Le Vrai et le Faux Chic, Musée des Erreurs, Page 14

Fourteenth 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 purple jacket with black fur cuffs and several layered skirts, all bordered with black fur, a matching purple Hobble skirt, matching brown fur scarf and muff with animal heads, legs, and tail, black high heels with straps, and green hat with white feathers. The second woman wears a long-sleeved, green dress with two layered, ruffled skirts over a long, Hobble skirt, fastened with a thin, black belt with a red rose around her waist, matching green shoes, a purple-and-white hat with black feathers, a brown fur scarf with an animal head and legs, and a brown fur muff. The third woman wears a red coat over a white shirt and red Hobble skirt, a black-and-brown fur coat and matching fur muff, black high heels, and large, white hat with black and brown 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.