Dignified Dress

Young Lady Bountiful Giclee Print Redgrave, Richard Buy at AllPosters.com

Have you ever looked at the paintings that so many blogging ladies are putting on, and wondered how in the world we got so far away from beautiful fabrics and flowing designs for women? To be fair, there are still some good styles out there. I get a catalog called "Seventh Avenue" (http://www.seventhavenue.com/Fashion/Womens/Dresses--Skirts/index.cat?index=0&viewall=1) which has a page of womens dresses that look somewhat like the dresses depicted in Edmund B. Leighton's paintings such as "Stitching the Standard," or "The Accolade," and others. If you do consider dresses like this I would like to emphasize the importance of good foundations, or the dress will hang on the figure like a trash bag. You will notice from photographs of the 19th century women compared with photographs of the 20th century women, how awful the women looked in the 1940's styles unless they were models. They had gotten rid of the stay, the linings, the various quilting and padding, and the undergarments that gave the clothing shape. The garments looked very droopy on ordinary women. In contrast, the 19th century clothing looked good on everyone, even the older women and those with more ample figures. There was a look of structure and good fit. These were supported by various pieces of underwear that gave it its shape. Also, the style was created to elongate and slim the figure and bring the upward to the face.

We watch "Antiques Roadshow" sometimes and are always horrified at the camera's inadvertent capture of women in the background wearing the worse shorts and pants and sleeveless things that make the women look shapeless and fat. If you ever look at an object they are filming and are distracted by the appearance of the people in the background.

It is impossible to overlook the woman in short shorts standing just behind the antique clock that the commentators were talking about. She turned around and showed the ill-fitting shorts from behind, which was a total embarrassment. Do old ladies really think they look good in these things?

I read in an old book written in the 1800's that women should try to dress as well in the back as in the front. Today, they seem to ignore what they look like from the back, but people will view the back just as much, if not more, than the front.

Take church, for example. If you have gone to church every Lord's day for most of you life, you have viewed the audience from behind them. As women quit wearing long skirts and dresses and began to wear pants more and more, the scene became almost ludicrous. Yes, it is good they go to worship, but it is not good that their back views are so distracting.

The young are no less culpable. Though their figures are more fit, and their clothing in better shape, the styles leave nothing to the imagination because they are too tight, too short, too low, and too revealing. Large girls do not realize that tight or revealing clothing makes them look fatter. Looser clothing in good taste can take the eye away from all those extra pounds and make them look dignified.

Here are some things for older women that will help them look dignified in dress:

*White at the neckline and throat softens the face and hides a wrinkled neck.

*Long sleeves, particularly those with puffs at the shoulders and cuffs at the wrist appear more dignifed and respectable.

*Long skirts, at least below the knees, and preferable below calf, slim the figure. If you wear the hem at mid-calf, it makes the leg look fat.

*Don't wear slinky fabrics that droop and sag. Wear structured clothing that has a little strength in it. Try on everything and think about this. You need to avoid wearing sleeveless garments if your arms are not attractive and in good shape. As you get older, they sag, and wrinkle. YOu also don't need to be showing the veins on your legs, and your knees are not your best assets for fashion.

*Matching jackets and skirts are nice, but avoid drab colors. Dresses are all around the best deal, because they already match and they hang well in a closet. In my opinion, this is less messy than a lot of separates.

Though there are many more things that help older women look dignified, young women need to realize that the habits they form now will most likely be carried on into old age. If you don't want to be a sloppy old lady, then dress with dignity now. The things you get used to wearing as a youth, will be the things you prefer as you age. Jeans and tank tops might have looked good on you as a teenager, but they don't look good on you as an older woman.

Concerning hair, here is something I've written before: Shaved and spiky hair styles emphasise

wrinkles. Longer hair, swept up, is much like short hair, and can be worn off the neck for coolness.

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