SPECIALLY FOR LADIES.
What is becoming to one woman, may be just the reverse to another, and in such a case it is foolish to be the slave of fashion. A tall, elegant, and well-formed figure requires a material that will exhibit and set off to advantage these charms.
Velvet suits well a commanding figure which disdains light materials, pale colors, and trifling ornaments. In vain will a new fashion proffer its pretty trinkets: the woman who possesses this classical figure will disdain all such trifles. Her style of head-dress will be chaste; diamond ornaments will sparkle on her bosom; she is a queen, and should wear the ornaments of royalty, provided she can do so.
A young girl, all grace and elegance, will robe her sylph-like form in the most transparent of textures; she will place a fresh garland on her charming brow. Every thing in her dress should correspond to the freshness of her smile, to the sweetness of her expression.
We must, moreover, counsel our fair friends not to spoil their beauty by any act of their own. To explain ourselves further:
We will suppose you to possess a beautiful face, and you have every interest in preserving its regularity. Now mark: If you experience the slightest opposition, your features are not recognizable your forehead is wrinkled, you are ten years older!
Are you angry? your nose contracts, your upper lip is elongated, your eyes are half covered by their lids; you are frightfully ugly!
Are you afraid? your eyebrows are raised, your mouth is half open, and you look like a simpleton!
Are you cold? all your features are contracted, every muscle of your face is in a state of tension, your neck sinks between your shoulders, you are hunch-backed; consequently the blood, less active in this semi-circular position, makes you still colder than if you walked on boldly, and you have further the advantage of looking like a little old man!
Are you negligent in your dress, careless in your habits, idle and listless? your face gradually assumes an expression of creticism, which makes your eyes lose all their vivacity, and your countenance its charms!
Consult your mirror when you experience one of these feelings, and you will hardly recognize yourself.
Since God has given you an agreeable countenance, do not deface his workâall the world will be gainers and yourself also.
Alas! what shall we say to those who have not been favored with a charming countenance? In such a case there is almost always a compensation of Nature's own providing. You will observe that with unprepossessing features, there is generally an elegant figure, or a great deal of expression, or lively wit, that makes you forget that Nature has been less bountiful than is her wont.
Fanciful modes of dress suit the coquette; she knows how to make use of them: they are her counters. She has the art of arranging tastefully even the folds of her dress. Her costume should be full of variety, to be the reflection of her caprices.