The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-11-05
The Perfect Eipnre
GEORGE F. TURRILL.

Baron Won Humboldt, who had
studied men and women in every
quarter of the habitable globe, used
to say that the notion that the
female figure YVES of better proper
lions and more graceful outline than
a male Was delusion. Women did
not believe it, avered the great SCENT
iSt, and me only said so out of natG-
raj gallantry. The Philadelphia Re-
cord says:
Humboldt was right on q great
many points concerning which his
views were secuted by the wise men
of the day, and perhaps he was equal
ly correct in thus attributing superior
physical beauty to men, But since
his time nobody has ventured TO urge
or defend his theory, and it has
naturally fallen into disrepute
Besides, the modern world
really has no use for "pretty
men," as such. They may be counter
jumpers and animated tailors' blocks,
and infest the public promenades and
places of general resort, but the pres
ent masculine fashion favors the
strong, square built, quiclk>witted and
agile fellow who never thinks for an
instant whether he conforms to the
moo ell of the Appolo Belvidere or not.
With the softer sex the question CT
form Is quite another affair. The pos
Sibilitles of dress have been developed
to such an extent that, within reason
able limitations, woman may take
on pretty much whatever outward
shape seems best and most becoming
for her. While the creations Of the
modiste have stimulated taste Tor
the beautiful, they have ministered
also to the love OF admiration and
harmless instructive vanity appertain-
ing to every feminine nature. They
have also created ideals of contour that
are decidedly at variance with
classical ideas of perfection; and these
departures from the antique standard
have been to many theorists and few
otherwise sensible women source of
profound disquiet. There has been, il
is affirmed, a departure from the ''clas-
sic fig ure" that is as disiguring as it is
reprehensible; and in many quarters
there are heard pleadings, moe OF
less cogent, for return to the lines of
beauty wrought by Phidias and Gle
omenes long before physical distortion
became fashionable art.
American maids and matrons have
thus been led to study the requires
ments and measurements of the per-
feet female figure, with results. If car
rent draperies correctly indicate, al
together distasteful to the cIassicists
who point with pride to the master
works Of ancient sculptOr5 as
embodying the beautiful ia
feminine contour. A living
~ 10 ri
would be less th'n 5 feet in height,
No. shoe. The Popular Science
Monthly, in a recent issue, descends
to particulars and ~-atftiiT2as tfaa.t 70
meet the requirements of classic fig
! ure. the proper dimensions should De:
heights feet AZ inches; bust, 80 inches;
waist, "a inches; armpit to waist, 8
inches. This is further improved upon
by giving the proportions Of queen
ly" figure, thus: height, 5 feet 5
inches; bust, 81 inches; waist. 2615
inches; over hips, 80 inches. These
| figures are interesting only as they
illustrate the vagarie5 and contor-
lions OF the purely scientific mind
when floundering through the realm
| of taste. 1t will be difficult TO per-
suade ladies of an inquiring turn that
| the scientific constructor of these clas
sic proportions has not been endeaVor
ing to perpetrate a solemn joke upon
the select circle of literary females
whom he addresses. The "queenli
ness" of tall woman with a hollow
chest and an exceedingly thick waist
is an attribute likely to be discovered
only by an observer whose head is
perpetually among the stars.
Many correspondents have of late
been requesting the Record to state
what proportions Of the perfect figure
really are. We do not know; and il
we did, the knowledge should remain
concealed, lest some of our readers
whose dimensions may be beyond the
costumer's art, should suffer an in
ward pang of regret and disappoint-
ment. Let it he sufficient that for 6
true man the perfect figure is that of
the woman who loves him best, and
in whose smile he finds perpetual de-
light. There is no better criterion
after all, whatever the classiciStS and
pragmatic model-makers may say.