Transvestia

Figure #4 shows the side drape waist structure. Here again, the extra line is used in dressy dresses. It can be most becoming to either Junior or mature figure. Just imagine, if you will, a basic black dress with a side drape motif of an emerald green pom-pom. It would in- deed be a wonderful attention getter, taking the viewer's eye from a less desireable part of the figure or costume. But one must shop very assidously to find this kind of garment.

In Figures #5 and #6, the waist is first lowered and then raised. The prime purpose in this line is to change the basic rectangle and body structure, in which a na- tural waist line looks like a potato sack tied in the exact middle. A raised waist is sometimes highly desireable and in this mid-winter of 1964, the basic silhouette is very much like a column and in Figure #7, the straight sheath helps to create the long, lean look. But mind you, IF you have a good figure, and that's a very big IF, a straight sheath is the very best way to show it off. Don't have just one, have several and in this structure, FIT IS VITAL. Not skin tight, not blousy, but liveable, with sufficient ease to let you move.

Figure #8 shows a belted, smocked waist structure. The first advantage of this is that it can hide a heavy rib cage. The smocking at the neckline gathers material and lets the upper part of the dress blouse over the chesi, bust and ribs. Too, the preferably thin belt also gathers material to allow freedom of movement of the hips and limbs. It's great for dancing. Imagine this, if you will, in pale chiffon over a satin undergarment.

The belted-smocked structure is very much like a blouson top shown in Figure #9, which achieves the same effect, except for hiding legs and/or hips.

Each basic change has a prime purpose, as we see in Figure #10. Here, draped fullness over the hins adds to the hip size and if you're not too heavy. helps detract from height by means of broadening the middle.

What we've tried to show in all of these sketches is that the basic rectangle of the dress can be changed to suit your needs. This doesn't mean that every garment

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