that touched the floor. About the waist was worn a silk cord
or jewelled girdle, finely wrought and swung low on hips; from the end
of which was suspended the money bag, fan and keys.

The girdle begins now to play an important part as decoration. This
theme, the evolution of the girdle, may be indefinitely enlarged upon
but we must not dwell upon it here.

In some cases we see that the tunic opened in the front and that the
large, square, shawl-like outer garment of Greece now became the long
circular cape, clasped on the chest (one or two clasps), made so
familiar by the art of the Gothic and Renaissance periods. Turn to the
illuminated manuscripts of those periods, to paintings, on wood,
frescoes, stained glass, stucco, carved wood, and stone, and you will
find the Mother of God invariably costumed in the simple one-piece robe
and circular clasped cape.

In most of the sacred art of the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth,
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Virgin and other saints are
depicted in the current costume of woman. The Virgin was the most
frequent subject of artists in every medium, during the ages when the
Church dominated the State in Europe.

The refurnishing of the Virgin's wardrobe has long been and still is, a
pious task and one clamoured for by adherents to the churches in which
the Virgin's image is displayed to worshippers. We regret to say, for
aesthetic reasons, that there is no effort made on the part of modern
devotees to perpetuate the beautiful mediaeval type of costume.

In some old paintings which come under the head of Folk Art, the Holy
Family appears in national costume. The writer recalls a bit of
eighteenth century painting, showing St. Anne holding the Virgin as
child. St. Anne wears the bizarre fete attire of a Spanish peasant; a
gigantic head-dress and veil, large earrings, wide stiff skirts, showing
gay flowers on a background of gold. The skirt is rather short, to
display wide trousers below it. Her sleeves have filmy frills of deep
white lace executed with skill.

PLATE XXI

Mrs. Conde Nast in a garden costume. She wears a sun-hat
and carries a flower-basket, which are decorative as well as
useful.

We have chosen this photograph as an example of a costume
made exquisitely artistic by being kept simple in line and
free from an excess of trimming.

This costume is so decorative that it gives distinction and
interest to the