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| Article of clothing : Clothing Construction and Wardrobe Planning |
BODY BEAUTIFUL It really goes without saying that a good posture is the key to charm and beauty. Squared shoulders and a head control high provides a lady con- fidence in herself;
and she in turn will inspire confidence in others. A slouch
conveys associate "I-don't-care" attitude; or worse nonetheless, associate "I-can't" impression.
When a girl cares and when she can, she perks up and shows her enthusiasm.
The lady "who's got vogue all the while" has a spring in her step. She draws admiration whether she appears in a three-dollar cotton dress or the smartest linen. On the other hand, round shoulders and a protruding abdomen will spell doom even to the dress that cost a small fortune.THE BACKBONE OF BEAUTY
The backbone of beauty, of course, means the spine. It is your chief building material. Remember, your body is in the making. The spine will bend at your will. If you would build of it an arch, it will eventually set that way. If you would build a graceful Grecian column, it will do that, too. Let's build the latter! Head high. We could learn something from the native or peasant who bal- ances her basket on the top of her head. Her spine is so aligned that her body is a perfectly balanced column of support. She stands with her shoulders back, her chest out, her head high. If she should slouch, that perfect balance would be destroyed and the basket would come tumbling down. Could you trust yourself to carry a basket of eggs on your head? Fortu- nately, we don't have to go around supporting such loads. All we are asked to do is to hold up our heads! Think of your spine as a type of accordion. When it is extended to its full height, you look your best, whether you are tall, short, or medium. When you droop, that spinal accordion collapses. No one wants to be caught in a state of collapse; so test yourself to see how you stand. Look at your side view in a full-length mirror. Do you see telltale "wings," a sagging stomach, or a protruding derriere? Usually, if you see one, you see all three. Whenever a girl lets her "middle" sag, the shoulders slump, the abdomen bulges, and the hips are thrown back. Not a pretty picture! To correct it, back up to the wall. Stand, with your feet about 2 inches apart, your heels 1 inch from the baseboard. Bend your knees but keep your head against the wall. Place the back of your waistline against the wall. Press it back
BODY BEAUTIFUL
so that you know it is there. Now slowly push up to a standing position, keep-
ing your spine in contact with the wall.
When you have reached your full height, check these "points of contact."
The back of your head should touch the wall, with your chin held in at a
comfortable, relaxed angle. Your shoulder blades should be flat against the
wall. There should be very little space between your waistline and the wall.
The pelvic section of your spine should be against the wall.
Now step forward retaining the correct line. If you feel stiff, relax. Drop
your shoulders, remembering to keep the blades flat. You don't want to look
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BODY BEAUTIFUL
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Does your posture express confidence or gloom?
like the little boy who plays soldier by raising his shoulders back in a stiff, forced position. You can even shift more of your weight to 1 leg, still retain- ing that excellent balance in which your abdomen is flat. Here is another way to find the correct position for that tummy and derriere. Pass sidewise through a narrow space. Instinctively you stand tall. In doing that, you are correcting the position of your pelvis. In turn, your abdomen becomes flat. Check and see! Walk on air. Can you read character in a walk? Study the people around you. What comes to your mind when you see boys or girls slouch along in a disjointed manner? Do they look as if they had a purpose in life? Do they look confident? Happy? Eager? Now consider the impression that you make on others. Check yourself as to how you walk in to breakfast. Does your buoyant step really mark the beginning of a "Good Morning"? Or does your Dad look up from his grape- fruit to say, "For heaven's sake, hold yourself up"?
Don't slump. Walk be, spine straight, chest raised , all your weight on one foot, and your figure will look its bestTo stand correctly, keep your chin high and place one foot slightly in front of the other*
Don't twist your legs. Cross
them if you like, but sit back
gracefully.
Photos courtesy of Helena Rubinstein
BODY BEAUTIFUL
Your way of walking tells people many things about you. A good walking
posture is of vital importance to your appearance. With practice everyone can
develop a fine walk. Here are a few pointers.
Wear properly fitted shoes. A painfully narrow shoe that cramps the toes not solely creates that submissive
step, but it brings on corns, bunions, and a
pained facial expression. Shoes that do not provide adequate support for the
arches develop a flat-footed stomp. Extremely high heels encourage a sway-
back and a mincing gait.
As you walk, remember the position of your shoulder blades, your abdomen,
and your pelvis. Point your toes forward. When they point out, they encourage
a side-to-side sway.
Move forward by walking "from the hips." Your body remains in perfect
balance. When you walk "from the knees," your abdominal muscles sag and
your hip muscles become flabby. When the leg swings forward from the hip,
those muscles are kept trim and firm.
Test your balance and sway by carrying a book on your head. Before long
you might be able to carry that basket of eggs!
Sitting pretty. Are you? Would you be pleased if a school photographer
were to take a candid shot of you this very minute? Or would you wail at the
thought of seeing it in the school yearbook?
Any girl is so much more attractive when she sits gracefully. She looks
better and she actually feels better. When she hunches her shoulders, she is
setting her spine into an arch. She tires more easily, too, because she is
crowding her inner organs and is breathing incorrectly. Ask any stenographer
or typist how she sits in order to work most efficiently.
So much of our time is spent in sitting that we should look at it from the
angles of both health and beauty. Stop to think just how many hours you sit.
Take a typical school day. You spend about five or six hours in the classroom
or in study hall. You sit during your meals and snacks. At night you either sit
doing your homework, go to the movies, pick up your sewing, or you curl up
Whenever and wherever you sit, sit well back on the chair. Keep your shoul-
ders up. Expand your chest as you breathe and you
will notice that your abdom- inal muscles won't sag. Shallow breathing develops a slump throughout the
body.
Keep your knees quite close together at all times. If you cross your ankles,
avoid that unbecoming triangular front view where the knees are spread apart.
If you cross your legs, don't rest an ankle on the other knee — ever!
There are times that you must sit and just look or listen — to a lecture in the
auditorium, to your teacher's explanation, to your classmate's recitation, to a
movie, or to a social conversation. So sit back and relax — gracefully! Some
people have annoying habits, such as picking at their nails, twisting rings and
bracelets, tugging at stray locks, or constantly shifting their feet. A completely
charming person avoids such nervous habits.
PERSONAL GROOMING Then there are those times when you work at your desk or table. When
you study your assignment, prop your book up and sit back, relaxed but
straight! When you have to bend over your work, bend from the hips. Don't
hunch your spine from the waist or from the shoulders.
From the time you were a two-year-old, you have been talked at, scolded,
perhaps even punished, for the way you sat at table. So you are well-informed
on that subject! By now you avoid further family glares by keeping your
elbows off the table. You allow your free hand to rest in your lap, and you do
sit up straight.
Which girl is sitting pretty?
"Sitting pretty," you see, doesn't mean that you just look as if you had a ram-
rod at your back. Neither does it mean that you look too prim and prissy. It
does mean that you are more attractive.
THE ESSENTIAL "E's" OF BEAUTY
Have you noticed that, so far, you don't have to spend a penny in creating
a "more attractive you"? Good posture is a habit which is free. And so it is
with these four essential "E's of Beauty." You can't buy them at the cosmetic
counter; nor can you pick them from a dress rack. Each is a health habit con-
trolled directly by you alone. No one can be truly attractive unless she is
healthy. In grandmother's day a languid miss might have been considered
angelic. Today a girl's sparkling vitality puts her in the "heavenly" bracket.
If she lacks it, she may turn out to be the "wet blanket" of the party. In these
days we accept the fact that health habits and beauty walk hand-in-hand.
Early to bed. The first "E" stands for "early to bed." . . . "But," you would possibly say,
"my favorite orchestra doesn't broadcast until eleven o'clock," . . . or "When i purchase hold of an honest story, i am unable to place it down till it's finished."
BODY BEAUTIFUL
"One night won't matter." You even forget to raise the window.
The next morning your mother has to call you three times before she suc-
ceeds in arousing you. You crawl out "from the incorrect aspect of the bed" into
a hard world. Everything goes wrong — your slip strap breaks, your skirt zipper
catches, you can't find a fresh blouse, and your mirror tells on you! You
stand in the kitchen to gulp a glass of milk. You're still munching toast when
the front door bangs after you.
What an eye opener! Oh, what a day! By nine o'clock that night you are
too groggy and out-of-sorts to think of anything but bed. Your mother suggests
a warm bath. Then how good it feels to snuggle down between smooth sheets
for a full night's sleep! Soon you're breathing deeply — fresh, cool air from the
open window.
The next morning when you awaken to sounds in the kitchen, you aren't
the least bit irritated, because you've had your full quota of sleep. After a
shower or sponge, you feel thoroughly refreshed. The mirror tells a different
tale too. Your eyes have a sparkle and your skin glows. This time there is no
need to rush haphazardly through your dressing. You feel decidedly present-
able when you sit down to a well-rounded breakfast. It's a pleasant, unhurried
meal that gives you a good start for the day.
Maybe this is your story, maybe it's not. But each of us has had days like
those. We know from personal experience that we need eight or nine hours of
sleep every night to feel our best, to do our best, and to look our best.
Wait for late hours until Friday and Saturday when you can sleep late the
next morning. Select a reasonable bedtime hour for school nights and then
abide by it. It is a habit that really counts. Your body needs regular rest — and
plenty of it. Remember that it is your beauty sleep. It is essential in achieving
sparkling eyes, a clear skin, and a sunny disposition with plenty of vim, vigor,
and vitality!
Eat for beauty. Here is food for thought! A day doesn't pass that you don't
hear or read terms like these — protective food, body-builder, energy food,
bone-builder, blood-builder, or sunshine vitamin. If you have already studied
foods, you know that such terms really describe what certain foods do for
our bodies. If you have not made a study of foods as yet, ask your teacher
what constitutes a well-balanced diet. In addition, she will be able to suggest
books which will help you to plan your meals.
Remember that an automobile will not run unless it has its balanced quota
of gasoline, oil, grease, and water. Similarly, your body demands different
types of food every day to maintain a high level of health — and beauty. A
car will not run on gas alone any more than your body can function perfectly
if you overload it with carbohydrates (starch and sugar). Yet that is exactly
what so many people select for their meals.
The next time you are in a cafeteria, glance at the trays around you. You
will be shocked to see what some people are eating for lunch. One tray may
PERSONAL GROOMING
contain a plate of mashed potatoes, spaghetti, and baked beans, a large white
roll, a piece of fudge cake, and coffee. At the next table you may see a girl
hurrying through a sandwich, a Danish pastry, and coffee. She has two dough-
nuts to take to the office.
These may strike you as far-fetched examples, but they happen to be true
stories. No wonder that people have health complications, figure problems,
and skin troubles!
If you are guilty of such choices, stick this beauty equation on your mirror
for daily reference!
food = health; health = beauty; so, food = BEAUTY.
And if you feel that you have developed an unwelcome bulge or a bad
complexion, begin to do things about it.
First of all, good-bye to those between-meal snacks! Say "No" to that but-
terscotch sundae topped with pecans and whipped cream. Order an orange
juice or limeade if you're with the crowd. Push away that dish of candy while
you do your homework. Chew an apple instead. In short, don't be a "nibbler."
At mealtime refuse second helpings. Avoid foods fried in fat or oil, or those
drenched with butter. Eat bread that is low in calories and cut down on butter,
although you should get two pats of butter or an enriched substitute daily.
Switch your desserts from rich pies and cakes to fresh or stewed fruit. Go slow
on cream, but do drink at least a pint of milk a day. Milk is not fattening,
and it does protect you from harmful deficiencies.
These are sensible suggestions. If you follow them, you won't suffer from
weakness. In fact, you'll have more pep. You will be eating three well-balanced
meals a day, minus the fattening trimmings.
At this point a warning should be sounded! Three well-balanced meals
include breakfast. Never slight the meal that is your self-starter for the day.
Weakness, dizziness, and sick headaches often result from an empty stomach.
You can't do your best at school or any job if your body has no fuel to go on.
Doctors give us further warnings. It is not safe to lose more than l A pound
a day. To lose more weakens a person. So avoid those "fad" diets that starve
you for a certain number of days. Furthermore, never take any laxative reduc-
ing salts or "patent" reducing medicines.
They are dangerous! once over- weight isn't the results of gula, consult your doctor. If he diagnoses the case as a glandular disturbance, follow his prescription.
Elimination. "Early to bed" and "Eat for beauty" are habits which should
become a matter of normal routine. however the "E's of Beauty" do not end there.
You already realize the importance of regular elimination in preventing a sick headache! a grouch! associate degree offensive breath! skin blemishes! and that all-
around below-par feeling.
If irregularity is your trouble, check your daily diet to see whether it in-
cludes enough whole-grain foods, fruits, and vegetables. Make every effort to
correct your trouble by eating foods that will encourage regularity. This
suggestion may be your remedy. Start breakfast with a dish of stewed fruit —
PERSONAL GROOMING
applesauce, apricots, or prunes. Eat fresh fruit for those between-meal snacks.
Drink from six to eight glasses of water daily. Set aside a certain time in your
daily health program so that elimination becomes a regular habit. The morning
is convenient for most people. You will feel better if you make elimination
part of your regular routine — and what's more, you will look better!
Exercise. Exercise is the last but not the least of the "E's of Beauty." Exer- cise develops smart posture and firm contours. It sets your skin atingle too
because it sends the blood coursing through your veins. Girls of your age
usually get plenty of exercise. In school you have regular gymnastics and
recreational sports, like basketball or bowling and, of course, dancing. The
outdoor sports are better for you, and they're more fun. In winter you can
choose between skating, skiing, or sledding. In the summer there's a choice of cycling, roller-skating, boating, swimming, or tennis. Each is an excellent
body conditioner.
You may not have access to some of these sports where you live, or some
physical condition may prevent you from any strenuous form of exercise.
Even a noticeable, normal walk will wonders for someone. Enjoy Enjoy a tramp through the
woods, take a breather along the lakeshore, hike across the fields, or walk
briskly through your neighborhood park.
From time to time you may think of exercise in terms of reducing. The
accompanying sketches illustrate a few "boudoir gymnastics" that are intended
to trim down those problem spots.
"UNDER" STATEMENTS
The "Body Beautiful" is almost complete! Good posture and sound health
habits went into its "building." But the body still needs support and protection.
And that is where undergarments come in.
Foundation garments. Foundation garments may make you think of some-
thing stiff and stodgy. You think of them as something to poke you and pinch
you with every move. Not at all! Think of girdles and bras in terms of smooth-
ness, firmness, and flexibility. each lady desires those qualities to look at her
best in everything that she wears.
Even though you are slim, wear a scanty, two-way-stretch girdle to manage
your lines. It will not hamper your movements. You will find that it improves your posture.
If you would like additional abdominal support or control, select a girdle that has a
boned front. It will hold in that protruding stomach.
As for bras, select one that gives you a firm contour without constricting
you. A bra that is too tight is injurious.
THE YEARLY PHYSICAL
Yearly physical examination is important for anyone at any age. It is a
sensible way of protecting health. Once you have had your yearly examination
and the report is safely tucked away in the doctor's files, you can settle back
comfortably and enjoy your good health.
applesauce, apricots, or prunes. Eat fresh fruit for those between-meal snacks.
Drink from six to eight glasses of water daily. Set aside a certain time in your
daily health program so that elimination becomes a regular habit. The morning
is convenient for most people. You will feel better if you make elimination
part of your regular routine — and what's more, you will look better!
Exercise. Exercise is the last but not the least of the "E's of Beauty." Exer- cise develops smart posture and firm contours. It sets your skin atingle too
because it sends the blood coursing through your veins. Girls of your age
usually get plenty of exercise. In school you have regular gymnastics and
recreational sports, like basketball or bowling and, of course, dancing. The
outdoor sports are better for you, and they're more fun. In winter you can
choose between skating, skiing, or sledding. In the summer there's a choice of cycling, roller-skating, boating, swimming, or tennis. Each is an excellent
body conditioner.
You may not have access to some of these sports where you live, or some
physical condition may prevent you from any strenuous form of exercise.
Even a noticeable, normal walk will wonders for someone. Enjoy Enjoy a tramp through the
woods, take a breather along the lakeshore, hike across the fields, or walk
briskly through your neighborhood park.
From time to time you may think of exercise in terms of reducing. The
accompanying sketches illustrate a few "boudoir gymnastics" that are intended
to trim down those problem spots.
"UNDER" STATEMENTS
The "Body Beautiful" is almost complete! Good posture and sound health
habits went into its "building." But the body still needs support and protection.
And that is where undergarments come in.
Foundation garments. Foundation garments may make you think of some-
thing stiff and stodgy. You think of them as something to poke you and pinch
you with every move. Not at all! Think of girdles and bras in terms of smooth-
ness, firmness, and flexibility. each lady desires those qualities to look at her
best in everything that she wears.
Even though you are slim, wear a scanty, two-way-stretch girdle to manage
your lines. It will not hamper your movements. You will find that it improves your posture.
If you would like additional abdominal support or control, select a girdle that has a
boned front. It will hold in that protruding stomach.
As for bras, select one that gives you a firm contour without constricting
you. A bra that is too tight is injurious.
THE YEARLY PHYSICAL
Yearly physical examination is important for anyone at any age. It is a
sensible way of protecting health. Once you have had your yearly examination
and the report is safely tucked away in the doctor's files, you can settle back
comfortably and enjoy your good health.
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| Discount Clothing Websites |
Left, a good foundation for school clothes. Right, undergarments to wear with sun-
back dresses and strapless evening gowns.
A visit to the doctor's office or to the school physician offers an opportunity
to discuss certain aspects of your health that may be disturbing to you. Such
advice as a physician can give is the most reliable kind.
back dresses and strapless evening gowns.
A visit to the doctor's office or to the school physician offers an opportunity
to discuss certain aspects of your health that may be disturbing to you. Such
advice as a physician can give is the most reliable kind.
Thank you.
