The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-03-05
A CHAT WITH A PARIS coRsErIERE.

The Secret of Ease, Grace and SLENDER
ness Not Yet Understood.
PARIS, Feb. ga Frenchwoman
Justly considers her corset the most i'm
portant portion of her toilette. Even the
most poverty-stricken Partisan manages
to have this article of clothing made to
order. She will, if need be, go without
an extra gown or a couple OF bonnets in
order to be bien corsetee.
1.-The art of corset making,'' said Mad
anne i, one Of the leading Paris stay max
ers in answer to a question, "runs in
certain families. -
''And what then,'' I asked, ''are the
points OF a good corset.
sL1MNEss Is NOT ELEGANCE.
"Well, to begin with, well made cor
set should not only make its wearer look
slight-it should also give her an elegant
appearance. Ny English clients one de-
sire is to look as thin and skinny as pos
sibie; in vain l represent that certain
amount of plumpness is pleasing and in
deed more natural; they are not happy
unless [ can produce sixteen or eighteen
inch waist.
''Now, Frenchwomen think far more
OF the whole appearance than they do OF
any special detail. A Partisan wishes to
produce a pleasing and harmonious out
line.
''Then, again, foreigners like very
long, hard stays; we in Paris prefer them
short and plant
EMPIRE coRsETs.
''But now l suppose, Madame, the
empire modes will entirely reform the
corset?'' / suggested.
~ must confess that do not at all be-
lieve in this empire revival, +" answered
the stay maker. ''None of the many wo-
men who have taken such infinite time
and pains in order to produce a certain
style of artificial figure will be content to
forego the result of their efforts; you will
notice that everything in empire dress is
done by an arrangement of tight draper
les over tight Innings, ETC., etc., to pre-
serve the cherished outlines. The old
corset is worn-the new mode. Still of
course the short wasted gowns mean
short wasted corsets, and those ladies
who wish to be in the real absolute fash
ion are adopting for evening wear The six
inch straight boned band or brassiere
which Sara Bernhard made necessity
with her directoire gowns
"Then, l gather, that in reality each
new mode naturally implies a change in
the form and make of the up-to-d date
corset?''
LONG coRsETs RUIN COMPETITIONS.
ssMost certainly. Should the Louis
Quinze long WASTED, pointed, laced bod
ice ever return we must make up our
minds to very long narrow stays, as hard
as buckram, and heavily boned. / need
hardly tell you that these were exceed
ingly unhealthy corSetS; they must, / do
not doubt, for physiological reasons,
have indirectly led to the powdering and
roughing so common in the middle of the
last century. The Louis Quinze fashions
drove out the com plexion; and the health
full Consulate and First Empire Greek re-
vivals were but violent reactions against
the artificial, torturing ancient regime. -
''And from the practical point of view
what stuffs dc you consider best to use in
corset making?' inquired.
MORE coRsETs THE STYLE.
''That greatly depends answered
Madame, thoughtfully, s'when and
where the corset is to be worn and with
what sort of gown. Most Russian ladies,
being very luxurious in their personal
appointments, have a corset for each gala
costume made sometimes of silk, of
broche satin, of fine double batiste, or
MORE. Indeed, MORE is now quite the
fashion both for corsets and directoire
belts. Under the Third Empire black
SaLln was Jne only wear. NOW lie corset
noire is unknown. | may add that the
silk petticoat is nearly always made to
match whatever corset is being worn and
adds greatly to the perfection of the tot
let.
ELASTIC IN coRsETs CONDEMNED.
SIS it true that woven silk coated with
elastic or gutta percha has lately been in
troduced into French corset making?"
81 make to order stays in which stout
bands of elastic webbing form the side
pieces. The wearers OF this kind of cor
set imagine that they can lace a great
deal more tightly without producing the
evil effects they have heard of as being
experienced by those who wear very tight |
stays. In reality the very same effect is
produced, provided of course that the
tight lacing takes place. But as you
know imagination has great deal to do
with all those things, aud if these ladies
think the elastic is healthier perhaps
they do not suffer as much as those who
squeeze themselves 10 within
an inch of their lives. -