The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-07
WHAT THE DEBUTANTE
MUST LEARN.

Everything is cut and dried Tor tne
debutante of today. All things are lad
out for her. Even her looks are prescribed
and she must be according to such and
such standards, and she must wear sucn
and such an expression.
The ideal debutante is slender AND as
tall as possible. There is no such thing
as a little, short, fat d~ebutante. The
American society bud is as tall as she
can make herself; and she Is thin. She
must be reed-like; and her figure must
be decidedly English; full in the bust line,
yet svelte. +.
The debutante in her finishing school
is trained down to slenderness. She Is
sent out to walk until her waist is the
right size and inAthe right place. The
high fat waist OF the immature girl is no
more. The fashionable debutante has a
long, slender, graceful waist. She gets 1t
by basketball and by football, by gym
nasium work and by athletics OF various
kinds. She gets her slimness by walking,
by golhng and by arm exercises; and she
is, taught that she must devote just SO
much time each day to her task.
The lazy debutapte does not exist; and
the lackadaisical girl who was the fashion
two generations ago is not among the
bellies of today. The debutante Is all SPAR
kle and all beauty.
The most perfectly groomed woman in
the world Is the debutante. Though young
she realizes the value of grooming; ana
one of her teachings Is that she shall be
thoroughly done each day. This does
not mean that she shall paint or be loaded
down with cosmetics, But 1t means that
she shall be manicured; that her hair
shall be waved; that her figure shall be
exercised to keep 1t down; and that her
gown shall be perfectly brushed and above
reproach in every manner.
Though the debutante Of today Is
thoroughly a woman of the world no one
would ever think of calling her artificial.
She is innocent and peachy; her bloom is
ripe. and her manners are gentle; her
voice is soft and her expression is sweet.
But, when 1t comes TO being posted upon
all the things that make a lady she Is
thoroughly on hand.
The debutante of today is wonderfully
well posed. She puts you at your ease
at once by showing you how thoroughly
she is at ease herself. She is not the
bread-and-butter miss whom you have
grown to expect; nor is she the hoyden
of whom Improvement is hoped for later
on. She is the perfectly poised woman
of the world.
In the last term of her finishing school
she is taught what is called small talk.
She Is given lessons In filling in the pauses
In conversation so that she Is never shy
nor at a disadvantage. Say something
Is the rule. and then she is taught a guam
tity of conventional things that help
out in the awkward pauses. She does moi
chatter, but she can be depended upon tC
say something.
The debutante must be pretty. h car
be set down as a rule. But, If 1t should
happen that she is lacking in beauty II
any one direction, she should acquire 1t
She should study her expressions and learr
which is her best smile. She should know
how her face looks when in repose; an'
what sort of expression to wear. These
things may sound trivial but they make
great difference in a girls future.
The debutante of today is by no mean
an 6verdressed individual. But h is al
lowed more latitude than formerly Sh'
makes her bow in a pale colored gown
not necessarily white. and during tn
afternoon and evening she carries
bouquet.
The debutante makes a great study q
dress and before her first season is ovel
she will have mastered the art of colo
She will know which are her best color
and which fabrics become her best. II
an artistic sense which she soon acquire
If she is to be a real social success.
The debutante. before she makes he
bow, has learned to play bridge That
a polite necessity; she has earned Spar
Ah NhAeh - ~ VIZ -
language and the language of the colonie
She is we'll posted upon most topics and
able to speak well.
Her accent is good. for the debutani
who does not speak clearly is not apt
make much of a success in society. TIL
. means that she must pronounce her wors
we'll without slurring them. She has. I
course. adopted the broad A and her Al
cent Is something between a Bostonei
and an English accent. Boston aand Lci
don are believed 10 furnish the most pc
feet specimens of good English. Her A
like a in far.
The debutante is taught tact. Perfe'
herself she IS careful not TO ~criticise other
She avoids ceftnin topics. Among II
tabooed subjects are several which are 4
frequently mentioned In good society bt
which are IN poor taste Just the same.
The deeutante jhas z positive talent 4