1930s
Paris’ Leading Fashion Authority Tells How to Dress Inexpensively and Yet Look Smart as a Star
By Elsa Schiaparelli
As Told to Harold S. Kahm
A woman can dress within her income and be chic almost no matter that income
may be.
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Good taste is supremely important if you wish to be well-dressed, and wish to
make a good impression, in Hollywood or elsewhere, and it doesn’t matter
whether you are a famous Hollywood star , or an unknown stenographer. When I
last visited New York I was shocked to see women in mink coats buying pork chops.
You must have a sense of the fitness of things, and you must give some intelligent
consideration of the matter of where you’re going to wear your clothes.
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Not long ago a girl – an American – came to me and asked my advice
concerning her clothing problem. She said, I am going to Hollywood to try to
get into movies; it is important that I dress well to make the right impression
on the people I will have contact; but my salary is so small that I cannot afford
to buy the type of wardrobe I want. What is the least amount of money one must
spend in order to be chic? I will present here the suggestions which I gave
her, because I believe that a great American girls and women may find them helpful.
Whether you are trying to crash the gates of Hollywood, or to make a smart impression
upon your sweetheart, or merely wish to be chic at all times, this suggestions
will apply to you. I cannot quote any actual costs, not being familiar with
prices in America at the present time, but I will suggest in my opinion would
constitute the minimum wardrobe that a person with a limited income must have
in order to be smart dressed: Assuming that you are ”starting from scratch”,
begin building your wardrobe with a good suit, and add to it as you can afford
it, a good coat, two plain dresses for afternoon or dinner, a smart evening
dress which will do duty winter and summer, and an evening wrap. For the first
dress, I would suggest a good crepe with two different scarfs to be worn with
a black coat with a fur collar. In the case of evening dress, add a little jacket
for informal parties, and leave it off for the formals. As to shoes, you should
have a minimum of one pair of oxfords, one pair of pumps with Cuban heels, and
one pair of evening sandals in either silver or gold (they last a long time).
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Shoes, hats and gloves are frightfully important and should be consider together.
All should match in color. Getting back to the building of our economy wardrobe,
you should have a minimum of two hats, one a felt to wear with oxfords and a
sport blouse; with the same suit a dressy blouse, a dressy hat and pumps, and
you can go anywhere in the afternoon, including a visit to a Hollywood screen
magnate, should you have the opportunity; it is all a question of taste, and
not money.
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If you have good clothes, in good taste, you will always be chic and you can
ignore passing fads. Remember that is not necessary to spend a fortune in order
to look smart and attractive at all times; it requires a surprisingly small
amount of money. It requires only good taste and judgment.
PHOTOPLAY MAGAZINE, August 1936