fashion" as little more than a yard of cloth. That is why I suggest you look at the old paintings which show women dressed modestly and distinctively. There is no mistaking a woman for a man in most portraits prior to the 1920s! |
Waiting Edmund Blair Leighton You Can Order This Art Print from AllPosters.com |
Maintaining the Differences
Not all women have the same tastes, nor are they required to. Some enjoy pastels and lace, while others find deep blues or simpler lines appealing. But the important thing is that women dress the part -- the part of the "weaker vessel." We don't want to stomp around in manly boots or elbow our way through crowds in a football jersey. That proclaims a lie to the watching world -- it tells others that we are just like men, and, consequently, that we expect to be treated like men. We therefore have no right to complain if doors are slammed in our faces or if men refuse to give us a seat on a bus or train. Our culture has fallen so hard for the lies of egalitarianism that it will take many years to work our way back to the beauties of inequality (yes, I said beauties!). But we can start by dressing in a womanly manner and taming our behavior to match our dress. Girls used to have to go through "Charm School" to learn to sit, stand, walk and talk properly. Knowing how to behave gracefully and in a ladylike manner goes hand-in-glove with dressing the part. It isn't enough to put a ring of gold into a pig's snout; the pig must learn to be a lady!
Lady Agnew of Lochnaw John Singer Sargent You Can Order This Art Print from AllPosters.com | We can begin by studying the modest, feminine fashions of times past. Each era has its racy fashions which should be avoided, but when practically everything that surrounds us today is either sensual or completely mannish, we are going to have to look backwards for our inspiration. When we find something we particularly like from another era, it takes only a bit of creativity and work to update the look for today (removing skirt trains and other accessories which are impractical or make us look like we're going to a costume ball). There are hundreds and hundreds of beautiful historical patterns available which can be used to create lovely garments today (see L.A.F.'s Links). It's time to put our thinking caps on and approach our wardrobes with an eye toward redeeming femininity and beauty! |
