The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-12-15
The Perfect Figure.

Baron Won Humboldt, who had studied men
and women in every quarter OF the habita6le
globe, used to say that theuotiOn that the ie-
male figure was of better proportions and more
graceful outline than that OF the male was a
delusion. Women did not believe it, ayerred
the great scientist, and men only said SO out
of natural gallantry. The Philadelphia Re
cord says
Humboldt was right or great many points
concerning which his views were secuted by
the wise men of his day, and perhaps he was
equally 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 dis
reputed Besides, the modern world really
has no use for "pretty men, as such. They
may be cOunter-jumpers and animated tailors'
blocks, and in(est the public prOmenades and
places of general resort, but the present mas
culine fashion favors the strong, square-built,
quick-wilted and agile fellow who never thinks
for an instant whether lie conforms to the mo-
del of the Apollo Belvidere or not.
With the softer sex the question of form is
another affair The possibilities of dress have
been developed to such an extent that, within
reasonable limitations, woman may taken on
pretty much whatever outward shape seems
best and most becoming for her. While the
creations of the modiste have stimulated a
taste for the beautiful, they have ministered
also to the love of admiration and harmless
instructive vanity aPpertaining to every fem
mime nature. They have also created ideals
of contour that are decidedly at variance with
classical perfection; and these departures from
antique standard have been to many of the
| theorists and few otherwise sensible women
a source of profound disquiet. There has been
| it is affirmed, a departure from the "classic
| figure" that is as disfguriug as it is repre-
hensible; and in many quarters are heard
| peadings, more or less cogent, for a return to
the lines of beauty wrought by Phidias and
Cleomenes long before physical distortion be-
came fashionable art.
American maids and matrons have thus
been led to study the requirements and meas
urements of the perfect female figure, with
results, if current draperies correctly indicate,
altogether distasteful TO the classicists who
point with pride to the master works of anci-
ent soul ptors as embodying the beautiful in
feminine contour A living counterpart of the
Venus de MedIci would be less than feet in
height, while wearing No. 25 corset and q
No. shoe. The Popular Science Monthly, in
a recent issue, descends to particulars, aud
afirms that TO meet the requirements of a
classic figure the proper dimensions should be:
Height, feet 4 q inches; bust, 80 inches;
waist, "a inches;. armpit to waist, inches
This is further ind proved upon by giving the
proportions of a ''queenly" figure, thus
Height, feet inches; bust, 81 inches; waist
26lS inches; over the hips, IS inches. These
figures are interesting only as they illustrate
the vagaries ard contortions of the purely
scientific mind when laundering through the
realm Of taste. 1t will be difficult TO persuade
ladies of an inquiring turn that the scientific
constructor of these classic proportions has not
been endeavoring to perpetrate a solemn joke
upon the select circle of literary females whom
he addresses. The ''queenliness" of tai
woman with a hollow chest and an exceeding
ly thick waist is an attribute likely 10 be dis
covered only by an observer whose head il
perpetually among the stars.
Many correspondents have of late been re.
questing The Record to state what the pro.
portions OF the perfect figure really are. We
do not know; and if we did the knowledge
should remain concealed, lest some Ut our
readers, whose Dimensions may be beyond the
costumer's art, should suffer an inward panl
of regret and disappointment Let it be suf
fcient that for a true man the perfect figure il
that Of the woman who loves him best, and il
whose smile he finds perpetual delight. Their
is no better criterion, after all, whatever th,
classicists and pragmatic model-makers wal
say.