The Dickinson press., 1889-04-13
HOW C0RSETS ARE WORN.
A FASHIONABLE MAKER DlscoURsEs
UPON THE SUBJECT.

OGOlN 0O6JcCI.
bad Effects OF Tight Lacing-AIost Women
Wear Corscts Too Small for Thcm-rhc
Young Lady Who Nearly Died-The Ln-
humanity of Mothers-Stays for Men.
Just off of Broadway OH Eighteenth street
there is q modest little house which differs in
no essential point but one from its neighbors
The point of difference is that it bears proudly
on its stony breast q badge which tells the
passers by that within fashionable corsets
on the propretress.
We'll, what can tell you about corsetsl"
she asked after she had read the reporters
open sesame
81 want to know all about them," was the
modest reply, "but first tell me- please,
whether ladies of tho present day lace as
tightly as they did few years ago."
"They do not, that is certain Tight lac
ing, yoE know, has q tendency to elongate
the waist. and as short waists are in style ut
tho present time, the fashionable woman does
not attempt to shape hers to that degree of
wasplike attenuation so sought for in the
days of the hoardlike stays. Then, again,
women are undoubtedly becoming moro SEN
sibe. and consequently more careful of their
health. Frankly, tho woman of tho period
cannot stand the tight lacing that her grand
mother could. She hasn't tho constitution,
and believe her weakness is a result of the
abcminube pinchins that tho waists of her
maternal ancestors received"
A SENSIBLE CORSET a REAL. NEED.
"Iou do not believe i'll corsetS. thcns'
"But indeed do when they arc used judi
ciously They are most certainly great con-
vcniencc and comfort, and cannot SEQ how
the health can be injured by their use, if, as
| say, they are used in u sensible manner
Some ladies, to be sure, get along without
them, but heavens, what dunpy, shapelcss
figures such have. l do not see what posi-
ble objection there can be to loose, well fitting
corsets What, for instance, could stout
ladies do without them! They not only grid
the waist and support the bust, but they keep
the clothing from cutting into tho flesh.
Fleshy women, however, mako ono great
mistake. Almost invariably they wear cor
sets that aro too small for them. Now, if
flesh is squeezed away from its natural posi-
tion it is bound to osomewhere clsewhcrcna
turc never intended it to go. and tho result is
naturally an ,lncouth figure. But tight lacing
is indulgcd i'll by stout and thin, in fact fool
ish women of all sizes and conditions will i'll
dulsc i'll It, 1t is hardly necessary for me to
say that consider tight lacing an abomina-
bic and suicidal habit"
is it not fact that most women will in
sist upon wearing n corset that is too small
for thenlf'
THAT is unqucstionably so, although, as
have before stated, very tight lacing is no
longer indulged i'll to any extent. AS long us
slim waists are admired by the sterncr sex
women will have them, cost what 1T may.
There is scarcely ono of my customers who
does not wear corset which is at least one
or two inches too small for her. For in
stance, IL woman of 25 or "a inch waist meas
ure usually will havo n 20 or % inch corset
made. 1t used to be that foolish myself until
| learned by accident that n fairly loosely
fitting corset really gave the effect of slim
ness much better than one nlade smaller than
it should be. am rather stout, us you see,
and i'll common with many other members of
my sex decided that tightly fitting corset
would improve my figure. was taken sick
| with painful disease which mado it impossi
| bic for me to wear corset at all In fact,
my side was sensitive, ecu after had
almost entirely recovered, that couldn't
| bear tho slightest pressure on it. When be
gan to get around again | found that must
wear some support for my back, and picked
| out the largest corset hud in stock and put
| it OH. Much to my surprise my customers
have ever since remarked upon my slimncss
| This simply shows that for stout person
| loosely fitting corset is better in every way.
HER RIBS ovERLAppED
But aside from tho question of health
which, of course, is the primo consideration
;,,1,
| of good looks. 1t impovcrishes the blood
| impedcs tho circulation, and thereby induces
| tho consequent blenlishcs How many pretty
women you see every day whose beauty is
absolutely destroyed by tho redncss of the
tips of their noses. There is charming
young lady who comes here whose pretty
little noso is always disfgurcd in that way.
Unnatural pressure on the body tends to i'm
pco the circulation, and red noses and
swollen hands and feet are the result.
do not dare to say anything to my customers
who arc victims of tight laclng, for would
only loso their trade, gain their dislike, and,
after all, do them no good, for nothing
| could advise would change them ono whit.
IL is shame, though that family physicians
don't warn their patients moro than they do
against the Inevitable evil results of contin-
uancc Of tho habit. Several years ngo, wien
the IlrpostcrouslH slim, long waist was the
fashion, knew of~a young lady who was
suddenly taken so violently i'll that for n long
| time her life was dcsparcd of Her case com
| ,letely puzzled and bafiicd tho doctors When
| she was convalcscing an examination was
| made, and 1t was discovered that SO extreme
| had been the pressure brought to bear upon
| her body that the ends of her ribs ovcrappcd
| each 1Ahcr in front Her youth and naturally
good constitution were all that pulled her
| through. The young lady must have sul
| fcrcd untold agones when sc was up and
about, for tho organs Of her body could i!":
possibly have performed their proper func
tions"
is it customary for children to wear cor
sctss'
YES, it is and there is no habit which Is
doing r.ore to injurc the future of the Amcri
can nation Children should have the free
and untrammeled use Of all their organs.
am glad to say, however, that tho habit is
not growing one In fact, hardly think
it is SO prevalent as it was ten years ago. The
dress reform movement has accomplished
wonders, and well Informed mothers arc nov
aware that corset wearing children cannot
grow up to be healthy women There is no
shadow of excuse for young girls and chill
dren wearing stays, and no woman, unless
her mind is diseased by catering to what she
thinks is the fashion, would allow her daugb-
ters lifo to be injured in such a way"
| "Do you have any gentlemen customersf'
Yes, but they are all elderly business men,
who wear corsets as a support for weak
backs. understand that there is one firm in
town who make a speciality of manufacturing
mems corscts, but l have never been able to
find out where their place is. One thing do
know, and that is that lots of dudes and
actors wear them. New York Press.
There Was No Occasion.
Mamma to Flossic, who had been lunching
with little fliend)-I hope you were very
polite, Flosse, at the table and said ''Ycs,
please. and No, thank your
Flossic- Well didn't say "Eo, thank
you because you see took everything
The Epoch.