ed hats, and rich-looking fur
coats and the latest edition in the most conspicuous possible footwear.
And she much prefers wearing rings to gloves. Maybe she thinks they do
not go together? She despises sensible clothing; she also despises plain
fabrics and untrimmed models. She also cares little (apparently) for
staying at home, since she is perpetually seen at restaurants and at every
public entertainment. The food she orders is rich, the appearance she
makes is rich; in fact, to see her often is like nothing so much as being
forced to eat a large amount of butter-plain.

Beau Brummel's remark that when one attracted too much notice, one could
be sure of being not well-dressed but over-dressed, has for a hundred
years been the comfort of the dowdy. It is, of course, very often true,
but not invariably. A person may be stared at for any one of many reasons.
It depends very much on the stare. A woman may be stared at because she is
indiscreet, or because she looks like a left-over member of the circus, or
because she is enchanting to look at.

If you are much stared at, what _sort_ of a stare do you usually meet? Is
it bold, or mocking, or is it merely that people look at you wistfully? If
the first, change your manner; if the second, wear more conventional
clothes; if the third, you may be left as you are. But be sure of your
diagnosis of this last.

=EXTRAVAGANCE NOT VULGARITY=

Ostentation is always vulgar but extravagance is not necessarily
vulgar--not by any means. Extravagance can become dishonest if carried
beyond one's income.

Nearly everything that is beautiful or valuable is an extravagance--for
most of us. Always to wear new gloves is an extravagant item for one with
a small allowance--but scarcely vulgar! A laundry bill can be extravagant,
flowers in one's city house, a piece of beautiful furniture, a good
tapestry, each is an extravagance to an income that can not easily afford
the expenditure. To one sufficient to buy the tapestry, the flowers are
not an extravagance at all.

To buy quantities of things that are not even used after they are bought
is sheer wastefulness, and to buy everything that tempts you, whether you
can afford to pay for it or not, is, if you can not afford it, verging on
the actually dishonest.

=DRESSES FOR DINNERS AND BALLS=

Supposing, since clothes suitable to the occasion are the first requisite
of good taste, we take up a few details that are apart from fashion.