The attainment of womanly beauty of form and features

Preface

There is in every well organized human being a desire to look well, to make a good impression, and this is and must be very largely based upon personal appearance. "Am I attractive?" is the almost universal question in the maiden's bosom. A commanding presence is the young man's ambition. , Beauty or strength presented in a physique free from excess or deficiency of proportion may well stand among the highest ambitions of any man or woman.

No more pleasing or complimentary salutation is ever given or received than, "How well you are looking," but physical beauty often means more than mere personal gratification; it often means success in life's work.

Beauty will often win its way while even greater merit in an unattractive presentation will be forced to- take a second place in the race.

It is almost always true with women that an attractive personality is the most important element of success or failure in life. The young woman with a healthy, well poised, attractive figure, well kept features, good complexion and a hopeful view of life, which becomes a part of these conditions, is insured success in the social or business world as against the failure of the one who has lost her buoyi PREFACE.

ancy of spirit, with a drooping expression of countenance, a prematurely aged and wrinkled face, sallow and muddy complexion, poor, scant hair and a weak and wavering walk, from a lack of healthy activity.

It is of great moment with many, particularlv so with women, who, by effort of head or hand, have to make their own way in the world for the maintenance of themselves and others that all appearance of age shall be deferred as much as possible, especially in these times when in all walks of life, both for men and women, the services of the young are in demand as against age and experience. Often the matter of age is more in appearance than in fact, and it is true that "we are only as old as we look," therefore let us in every way defer the appearance of age as much as possible.

Recognizing the great importance of presenting and preserving a good personal appearance this manual has been prepared by securing contributions for it from acknowledged experts on the preservation Of health and cultivation of beauty of form and features, keeping in mind at all times the fact that health and beauty go hand in hand, and that true and lasting beauty must be based upon health of body and of mind, and that the highest type of beauty is an indication of perfect physical and mental organization, and these outward manifestations must be governed by a soul that is filled with a spirit of love and of kindness.

The Editor.

Contents

PREFACE 7

INTRODUCTION. By Ella Van Poole. The Power of Beauty —Beauty Denned— All Capable of Improvement— What Is Necessary 9

WOMANLY BEAUTY, ITS ELEMENTS AND REQUIRE- MENTS. By Dr. D. H. Jacques. The Proper Proportions of the Human Figure— The Face and the Features —The Hair— The Neck and Shoulders— The Arms and Hands— The Limbs and Feet— The Skin— Beauty the Sign of Health 13

Introduction

By ELI.A Van Poole.

The word "beauty" is an elastic word. It is applied to' a rainbow, a blossoming orchard, the midnight sky, a rain-drenched rose, or a woman's eyelash. When earnest women, sincere in their theories and practice, enter upon the work of convincing women that it is wise and just and necessary to cultivate personal beauty, they are often confronted by the statement that it is a futile task in the case with most women, for there are so few "born beauties." In other words, there are so few women who have the foundation upon which to work to produce beautiful results.

Granted. But that is no reason why all women should not make the very best of what Nature has allowed them; and the woman who has an inheritance in the shape of a nose which belonged to her grandfather, and which in no generation has been considered any ornament to the face of its possessor, will not show good judgment by neglecting .to cultivate other graces of appearance because she cannot be a "perfect" beauty. Regular features iO WOMANLY BEAUTY.

are the exception, and not the rule; therefore the number who can never hope to be very beautiful, as generally understood, are in the majority.

That all women are not capable of extreme physical beauty is true, but that any woman may cultivate the best possible in her appearance and profit by it is no less true.

Any woman can cultivate good complexion; any woman can have good hair; almost any woman can have good health, and that means bright eyes, skin that presents a glow, that proves the beauty of skin to be more than "skin deep," and a wholesome invigorating magnetism. Beauty, as applied to women, is as vague in meaning as applied to things in general. It is as varied in distinctive quality as there are women who possess it. It is a compound of essences of the mental, moral and physical. It is felt, rather than beheld, and consists of almost anything more than mechanical outline. It is refreshing, alluring, delightful, puzzling, attracting and captivating. If we advance no other argument for its wisdom of cultivation we will ask the readers to look among their women friends and mentally compare the popularity of the well-preserved women with those that have not cared for their looks. Follow in the lead of a woman who gives painstaking care to her skin, her hair, her teeth, her breath, her gentle expression of countenance, her becoming dress — and you may be surprised to learn how much influence for the goo-d and happiness of others this woman is to be credited with. I do not

INTRODUCTION. 11

advise that this care of the personal appearance should rule our lives. It need not. The woman who presents the very sweetest personality that I know, works for her living, and is a power in her city in charitable work. It does not take much time to thus care for the appearance. The first step to take is to gain health, for the beauty that subsists on anything else is short-lived and full of trouble; and that foundation is not furnished by having prescriptions filled and taking them. Nature has provided all that we need to get well, to keep well.

The demands of the needs of the body more fully understood, the limit of youih's reign would not end on the sunny side of forty, as it almost invariably does to-day.

The face first expresses failure cf mental or physical power, and, therefore, it is well to guard this signboard of the way of life against the indications of the encroachments of time, and whatever may be clone in this direction should be by all and with many it is very important.

Do not allow the thought of resignation to take possession of your mind because certain signs of decay of bodily charms are beginning to present themselves. Rather meet them with opposition, and carry good soft hair, smooth skin and firm, round neck and bust into the advancing years with you. This is the age of usefulness of women, and it is a fact that attractiveness is a necessary quality, if one is not entirely ready to enter the retired list.

ITS ELEMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS,

By Dr. D. H. Jacques.

The proportions of the perfect human figure are strictly mathematical. The whole figure is six times the length of the foot. Whether the form be slender or plump, this rule holds good. Any deviation from it is a departure from the highest beauty of proportion. The Greeks made all their statues according to this rule. The face, from the highest point of the forehead, where the hair begins, to the end of the chin, is one-tenth of the whole stature. The hand, from the wrist to the end of the middle finger, is the same. The chest is a fourth, and from the nipples to the top of the head is the same. From the top of the chest to the highest point of the forehead is a seventh. If the length of the face, from the roots of the hair to the chin, be divided into three equal parts, the first division determines the point where the eyebrows meet, and the second the place of the nostrils. The navel is the central point of the human body; and if a man should lie on his back with his arms and legs extended, the periphery of the circle which might be described around him, with the navel for its centre, would touch the extremities of his hands and feet. The height from the feet to the top of the head is the

From "Physical Perfection.

WOMANLY BEAUTY.

same as the distance from the extremity of one hand to the extremity of the other when the arms are extended. These are general measures of the species.

The beauty of the face depends much upon the profile, which, in its perfect form, approaches a straight line. Perfection in the nose requires that it should be so placed as to divide the face into two equal parts, and that it should be on nearly the same line with the forehead, with but a slight inflection at its junction. In woman, the nose itself should be perfectly straight.

The law of perfect beauty requires that the mouth— that most expressive and eloquent feature of the human face divine— should be of medium size, but smaller in woman than in man. The curve of the upper lip is said to have furnished the ancient artists with a model for the bow of Cupid. It must extend beyond the lower lip, which must, however, be more fully developed and rounded, turning outward, so as to leave between it and the chin a gracefully curved hollow. The teeth must be small, slightly rounded and perfecty even and white.

The chin should be of moderate size, white, soft and gracefully rounded.

Perfect beauty in the eye requires a long rather than a short opening between the eyelids, and immaculate clearness of both the white and the iris. Dark blue, black and brown eyes are most beautiful in woman. The eyes should be large rather than small.

ITS ELEMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS 15

The cheeks should be moderately plump, and delicately tinged with the hues of health.

The most beautiful hair is fine and soft, especially in woman, and either wavy or curling. Brown, auburn and golden are generally thought to be the most beautiful colors. The ancients were great admirers of golden hair, which they believed to symbolize the highest mental beauty and excellence. Many of the historic characters of antiquity are described as having hair of this color. Of Milto, the beautiful Ionian, we are told: "Her hair was yellow, the locks a little curled." Helen of Troy, Poppaea Sabina and Lucretia Borgia are described as having beautiful golden hair. The most beautiful neck in woman is white, smooth, straight and flexible; less above, and increasing gently toward the shoulders. The shoulders should be white, narrow and softly rounded, but firm and elastic.

The whiteness, firmness and elasticity of the neck and shoulders should extend to the bosom, which, in woman, must be well developed, but not so large as to be at all out of proportion with the rest of the figure. The breasts must be gracefully rounded, smooth, equal in size and distinctly separated.

The arms and hands are susceptible of a degree of beauty of which we see few examples. In woman, the arm is plumper and more rounded, and has softer forms and purer and more flowing outlines, than in man. The hand in woman is softer, whiter and fuller. The fingers, in their perfect form, are long, round, tapering and delicate.

Beautiful ankles are not rare, but the feet of the moderns, and especially the women, are almost universally deformed by tight boots and shoes. The second toe, which naturally projects most, as we see in the antique, is arrested in its development, and the foot, which in the outline of its extremity, ought to approach the elegant form of the ellipsis, is. rounded without beauty, and disfigured by our ridiculous compressions. The ancients attached much importance to the form of the feet, and the historians, as well as the poets, make mention of their beauty in speaking of Polysene, Aspasia and others.

Conjoined with perfection of form in figure and face, we shall not fail to find that index of perfect functional integrity, a soft, smooth, transparent and delicately tinted skin. This is "the barometer of health and soundness of the individual, and the most indubitable sign of beauty." The cheeks must have the true blending of the rose and the lily. Too much redness is as far removed from the highest beauty as a deficiency of color.

Beauty is the grand external sign of goodness of organization and integrity of function, and the highest possible beauty can indicate nothing else than perfection in these particulars. A lack of beauty in any member or system of the body indicates a lack of goodness or health in that member or system. Beauty, the sign of health, has no fellowship with disease.

Beauty of Ofomankina— ttlby It Ca$t$ or fades.

By Dr. C. H. Stratz, of Holland.

Ever since man began to think, poets, painters and sculptors have glorified the beauty of woman in their words and works, and even scholars have not ignored the subject, trying to form theories as to the ideal of feminine beauty. The multitude have wondered at their productions and followed their lead. But they forget that all powerful nature in creative might produces every day feminine creatures far more beautiful than all that art and science have brought forth, but these they generally overlook as unworthy of note, and not one sage cries out, "Look here at living beauty in flesh and blood!"

I have sought a new method of judging human beauty, and instead of going to pictures or corpses, as the artists or anatomists do, I have studied living subjects. After fifteen years of investigation I have reached the conclusion that the way to beauty lies through a decreasing of the causes of ugliness — bad clothing, poor parents, faulty feeding, improper modes of life. Put these away and the human body will reach ideal beauty, for per-

&C*w York Herald.

feet beauty and perfect health are one and the same.

The practical result of my work is that in preserving the health of the growing- girl we are perfecting her beauty.

It is only during the last few years that a canon of the proportions which go to make up the perfectly formed woman has been arrived at. Two women of very different height may be perfectly proportioned and beautiful.

UNIT OF MEASUREMENT.

In the accompanying diagram the modulus, or unit of measurement, is the line a b, from the nose to a line across the hips. This is then divided into four equal parts — a e, ef, fN, and N b. The height of the head from the nose is equal to one of these parts, a c, and in the same way every part of the body can be measured and shown to be in proportion or not.

If the modulus is twenty inches, the fourth of it will be five inches, and then all the measurements can be made. It will be noted also that in the model outline the perfect legs should touch in four places; the height should be equal to nine times the length of the hand and seven and one-half the length of the head.

As figured out from this canon, the perfectly proportioned woman should be seven and a half times the height of her head, ten times the length of her face, nine times the length of her hand, and from six to seven times the length of her foot.

WHY IT LASTS OR FADES 19

The distance between the temples should be equal to the length of the face. The arms should be three times the length of the head, the legs four times the length of the head, the shoulders two heads wide, and the upper and lower parts of the arm and of the leg should be of equal length. Trie proof that these measurements are correct is presented by applying the canon to the best types of feminine beauty.

«> WOMANLY BEAUTY.

STUDY OF SPECIAL FEATURES.

In studying the special features I have found that here, too, there were special detects and beauties. The perfect mouth has neither too full nor too thin lips, and the upper lip is neither too short nor too long. The very short lips of the English are the result chiefly of heredity, the dressing of the mother and peculiar nourishment. It is caused by the shape of the lower jaw and the length of the bone from the mouth to the nose.

We speak of a large or a small eye, but the fact is that all eyes are nearly of the same size, and the difference lies only in the opening of the lids to a greater or less extent. The disposition of the person and intelligence have much to do with the control of the eyelids and the brilliancy of that most attractive feature of the human face.

The regularly formed, well moulded ear is no small addition to, the symmetry of the head, and generally the defects lie in the too great development of the ear muscle. Exactly how this can be influenced is not yet ascertained, as it might be.

The important question of the color of eyes and hair is a matter of temperament, and, therefore, of heredity, for they go back to the pigment which is found in the lymph of the body, and this is affected by the character of the person and her ancestors.

NECK AND SHOULDERS.

Every woman would like to be possessed of a beautiful neck and shoulders, and nothing depends more entirely upon herself and those who train

WHY IT LASTS OR FADES 21

her as a girl. The carriage of the body and the shape of the well moulded neck and bust, which are to retain their beauty almost so long as the woman lives, are a result of the development of the muscles of the back, breast and shoulders.

The current idea that a small hand is the only beautiful hand is not borne out by the best canon of proportions. The real beauty of the hand lies in its shape. It ought to be one-ninth the height of the body. The best shaped hand has fingers that taper gradually, with well curved nails, longer than they are broad.

Perhaps the rarest perfect feature among civilized women is the perfect foot. The cause of so many ugly feet is directly* traceable to faulty shoes. The Javanese woman has a perfect foot because she never wore a shoe, and even though her foot may not be quite so small as some of those who cramp their toes into a number two, it conforms far better to the idea of art, as well as of nature. The second toe ought to extend beyond the great toe, but tight shoes cramp it and make it shorter. The perfect foot ought to have so high an instep that when set on the ground a little bird could sit under the inner side. That painful and deforming affliction, flat footedness, is the result of nothing except cramping shoes.

PRE-NATAL. INFLUENCES.

Even before birth many influences may be brought to bear to the proper development of the child. If the mother is careful as to her mode of

WOMANLY BEAUTY.

life and food, much is being done for her offspring. She should eat properly. It is to be regretted that among the lower classes both the quantity and quality of the food are not sufficiently cared for at this critical period. The baby that is extremely thin or extremely fat has not been properly cared for and fed before its birth.

In general, women of the better class may have good food, but on the other hand, they lack the physical exercise which is forced upon their humbler sisters, so that there is a compensation for each. It is unfortunate that it is considered normal for one side or one portion of the body to be more highly developed than the other. The unsymmetrical body can never be beautiful.

Early marriages have a bad effect both upon mother and child. The mother is forced to an earlv decline of all the vital powers. Every woman

YEAR

THE BEAUTY CURVE.— The black line shows the development and decline of normal beauty by years; the dotted line, the beauty that develops and fades early.

ought to be at the height of her beauty between the

WHY IT LASTS OR FADES. 23

ages of twenty-three and thirty-three. If such is not the case the cause must be sought either in lack of proper care or food, or, as is very frequently the case, too early marriage.

The proper age for marriage is between twenty and twenty-two, preferably the latter, In some cases a very early development of beauty presages a rapid decline. Women of the so-called better classes generally mature later and preserve their beauty longer than those of the working classes, and this is due chiefly to the better food and lack of straining labor.

The influence of heredity is a very important one in the development of beauty. It is admitted that features are inherited, and it is certain that where two persons with the same ancestors, as is the case with cousins, marry, the child is apt to reproduce the bad features of those ancestors in an extreme form. No human beings are perfect, and where utter strangers marry there is much more chance of developing a harmonious and beautiful being than where the common characteristics are exaggerated, as must be the case in the marriage of blood relations.

Only a physician can appreciate the very great importance which nourishment and exercise play in the development of perfect beauty. The commonest of diseases from lack of proper nourishment is rickets, and there is nothing which has a more deleterious effect upon the human form than this malady.

IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE.

Extremes of leanness or fatness are also due to ill regulated or poorly nourished beings. The importance of regular and scientific exercises upon the development of the female form were never better illustrated than in the picture of a woman twenty-six years old who will retain both form and feature many years longer than her sister who has been either misguided or too indolent to take the proper exercise.

Tendencies, too, to tuberculosis may easily be overcome under proper conditions, and the sunken chest and narrow shoulders of the prospective consumptive be developed into more rounded and aesthetic form as well as healthy color.

After measuring twenty-five of the best proportioned women whom I have found I ascertained that they varied in height between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 7 inches; in breadth of shoulders, from 13.65 to 15.6 inches; diameter of waist, 7 to 9.36 inches; distance across the hips, from 12 to 14 inches.

GOOD AND BAD FEATURES.

I have found it necessary to tabulate the good and bad features in two divisions. The first has to do with those which are the result of more distant causes, such as heredity, pre-natal influences, &c. The second covers defects that rest more directly upon the will and common sense of the girl and those who have to do with her rearing.

WHY IT LASTS OR FADES.

FIRST DIVISION.

GOOD FEATURES.

Slender, fine bones.

Round limbs.

Full breasts.

Broad pelvis.

Luxuriant, long hair.

Smooth lips.

Thin, soft skin.

Round skull.

Small face.

Large, deep eye sockets.

High, small eyebrows.

Delicate lower jawbone.

Even surface between cheek and neck.

Rounded neck.

Slender wrist.

Narrow hand, with long index finger.

Well rounded shoulders.

Straight, small collarbone.

Hollows over the loins.

Round, thick upper thigh.

Rounded calf.

Slender ankle.

Th'n foot, with thin toes.

Second toe long, little toe short.

DEFECTS.

Heavy, thick bones.

Angular limbs.

Flat breasts.

Small pelvis.

Thin, short hair.

A mustache.

Thick, hard skin.

Angular skull.

Large face.

Small eye sockets.

Lowering, bushy eyebrows.

Broad lower jawbone.

Sharply separated neck and prominent jaw.

Bony neck and Adam's apple.

Plump wrist.

Broad hand, with long ring finger.

Bony shou'.ders.

Curved, thick collarbone.

Flat over the loins.

Thin, flat thigh.

Thin and angular calf.

Heavy ankle.

Plump foot, with broad toes.

Great toe longest and little toe prolonged.

SECOND DIVISION.

Symmetry of the upper and lower parts of the body.

Normal weight.

Shining, elastic skin.

General muscular development.

Slender joints.

Well formed upper lip.

Even, regular teeth.

Slender, straight nose.

Round chin, with dimples.

Rounded shoulders.

Flat, round stomach.

Arched back.

Rounded elbows.

Slender, long hands.

Long second finger.

Arched, long nails.

Slender, long foot.

Straight legs.

Straight great toe.

Longer second toe.

Asymmetry between the two parts of the body.

Too heavy or too light.

Dull, hard skin.

Poor muscles.

Thick, swollen joints.

Prominent upper lip, thick or too short.

Projecting, irregular teeth.

Broad, pug or flat nose.

Sharp or double chin.

Angular shoulders.

Protruding stomach.

Flat back.

Pointed elbows.

Short, broad hands.

Long forefinger.

Flat, short nails.

Plump, broad foot.

Bow legs or knock knees.

Great toe turned inward.

Longer great toe.

Rockwood Photo.

Miss Louise Rockwell.

B Ulcll Balanced temperament.

temperamental types*

By Sarah C. Turner.

In Studying types of physical beauty we find there is a temperamental difference which must be taken into account, Bodily configuration is influenced and determined by physical conditions which are known as temperamental and are derived from the different systems of organs or factors that are found in each individual. We have the bones and muscular system, which give size and strength; the vital organs; stomach, heart and lungs, giving bodily power, and the brain and nervous system, giving mental strength; in proportion as these exist, we have the temperamental types.

The Motive Temperament is not usually found in women, and is nearly always modified by the Vital and Mental. In this type the bony framework and muscular system predominate, whether the person be large or small; the bones are proportionately long, with strong muscles and prominent joints, giving somewhat of angularity to the form and the features, the chest moderate in size, the shoulders broad, the limbs long and only moderately tapering; the cheek bones, the nose and all the features of the face will be relatively large, as well as the hands and the feet; the figure is usually tall and somewhat striking, if not elegant, embodying a type of physical beauty that sometimes proves very attractive, especially when modified by the Vital and Mental.

Persons with this temperament will be known for strong, positive traits of character, persistent, self-reliant, ambitious, forcible, with a good brain; are likely to be leaders in thought and action, usually in some special direction, and have good executive ability.

When this temperament is in excess much can be done to modify its manifestation by cultivating more of the Vital by restraining one's physical activity, improving digestion, deep breathing and cultivating and encouraging a tendency to become more fleshy, so rounding out the form, making the bony structure less prominent.

When it is lacking, cultivate muscular activity, by gymnastic and other exercises, seek outdoor life, use food containing bone forming material, cultivate a spirit of independence and take responsibilities that will call for action.

The Vital Temperament, more often found in women than in men. depends upon the digestive system, good breathing power, good circulation and assimilation, and is indicated by breadth and thickness of the body, with the length of limbs and size of bones proportionately less than in the Motive Temperament; the chest and bust are full, the abdomen well developed, the limbs plump and tapering, with hands and feet relatively small; the

Rice Photo.

Anita Newcomb McGee, Acting Surgeon, U. S. A.

the motive temperament.

neck is short, the shoulders well filled out, the face plump and inclined to a rosy or ruddy complexion. Persons of this temperament are not apt to worry, are ardent, genial and contented, working with much less friction than is usually found in the Motive and Mental types.

In this temperament there is sometimes a tendency, especially in advancing years, to an excess of flesh so as to affect unfavorably the personal appearance, too great fulness in the hips, abdomen, bust and face, which can and should be controlled by the cultivation of a more active life and a proper restraining of the appetite, especially in the use of liquids and an excess of sweets and fat producing foods, and by the use of massage.

To cultivate the Vital when it is lacking, increase the lung power by deep breathing and the circulation by proper exercise, use the most easily digested foods, avoid stimulants, spices, condiments, strong acids or watery vegetables, secure plenty of sleep and rest, and seek an easy, comfortable life, free from care, until vitality is built up.

The Mental Temperament is characterized by a frame relatively slight and a highly nervous organization. Here we find smallness of bones and smallness of body, with a face that is oval in shape, the upper part of the forehead always high and broad, the limbs, hands and feet small and thin, delicately chiseled features, a transparent skin and fine hair; the chest and bust only moderate in size, the figure slight, is often elegant and graceful, but not strik-