THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, FOETLAND, DECEMBER 18, 190.
DAINTY BLOUSES AS GIFTS FOR HOLIDAYS
Nothing More Pleasing in Fashion's Realm to the Girl
Whose Allowance Is Limited.
THE CHRISTMAS gift of today shows
an odd comlngllng of the old holi
day spirit and the newer practical
Ideas. A gift which saves the recipient
money laid aside for frocks is far more
welcome than a piece of jewelry quite out
cf proportion to the woman's style of
dressing, or a trumpery bit of bric-a-brac
far an already crowded room. To make a
practical gift doubly welcome one has
cnly to select an article of wearing ap
parel which Is truly festive to know just
where to draw the line between a too.
too practical gift and something which
carries only holiday suggestions.
The rich old aunt in search of something
for her niece, whoso dress allowance- is
small, or who is perhaps living on the
average salary of an office employe, can
select no more desirable gift than a dainty
blouse. The puzzled bachelor undo will
do well to call in some experienced shop
per to aid him in the selection of a similar
gift, and as a college girl can never havo
too many extra bodices, any number of
her family may feel justified in choosing
this gift. As for the mother the busy,
practical mother a blouse that is just
a little out of the ordlnarj't with some
touch of extravagance such as she would
banish from her mind when shopping for
herself, is sure to be welcome.
In selecting a blouse for a gift it is of
the utmost Importance to ascertain the
color and style of the skirt with which it
will be worn. It is absolutely essential
that the blouse this year should have
precisely tho color tone of the skirt, and
further that the fabric of tho one should
tone perfectly with the fabric of the other.
Many smartly dressed women cling to
the Independent blouse, independent In
fabric, but not in color, ind she who has
a broadcloth or silk ekirt in white has a
blouse also In white, though in a different
material. The girl who looks well in pale
blue may have a broadcloth 6klrt built
on Dirobtoire lines, with several pale blue
blouses to match, and the same with gray.
In fact. It is becoming something of a
voguo for girls to adopt tho most becom
ing color and wear it almost exclusively.
Very few women who make any preten
tions to good dressing offer a striking con
trast between blouse and Fklrt. Even the
black skirt with a gay bodice has gone
out. In Its stead for wear with black
house-skirts slightly trained, come inde
pendent blouses in various black materi
als. For the plainer bodice, silk mull,
liberty silk and chiffon are shirred and
corded in elaborate designs over silk,
with 41 fanciful girdle of black silk. More
dressy are the jetted bodices, either In
net or chiffon over black silk. As a rule,
these are made up very simply that the
jetted pattern may stand out in all Its
beauty. They 'can be bought ready to
make up at a very reasonable figure. '
The woman who has a limited dress al
lowance pins her faith on black and
white, and the white waists for wear with
white broadcloth or silk skirts were never
more effective. Hero the three-quarter
'eves Is especially popular. Very girlish
are the shirred and corded waists evolved
from chiffon, net and mull, and while the
shirring in almost every instancr runs
around the body, a long effect is given
to the garment by bringing each row of
shirring to a point back and front.
A very pretty example showB a V
shaped yoke of fine tucks shirred length
wise In white chiffon over silk. The
three-quarter puff sleeves are shirred and
tucked on horizontal lines, ending at the
elbow in double ruffles. The tucking and
shining of the bodice are also horizontal,
following the V-shape of the yoke, and a
draped girdle comes to a similar point in
front and is finished with two rosettes at
the back.
On slightly more elaborate lines is a
white dinner blouse of chiffon over white
louislne. It fastens in the back, and has
a yoke design, showing Renaissance bow
knots on a plain chiffon ground, and from
each bow-knot depends a bunch of ber
ries embroidered In silk. This yoke is
round and the blouse section of the waist
is set In with very fine shlrrlngs and
tucks, while just above the girdle are nve
deeper tucks shirred. The sleeve is
shirred just above and below the elbow,
ending in a double graduated flounce, and
the belt is of white louislne, draped, and
finished with rosettes.
A dainty afternoon waist and one of the
few offered with a full-length sleeve,
shows a mass of handiwork. It Is fash
ioned from Japanese grass linen of exquis
ite sheerness, and fastens In the back so
that the elaborate handwork on the plain
front is unbroken. The yoke, built on Ir
regular, waving lines, is laid In very fine
hand-run tucks defined top and bottom
with narrow bouillonne bands of the linen
joined with fagoting in very fine thread.
Rows of fine tucking, narrow boulllonnes
and Valenciennes Insertion showing a coin
spot are all joined together with fancy
Btltchee to make the body portion, while
across the front are sprays of lotus leaves
and blossoms buttonholed On the fine
linen, cut out and appllqued upon the
blouse. Tho sleeve Is split up the outside
seam to admit a soft, narrow puff of the
linen, on which la set graduated ruffles
of tucking, edged with lace to -match tho
Insertion.
A bodice of sheerest white silk shows
marvelous handwork decorations in fagot
ing around appliques of tulips which run
down the front of the bodice and from
the shoulder seams to the sleeve, giving
the effect of a bertha appllqued upon
cloth.
An extremely smart bodice for wear
with a tobacco-brown broadcloth was of
the same shade of chiffon over silk. Being
for dinner wear, it was cut with a V
sh&ped neck and three-quarter sleeves.
The chiffon was draped over the silk in
accordion pleating, and the sleeves were
merely two graduated flounces in accor
dion pleatings, and edged with two fine
rows of ruchlng. The neck was outlined
by a bond of chiffon applique studded with
topaz, and a piece of the trimming stiff
ened llko a stock end fell from the point
of the neck to tho waist line, where It
ended in a point finished with topaz
fringe. The girdle was also studded, and
set at Intervals across the front and on
the sleeves following the V-shape of tho
neck were tiny rosettes of chiffon with a
topaz In the heart of each.
Many a girl of limited dress allowance
has a pale-colored ekirt and high-necked
blouse upon which she depends for semi
dressy occasions. Given a low-necked
bodice to match this skirt, and she is
equipped for a smart dinner or Informal
evening function.
A very simple but effective decollete
blouse for wear with a pale pink skirt
waa developed from a pink repousse lace
which is a yard and a half wide and 53 a
yard. Three-quarters of a. yard was em
ployed for shirring over the silk founda
tion of exactly the same shade, and for
the puffs which formed the short sleeves.
A graduated bertha coming to a deep
point back and front was formed from a
lace edging which exactly matched tho
all-over, and which costs $1.50 a yard.
This fell over the sleeves eo that they
did not require a lace flounce, but Were
finished with a dainty ruchlng of the all
over. The chio touch of the bodice wa3
a corsage garniture of exquisite pink rose
buds in chiffon arranged in garlands with
chenille leaves of a soft green tint. On
the left side just below the shoulder was
a soft chou of ribbon to match the pink
in the lace, and tho hair ornament was of
the same pink ribbon with rosebuds and
leaves nestling In the heart of the bow.
The perfect blending of plnlcs In the skirt
and the blouse with the daintily chosen
green of the leaves achieved a most ef
fective get-up.
KATHERINB ANDERSON.
LATEST EXERCISE IN THE USE OF DUMB-BELLS
Circulation Is the End and Aim Not the Building Up
of Rock-Like Muscles.
CIRCULATION is the end and aim of
the new school of dumbbell exer
cises. Not the building up of dock
like muscles, as In the crude days of
physical training for women, the days
when enthusiasm ran so high that the
purpose or the work was often defeated
by the overdoing of the good work.
"Health and beauty are the two things 1
which physical training Intended to give
to -women," eay the up-to-date instruct
ors. "If girls are overworked In their
gymnaslums it stands to reason that
health and beauty won't be achieved. A
certain amount of muscle building rounds
out the form and makes it lovely; but the
main object is to get up a good circula
tion." "When, you think of what circulation
moans to you, tho value of this kind of
exercise is made plain. First of all, it
is the best, the most lasting, the most
durable form of rouge. There is no car
mine like that which nature paints In a
healthy girl's cheeks; that is not poetry,
but solid faoL No preparation of rouge
has ever been invented which is not
slightly different in appearance from the
real rose, no matter how skillfully ap
plied. I have given to inquirers a recipe
for rouge; and I have recommended a
wash which, applied to tho cheeks, rod
dens them; but these are makeshifts at
best. Use them if you will, but work
meanwhile to produce the real color.
Dumbbells aro as good a form of ap
paratus for general work as any that you
can. use in a small room. The new ex
ercises differ radically from the old In
that thoy combine leg and trunk mo
tions with the dumbbell motions, and this
means that tho whole body Is brought
Into play at one time, that tho blood is
etrrtod circulating from the head to foot,
and that development Is not given to tne
upper part of the body alone. While
arms and shoulders are immensely ben
efited by the motions, the gain Is a gen
eral one one that pertains to every or
gan. Hero comes in the second benefit of
circulation that Is, the one that proba
bly seems second to you girls. Besides
serving as rouge, it means more to your
general health than any bottled tonic
that tho druggists selL Stimulating the
circulation of tho blood aids the diges
tive organs morvelously. Lungs, heart,
all the rest of them are encouraged to
attend better to their duties. Think of
what all this means to your beauty to
tho banishing of hollow cheeks, dark cir
cles under the eyes, parched Hps, muddy
complexions.
In the beginning you must learn tho
dumbbell motions alone, then gradually
combine other motions.
The first position is standing erect with
the bells held upon the hips.
Raise them to the shoulders, holding
the bells vertically with their ends rest
ing upon the shoulder, the palm of the
hand toward the front. All of these mo
tions are practiced first with the right
hand, then the left, then "alternately, and
18511' with both together.
Raise the bells to the top of the head,
same position as on shoulders.
Raise them vertically, extending the
arm straight up abovo the head.
Extend arms forward on a level with
the shoulders, bells held vertically.
TSxtend arms to the sides at shoulder
levoL
Raise right arm and reach with bell
over left shoulder, so that your elbow
xolnts to the front.
Having mastered these simple move-
ments the foundation upon which future
work Is based take up the first step po
sition movements. Step position means a
placing outward of one foot, toe. pointed,
heel raised. Step position right means
tho placing of the right foot outward to
the right side. Step position forward
left means a placing of the left foot for
ward, tho toe turned out as a matter of
course.
Now combine these foot movements
with the exercises given above. For In
stance, take step position left and raise
the right arm above the head, bell held
vertically and resting on top of head. The
second count brings foot and arm bacic
to first position.
Again, with left foot, take cross step
position In front, extending right arm up
ward, bell held vertically in the air.
You can make for yourself an infinite
number of variations, supplying the di
rections for alternating and reversing the
movements.
Next. Introduce knee bending. This is
one exercise: Take side step position for
ward left and bend right knee. A step
position may be to the side or backward.
Combine with dumbbell movements.
Next, introduce trunk bending to tho
front, side and rear. You now see the
principle of all this work all the time
that the arms are at work with the bells
tho legs or waist muscles are also at
work keeping the circulation evenly stim
ulated from head to foot Instead of al
lowing it to be stimulated In the upper
part of the body alone. The exercises In
the pictures may have looked complex In
the beginning, but they are clearing Up
now. The one showing bells above the
head is .this: Take cross step position
backward left, bending right knee and
raising arms upward. On the second count
lower bells to hips and bring foot back
to starting point. Reverse Step p'ositlon
after four repetitions, then alternate.
Charging differs from taking stop po
sition In that the knee is bent the one
charging, that Is while the knee at
.position remains rigid. Thus "charge
forward left" means placing- the left
fo'ot forward with a big step and bind
ing the left knee. When you under
stand this you can accomplish the
beautifully graceful bend in which the
poser's back is toward you. Tho di
rections are .these: Charge sideways
right, bending trunk sideways right,
bending trunk sideways left and rais
ing right arm above head with bell
resting on head. At count two you
should be In starting position, which
means that tho right foot is to be
brought back until its heel meets tho
left heel; that the trunk Is to be
straightened; that the right bell Is to
be returned to the right hip. Repeat
four times, reverse charging, bending
and. armraising four times, then alter
nate the whole, each four times.
The third picture represents perhaps
the most graceful motion of all. Take
oross step position backward loft;
swing- the right arm over to the left;
turn head to right. Evena neck exer
cise is Involved In this, you see, so your
double chin or scrawny neck, as tho
case may be, Is incidentally having its
treatment.
These complex motions are too elab
orate to be covered In less than a vol
ume, so you must work them out for
yourselves if you are ingenious enough
to do so. If not. attend to the simple
ones, a few of which can be given here.
The direction "bend knees" means
that the knees are to be bent as much
as you can. This brings the body
toward the floor in a squatting posi
tion. Now give this caroful attention:
Ratse the arms forward, holding bells
vertically; bend knees' at the same
time; this for count one. For count
two, place bells on shoulders, straight
en khees and raise on toes. For count
three, extend arms sideways, coming
d6Vn 6h heels. FOr count four, re
turn to first position.
A splendid exercise for reducing the
flesh, if porformedvery rapidly, Is this:
Charge sideways left at the same time
bending trunk sideways left; swing
the left arm obliquely sideways until
bell touches floor; extend right arm
vertically upward. Upon reading this
it may seem too much for one count,
but you will understand It when you
come to put It into practice. Count
two brings you back to first position.
Charge backward left, extending
arms obliquely upward at the sides.
Remember that the charging knee i3
bent, the other rigid. The bells are In
an oblique position in this movement.
Charge obliquely forward, left, ex
tending right arm obliquely backward
and left urm upward.
TWist trunk to left, extend right
arm forward and left arm upward.
A rather ungraceful but very bene
ficial exercise is this: Bend the trunk
'backward, at the same time taking
step position forward left and folding
the arms In front of the shoulders.
Take these exercises In heelless sllp
pecs the ordinary Turkish slipper will
do, or a felt bedroom sllppert If you
have no gymnasium shoes. Let every
garment be loose. Braid your hair
down your back If you want to be per
fectly free; otherwise you may be
afraid of disturbing the knot when you
raise tho boll to the crown, and any
carefulness is fatal to free exercise.
If your room be small, clear out fur
niture enough to leave you a good
sized space. You must feel free in ev
ery way. Dispose of whatever brlc-a-brac
may interfere with freedom.
Throw the windows open and take a
few deep breaths before beginning.
Leave tho windows open during the fin
tire work. KATHERINE MORTON.
Trimming and Lighting the Tree
THE Christmas tree of 1S04 will be a
marvel of artistic effects and me
chanical perfection. The new ornaments
are ablaze with color, or they gleam
with spangled and tinseled effects, while,
from the illumination of the tree to the
miniature scenes with which ft is banked,
no effort has been spared to introduce
up-to-date embellishments. While mod
ern machinery has brought Christmas
tree ornaments down to a very reasonable
figure, many of them can be reproduced
by deft fingers In the home circle at
cheaper prices and with equally good re
sults. For Instance, almost any girl can make
little figures of heavy paper, pasting on
heads Of Santa Ciaus, babies, angels or
pretty girls, and dress them in suitablo
cloaks and garments built from sheet
cotton batting sprinkled thickly with sil
ver dust. From this same shoot wad
ding snowballs may be formed and fast
ened to the tree by a thin wire. Corn
ucopias, rounded from silver paper, are
effective ornaments and are a good sub
stitute for candy boxes. Long crystal
prisms which dangle from Old-fashioned
lamp globes or candlesticks. If removed
and hung, one on top of each branch,
give the effect of icicles in the sunlight,
on a morning after Jack Frost ha3 visited
the trees in tho midst of a rain storm.
In connection with these home-made
decorations, the Christmas tree will glist
en and sparkle, if tinseled ornaments aro
Interspersed. Beets and carrots splen
didly reproduced In papier mache have
sprout3 of tinseled leaves. Glass balls
showing brilliant green, red or blue hues
glisten from a filling of tinsel, and are
set In a circle of tinsel leaves. Clusters
of holly Or mistletoe aro encased In
bunches of tinsel, while stars, dwarf trees
and sprays of asparagus vine are built
entirely from ' tinsel.
The danger of fire at a Christmas fes
tivity is practically done away with by
the Use of oad and dainty fairy-lamps In
stead of the colored candles of past
years. Cup-shapes made from translucent
composition showing laughing faces' of
monks and Brownies, are lighted by a
short, fat tallow candle. With a pencil
and brush clever fingers can produce
these lamps from islng-glass. Heads of
imps and animals, or a crescent showing
the man in the moon servo as lahterns,
the light shining through transparent
eyes and mouth.
Howe'er, nothing is so satisfactory and
safe for illuminating the Christmas tree
as tiny electric bulbs of different col
ors scattered thickly through the
branches and attached to wires which
receive their power from a portable bat
tery. In a house having electric service
the wires from the tree may be connected
with one of the house wires, and tho
separate battery will not be necessary.
The cost of two or three dozen bulbs wfth
the accompanying wires and battery will
be from ?4 to ?6.
For banking about the foot of the tree
the prettiest of Inexpensive toys are dis
played, music boxes under a platform
where children are singing or dancing,
miniature Ferris wheels, loop-the-loops.
sawmills which are revolved by water
power, leaden figures, representing sol
diers from the Russian and Japanese
army, and figures of all the funny folks
In comic supplements of the Sunday pa
pers. In all these decorations, it Is to bo
regretted that there is each year less of
the original spirit of Christmas the cele
bration of the birth of the Chrfat child.