CHAPTER XII.
DRESS FOR OUT OF DOORS.
CONTINUING my remarks as to the proper fitting of dresses, I would observe that special care is required in fitting them round the throat. If they are cut too tight the muscles of the throat do not get full play, breathing is hampered, and the movements of the larynx checked; the mode in which the voice is produced is thus altered, and the voice becomes harsh and weak, while the low notes are spoiled. All singers insist that the movements of the throat should be quite untrammelled. If the dress is cut too high at the back it presses on the lower vertebrae of the neck, and pushes them forward, so that the neck and head protrude in a way that is as ungraceful as it is unhealthy. It must not be forgotten that the upright position is the most graceful, and the healthiest. When the dress is being tried on, throw the head back as far as possible, and if the bodice is too high to permit of this it must be cut low enough to do so. In front it should just cover the clavicles or collar-bones, and the back
