The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-18

"A not uncommon type In our luxurious,
well-fed generation, is q singularly fair,
almost passive shoulder, soft-fieshed and
warm colored. The lines are full and a
little heavy, and the clearness is that of
the boudoir and not Of the sunshine. With
| such shoulder goes rounded, voluptu-
Gus arm that, like Lillian Russell's, is
often firm and strong for all it's fullness,
and is likely to belong to a full-throated
woman, still radiantly lovely, past girl
hoed, but not past queendom.
Once in season the student of backs
will como on beautiful shoulder that
might be part of lovely statuette in
silver. Its every line is exquisite in fine
ness, instinct with maidenly sensitiveness,
| full of expression. 1t is very exactly
| modelled and goes with On arm whose outer
| curve at the shoulder has virginia. dainti-
| ness and poetry in rcundness. This is the
Diana figure, the young Diana.
But for once that his admiration is ex-
| cited the social philosopher will many times
amuse himself by discovering dressmak-
| ing trick for rounding the flatness Of passe
arm. Many women have the upper arm
| too short in proportion to the forearm, and
1t is most unlovely. Here comes in the
wise and clever modiste and cuts out the
back Of the arm-holes of a sleeveless frock
and borrows enough to make up the de-
ticiency from the shoulder. This borrow
|
down two birds with one pebble.
Rarely, indeed, does one find woman
who is graceful in gesticulation from the
rear view Little awkwardnesses that have
even naive charm when helped by the full
personality give odd glimpses of side issues
in character as seen by the person who is
behind The most ordinary movement
one makes is that Of giving the hand
| in salutation, and the student of backs finds
/ q ierly 2 N
pumping from the elbow that carries no
idea of generosity or cordiality. 1t is only
from behind that one appreciates how few
women give the GLOW do-you-do' shake of
| the hand with any distinct consciousness
of ease or any whole -souled or lovable out
giving from the shoulder. Now and then
| a woman lets the hand follow obediently
after the arm and the fingers after the
| hand, and you think there is world OF
fine reserve in the careful ordering and
progression, until it happens to strike you
that probably it is simply Russellism.
| The effect is most uncomfortable if one
stands behind woman and looks down
upon her arms extended to their utmost
length, idle on her lap in hard, straight
lines, and yet one would sooner endure the
distress than look on, as one often has to,
while poseuSe maneuvres against mantel
or curtain, throwing her arms and her
white shoulders into spectacular relief
against some glowing color, her back to the
company.
Some of this winters fashions turn
women into broadly comic figures to the
philosopher who gaZes on them from the
rear The wired dress collar on an even,
ing dress will begin in point between the
shoulders, and not content with hiding the
softness and sweetness of the neck, will
rise in curve like that on what furniture
people call coal vase about the back of
the head to such height that the top OF
the wearer's head is scarcely visible. One
can always see the jeweled aigrette, but
there is an involuntary fear lest its owner
has slipped out of her clothes and is sink
ing down and down. The swollen, balloon.
like shoulder puffs broaden the shoulders
tremendously, and make one feel as if one
brought up the tail of procession of carl
catures. The social philosopher perceives
that it is the collar which has pushed the
chevelure up on the very crown and the
sleeves which have made all our frocks trail