Ladies' Dress: Spatial Reasoning

In this first segment of a three-part series, I hope to get the creative and analytical juices flowing with one of my new favorite topics: how to dress! I truly believe that it's not rocket science, but it does take some thought. Specifically, an analysis of the knowledge necessary to dress well reveals three primary factors: Spatial Reasoning, Texture Recognition, and the Color Spectrum.

Spatial Reasoning

The first kind of knowledge you have to have to dress well is spatial reasoning. You have to know what fits where, and to know this you have to know the nature of the thing you're dealing with: the female body. The shape of a woman's body is a unique one; thus, the dress used to ornament such a shape must harmonize with its underlying structure. That is, a woman is not a rectangle:



She is not an oval or blob shape either:



Finally, though having natural curves, a woman's body does not have bulbous growths:



Sorry for the immodesty of that last picture, but that brings up the point that, once we recognize the basics of our body shape, we also have to recognize that dress serves to camouflage a bit as well as to reflect reality. It basically covers up but this cover has to be in keeping with the thing. Luckily we don't have to start from ground zero, because the earliest forms of dress necessarily had more to do with function than anything. We can use traditions of dress to find out what shapes really work to highlight natural beauty.

By now, you are probably asking, what are the concrete rules of this spatial reasoning game? Well, rule number one has got to be that the shape should draw the eye to the face. This is because the face, especially with the eyes, is the window to the soul. There are various ways to do this, and you can experiment for yourself what works. It can be anything from this



to this



Rule two is that your waist should look smaller than your hips, because that's how it really is. The two above dresses are also good examples of that. Why, one might ask, are we trying to end up looking like a triangle from waist to ground, when we are not really shaped like triangles? Well, the triangle shape is one expression of dress that goes in at the waist, but you can also use tailored, straight skirts to achieve the same effect. It's also important to remember that the rule does not work in the same way for everyone--one person might emphasize the waist by wearing full skirts that come in at the waist, while for another it might be more effective to wear a straight skirt with a tailored blouse. Again, this is where experimentation comes in.

Finally, as a third rule, dresses should not be too short--and not only for reasons of modesty. Too-short clothes result in the strange shapes seen on the models above. It's hard to create smooth, clean lines without a space to work with. Some dresses I look at in stores just seem abridged: I wish there were more to them. For thin people, they also emphasize the legs in a way that can make them seem boyish. For not so thin people, it's just a bad idea all around. Here's a reasonable, mid-length dress that bridges the gap:



There's a lot more that could be said, and the discussion can definitely become a lot more particular, but I hope these are some good starting points to muse upon. Basically, I think a lot of fashion designers out there don't exercise responsible spatial reasoning when it comes to the female form, and I think it's something we should be cognizant of in our attempts to look beautiful.

Creative Genius

An important aspect to the feminine character is our need to create. All people have the impulse to participate in God's creative work, but women desire not just to make something new but to make something beautiful. Throughout the ages, women have put their talents to good use in making clothes, accessories, and objects for the home. Now, however, we see a crisis in which shopping rather than crafting is the default expression of our urge for loveliness. There are entire stores built on this principle alone: it would never occur to men to shop here!

Nevertheless, along with men, we do want the satisfaction of making something with our own hands, of producing out of a lesser form something greater and more perfect. And it's not simply our desire but our duty that we carry this out. This doesn't mean that anything we make must be solely ornamental, nor does it mean that all women are called to be exceptional seamstresses, knitters, painters, upholsterers, sculpters, embroiderers, beaders, spinners, crocheters, quilters, pastry chefs, decoupagers, paper mache artists, typographers, and jewelry-makers. That list is as exhausting as it is exhaustive. It does mean, however, that as women we should fulfill our desire for realizing beauty by exploring a creative outlet: we all have the ability to do this, and the only thing that prevents us is a lack of proper motivation.

For instance, as of this moment, I can type, I can organize, I can put on jewelry--and that's about it. I see my friends envisioning, designing, and executing the most lovely and important work for themselves and each other, and I have no place in it. I want to recapture that ability to see and to make, to give something I myself made; and, recognizing this want, I will proceed in that direction.

Rules on Whom to Marry

I have finally found it, a gold nugget, another's wisdom distilled into relatively readable form: The Rules on Whom (Not) to Marry! (thanks to feminine-genius)

It could also be entitled, "Who Are Ready to Marry?" or even (if I had had the life experience to compose it) "Signs of the Lower Echelon." Some of you may remember my musings on what I termed "lower echelon guys"--and I hope, as you read it, you realized I did not mean any slight to guys in general. The problem with marrying, or seeking to marry, those who are not truly prepared for marriage is that, like in public school education, the focus tends to go towards the lowest common denominator.

I especially liked these "Rules," however, because though in list form they eminently are not a checklist. They don't tell you what you are looking for, because you should know that yourself. You should know yourself well enough to seek a partner who complements your strengths and abilities. The list serves to provide general guidelines, because as they point out in #18, "People in love are about the most gullible creatures on God's green earth." I liked the bit about sisters too--and that may even apply to extremely close girl friends who, if allowed to speak freely, will often voice similar insights and intuitions.

Finally, I liked the nod at normality (the introduction to the rules part reminded me a lot of my own alma mater as well). We should be normal--even if no one else is. Now, it is uncharitable to characterize others as abnormal to their faces, and to some extent to dwell on it interiorly is not always helpful. Nevertheless, finding a spouse is about reaching a norm, a place in your life that you can be comfortable in for years to come. That is why you cannot give yourself in marriage unless you have "achieved normalcy," in some sense. Be normal, and be well.

Can shorts be feminine?

Too much of the dialogue concerning femininity centers upon matters of dress. On the other hand, since women love dress, perhaps it's not too much per se, but it does have the tendency to continue ad nauseam. The feminine spirit cannot be distilled into a skirt, long, short, soft, flowy, or otherwise. Yet, to truly imitate Our Lady, a woman must understand and live modesty as part of her specific mission. A lot of that has to do with dress. Therefore, the question of this post is one of a practical nature that could be discussed with profit. Is there a place in a woman's wardrobe for shorts of moderate length? Under what circumstances can this garment be employed (and enjoyed) by ladies? :)

A Ladylike Blog

Of all the blogs I look at and check frequently, Tea at Trianon by Elena Maria Vidal ranks high on the list in both content and style. The author is most definitely a lady, and the topics she chooses to discuss are varied yet always of interest. Moreover, she chooses lovely illustrations for her posts and keeps the layout of her online journal clean and elegant. If there can be said to be an art to blogging, Ms. Vidal has proven a master artist.