Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-12

Not for years has this mythical but
/ all-pOWerful character, Dame Fashion
driven women into such indiscretion OF
dress as In this season of 1906-7. And
II is all the more noticeable, because
| never before I'm this history of their
sex have women been so thoroughly
posted on the laws of health and
| hygiene which by the eccentricities of
| TINS years dressing they so openly defy.
The peculiar combination of princess
and empire lines In the smart gown of
the moment is perhaps most heavily re-
! sponsible for physical ills with which
| the sex Is threatened. At the smartest
shops where Parisian model gowns are
on exhibition and sale and in the par
| Tors of corsetieres the ukase is. "Se-
cure first the youthful figure. We can
do nothing for you unless you are
slender"
Youthful lines or no At for your new
gOwnL
Therefore, 90 per cent of the women
who would rather be dead than out
of style are pursuing the youthful
figure.
This means a slender, narrow back,
fiat shoulderblades and no hips
The first aid to the woman who de-
sires to reduce is the Turkish bath, and
there are many women I'm New YORK
today taking three Turkish baths a
week. a feat at which many a strong
man would hesitate. Next to this comes
the obesity band of rubber, fitting
tightly around the hips to induce per-
spiration when exercising. Clad In this
band, heavy underwear, q short skirt
and sweater, you can meet them on
the quiet side streets, in Central park
or on the drive, dozens of women pac-
ing off not miles, but flesh.
Next comes the corset, and never be-
fore have corsets been more relentless
than this season. The steel frames Of
the mediaeval ages were more gro
tesque but less dangerous than the
modern corset, which to the uninltiated
seems but a gentle confection figured
satin or coutil with lace frills and rib
bon sachets. Under this dainty coating
comes the real bitter pill of unyield-
ing bones and interlacing tapes that
force the figure down to those all-im-
portant youthful lines.
The princess gown demands a smooth
surface of lingerie below. This means
union underwear of the finest texture
obtainable and no petticoats, save the
princess lining Of the gown. Not sim
gle button or hook is permitted to mar
the symmetry of the figure and thus
women who have always worn rather
warm underwear and flannel under
skirts are robbed of this protection by
that autocrat, Dame Fashion.
No matter how heavy the princess
frock in material and general effect, it's
yoke and sleeves are of the most diapha-
nous fabric, the contrast being consid-
cred especially effective. This exposes
the throat and shoulders to draught and
chill
If you would be counted among the
correctly dressed you no longer wear
r.fr nlrSrN rNcr. ffnT~
the street. The correct shoe for this fall
and winter is an oxford tie, cut on
mannish lines and made of heavy
leather with broad grosgrain ribbon
bows and a Cuban or military heel.
This should be worn with CATERS If the
laws of good health are observed, but
the new cobweb stockings, fine as silk
and infinitely less protecting, are so
pretty that the average woman def1eS
all laws of health and lays aside gait
ers.
In their desire to be up to date women
are taking tremendous chances with
their eyesight and their hair. Last year
double wells were worn, but one was
draped over the hat and seldom If ever
hung down. This year both veils-and
both are dotted-must be fastened
snugly about the face and fastened in
the back with two bar or gold safety
dots, the outer veil of chiffon with large
dots. The double set of dots and the
effort to see through two meshes form
a combination that will boom trade for
oculists and opticians.
The craze for elaborate coiffures is
leading women into all sorts of hair
follies. The elaborate coiffure is a work
Of art and should be built only by a
man who is master of that art. The
woman who attempts the feat of build
ing an extravagant hairdressing takes
tremendous chances. She splits her
hair by rafting" it, she burns it with
irons and, worst of all, she buys cheap
unventilated false pieces, such as puffs,
braids and curls.
All of these tributes to Dame Fashion
are of such common occurrence that
women do not realize the gravity of
their offenses. Listen, therefore, to
words of warning from physician who
is at the head of a hospital for women:
Excessive indulgence in Turkish or
other severe hot baths will cause an
exhaustion which brings on hysteria
in its most violent form. The woman
who has always eaten plentifully and
lived regularly suddenly decides to re-