Page:A complete course in dressmaking, (Vol. 1, Introduction) (IA completecoursein01cono).pdf/42

 the length of your skirt will seem to add an inch to your height.

There is one point which you must bear in mind when looking at special designs for stout women—that the massive type of big stout women require different styles than you do. They can wear designs that are cut up in a great many pieces—that is, have a great many up and down lines in them. On the other hand, you will look much better in a simpler type of dress, one perhaps that has just a panel or a single line of trimming down each side of the front. For you, the dress of many pieces is in the same class as a figured dress.

It’s a mistake to think that your clothes must be tight. It’s not the stylish conception any more. In soft materials, a little fullness in a skirt is becoming. A short stout woman can wear a straight hanging dress, too, if the belt is narrow and slants down in the front.

As a rule, V necks are the most becoming. The longer the V, the better. You know a deep V gives a chance for the becoming touch of white.

Just mark kimono sleeves taboo, for they are apt to make a person look hunched in the back and very, very wide. Full length, set-in, close-fitting sleeves will make your arms look slimmer.