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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1936)
Thomas Handforth, Just home from the Orient, Kl X J A AXX f - ' ' I "J '"rMs&l ' eaye that Chineae women are better atyll.te be- INOTeQ rMTieNCan AmST, ' '' V ' V-' M? $ cauae they have better figures than their Western vj2 H ' ' ' ' "iJ:3?v5l ' J cousins . . L :. Bffiw Wf' Home From China, IjLJj, (iM WStf n Declares Oriental Women Outdo . r&i Their Western Cousins and Would C'f : mf I Win A fto, Qe,.d i Any fe M 3olv'V t Ki-t - 4 j A 'Jfmtf -Tjiav "I i and gesture, and their emotions do not Wi4';t'i'-' lAfTCH'V VH yr I I' work havoc with their W ( f?3iS'.- aMiJrCwJL alliM, r? i t vr . Handforth that. rci,iy. Slll'f'i1''""! : 4-tf '"':'"LkS jTOi.S ' r 1 1 Chinese women do not begin to show rcXJiRYff' .(..'k AW?S-S5I4 j4fa It ' I I 1 their age as early aa Westerner, do, k& W W&Ky-A'fWT '&w0&Sid ilrSjwSwH i I I 1 and that It I. difficult to tell the age AWff V A ) WMFWit &Sj&JJiXVSi h' 1 ' Cln woman until she la very h$?TMh F&J WH H "I--jr9l -VT J I old Indeed. He said: mmr MVWM I iQtowJlV ' VA'tt-:1 The line, of thl, modern American "Tilll f't t7V V mia. give her an appearance that Vrj'-.'g I V l " ' would not be tolerated in the Orient By Carol Bird iSl & " Madame Chu Kwan Mu, of Peiplng, la one of the reigning fashionablea of China. This drawing was alio done for this page by Mr. Handforth peculiar conventions of Chinese style, and one which Illustrates the fundamen tal Chinese conservatism, that Chinese women at all times and for all occasions wear the high collar. They may make a few .concessions to Western style in their dress, such as adding the new lit tle capes or scarfs, but they always adapt them to the high collar. Wear.ng the high collar, however, does not mean that they are less decollete at formal social affairs, for they usually wear sheer fabrics, chiffons, laces and other thin, revealing, cobweb fabrics. But the high collar Is always in evidence and, some how, It makes the women more seduc tive in appearance; more trim, more formal." This la one of the freaks of atyle, common among Western women, but always taboo in the Orient MODISTES, Elsa Maxwell, chronic "ten-best" compiler, and others who are qualified In one way or an other to know whether a woman is a frump or an elegant fashion plate, have been announcing the names of "the ten best-dressed women In America," the "ten best-dressed women In Paris," the "ten best-dressed women In the world" and so on and on endlessly, like a bubbling stream. Those who have been given enviable !mtus In the smart realm of the fnsh lopably dressed are actresses, women with titles, society women, famous beauties, celebrities. For example, Pai ls dressmakers recently named the follow ing group as "the best-drcssrd In the world," after first declaring that halt of the "twenty best" aro American, and naming Lady Mendl, the former Elsie de Wolfe, as "tops," so to six-ok: Mrs. W. K. Vanderbllt, of New York; Onroness Eutiene de Rothschild, the former Kitty Suotawood; Mrs, Ernes'. Simpson, a friend of the Prince of Wales; Mrs. Cole Porter, wife ot the New York song writer; Mrs. John Mar riott, daughter of the late Otto Kahn. Mrs. Gilbert Miller, wife of the the atrical producer; Ina Claire, actress; Constance Bennett, actress; Kay Fran cis, actress: tlie Uuchess of Kent Greek by birth; the Hon. Mrs. Krgl nald Kellowes, French; Mine, Maria Jose Sert, Russian; Mine. Martini' de Hos, Argentine; Princess Jean Louise de Faucigny-Luclnge, Flench Countess Clmrli'ji de Noallles, French. Countess de Beaucliamp, French; Mar quise de Paris, South American. Countess Oerard de MouMiers, French. Diana Wynyard, English. LL of the women mentioned so far In domestic, foreign and Interna tlonal list are On nlmlnl.v What about the Orient? Why hat it no representation? Madame l.lng Su ( Inn and her daughter, specially sketched for thia page by Mr. Handforth The answer comes from Thomas Handforth, artist, who went to China in 1P31 on a Guggenheim Fellowship and remained there four years. He relumed recently tor an exhibition of his drawings, etchings and lithograph! at a New York gallery. He is repre sented in the Metropolitan Museum New York; Fogg Museum, Cambridge Chicago Art Institute, Library ot Con gress, Pennsylvania Museum, Baltimore Museum ot Art. Los Angeles Museum and many others. It is Mr. Handforth who names srv era! Chinese women whom he believe are among the beautifully gowned women of the world and who rtghlfull) have a place In any "best-dreued woman" or "charm" list. They iv Madame Chu Kwan Mu. Mist Haw Fung. Madame Dan and Madame Woo Urn-deh, a writer, all of Peking. "China Is the home of many women ho have beauty, distinction, intel lectual attainments and ttyle." said the American artist. "Those I had the greatest opportunity to meet and ob serve were the women of Northern China, tor I spent most of my time there In Peiplng and in Shanglial. "Chinese styles are radically dif ferent, of course, from Western fash Ions. They are not as variable, for one thing, but that does not make Chinese women any less well dressed. In fact, the very Tightness' of their apparel makes it unusually beautiful. "Chinese women do not affect ex treme styles, nor do they show a tend ency to dress In the latest mode; that Is. they do not snatch eagerly at 'last minute' creations In the fashion world They do not like eccentricity In dress or freakish neveltlrs. and they do not go In for the odd. the bliarre, the swiftly changing style, which Is good for today but whit! tomorrow will look ildlculous and 'old-fashioned' "After all. the Chinese woman's style of dreu It much like traditional Chi nese art. Chinese culture is the oldest In the world, and It has continued foi the greatest length of time without a break. The Chinese. In their art. In pictorial Illustration. In architecture have developed ways that, through cen turies, are satisfying to them. "So It Is with their art In clothci The Chinese woman's type of dress Is the kind most suitable for her end one which she knows unquestionably u right for her." The Chinese woman, according to the artist, has one advantage In par ticular over Western women In the matter of achieving a real effect In dress. "It Is her physique that gives her this advantage," explained Mr. Hand forth. "The Chinese woman la slender and graceful. There are very few stout women In China. Just why I do not know, for they like food and eat extremely well. But fat women are not admired. Fat men, yes. A man. In fact, la always respected more for his portliness, because this Is a sign of his prosperity. "But the women are all slender, long walsted and they have very small hips They are naturally rather flat-breasted, too. They used to bind their breasts but I do not think that measure could ever have been necessary. Some of the younger Chinese women are so slender and rced-llke that you wonder how they even hold together. The Chlntuc women have naturally small feet ana hands, and you would almost think seeing some of the women, that their feet were still bound, but they are not. "This extreme slcndernesa calls loi simplicity in style as far as dress la concerned, and thus the clothes whim arc so well adapted to the Chinese woman would not be suitable for the , foreign woman. ' "Their clothes are designed for the more classical face and form. As a race, the Chinese are much morB classical in type than Westerners Their features are always very regular You do not see to many eccentric face in China faces with large, bulbou r.oses, for instance, or big moutlis. odo (hlns and bulgi.ig foreheads, as you see elsewhere. The women have , verv placid faces, and this keeps thrm in a perennial Springtime of youth. So the, can wear . youthful-looking clothe longrr than can the Western woman "The women, before modern Urec used to use sugar paste on their faces before they applied cosmetics. Nat urtlly, they had to wear a mask-lik 1 xpre.Mon to keep the sugar-coaim (torn cracking, but while they no longer follow this practice. Uiey do keeii themselves very res.'red in expresiou "There Is a very remarkable woman In Peiplng. She Is Madame Dan, wife of General Dan, and sister of Princess der Ling, now Mrs. White. She and her sister were educated in Europe, but were brought up In the Court of the Empress Dowager. Madame Dan i now well In her sixties, but remarkable for her beauty and distinction, and her artistry In style of dress. Madame Dan does not show her age. She still dances, and oc casionally gives a public performance of old classical dances, some which she composed hersetf. She la not a profes sional dancer, however, but a society woman. "Now that I'm mentioning names, I may as well give that of another very charming and beautiful Chinese woman, Madame Woo Llen-deh, a writer, who also deserves a place on a world's "best dressed woman' list. A CHINESE woman's style of drees does not change much with her age, and perhaps that Is why It Is often difficult to know a dowager fiom a debu tante. A young girl does not f ress much differently than an older woman, except that she may affect more Jewels, more ornaments in her hair, brighter colors, but usually the line of the dress and the coiffure worn by older women and young girls are virtually the same." Asked to describe the style of dress which has v appealed to the Chinese woman through so many centuries, with but slight moderations or variations, Mr. Handforth sold: "Well, first of all, It Is not a sensa tional kind of dress. Chinese women do not wear things that are 'the rage' for the moment, and they do not strive to attract attention. While their modern dress has changed somewhat from the dress of the past, It has changed only slightly. They wear only the things that they know from experience are suitable and becoming to them. "Here, in America,' clothes change from season to season. Take hats, for example. Extraordinary shapes are sold: little pancakes perched on one ear; trim sailors, dashing, upturned hats. Hats that go up In the back and down In front and vice versa. Hat with tower ing crowns, or none at all They may look all right at the moment, but next year they will be unbecoming and ridicu lous. This Is because they have been put on the market so quickly that no time has been taken to study the effect. Consequently no one knows whether or not they are beautiful, or even really becoming to the women who must wear them. There Is too much Impermanence In Western styles "Just to show you how conservative the Chinese woman Is. I might mention her collar, 'it seems to me one of thl pERHAPS this high collar la worn for a very good practical reason, It was suggested. But Mr. Handforth aald: "Oh no, they have nothing to conceal. Chinese women have beautiful, long, slender necks. And neither doea the wearing of the high collar signify ex treme modesty, for Chinese women sometimes affect the slit skirt, which displays much ot the leg. "Chinese women seldom wear tr.-.ins. but sklrta which are ankle length and always buttoned on the right aide, some times with the effect of being buttoned all the way down on both sides. They go In for patterned textiles more than do Western women. Variety for them de pends so much more on pattern than on cut. They use satins and chiffons, velvet for semlformal and formal oc casions. They employ pastel colors In their Summer dressrs. which are all light, flowery creations, otherwise, for other seasons, Chinese women wear darker colors, warmer, richer ones, par ticularly for formal wear, than Western women do "Sports clothes? No. they do not fancy them. Their dresses are always cut the same way. Ihcy wear sports Jackets, however, over their long skirls, but ol-w-aya with the typical Chlnete flare to the Jackets. Occoslomlly Chinese women have Western dr a:es In their ward-' robes, but they more often wear the Chinese style of clothing. The Chinese women, in genera!, r o not wear hats, although they do sometimes go In for Summer hesdwear, usur.Ily the sailor type of hat, but hats are, of course, of Western origin. "Certainly American women could learn a great deal by stidylng the Chinese woman's subtlety In dress, her distinction, her appreciation for details, accessories, her typj of mk:-up and atyle of coiffure, he. use of colon, her art of being placid, restful and tiuiet and above all by observing h-r sp'r.td d carriage, her graceful walk and alendct upright body." 'The Chinese women do go a bit ex treme in one erttcle of apparel and that Is their fur coats. They show variety In their Jacket, their short capes and in their coats. The latter are quite like! to be lavish, dashing, very rich. The particularly like squirrel, fox and WS.i PAGE TWO
