The Washington times., 1929-01-10
How to- Control
the Disputed
Waistline
BY Maria JeritZa

A few generations ago. there
was not the least room for doubt
As to where a woman's walstline
should be located. Her wasp
waist" was firmly, sharply de-
fined by means of contraptiOn
of steel and strong laces which
squeezed her tissue in at the So
called normal waistline and re-
suited in its bulging out again at
the hips and chest. What hap
pened to her internal Organs-her
lungs, kidneys, abdomen and stom-
ACh-as the result of this process
of tight lacing, little concerned
the girl of the gay nineties. Yet
many middle-aged women Of to-
day are paying the price for the
foolish fashion of wearing stiff,
tight COrsets in the form of pain
ful displacement of the htestines
and stomach.
Nowadays. we wear a natural
corset of sturdy, trim muscle.
which does away with all neces-
Hity for steel props. The rep
resentative modern woman has
slender. firm muscles of abdomen
and waist. which are exercised
freely with every move of her
body because they are not re-
stricted by tight bands or tight
garments. The modern waist is
not wasplike, but is firm. round
and shapely, with just 4 sugGrs-
ton of curve inward from slender
hips. A bulging stomach and
abdomen, unshapely hips are not
natural. They are the result of
oVerfeeding, under-exercising and
bad posture.
Watch yourself constantly
keep reminding yOurself-to make
sure that you sit and stand with
an erect spine. A slumping spine
will cause your muscles to de
teriorate fully as much as the
fashioned corset could. There
Is no excuse for A bulging abdo-
men in the case of young or
an old woman.
II women would look at them.
selves more often and more crit
ically in mirror by a clear light.
there would be more of feminine
beauty. I suggest that you go to
your full-length mirror and deter
mine, with the aid of a hand glass,
whether your waist and abdomen
are as slender and 1.-the as they
should be. If they are, we'll and
good. You can in that case wear
frocks and wraps with the belt
placed at the natural waiStIine.
And whatever you wear will look
graceful and youthful on YOU.
Should you note. however. on
critical examination in the glass.
that the silhouette of your waist
and abdomen is ungainlv begin to-
day TO practice exercises similar
to the following, every night and
morning.
Stand straight, with the weight
Of your body resting on the balls
OF your feet, your heels together,
your feet pointed straight ahead.
Lift your arms above your head
as though you were trying TO
stretch your torso up with a gen
tie pull. Do not stop when your
arms are directly above your
head, but continue to stretch
them and your body backward
from your waist as far as you
can comfortably.
Then, with the deliberate move
ments of sleepy cat. bend your
arms and body forward, without
bending your knees. until YOU
touch the floor or come as near
as you can to touching it. Do
not overdo this exercise at first.
but gradually increase the num-
ber of times you practice it,
Exercise, moderatelY.reduC
Ing diet and correct posture
should soon bring symmetry -
your waist. Meanwhile. if YOU
are wise. you will place the
waistline of your costumes very
carefully. at the exact SPOT where
1t will seemingly lengthen your
waist, yet will not give you the
appearance of being unnaturallY
short OF lower limbs. Better
. still, avoid waistIinc or belt
altogether.