The San Francisco call. [volume], June 23, 1901, Image 10

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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10
THE SUNDAY; C ALIi.
daughter) ha? ¦T*nrt*n v s£2.aeTy. slightly
'sloping shoulders, as has her cousin, Mrs.
Francis Burton Harrison of New York. /
Mrs.. TV. K. Vanderbllt Jr. and her sister.
Mrs. - Herman Oelrichs, are quite . unlika
In build, the former, being more slender; ..
but both have square shoulders.
¦
<Tl Jt ORE than one society woman
I \ f\ prifiea herself upon her ' shapely
I I Bhoulders. That adorable curve
- | of the neck, of which poets have
Bung, is best revealed in Quarter
view photograph, but • this also betrays
the fact that very few women have really
pretty shoulders. .
They look all right from the front Jp a
decollete bodice, but pose them from the>
back and they are absolutely ugly. Few
women have shoulders that match— that
Is. nearly ail have one shoulder higher.
than the other. In etreet suits, owing to
clever tailors and dressmakers, this lack
i of symmetry is scarcely perceptible, but
in a low gown with shoulder straps
omitted the defect is glaring.
Look about a ball room some time and
see if this assertion Is not true.
It is the corset that is responsible for
this deformity, for it certainly is a de
formity, of square shoulders. Did you
ever see a madonna In any of the old
Italian pictures with square shoulders?
JCot a bit of it
The rounded, regular shoulders are In
dispensable to beauty. They should slope
symmetrically In graceful curves from the
base of the neck to the summit of the
chest Go and study your Burke and see
what he says. "Of all the beautiful, ob-"
Jeets In nature none surpasses the well
. molded neck of a woman." He was not
writing about the big-throated, square-
Ehouldered, golf-playing, athletic modern
Ba9B
woman either. He referred to the | bWm
necked, sloping-shouldered beauty of his
time.
A too tight corset presses the , shoulder
blades below and collar bones in front too
far upward and thus ruins the. harmony
of nature. .:
The perfect figure should have shoulders
lacking salient bones and angles. The out
line should sweep In gentle curves from
the neck downward. There should be no
hollows, nor yet a superfluity bt. flesh..
That defect of the shoulders, where one
is higher thanithe other, is due tb many
causes. Golf or tennis in excess;, piano
playing, painting on porcelain ; • any . num
ber.-, of . similar reasons can : be^ adduced.
It can be remedied by proper exercised but
so . few women care : to take ' the trouble.
Julian R. Brandon, .who teaches . physical
culture to so many of the swim, has ; the
following to say of woman and her shoul
ders: ¦ ?" ¦- ¦ .-¦ • •
. The first .thing, a woman : should ¦ do who de
sires to have a perfect neck and fine shoulders
and arms Is ; to ,: have : some a one . who underr
stands anatomy' to' point out; to' her her defi
ciencies. Those; who have tried i by exercise
to get; perfect figures f have , generally! not suc
ceeded, rs they have not paid attention to
and built up : the • parts^ lacking,, development,
and - it ¦ is Impossible ', to ? have . . perfect neck,
shoulders and arma unless you do so..
My Tldeal woman : is one with . ; high bust,
shoulders . rather . broad, , chest 1 well , developed,
and arms well rounded at the del toides. ..The
sterao cleido 'roastoidens muscles of ; the . neck
should be round and t ull. . These are the mus
cles \ that more • the ¦ bead forward ; when act*
, " •"..¦'
ing together and turn th« . head to en* aid* '
when acting alone, , . '
: When these muscles are , well developed . it '
gives ,the neck, that 'round full appearance :
¦which 'Is so much admired.; One good way.: to ;
develop these muscles ; la to press on the ; fore-' ;
head with the palms of th» hands and j try ; to ;
force the head forward; then press on the
eide of- the chin with the palm; of the hand 1
and try to force the chin In the opposite direc
tion; repeat the same number ot times on each
Bide; or, stand with j your side ' to • the pulley ,'.
weights and pull outward with the head strap !
on. ; :
; Another ornament , to j" a woman's -shouldera *
are well " developed trapes 11 muscles ; these | are I
the muscles that Join the deltoldes at the point
of, the; shoulder.. '.- / • •
The", trapezll.muaclea, acting . together, draw >
the hsad directly backward; one of them act
ing alone inclines th» head to the correspond- .
Ing side. ¦ \ . '•
. The superior part . of the trapezliu ralaea th«
point of the shoulder. :
One way 'to develop these muscles la to place
.the hands on the back of the head and force
the I bead - backward .' acalnet -the > resistance : . of .
the , hands,'; or stand with your face toward the
pulley weights ; and ' pull - backward \ with V- the \
htad strap on. .J : ." .¦¦'¦ -; ,v <
The ' platysma." myoldes should also ,be "i -well ¦
adeveloped,' ' as they also give .the ' neck a round .
and' full ' appearance . and take * away that i flat,
, hollow; look . to the' front ; of ' the ¦ neck.', ' These ; '
' are the . muscles '¦ that • ' assist ; *• in - depressing
the angles of the Ja.w, ' and ' can be .developed •
by ' drawing "the corners of '. the mouth as ¦ far .
; up t toward the : ears as ; possible or. by" pulling '
i with 7 the '. head ; strap^ on ¦-.' the ' pulley • weights ¦>
with your, back! to the machine. . . ,
¦i. It Is! in the power of every woman to have '
n maprnlflfBt n-v» ., shoulders and arms If «he
¦will only have the patience to do a little exer
cl»Ing k each day. ~*
• See what your deficiencies are and start In
to. set rid 'of them. Be carerui' not to build
up c-ne muscle at the expense of another, or, .
In plainer words, flo not build up one set of
muscles^and neglect others.
lit you. need to be developed at the deltoldes!
which 13 the round portion of the arm «t . th«
rotnt of the shoulder, take 1. 2 or 3 pound dumb
:hells.- according to your . strength, and raise
them, slowly outward and.' upward until you
have the bells on a level with your shoulders,
then , slowly down again to the sides. ;' ; -">
'¦;.! "When 'making this movement breathe In as "
dc^r'r' as. possible In the upward movement
r.rd exhnle^all you can In the downward move-'
rient; thls^wlli strengthen; and broaden your .
chest^and Increase your lung capacity. ¦ '
If you have a lack of muscle over and around
ths , collar-bone _ raise, the dumbbells slowly
from the sides outward . and upward to . the
front, , taking care not to* lean backward or to
bend the 1 arms ln-thls move. Anoftier good
move to remedy the deficiency of " the pectoral
muscle ' Is "to stand facing the door about two ;
i or three : feet from It.' Now put your hands
.flgalnst, the; do<?r, about • three . feet apart and
a* high i ' as your ears, | and . let .your body drop
1 In toward the door till I your \ chest nearly
touches It. your head being held up and back.
Then push sharply tack ; until your, body Is
again- erect and continue | the j movement . If
the bust Is too low; this can \ be corrected . by
• tlghteninE up the - pectoral 'muscles. ' A cor-' .
eet makes many a good shape by. pressing. a •
lot. of superfluous flesh -from one portlon-of
the body to another. ' To have j a good j shape
'.without her corsets should ' be ' the' aim of
¦ every: woman; and It Is 'certainly In the power'
of any 'who desire to try.' , '' '
A' fine neck nnd fine shoulders are Incomplete .
' unless you have fine" shapely arms to ko with
: them. • •' .; x . ¦ . . -. ¦ . . . • .
¦To obtain good biceps, which Is the front part
of the upper arm, • start with the dumbbells
• down at the sides, raise them, slowly and stead
ily In front until they nearly ; touch' the shoul
der, technically curl them, holding .the ,head
up: now lower the bells slowly to the. sides
a^aln and repeat and so' continue. In a few.
minutes . you - will want .to stop. ' The : bleep .
'.muscles are Betting the work this time. .
- -One prominent part the upper arm re
; mains, or rather one which ought to be proml- ;
¦ nent, though in most people", it, Is "not. I refer"
' toVth'e triceps. or, the. bulk of 'what', remains of
. the upper arm after " leaving ; out . the ,.. biceps.
¦vVTien well developed * this is on%" of the hand-
Btimest parts of the arm. . ; ; No arm "will look
' slim that has this muscle V fully ; 'developed.
To acquire that development ' take hold 'of . the
dumbbells : at the sides. '.then bring them, up
,. ward and backward as far as you can, holding
. them 'as tightly as possible!; -_.-.. '¦ "... ;.
', ¦ -/Another,, good i way to - develop' Hie .triceps Is
j to take the ' exercise of falling forward against
-.. the i door ¦ which 1 1 have ' already, given • In . this
r. artlcl^)&§B|nnS|^njBM§^K0 .'. -. . ;
.-¦' Now . all *, that renrains is the '. forearm, and
; there , are ¦ many . ways ! of developing .' It. ', One
• way. Is ¦' by ¦ opening ; and ;"closlng the. hand as '
•tightly as possible -'or'iby; twisting' the .bells
when; at arm's length.' '" : r ' ¦¦"•I -
The .'ancient 'sculptures of, the Greeks
' % and ; Romans of i feminine ' figures ; are sup
• posed", to ¦ depict 'the? perfect 'shoulder,', or.
': ratheri the ; sculptor's ideal' of the : perfect
: shoulder.' As a ruler, they; are large; and
strong shoulders, but,beautlfully t Tourided.'
' Old French miniatures! show | the "\ narrow,"
¦ sloping : type - of '-. shoulder .prevailing,- and
"this type was doubtless 'fashionable In the
period of Marie Antoinette. sIHSB
A' . portrait |i by. ,' Piero" della Francesca
' (1423-1492); ; a" ; painter, of L the: early/Renals
j. sance £ period-^that \ is.; before ¦¦;¦ Raphael,
j Michael "Angelo,'. Titlanj . etc.— shows i very
; straight, shoulders. yThe por
trait's, subject ; Is , not i a: classic 'type,': but
[ Is drawn the i- naivete j of the r early.
'¦ painters, , giving , full , credit ; to ) the : charm- ¦
f Ing, though i Irregulars profile/ La Forna
. rina ,- (Raphael's) : Is celebrated f for 'ithe"
beautiful shoulders ' and -breast. ; ,"
. Asked! to give '.his idea,. of the, perfect
¦ •wornan's.^ shoulders,'; Amedee" ;.: ; "Joullin'
• said::, j"For ; V delicate « ; gracefulness ;. and
¦i beauty .'my Idea "of a ! woman's perfect neck 1
and; shoulders^ is -that' of "the ,. 'Unknown"
by Donatello, the beautiful line from the
head co the. shoulders .being unbroken by
angularity, and just. enough of- the classic
phowinsr'to banish all suggestion of heavi
ness." The nearest approach\to. the ideal
that has been brought to my.notlce is the
neckband ..shoulders of Miss Mabel Love
of operatic fame.. JThe eye of an artist is
very "often "Jarred when attending public
functions hy 'noting * the. miscellaneous
necks exposed. The variety seems to have
no limit— short and fat, long and thin,
scrawny, bony and red— all are* represent
ed. It has always been a mystery tome
why, as a woman advances in years,
Fhe allows her taste to run riot in the va
rious styles of decollete. . Voltaire spoke
with much wisdom on this subject. Very
few necks are beautiful from the back,
especially where the growth of hair be
gins." '. : • . . , . .
Miss Kmelia "jillsher, who studied In.
Paris and Holland for some' years, and',
drew from the nude model as well as tak
ing up portrait stniy, gives as her opinion:
It would rilffcult ,to choose any special
typo of neck aj;l " shoulders to.be admired
above nil others. -A woman of good carriage
and -harmonious .lines . may be ' beautiful
whether her. neck; bo lonjp or. short, her should
ers square or sloping.' r Though there seems
to be ft fashion in shoulder's as in clothes, a
tradition among artists gives 'a* high -place, for
all ! time to the cnlumn-Uke neck of the un
known. Modern English painters, led by Burns
Jones and Rossettt, have, reverted to this early
. Renaissance type, exaggerating;" however, the
length of all lines and narrowing the . should
ers. The .modern ; tendency, altogether,' seems
to be toward the slender woman with th«
: "swan-like" " throat ¦ of the poets— a v contrast
'to the-, fully-developed, rounded 'forms of the
Venetians.; .Titian's favorite model, who posed
for many of his most famous pictures,' may bo
considered as - representing this N type. If our
American plrU ' who go : In so vigorously for
athletics continue as they have commenced
; we may soon have ' a muscular '. type to vary
the Indolent grace of former beauties. .*•,'¦
: -Theodore Wores, whose portraits. hav»
been attracting . so much ¦ attention of
late, considers that-the manner. of dress
ing, of to-day affects the shoulders the
least of all: the body, "and does not. ar
rest the development. The athletic girl
has' good, sensible shoulders that look
well in -tailor made, garments, but in
dress, when the /neck and shoul
ders must be seen, they are altogether
too muscular. The muscles cause air
together too many shadows :-. for I beauty.
Muscles too well developed . are not pret
ty.- Compare Japanese and American
shoulders, . for . instance. Japanese
women's shoulders are '. never perfection, -
because v the Japanese do not go in . for
athletic ' sports, r Their necks, shoulders,
,iarms ' and heads are beautiful, but the
rest of their; anatomy* is 'deficient.
•/. The. athletic American girl has a fine
figure, but not a pretty neck and shoul
ders. . . '
¦ Mr. Wores considers Miss Marie "Wells'
shoulders are as perfect as could possibly,
be. ; .•'.¦-..--• ¦ ¦ : ; . ' ,- " " ¦ . ' "
Robert I. ". Altken thinks . the r modern
Bhoulder fully , as fine • In contour as the
antique.: The antique, he said, was made
please the gods, : and was consequently
idealized. Mr. "Altken considers the mod
ern mode of dressing— low-; shoes, short
•skirts, or tailor, gowns— athletic exercises, ¦
¦ / golf, . etc.,\ do not 'affect the ' : body, at :all.
That Is, he thinks; that In spite of them
- the .beauty of ithe , shoulders •; is '.retained.
. In his famous' "Aft 'Lured to .Bohemia"
he shows one form of his idea of the per
fect ..feminine; figure. . ' '. .
.'. -San Francisco's' society women; nearly.
: all possess square/ shoulders. The square
, shoulder : ls.'of i course, the fashionable
... shoulder .' up -to : date."_ Nearly, all' of Lon
:'. don's * famous • beauties are"- square shoul
dered, and this Is alsotrue of .the' "pro
fessional beauties'.' of New York and Chl
•;,CagO.; . 'XI : - '.'"¦¦ '¦'..' '.-»-'• , -''., ': >•¦ S.; /
Our' grandmothers had sloping shoul
r ders;' our. mothers' as 'seen by the "styles
* of 1SG0-65 were also 'slope shouldered. .» But
"' they •, were ', not •; so : healthy « as - the > strap
ping shouldered .young .women
of ' to-day. /¦ .;.;.'
.: Mrs.. Charles Fox Fay. Is rated as being
: r the - possessor, of Ithe; prettiest -shoulders
.of , any; local * society : woman— in spile , of
'•; the'- artists; to/ the contrary.'. ¦. Her/ shcul
» ders' are -plump,: white itand /dimpled.".
¦*" k Mrs.>" Joseph : Sadoc Tobln's: shoulders
; are", well -."shaped,* massive^ shoulders: that
'.would' be. 1 the ! dellght^of '&'¦ sculptor. ;V Mrs;
•J.-' Johri s I.*; Merrill f Jr.'r has' 1 perfect" shoulders,
,too square i nor; too -slopffig.;. Mrs.
¦ : James ,/Follis: ;(Mary \Bell Gwin) _-' has
charmingly sloped shoulders. :Mlss L.ocle
Kins has, as pretty a pair of shoulders
as ever ¦ graced the anatomy of a^bud.
Mrs. Thomas Magee (Helen Curtis) has
largo and* statuesque shoulders. Mrs.
"Will Jackson and Mrs. Bertha Stringer
Lee of the Sketch "Club areJboth remark
able as the possessors of shapely slop
insr shoulders. 'Mrs. Bertha Henlcke
Tausig, also a Sketch Club member (she
.is now in Paris) has lovely sloping shoul
ders. .
Miss Maude Smith, president of the
Chaminade Club, is another owner of
sloping shoulders. But all these are ex
ceptions to, the rule of square shoulders.
™ M , rS -*, W -" c F V Wh!ttle!V MIss J *"n'e
; Blair, Mrs. S. G. Buckbee, . Mrs. Walter
Dean , Miss .Elena ' Robinson, - Mrs. Martin
Crummins '(Margaret Cole), Miss Kath
ryn Dillon, Mrs. Augustus Gaylor—in
deed, v nearly ¦• all of the ' beauties of the
local : swim— have : the stylish, square
shoulders more ' or less pronounced. '.
Mrs. '.James 7" L. .Flood's shoulders are
large, but 1 rather slcplngjher whole ap
pearance iSvMadonna-like. ' Miss Beatrice
Sachs has -small, slim, but 'square shoul
ders. Emanuel: Heller's shoulders
are ; somewhat sloping and 'girlish In out
,line.* Mrs. .Will f Crocker and her x sister,
Princess : Ponlatowskl, ,' have •„ fine shoul
ders,' plump and gracefully. curved. Mlsa
Alice I Rutherford . (Mrs. ., George '¦ Crocker's
A BEAUTIFUL PAIR OF
SHOULDERS