(A poster print of this image is available here.)
Francesca very much likes this woman’s headband, her lipstick, her dog, her taste in wall art, and the gleam in her eye. But unless she is going to garden in her backyard, sister needs a clothing makeover! What would you give her to wear?
(The watermarks do not appear on the “real” image.)
Had not the Francesca told her so, the Annalucia would never have guessed that the portrait was of a woman. The figure looks middle-aged, sexless and most definitely frumpy.
However: how to dress her. She can keep the tunic and trouser look, though the trousers should be longer and slimmer, and the jacket should lose the bulk and not button so severely right up to the neck. Speaking of necks, the lady has not got much of one, so the shirt or sweater underneath should have a V-neck, or at least a bit of scoop. And the lady’s coloring is just right for bright and bold clothing, deep reds and purples and perhaps an electric cobalt blue. Nothing so dull as that jacket, please.
And now, to her hair. Assuming she has the straight hair like many Chinese, she should let it loose and cut it short – shoulder-length perhaps, or shorter if one can taper the cut to flatter the face. The hair so severely scraped back like that, one must be a supermodel to get away with it, and even there it does not look so good.
Oh yes – a shoe with a bit of heel (even one inch would do), a sturdy sole, and arch support.
Comment by Annalucia — March 19, 2008 @ 10:28 am
Are you sure that’s a woman? The person seems to wear a traditional male hairdo – everything shaved off (that would be the blue part) except for one long braid.
Clothes also look rather male to me, if somewhat Maoist-sexless.
Comment by teapunk — March 19, 2008 @ 10:49 am
Francesca is simply following the cues of the Barewalls.com, who call this “Woman with Dog.” She has nothing to add, except more beautiful clothes.
Comment by Francesca — March 19, 2008 @ 12:40 pm
Yep, sorry Francesca you took your info from BareWalls and they led you astray. This is a male Chinese commoner from perhaps the Qing Dynasty era.
Women of that same era would have worn the traditional Qipao
Comment by Noe — March 19, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
Yep, that’s a dude. That being said, let’s cut Francesca a break. If we’ve learned anything from Ray Davies and his fellow Kinks –and I think we all have– it’s that girls will be boys and boys will be girls, and our genderbending peasant pal could *still* use a make over.
Comment by Plumcake — March 19, 2008 @ 3:02 pm
Also – I believe a woman would have had the bound-foot style. But – yes, the outfit is still frumpy…
Comment by g-dog — March 19, 2008 @ 6:41 pm
love this!
Comment by becca — March 21, 2008 @ 2:21 pm