The Omaha Sunday
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SirefctOffloirFai
"Could ono help
being demurely
coquettish when
wcnrlng this hat,
with 3ts mallncs
brim and rose
buds!"
LADY DUFF-GORDON. the
famous "Lucile" of Lon
don, and foremost creator
of fashions in the world, writes each
week the fashion article for this news
paper, presenting all that is newest in
Lady Duff-Gordon's new Paris
establishment brings he, into close
touch with that centre of fashion.
Lady Duff-Gordon's American es
tablishment is at Nos. 37 and 39 .
West Fifty-seventh street, New York
City.
By LADY DUFF-GORDON
("Lucile")
MODERN fashionB, like modern
dances, manners and mor
als, aro tho causo for much,
criticism, constant and carping. On
all sides wo hoar strong condorana
tlonbt the present sartorial tenden
cies. We aro told that our clothes)
are outragoous; that they aro made'
only to appeal to tho coarser In
stincts ot man, and that our man
ners and morals aro as bad as our
clothes. Ib this criticism uncalled
(or? Alas, not always, but I think
that tho most severe critics do not
reallzo that our fashions after all but
express tho present unrest and ox
cltomont that dominate every phase
of the modern life.
It is not Immodesty nor Indcconcy '
that 'inspires tho clothes ot to-day.
It is that woman being tho Inarticu
late half ot tho human race, soeka
to express her Individuality, her
personality on the world through
her clothes.
This is a day of oxcltement, a day
when wo havo to have our sonsos
titillated with a now sensation every
hour, a day of extremes in thought
and deed. Exaggeration is the key
note ot tho ago; wo meet it in the
play, tho fashions, in ovory phaso ot
eur daily life. Even our manners
and morals aro exaggerated, but' this,
ia not due to tho fashionB of tho mo
meat, although undoubtedly our
manners and morals aro affoctod by
the clothes we wear. Wo have out
grown tho day when bandBomo was
as handsomo did; wo now appar
ently believe that handsomo is as
handsomo dresses. '
Ono of my theories is that a
.woman should dress up to her man
ners and morals. Now I do not mean
by this that the members ot tho
demi-monde should wear a certain
uniform; nelthor do I tiellove that a
mondalne should wear only quiet
drab effects. N6 indeed. But, realiz
ing fully that we are affected men
tally, morally and physically by our
clothes. I do bellevo that wo should
dress for, as well aa act, tho part In
which fatcf has us cast
Fortunately for tho future of pic
turesque fashions, tho world is
divided against itself. .One-halt ot
the males thunder at us that our
standards of morality are low; that
we are growing docadent "It 1b
your clothes; your clothes make you
Immoral!" they cry. Dut the other
Bide comes back with: "You dress
as you do because ot your morals; It
is your morals that mako your
clothes, not your clothes your mor
als." To start at tho beginning, I must
say once and for all that tho present
fashions are not Immoral; that they
do not create Immorality, and that in
themselves there Is nothing sug
gestive In tho really lovely fashions
created for the mondalues. It ia pos
sible for a lady or, I should better
say, a gentlewoman to wear any
thing and still be a gentlewoman. It
is, In a way, not what she wears, but
how she wears it, that marks the
difference botween tho well bred
woman, the woman of good manners,
end the woman who seeks to attract
through the euggestiveness of her
clothes. Wearing the present fash
ions Is like dancing tho present
dances It is all In the manner in
which it is done.
As I have often said, manners may
make the man, but dress makes the
woman. No woman Is over at her
ease who is not dressed for the part
which sha must assume in her world.
A woman not born pr trained to that
part can better assume it if she Is
dressed for it It is far easier to act
like a lady If one is dressed Ilka oner
During all ages the clothes of the
woman have reflected the spirit of
that day. Critics, looking on at the
-Not Your
Real Morals,
Explains
Lady Duff-
Gordon, but
Your
Manners
That Make
Your
Morals, Are
Controlled
by the
Gowns
You Wear
tango and various and varied hug
ging dances, sigh for the days ot the
stately minuot Tho graceful minuet
simply expressed a stately ago, an
ago when the social life was laid
along pleasant lines, when thero was
no feminist movement; when woman
was both born and trained to please
by her charm and manners, and only
man was vllo, but his vlloness was
hidden tinder lace ruffles and delicate
satins.
Therefore I feel that I am right In
my contention that we dress up to
our morals, our manners. You see, I
never disassociate manners and mor
als. I believe that a woman who has
really lovely manners must under
neath havo really lovely morals.
What is tho first step in tho mak
ing ot a lady? What does the clever
social secretary, the clever dress
makor, say to the woman who baa
had no social advantages, but whose
recently acquired wealth demands
attention? "You must dress the
part"
A woman born to social standing,
born a lady, can take certain risks
that the other woman daro not It
thus behooves tho drossmaker to go
slowly when given the task ot
"making a lady." To mako a gra
cious hostess out ot a woman who
has nover entertained, one must
dress her In a gracious fashion. She
must be dressed In a manner that,
whllo it is striking and-very chic,
must not overpower her guests, but
must mako them realize that sha has
put on her Jrery loveliest costume In
their honor.
I am sending you this week what
I think is a perfect costume for A
hostess who is at the same time
chatelaine of a large country estate.
In this costume there Is tho artful
suggestion ot the spirit of the day,
but also the true charm ot the thor
oughbred woman ot the world. In
such a costume It seems to me that
one could not help having lovely
thoughts, and one's manners would
naturally become tinged with charm
and graclousness.
I at one time thought that no
woman could be dignified in a short
skirt; that one needed a long train
tor dignity and soft, clinging dra-
Eerles for languorous case. 1 still
olleve the lattor. but I have learned
that dignity has nothlns to do with
a train. There are women who look
ridiculous rather than stately la a
train, and there are others who look
stately and dignified in a short skirt
That Statclf.
Bess no Longer
Depends on the
Trained Skirt Is
Shown in This
Reception Cos
tume of Bine and
White Striped
Silk.
It all depends on the way the cos
tume Is made and worn. In this cos
tume, as you well can see. there ia
poth dignity and charm and a cer
tain piquancy. The fabrio is a lus
trous silk, a beautiful rich blue,
somewhat the tone ot cornflowers in
full bloom; the white stripe is halt
a?. ?ch. w,de' Tno lower part of tho
skirt having the stripes horizon
tally, is draped in the front over a
sup ot lace and embroidery.
The Russian blouse has a long
skirt marvelously embroidered at
the sides and a girdle that is now
and quaint No little detail has been
overlooked. I wish that I might im
press on every woman the impor
tance of detain A gown can bo
spoiled by the wrong button, the'
wrong belt; and when this happens
I am sure that the wearer's manners
are ruined too.
A woman may be only a woman,
but I can tell overy member ot my
sex that she can enhance her wom
anliness by making her manners and
clothes harmonize. Do not attempt
the coy. the coquettish, when you
are wearing an unbecoming hat or
wnen you know that your nair is
badly dressed. Nothing could be
more fatal.
In the hat I am sending you here
you con see what I call the perfect
bat coquettish. Wearing a hat like
this, a pretty girl or one who has
made herself pretty can be demurely
coy, archly coquettish and. as you
say In America, get away with it!
There is nothing demure in a brim
less hat And yet brlmless bats are
tho present craze In Paris. But here
is Just the thinga bat with a brim
of mallnes that frames the face and
throws just the right shadow under
the eyes The big rose back of the
ear and the velvet strings with their
own roses make this hat picturesque
sud unusual
Four Stretches for Slender
ness by the Only Girl Who
Ever Swam the Golden Gate
MI83 HAZEL BESS LAUGENOUR Is the only woman In the
world who ever swam the Golden Qate at San Francisco.
She has started for England, where she will attempt to swim
the English Channel. She Is a California girl, a graduate of the Uni
versity of California and of Salem College In North Carolina. Her
figure Is flawless. Once she was threatened with being fat. Then
she discovered and Invented stretching. Here she tells of It for the
benefit of women who are too fat and women who are too thin, for v
the exercise works both ways.
By HAZEL BESS LAUGENOUR
Stretch No. One For Re
ducing: the Waist Line.
TAKE a straight standing posi
tion on tho floor. Bo sure
that you are standing straight and
that thero is no inward curve to
the spine. Halt of the people la
the world who think they are stand
ing "erect" are actually doing them
selves an injury by forcing tho
spine to bend Inward.
When you have taken the straight
stand-up position, draw your chest
and upper body up bo that you are
stretching all tho muscles from
your waist lino up. Inhale slowly
as you draw up. Do It slowly,
never do It In a hurry. Act as
do long distance swimmers. They
never rush things. It Is the secret
of their endurance.
As you start to draw up, your
hands are to be at your sides In
an extended position. Now start to
bring them up from your sides
slowly, but stretch with them grad
ually. Bring them on up until your
hands rest together high above your
head. Now como up on your toes,
up, up, up, as far as you can get!
now, roach stretch, reach for
"that something that you can't
quite reach and which Isn't there at
You have your arms extended as
far as possible. Now, slowly bend
tho hand back at tho wrist until
your fingers are pointing at the
ceiling. Bend back at tho wrist as
far as you can. Then, with the
middle finger, stretch out, down
and around until you find that
finger actually hooking or describ
ing a circle through tho air. Re
member, not to bend the elbow.
You will not get the stretch on
those muscles if you crook your
elbow.
Now, when you have the movement
down pat add to it by working your
shoulders much after the way they
would work in a common breast
swimming stroke. Combine these into
a stretch, and it won't be long be
fore the benollts of it will be in evi
dence. Now, don't think that because
I'm telling you to stretch that I
moan for you to have your muscles
at a tension. Nothing ot tho kind.
In any stretch I describe, always
remember to relax. Relaxation
is the secrot of the whole thing.
Stretch No. Three For the
Hips, Thighs and Legs.
TAKE a firm stand on the floor.
Then stretch the right leg out
until your right toe Is just tipping
the floor. You are now to stretch
the big muscles of th'e legs and
thighs by "pulling" on the muscle
with your toe from tho hip Joint
Moke yourself feel the pull. The
too will do it If you stretch It far
enough. Now bring your leg out
till It is horizontal, all the time not
forgottlng to "pull" with your big
toe. Swing tho leg out and back
Diagram ofJStretch No. 4
all just picture yourself aa being
under a big cherry tree and that you
are stretching on tip toes to get
two handtuls of cherries.
Keep up there without straining
as long as possible. It won't be
long at first because your muscles,
unused to this exercise, will ache
at the outset and you will be glad
to como down quickly to a flat-toot
position on the floor. Try to come
down slowly and deliberately as you
continue. Breathe deeply. When
you got up to tho top ot the stretch
try to hold tho position and gradu
ally inhale, easily, the Idea being
not to breathe according to count
but deeply, easily and naturally.
Come down slowly, but keep the
hands up above your head, with the
first finger ot each hand Just touch
ing tips. That will force you to
keep at balance, and besides, it
aids the stretch.
Vary this stretch by going up on
one foot, then on tho other.
Then try it by bending at the
waist line, first to one side and
then to the other.
Then try It by extending the
hands far out In front of you and
bend as far forward as you can
stretch. Go as far forward and
down with the finger tips as you
can and Btlll keep your balance.
Another good way to vary this
stretch is to keep, the hands ex
tended high above your bead and
to tako short little steps Bideways
on your toes, much the way you
have seen toe dancers do. Then
describe a circle in this manner
around the room, always facing out
Vary this stretch by adding tho
arm movement that I am now going
to describe in Stretch Two.
Stretch No. Two For Symmet
rical Arms, Shoulders and Haads.
HOW) your arms out horizontal
ly with the fingers stretching
as tar out as they can. Now.
"sense" the feeling between your
shoulder blades. Sense that muscle
that's there. The idea is that you
want to stretch the muscles from
between your shoulder blades to
your finger tips, and the way to
stretch that muscle is to pull on it
with tho middle finger.
Stretch'
No. 1,
Which Is
Recommended
for
Reducing
the
Waist
Line
The
Breathing
Stretch
on the
Left
the Relaxed
Body;
on the
Right
Every
Muscle
Tight
and then bend forward until all the
weight of your body is on the left
leg and your body and the right
leg Is almost on a horizontal
line, while the position makes your
right leg describe as much of a
circle as possible. Just as If there
was a piece of chalk attached to
your toe and you were actually
chalking this circle on some sur
face. As you swing Into tho
stretch let your right arm go out
on a level with your right leg and
extend the left arm out on a line
parallel with the right arm and leg.
It is by far the ruost Important ot
the exercises, as it is a "sure cure"
for big hips, the nightmare of nearly
every woman who craves a beautiful
figure.
Stretch No. Foar "General"
Stretch for Entire Body.
TAKE a good position on your
right foot, tor instance, and
stretch out behind with your left
toe as far aa you can reach. Extend
Diagram t
Illustrating
Stretch
No.l
the right arm np as far as you can
stretch on a line parallel with the
left leg. Let the left arm follow
along in the same general line with
the left leg. Then stretch good and.
plenty.
Swing around on your leg with!
the left extended behind you ana
vary the position of the arms by
bringing them around in front, much
after the fashion ot one about to
dive. Aftor this has been mastered
you can add stretch number two by
bringing into play some of the fish
tall movements.