Le Vrai et le Faux Chic, Musée des Erreurs, Page 7

Seventh page of illustrated section, "Musée des Erreurs" (Museum of Errors), of book with color lithography illustrations, titled "Le Vrai & le Faux Chic" (The True and False Chic), written and illustrated by SEM [Georges Goursat], and published in Paris in 1914. The page contains four illustrations of female figures: The first wears a burgundy Hobble skirt and matching jacket, with white fur on the neckline and cuffs, a black-and-brown fur muff, gray high heels, green bag with a hanging tassel, a large white-and-green headdress, and a black-and-brown cane. The second figure, of a female head, shows a black-and-blue "cloche" hat with a palm tree standing on it. The third figure wears a light blue version of Paul Poiret's "Lampshade" dress, consisting of a Hobble skirt and jacket with an A-shaped overskirt, a gray "cloche" hat with large feathers, a gray fur muff on one arm and a gray cane on the other. The fourth woman wears a green Hobble skirt with matching jacket, with fur neckline and cuffs, and two layers of overskirts bordered with fur, a large, green headdress on her hair, and black high heels, and holds a fur muff on her arm, colored with brown and black.

The set of illustrations titled "Musée des Erreurs" (Museum of Errors) provides a number of examples of the "false chic" that SEM criticizes, through caricature in both the written commentary and the illustrations, in his book, which consists of a title page, 2 leaves with advertisements, 40 pages text and illustrations (17 pages compose the illustrated section "Musée des Erreurs"), and 2 leaves with advertisements, not bound and kept in a blue slip case with the original white paper covers, embossed and gilded. SEM argues that disorder that reigns the fashion industry of the time. Fashion, he argues, is no longer reserved for specialists, and appeals for the collaboration of painters, artists and writers alike. It is an "eminently French" phenomenon, which lives especially in Paris, although it has become a sort of vice by the time he writes: fashion has become disorganized and ever-changing due to the influence of a group of people who lack discipline and control. This has led to a number of extravagances that reflect on the irrational choices in the costumes and headdresses of women and the complicated and excessive outfits worn by Parisian women.