Chips Quote by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward
“Surely it is one of the requisites of a tasteful garb that the expression of effort to please shall be wanting in it; that the mysteries of the toilet shall not be suggested by it; that the steps to its completion shall be knocked away like the sculptor's ladder from the statue, and the mental force expended upon it be swept away out of sight like the chips on the studio floor.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: “The Story of a Modern Woman” by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward, 1884
Clothing should be functional and modest, avoiding ostentatious displays and unnecessary embellishment.
In simple terms: Dress simply and purposefully.
Key Takeaway
Choose modest, practical attire.
Themes
modesty
functionality
aesthetics
Mood
contemplative
balanced
Type
literary
cultural
When to use this quote
- professional dress
- daily wear
- uniform design
- costume planning
Key Concepts
social norms
body image
consumer culture
Questions to Reflect On
- How does your wardrobe reflect your values?
- When is it appropriate to prioritize style over simplicity?
A Different Perspective
Fashion can also express identity and creativity.
![“To exist as an advertisement of her husband's income, or her father's generosity, has become a second nature to many a woman who must have undergone, one would say, some long and subtle process of degradation before she sunk [sic] so low, or grovelled so serenely.” quote by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a22/elizabeth-stuart-phelps-ward-2_advertisements_to-exist-as-an-advertisement-of-her-husb_1017596.jpg)
