The Arizona Gleam

BEAUTY HINTS

Graceful Walk is Result of Pointing Toes Straight Ahead.

As we look back now that extremely short skirted era was a test, all right. But, at that, I don't think it was as hard on the youthfulness of a woman as today's long skirted one. She had an idea in the old days, at least, that she was fooling folk with the kiddish skirt. And a lot of other women were toeing out, so if her feet looked funny she had company in that respect and plenty of it.

But today, with no leg to speak of to distract the eye of man (and woman), the feet come in for a heap of staring. That's one reason why we think this a harder period for the woman who'd like to appear younger. The other is that the lengthened skirt calls imperatively for a smart, snappy, young walk. Otherwise you're sunk into middle agedness, at least.

Women of the grandmother age, let's say, might be excused for the habit of walking with feet turned out. Many of them were taught to walk that way. Once taught and practiced for years, it's no easy trick getting the toes to point straight ahead. But women of the young matron age and younger certainly have not the excuse of faulty teaching to keep on turning those feet out at the ugly forty-five degree angle.

I warn you all that this walking business is going to be pounded into you by every beauty and health adviser from now on. The beauty preachers simply can't let you go on turning those feet out when you move or when you stand still, for that matter. You can't get any lightness in your step if you turn the feet out. You can't come up and down on the ball of the foot easily. And the chances are ten to one you're now suffering some arch strain, if not out and out flat footedness from walking with the feet turned out.

You never saw a graceful woman, a smart stepping one, a chic person with feet acting that way. Feet have to be placed directly in front of you and walked on lightly to get any style in your movements. You've got to keep them pointing directly in front of you when you stand. In fact, it is better to turn in a little than out for appearance sake and for the good of your foot action.

Check up on those tootsies of yours and see if you're making them do right by your appearance. Stand them and walk them before a pier of glass and don't let them off practice until you have them going straight ahead every time. It makes your feet look a couple of sizes larger to turn them out wide when you walk. And that ought to cure them, eh what?