When it comes to honest-to-goodness accessories that show —hats, shoes, bags, gloves and scarves—remember to keep them clean and well pressed. Shoes should never get run down at the heel. All leather goods need to be polished—a little elbow grease and some wax will work wonders and make the leather last longer, too. White scarves, gloves, and collars—basic standbys—should always look fresh and sparkling clean. Be on the lookout for any torn seams, rips or jagged holes and repair them at once.
All good grooming means attention to details. It is the sum total of all the little things—the neat glove, the sewed-on button, the clean blouse, the freshly pressed skirt, the straight seam, the trim figure. It means looking after yourself and your clothes. It means hanging up your things when you take them off—a skirt that has lain rumpled on the closet floor all night is not going to look like a million dollars the next morning. It means using a clothes brush to remove dust and lint, and it means taking time to remove a stain with a cloth and some spot remover.
Most of all, good grooming means looking well put together. The girl who looks helter-skelter, whose colors don't match, and whose clothes are all awry is not well groomed, nor is the girl who is all pinned together, a perambulating pincushion, bristling like a porcupine at every seam. Pins are all right in their place, in an emergency, but they should be supplanted with something more permanent as soon as possible. Youll never get to be a pin-up girl if you depend on pins to keep you in your clothes.
Here is a morning check-up that you should try before you start for school
1. Underwear—Is it clean? Does it fit?
2. Blouse or sweater—Is it clean? Does it smell fresh?
3. Skirt—Any wrinkles, any spots or stray dirt?
4. Shoes—Are they polished and are they trim at the heels?
5. Stockings or socks—Are they clean? Is the seam straight?
6. A last look, to straighten out a lock of hair, check on nose, chin, and lipstick, and you're off.
"Gosh, I wish 1 had her clothes."
How often we envy others their clothes. We think that if we could have the same clothes, if we could afford as many, we too could look as pretty. But, truth to tell, even if a fairy godmother waved a wand and said, "So be it," chances are that what looked well on one girl would look not-so-well on the other. Individual figures present individual problems, and what is sauce for the goose ain't so for the gander.
Whether one goes by hackneyed adages or not, the matter of clothes boils down to the simple principle that one must dress to flatter oneself. Height, weight, general build, color of hair, eyes, and personality all play a part in what land of clothes to choose.
In spite of these individual considerations, there are a few general rules to guide one. These rules stem from the fact that the eye can be fooled. By optical illusion one can make a tall girl seem shorter, a short one taller, a thin one plumper, and a plump one thinner. All this can be done by a happy arrangement of lines.
Lines are what make up the overall shape of the dress. There are wrap-around lines, slim lines, pleated lines, gored lines, diagonal lines, radiating lines. Sometimes the lines are made more obvious by use of patterned fabric, such as plaids and stripes; and sometimes attention is called to lines by applique—such as a panel of contrasting color down the front opening of a dress.
By recognizing that such lines exist in every dress, you can then choose those dresses which have lines to flatter you. If you are tall, you want to select styles that tend to cut you down. Horizontal lines are your best bet. If you are short, then look for vertical or up-and-down lines. If you are thin, try for horizontal lines (provided you are also tall) and radiating lines—the effect gained from sunburst tucking and shirring. If you are plump, you want lines that call attention to the upper part of the figure; lines that lead the eye away from hips and waistline—big collars are one answer.
With a judicious study of line goes an equally careful study of color. What colors you choose to wear can have a telling effect on how you look. To find out which colors become you, start by placing yourself in one of the following categories:
1. Brunette—fair skinned.
2. Brunette—dark skinned.
3. Blonde—fair skinned.
4. Blonde—dark skinned.
5. Medium brown—fair to dark skin.
6. Redhead—fair to dark skin.
Note that your skin color is just as important as your hair color in determining what to wear. Too often, teens tend to overlook their skin color and think of themselves only by their hair color.
Brunettes with fair skin should play up the exquisite contrast of light and dark. They can look feminine in pastels, pale pink and blue, in dark shades like navy and deep green; and they can look ravishing in bright green and red.
Brunettes with dark skins can play exotic in tangerine tones, in reds, and in bright greens. They should be careful of yellows that tend to give their skin a sallow cast, but they can look to blues and beiges with success.
Blondes with fair skins need to accent their blondeness. If they wear dark colors they should lighten them with a pastel contrast. Navy is wonderful, particularly if freshened with a touch of white, pale pink or pale blue. All the pastels are wonderful to underscore the feminine and willowy look of a blonde. Mauve is a heady choice. As for gray—a good neutral'
Blondes with dark skins need to be careful of yellowing their skins. Keep clear of saffron colors and too-dead neutrals. Freshen up grays and beiges with touches of color at the neckline. Greens and the range of blues are excellent for those with hazel eyes.
Girls with medium brown hair—by far the most numerous, and the predominant American type, should be wary of overdoing the drab lines. Spike neutral grays and beiges with color—a lively, perky color like red, green, or blue. Don't be afraid of color—your medium coloring will react well to color in dress. Yellow in the bright ranges, green in all its variations, and blues, from pale to dark, are very good. True dashing red can be used to good effect.
Redheads should make the most of their coloring. Real redheads are few and far between, and those blessed with such distinctive coloring should make the most of it. Most redheads miss a good bet by timidity. Pink, a color they usually avoid, can be sensational. Red, however, can usually not be worn, as it will clash with the hair color. Blues and greens, in all their variations, are naturals for redheads, and white may be most effective, but only if the skin color is clear and alive. A redhead with a dead-white complexion should wear white with caution.
As with any rules, these are made to be broken, but break them only after due consideration. Make sure that every color you choose does something for you, and don't forget that your hair may not change color, but your skin can. It tans in the summer, fades in the winter. Keep that in mind when you buy your new clothes.
Finally, and I would say above all, above consideration of your figure and your color type, remember your personality. Often your personality and your figure type go hand in hand, but if they don't, stick to your personality as the best guide.
If you are the tailored type, if you like to be uncluttered and trim, then choose tailored clothes, simple skirts, classic jackets, box coats. Keep to the simple even in your date dresses—dirndl skirts and shirtwaist blouses or bateau-necked sweaters and jerseys. Use rich fabrics for distinction, make them dominate the silhouette.