THE DRESS OF THE FUTURE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1754, 20 May 1913, Page 2

THE DRESS OF THE FUTURE.

WHAT AN ARTIST SATS. In the 6tory of th© costumes of all ages and peoples, to wliicli some future historian will devote a monumental work, no epoch will 1)0 more interesting than that of tho second decade of the twentieth century, which witnessed, for the first time, a conscious and declared leaguo of the studio and the workshop in the service of woman, states a writer in the 'Daily Mail" of April i. . Henceforth tho Rue de la Pais will seek inspiration in some luxurious studio of the Champs Elyseos, or, the Malesherbes quarter, where tho fiat will go forth which decides the season's fashions. 11. Bakst, tho Russian painter, has thrown himself heart and soul into the new departure, and he may fairly lay claim to the tillo of "tho painter of women of tho future." The view of the man whoso Persian costumes in the Russian ballet struck the nolo of a new symphony in dress, and who designed tho costumes and decorations of "Scheherazade," "Salome," "Cleopatra." "Saint Sebastian," and half-a-dozen other productions, is a power to 'bo reckoned with. 51. Bakst is an artist whoso views are of capital importance at the present juncture, when tho two sexes are losing so many of the characteristics which have hitherto differentiated them.

M. Bakst talked to me in his studio in the Villa Malasherbes on his pet subject of the future woman. Lessons from Rome and Grcece. "People havo been struck," ho said, "by the analogy which I have drawn between tho costume of the men and women of tho future. They think I am paradoxical, but I would ask them to bear in inind tho fact that the stylo of the Greek men and women was. .almost identical. ■Moreover, when tho Roman threw his drapery over his head you could hardly distinguish him from a woman if his back was turned towards you. Tho same remark applies to th© East, to tho Chinese, and the Turks. "The future, as I see. it, has in store for us, not the masculinisation, practically speaking, of.women's costume, but a trend of male nnd female costumes towards tho eamo common ideal in art, as in everything. "Women now finds herself at mans side as a comrade in. nearly all the functions of social life. It stands to reason that the woman who now, in all the branches qf commerce and industry, art, sport, tho professions, science, and eVen as ail explorer, stands at man's side supporting the same burdens and responsibilities, cannot preserve any longer the character of a weak creature, and remains at a disadvantage by retaining her traditional dress.

Evolution Half Accomplished. "The evolution is already half accomplished. Tho woman w-orker, tho golfing woman, the dancing woman, the | woman who, liko Jane Dioulafoy, exjiloros j continents, or who, like Mine. Curie, risks her lifo in her laboratory-all these women, I say, havo already adopted a dress in keeping with their occupation, and ono which, while it is not at all unbecoming or ungraceful, is really anil truly the advanco guard of the costume of tho future. "Retrogrado minds which see everything in gloomy colours will at oneo imagine that the future has in store for us tho suppression of that grace which is •eminently feminine. They may undeceive themselves. It is just here that the art of the costumier must, and will, rise to the occasion. ■ . "When you come to it there is really no costume which is exclusively masculine or exclusively feminine. Look at tno i Montenegrins, the heroes of the moment. Tliev all wear skirts, whilst their adversaries' wives wear trousers. A special, sacred custom does not exist. Clearly, tho woman of the future will differ from her sister of to-day as a result ot running the risks ana perils which havo hitherto been -man's inheritance, but she will not lose her charm, she will acquire a fresh charm. "I am convinced that {lie costume of the women of the future will be gradually transformed, and assumo tho aspect of a dress which permits freedom of movement. In this, and in this alone; it wilt imitate man's costume.

Domination of the Face. "Thero is, however, one thing which necessarily will differentiate it from man s dress; it will he more intent and abundant in colour and ornament just the opposite of what we observe in tho animal world. I insist on tho ornamentation. for it has been abandoned for nearly a century in order to allow the woman s face to dominate her costume, lhe dressmakers made a great mistake, for in their anxiety to make the face predominate in the ensemble they really lost tho silhouette of the body. . , "The end and aim of the costumier s art will be to set off what is beautiful in tho bodv of each individual woman, and to suppress tho defects. In lny opinion no art so closcly resembles architecture as the costumier if. Willi lilies, ornament, and colour you can enlarge, make slender or broad every silhouette at will. , „ , "We nre, as T said before, tno spectator* of an evolution already half accomnlished. When will the evolution be complete? Well, we are much nearer the goal than the most credulous would think—a few more steps and we shalL bo there."

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