The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-08-28
Don t Toe
Ont, 'AdUice
of Expert
BY HELEN WELSHINIER
NEA Service Writer

NEW YORK, Aug. 28.-If you are
going to keep in step with beauty,
there is only one path for you TO
follow.
The straight and narrow onel
And this time it is the most at
tractiye one, too.
The modern beauty march should
show every girl and woman step
ping along with her feet pointed
straight ahead, instead of out, and
the amount of space she takes
should be very small.
At least, this is the opinion OF
Miss Mary Elizabeth Stark, health
educational director at the eastern
district Y. w. c. A. in Brooklyn,
who is an authority on feet as an
understanding to beauty.
However, only between five and
ten girls out of every 100 have a
proper beauty basis, according to
Miss Stark.
Few Feet Are Right
Il have examined more than three
thousand girls in my work" she
says, land 1 have discovered that
very few Of them have feet that are
perfectly all right. All sorts OF
things contribute to make them fail
to toe the mark"
Chief among the hindrances she
mentions too high heels, short
stockings, stockings that are too
tight, and hard pavementS on which
walking is done.
"All these things compress the
toes. hinder circulation, and tighten
up the muscles instead of making
for f1exibility. Bed clothing, too,
will often injure the feet.
IF your blankets are heavy, and
you sleep on your back, the burden
of the weight will fall on your toes,
causing them to turn back and en-
couraging a weakness of the an
terror arch.
IF you want to encourage a pos
ture for beauty, the best way to
sleep is on your side or your stom-
ach," Miss Stark advises. 1T doesn't
matter which side you choose. Mel
Their one will injure the internal
organs"
Hard Beds Best
Soft mattresses may have an
allure of their own, and pillows may
add Joy to your eight-hour sleep
schedule, but they will subtract
from your happiness during the
other sixteen, this physical director
has learned. Smooth, hard beds,
without pillows develop straight
bodies which know how to relax.
1--WE are working for relaxation
and fiexibility today, when it comes
to beauty" the health director ex-
planned. Good posture muscles are
necessary in order to attain them.
Most girls are too tense The ideal
posture places the body weight in
straight line over the feet"
There was a time when stage
technique required that all its
actors and actresses turn their toes
out when theyp walked. All the
people who sat in the boxes and the
galleries Immediately proceeded to
copy the mannerism Of their favor
ties in the make-believe world.
Dance steps also called for the de-
tour from the straight path.
But that is ended.
Being Natural Is Necessary
Being natural, instead of artifi-
cial, is necessary today. The same
grace which the Indian used in his
walk is returning since feet are be-
ing encouraged to go straight.
The way that chairs are con-
Structed also does much to spoil the
body posture today, Miss Stark
stated.
Chairs we're never designed for
women They are made for men.
AS rule they are too high for
women. Therefore, the weight of
the body is placed on the ball of
the foot, and the relaxation and
grace are gone. The feet should be
placed squarely on the floor and the
weight divided"
Swimming is recommended by
tAllo cApSLJ DIS dll dQlllI dDl6 GA6ICtS6
for slenderizing the ankles and
making graceful footnotes for
beauty.
THE feet are free while you are
in the water. They can exercise.
However, every girl must be taught
to swim in such way that she will
use ankle movement, if she is 60
ing to profit from this exercise.
Arches are strengthened by it, too"
Bans Too High Heels
Exaggerated heels are under the
ban on Miss Stark's list. They make
the feet look smaller, she admits,
because not so much of them APP
pears on the floor But they ruin
elasticity, and in time shorten the
muscles of the legs until lower heels
cause genuine suffering when worn.
Anybody whose muscles are
strong can wear relatively high