Poiret

Glide, slouch or float into the
graceful, au courant world of...

Surely YOU are too discreet to giggle so openly at my attempts with the hand-held scanner?

Arts and Decoration
May through October 1922

I was magically transformed into Lily Tomlin's character The Tasteful Lady as I leafed (gently) through this volume. I developed better posture, acquired a taste for cucumber sandwiches and light operetta. I felt an urgent desire to needlepoint. And yet, I did not shut my eyes to the more sordid aspects of Life: communist dramas presented by the Theatre Guild, Tahitian dances at the Zeigfeld follies, or "atrocious game[s] now being vigorously played by Oxford and Cambridge undergraduates."

No, no... the truly sophisticated are not shocked by such foibles. Take my graciously extended hand and let us fox-trot through the highlights of this volume:

My new-found tastefulness is revealed in my exquisite mode of dress, as well as my choice for an evening at the theatre...

Ads for Rookwood pottery, Bonwit Teller, Pall Mall cigarettes (never smoke in the street, dear), the White Star Line, Cheney Silks, B. Altman & Co., Elsie de Wolfe's interior design service, and Coty perfume.

So many artistes: An illustrated biographical piece about Charles Dana Gibson, Mary Cassat, a discussion of the new woodblock printers (Lankes, Soper), "Van Dongen: Art Idol of Paris," Corot, modern and antique tapestries, Mateo Hernandez' granite sculptures, modernism in Japanese art, a series on portraits of Native Americans, portrait miniatures, "A Tyrant Artist Who Sways the Tastes of Parisians" (C'est Paul Poiret!)

An intriguing look at industrial arts of 1922: "Visualizing Design in the Commonplace," "The Fallacy of Color Schemes," Richard Bach's meditation on 'What the Public Wants; Why It Does or Doesn't Get it," "Should We Redesign our Automobiles?" "When is an Oriental Rug a Work of Art?"
Fascinating perspectives on photography, urban design, garden art and architecture, chinese ceramics, art shows, ballet, theatre. Even a story about a young Winston Churchill! It is so tasteful to be well-rounded and well-informed, don't you think?
Fashions du Mode: Incredible costumes from the aforementioned Poiret, Molyneux, the work of Travis Banton, exquisite shoes illustrate an article about James Pape, "Enter Madame, Exit the Flapper," and Lanvin (modeled by "Lullalah Bankhead"... Talullah, ring your publicist!)