St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-09

and draped in such way as
to eXaggerate the abdomen and
hips, and unless woman is fairly
emaciaIed she is inclined to look almost
vulgar in the conventional skirt. The
great struggle this summer is for small
hips rather than waists, for bodices are
so draped as to disguise that to a certain
extent. Really the fashions seem to
have been designed for living skeletons,
and the woman with the curves that
artists admire loses her reputation for
slen derness in the conventional gown.
The vanity of our grandmothers evolved
the chrySaliS Of a corset made OF two
boards laced together under the arms.
This is its ''apotheosis," and she held
up shimmery blue and silver brocaded
girdle with fall Of lace at the top
drawn up on tinted ribbons. sits eyO-
luton has been slow. and it is not so
very long ago that the most fastidious
woman thought she was well fitted
in a corset made of straight strips
of buckram, with two cores for the bust
and one for the hips. Now the variety
is endless, and many women send their
measure to Paris and have the corSetS
made to order there. There is some
thing about French cOrSetS. like French
flowers and wines, that the Americans
can't initiate. See all the peculiar little
angles and ares and cores cut in this
corset, and fitted in together like a mo-
sale. You could never find anything in
America like that, and the reason is
that it was basted and fitted like a bod
ice on live model. Every large fact
DRY has it's line of models corresponding
with the different sizes. They stand
about in the fitting rooms, dressed only
in long plain gowns of soft silk, which
do not affect the fit in the least. They
stand while seam is taken up here and
let out there, gore Sharpened, an arc
widened. Of course, they are fault
lesslY shaped women, and the cor
sets when fitted on women with
idiosyncrasies of figure must be changed
in places, but even with no alteration
they ''catch the figure" as we call it, fit
into it instead of pulling it into them,
because they are made on flesh-and-
blood model, who can tell when they
hurt and pinch and crowd. You can see
and criticiSe the fit of the corset on the
model before buying it, if you like, and
have it refitted on yourself besides. OF
course, to generallze, the popular shape
is the long-waiSted, high-buSted corset
for slender women, the long wasted,
low-busted stay for stout women. The
length Of the waist makes them little
uncomfortable for stout people, but
their adjustment is so perfect that they
really do less harm than looSer corset
which does not fit. We have as many
sizes and half sizes almost as there
are in hoes to accommodate the differ
ent people, and the thinner the figure
the greater its charm for US, for we can
build out and develop It according to
our ideas of symmetry, which may not
be in accordance with Greek models,
but are true to New York styles, and
that is where we live, you know. The
most popular color is black, without
any doubt. The tendency is to Obvlate
the necessity of wearing corset covers,
as they are sure to be either too tight or
too loose to please your dressmaker, to
spoil the fit of a perfect dress, and be
responsible for the defects in faulty
one. Of course, something in color
must be chosen to be proof against soil,
and black is the favorite.
'sWhen you see a lady with one OF
those glove-fitting, Observation-Disclosures
that looks as if she had been poured
into it in state of solution, it is safe to
surmise that she has nothing under it
but fifteen-dollar French corset and a
silk gauZe ShirtleJ without any sleeves
and strap for a shoulder. 1t is
almost safe to wager money on the color
of both garments being as sable as a
Young widows first mourning, for it is
perfectly astonishing to see how ladies'
ideas have changed with regard to silk
underwear in colOrs. Once it was an
insult to offer it to them; now the
queens of the demi-monde have hard
work to keep up with the most conserv-
alive ladies in bizarre effects in under
garments. When pretty woman takes
off one of the light, dainty dresses so
much in favor and reveals supply of
garments entirely in black. with black
lace drawn up in SOmber ribbons, the
effect IS indeed startling. 1t requires
skilled maid to keep the outfit in order,
for the expensive garments are never
sent to the laundry. When the corset
isn't black it is pink. Can't tell the rea-
son; simply a caprice; though, of
course, all colOrS are sold, as well
as the rich brocaded affairs which are
so expensive ana look as if they were
made of the remnants Of some sumptu-
Gus court dress or queen mantle.
'sNow, the typical New York woman's
figure is extremely slender. very deli
cate as to development at the bust, long
wasted and wIllOWy. 1t isn't tight
lacing that makes twe-thirds of the
women on Broadway so slim and pretty;
it is the Lord Almighty working in
one of His happy moods. By-and-by
this woman may get stout, but if she is
truly American she is not likely to. She
will pay any amount, in reason and out
of reason. for corset that fits her and
that is dainty in its decoration. FIRE.
quently she brings her husband along
with her, and then we can sell any ex-
penSive novelty we have in stock. He
doesn't know much about the shape UNI
til she gets it on. but he is sure to select
the most beautiful material and elabor-
ate decoration.
"a woman has so many items to buy
for her toilet that she husbands her re-
sources little, even if she has plenty
of money. A man selects what he likes
and asks its price after he orders it sent
home. A lady requires, or anyhow
buys, about four pairs Of these corSetS
every year-two at $40 or S25 each to
wear with handsome gowns, and two at
$40 osS15 for ordinary wear. OF course,
if she rides, she has special corset,
very snort under the arm and over the
hip, very elastic and pliable, stiffened
with few bones and usually made of kid
and black-and-tan. with little scarlet
leather pinkingS about the top. They
look very jaunty and cute before the
woman puts her riding habit on over
her long riding trousers. A girl in
trousers is perfect joke anyway, and
she knows it. Such slender, mannish
boots and trousers. such dainty fine
frillings and perfumed stuff above
these. She resembles one of those abb
surd photographs you sometimes see cut
in two in the middle, with the head and
shoulders of one person put on the feet
and legs of another. And the way she
fastens these trousers up-safety pins.
A man would laugh h.
BOB lNGERSOLL In HE'LL.