Twice Told Tuesday - Fashion Dos & Don'ts

Women have been slaves to fashion since they chose the first fig leaf. Here is an article that demonstrates just how long women have anguished over having their photograph taken and what to wear; written by a man with a few of his own comments.

The Amateur Photographer & Photography
Wednesday, July 13th, 1921
London

A reader has sent me a list of photographic "don'ts" from a daily newspaper, and some of them appear to deserve the still wider publicity of this page. The advice is not for the photographer, but for the photographed; and, as it is written by a lady, I am not surprised that it is lopsided. It deals mainly with dress and adornment, and evidently assumes that only ladies ever visit a photographer's studio. I am no believer in "don'ts" anyhow. You have only to tell a person not to do a certain thing, and, human nature being what it is, he (and still more she) regards it as an incentive to do that very thing.

When going to be photographed, we are not to wear blueish white or any pale shade except cream; nor grey, yellow or tan; nor stripes, plaid or checks; nor silk, satin, or any glossy material. Of course, few men would be likely to wear yellow silk trousers, either with or without stripes; nor would they don for the occasion a tan satin coat; but the restrictions are so comprehensive that one is inclined to think that there is nothing left but the "altogether," with perhaps a coat of cream distemper to take the edge off the embarrassment. However, there are concessions.

Fashion Don'ts

Velvet and soft woollen goods take particularly well, and black, dark green, blue, or red are decidedly the best colours. There is therefore nothing to grouse about if we can safely wear a red velvet suit of reach-me-downs; or something saucy in blue wool with any dark green pattern that does not divagate into stripes, plaids, or checks. It is an added comfort to learn that lace trimming usually comes out clearly. I should hate to be photographed in my Maltese lace overcoat and find that it came out at all bodgy.

Fashion Dos

Definitions:

Reach-me-downs: Date 1882, chiefly British, meaning hand-me-downs.
Divagate: To wander or drift about.
Bodgy: Of poor quality

Source:

Magazine

Walrus. "Piffle." The Amateur Photographer & Photography, July 1921, 40.

Photographs

Unknown. The Clinging vine. Stereograph. Exhibit Supply Co., c1927. From Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/I?fsaall,app,brum,detr,swann,look,gottscho,
pan,horyd,genthe,var,cai,cd,hh,yan,bbcards,lomax,ils,prok,brhc,nclc,matpc,iucpub,
tgmi,lamb:94:./temp/~pp_wyX8::displayType=1:m856sd=cph:m856sf=3b42184:
@@@mdb=fsaall,app,brum,detr,swann,look,gottscho,pan,horyd,genthe,var,
cai,cd,hh,yan,bbcards,lomax,ils,prok,brhc,nclc,matpc,iucpub,tgmi,lamb
(accessed April 9, 2008).

Unknown Plaid Woman. Photograph. ca.Not Researched. Digital image. Privately held by the footnoteMaven, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Preston, Washington. 2007

Unknown Stripped Woman by Linstrom. Photograph. ca.Not Researched. Digital image. Privately held by the footnoteMaven, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Preston, Washington. 2007

Unknown Lace Woman. Photograph. ca.Not Researched. Digital image. Privately held by the footnoteMaven, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Preston, Washington. 2007

Unknown Velvet Woman by Hat. Photograph. ca.Not Researched. Digital image. Privately held by the footnoteMaven, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Preston, Washington. 2007