Dress and Look Slender

by Jane Warren Wells

In selecting underwear, choose light-weight, smooth, close-fitting garments—fine knitted ones or those of softest muslin.
A shirt and bloomers are preferred by some—others, the straight combination. Select that which suits you best, but keep in mind the essentials of slenderness.

Omit all draw ribbons at the top of lingerie. Use tiny lengthwise darts to fit the garments close and smooth.

For the same reasons, omit all gathers at the waistline. Fit the garment so smooth that not a wrinkle or line is visible when the dress is on.

By following these really simple rules in regard to your underthings you are ready to give your attention to the part of your costume which shows; namely, dress, wrap, and hat, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that these are the only things that show. For without smooth, perfectly fitting underwear, corset, brassiere and slip, your outer garments cannot possibly give you that appearance of sylph-like slenderness which is your goal.

CHAPTER V
CARDINAL RULES FOR DRESSES THAT CAMOUFLAGE SIZE

We will now assume that right corsets and slips have been acquired, that you see and realize the possibilities of optical illusions and that a keen desire is evident to avoid, overcome, and correct every fault that hinders a right expression of clothes. I use the word “right” in a broad sense, because in working to look slender in dress you will necessarily achieve a happy degree of perfection that will prove quite as much of an asset as the appearance of slenderness.

I know you are eager for the start to actual rules and formulas, but first we must acquire enough “feeling” for line, color, and fabric to use the three wisely. The most economical way to do this is to start with what you have on hand.

REMODELING YOUR PRESENT WARDROBE

To the closet now.

Take out your big-figured dress. Every large woman owns a figured dress of some kind. There is something different about you if you haven’t one. I don’t know why, but evidently we all have felt that we might get lost in the expanse of the pattern and become less conspicuous.