[Ads-l] Quote: Brevity is the soul of lingerie (Dorothy Parker, May 1919)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

One of Dorothy Parker's best known witticisms is "Brevity is the soul
of lingerie". Currently, the earliest solid citation presented in
references is an essay by Alexander Woollcott published in 1934.
Woollcott stated that Parker wrote the remark as a caption while
working at a fashion magazine. She did work at Vogue in 1916.

Apparently, this indirect information has been used to construct an
inferential citation. Several references suggest that the saying
appeared in Vogue in 1916. However, I do not think a precise citation
for Vogue has ever been ascertained.

This post reports some progress on this general topic. I have found an
instance of the saying in the May 1919 issue of "Vanity Fair". It
seems possible that Woollcott's memory was defective, and the joke
never appeared in "Vogue". Alternatively, Dorothy Parker used the quip
twice: once in "Vogue" and once in "Vanity Fair".

[ref] 1934, While Rome Burns by Alexander Woollcott, Chapter "Some
Neighbors: IV: Our Mrs. Parker", Quote Page 146, Viking Press, New
York. (Verified on paper)[/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
Then she got a job writing captions on a fashion magazine. She would
write "Brevity is the Soul of Lingerie" and things like that for ten
dollars a week.
[End excerpt]


[ref] 1919 May, Vanity Fair, Volume 11, Number 3, Section: Domestic
Products, Our Office: A Hate Song: An Intimate Glimpse of Vanity
Fair--En Famille by Dorothy Parker, Start Page 6, Quote Page 8, Conde
Nast, New York. (HathiTrust) link link [/ref]

http://hdl.handle.net/2027/umn.319510028059307
http://hdl.handle.net/2027/umn.319510028059307?urlappend=%3Bseq=446

[Begin excerpt]
Then there is the Editorial Department;
The Literary Lights.
They are just a little holier than other people
Because they can write classics about
"'Brevity is the soul of lingerie', said this little chemise to itself";
And "Here are five reasons for the success of the Broadway plays".
They are all full of soul;
Someone is forever stepping on their temperaments.
They are constantly having nervous breakdowns
And going away for a few weeks.
[End excerpt]

Garson

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