Le Vrai et le Faux Chic, Musée des Erreurs, Page 9

Ninth 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 illustrations of three female figures: The first wears a yellow dress with pleats and ruffles, decorated with lavender abstract flowers, a thin, brown belt around her waist, and a bow-shaped detail on her chest, high heels of matching color, black-and-gold choker, a black-and-green turban with a large, white feather, and a large, brown fur muff on her arm. The second wears a lavender dress with several layers of ruffles, white neckline, and with a lavender belt with a large, gold buckle fastened around her waist, a large fur coat, colored with white and gray, a lavender choker, a lavender hat with a large, white feather, and black high heels. The third woman wears a dark blue Hobble skirt, bordered with brown fur, a large brown fur scarf with a pendant with semi-abstract purple flowers, matching fur muff, dark blue high heels, and a large, dark blue hat with black feathers.

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.