Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1894 — LINES OF THE FIGURE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LINES OF THE FIGURE.

SOME LEGITIMATE DEVICES FOR THEIR CORRECTION. A Woman Can Do pretty Much as She Pleases with Her Shape—Selection of Sketches Illustrating Points of Form and Adornment. Dresses that Deceive. New York correspondence

WOT much can be done for an unlovely face, which mo e often than f not proves a hope--1 ess handicap. ■fcOv With the figure it OfSX. is different, and ’Pjb.S the entirely legitiM^sA r ‘ato devices for its correction are f ’ll many. A woman M I can do pretty much CV J a- she pleases with B\\ ■ her back; she can M\l nia ' £e narrow or M M wide to suit her ■ft -M own ideas of beauty. or she can con-

trol the curve of the hips and the lines between the shoulders; in short, the homeliest flat-chested woman can make you believe her charming when she turns her back on you. There are to-day two admissible styles of back; one, and the favorite, rises with vase-like curve from a small round waist. The first and second pictures illustrate this type. The vasecurve is a long one ami under the arms the lines spread gracefully, in suggestion of the full bust line. Between the shoulders horizontally the back is absolutely flat, neither rounding out nor in the least bowed in, as results from throwing the shoulders away back in the mistaken notion that thus the fig.re is improved. This line from shoulder to shoulder should be about as long as half way round the waist, a narrow back being always beautiful. The line starting from the horizontal shoulder line and ending at the waist line should curve distinctly and gracefully, bending in as it approaches the waist line, and at the waist beginning the outward curve, which extends below and is one of the most important lines in a woman’s figure. This back is worth having, and if you haven’t it, it is worth coaxing or even making entirely. For a tall woman inclined to slenderness about the hips, it is the only suitable back. The second sort is much shorter waisted, and while flat across the

shoulders as every good back must be, it may round out a little bit in the line from shoulder to nape of neck. Its lines are shown in each of the three other pictures. From shoulder to waist it is much shorter than the other back and does not curve so much. The under arm line does not curve, but slants cutward to give added breadth under the arms. The whole back suggests the rattier plump figure, or one more mature than the vase style, and is easier to make or suggest than is the other. Everything that tends to lengthen or narrow the back and give it spring at the hips suggests the first sort; everything that tends to shorten, widen and make round without humping, of course, suggests the other. So take your choi< e intelligently. Of late the fashion has tended to exteme elaboration of the bodice. If the back is to be “made up,” that is the kind of a bodice to wear. What may not a woman do when she may have rosettes, frills, falls, sashes, perpendicular or horizontal insertions and stripes, checks, over-draping and scarfing on her bodice, and, if she likes, all on her back? Her task is easy to that of the unfortunate of a few years ago, who was compelled to get into a bodice of almost tailor-made severity whether she had any back or not. In the selection of sketches for these illustrations, those have been chosen which illustrate points of form and adornment in the back of you. all five showing new and stylish dresses. The wearer in the first one has the vaselike figure and does not need to strive for disguising effects. The only bodice trimming showing behind is a point of silk passementerie, which corresponds

with the cuff trimming of the sleeves. A vest is of the same material, the dress fabric being navy-blue serge. Velvet of the same shade furnishes the standing c >llar and belt. An ornamental point of this sort, but larger, will often serve to disguise too prominent shoulder blades, and their posse-sor should avoid throwing back her shoulders. The insertion of a long pointed yoke in the back of the bodice disguises this fault even better. Let the bodice fit closely and the yoke be in fleur delis shape, curving over the shoulder and with long point reaching to the belt line. This yoke should be of mull, chiffon or crisp silk, and the pointed part should be drawn in tight pleats that are not fitted into the hollow of the back. Then the hollow

becomes the more apparent on eithe* side, and the cave-in between the prominent shoulders is softened and concealed. The next sketch displays a Azure of excellent outlines, but, nevertheless, clothed in a bodice of considerable elaboration. For it, black satin is covered with jet, and is almost entirely hidden, save for a band in black, by a full fichu of black tulle edged with black lace, which crosses over in front and ties behind. A tulle ruching finishes the neck, and the sleeves are capped by lace epaulettes. The accompanying skirt is gored and bordered with a wide flounce of black lace, headed by narrow black velvet ribbon and bows of black satin ribbon of different sizes, with one very large bow held by ribbon st aps on each side. If color is desired in a*toilet after this model, a very pretty effect can be obtained by making the band of velvet at the top of the lace flounce and the little bows of different colored ribbons. The' wide ribbon bow at the waist should then be of a corresponding shade. For lack of outward curve below the waist, the little perky frill across the waist-line at the lack is invaluable, or a crisp bow with well set-out ends gives much the same relief to flatness here, where it is least wanted. These frills are entirely admissible in current fashions, which often have with them a

cape collarette to match, as in the third dress shown herewith. This gown is from a handsome gray novelty suiting, and is trimmed with pearl-gray satin. The back view gives as good an idea of the whole as would a look at the front, for both are alike. The skirt is lined with thin silk throughout, and the fullness is gathered in the back, leaving the hips and front plain. The bodice has no darts in front nor seams behind, being made of perfectly fitted bias material. Gathered in the shoulder seams are two wide pieces of straight goods which cross over at the bust and end in the deep corselet, which consists of two satin bands, one light, the other dark gray. All plain or mixed suitings are suitable for this toilet, and leather can be substituted for the satin garniture. For the second permitted type of back —the short-waisted sort—is the next gown which the artist contributes. Its material is striped wateted silk, which is now used for the most elegant costumes, and for trimming there are jet and Chantilly lace flouncing. The skirt is lined with taffeta, stitfened around the bottom and trimmed with two bands of black galloon and a lace flounce. The latter is put on plain and cut into points at the top, where it is finished with narrow jet passementerie. Besides, jet ornaments are placed between the tabs. This garniture is much higher in back than in front. The bodice is alike back and front, and has its yoke also cut into tabs,edged with jet galloon and dotted with large jet nailheads. Below this the stuff is laid in pleats that face each other, and a wider band of the galloon forms the belt. The sleeves have im-

mouse puffs trimmed with jet fringed epaulettes, and deep cuffs are banded at the wrists with jet. The reader accustomed to consider such matters will see at once that not only is this back short in the waist, but that by a trick of trimming it also takes on a look of shortness in the skirt which does not really exist. This is caused by the use of the deep flounce, which at the middle of the back takes up more than half of the skirt’s length, and, by thus, dividing it, makes it seem much shorter than it really is. To the round-shouldered the yoke is really invaluable, but before accepting it try hard to reform. Guard against that fatal blemish, a “corset top line” across the shoulders by getting a corset surely short enough in the back. Don’t be misguided in this by a desire to be long-waisted. Straighten the back, not so much by drawing the shoulders together as by seeming to try to bring the upper part of the back and the hips into contact. As for the yoke, let it come dcwn across the rounding line, pointing up or down a little at the center. Let the edge of such a yoke be finished with a still or flounce. If by proper standing a good curve of the back toward the waist has been accomplished, such a yoke will hide all that is not good of the.hack. Entirely hidden is the last pair of shoulders pictured, and the method of their concealment constitutes a novel and dainty garniture. It consists of two rosettes of cornflower-blue satin ribbon placed at the shoulders with the connecting straps ornamented in the center with a paste buckle. Two long ends of sash ribbon hang from the rosettes. The dress stuff is yellow China silk, its underskirt is trimmed with a wide flounce of embroidered mousseline, and the accordion-pleated overskirt is pointed and embroidered to match this flounce. To improve a waistjthat has become too big, place a little black rosette at either side of the center of the back at the waist line. Allow no more than half an inch between the ro=ettes. and if they are the ends of bands passing over the shoulders, the effect is increased. There is no better trick for simulating slenderness which does not exist.

BLACK, BUT ELABORATE.

A FRILL THAT DECEIVES.

HERE ’TIS A FLOUNCE THAT'S TRICKY.

UNUSUAL SHOULDER GARNITURE.