Evening star., 1894-12-15
CORSET OR NO CORSETR
Views of Prominent French Actresses
for and Against 1t.


The Gaulois asks the opinion of a certain
number OF prominent professional ladies
| upon the use of the corset. The following
are among some of their replies:
Mile. Bartet-I can do nothing better than
give you line from "FranciIlon." which is
| sufficiently significant: "The corset! Oh,
the horrid thing!"
Nine Jane Hading-The corset may be a
| hand Of iron or a glove Of velvet. Since my
recent trip to America i am for independ-
ence.
Nine Worms Barretta-You may say that
on principle / am against the corset. l
favor it in certain cases, but on condition
that 1t be light, short, and very elastic
something like brace, which lightly in
closes the waist. My little three-year-old
girl will wear 1t that way, and If later on
she renounces the corset entirely her man.
ma will only be too glad OF it.
Mile. Reichenberg-The corset is an ordi-
nary piece of feminine clothing, just like
belt, shoes, gloves, etc. / have always worn
one, and found 1t very comfortable. Why
should it be regarded as the evidence of
coQuetry and bad taste? But cannot give
any particular opinion upon the subject,
because for me a corset is a thing of very
little Importance. 1t should be light af
fair, inclosing the waist very gently.
Mile. Rejane-Each epoch has It's exiGen-
cies. The corset, In my opinion, has as
much Importance as the cut of the costume
To look Well, the corset Louis XIV ought
10 De perfect torture. In sans Gene,
on the contrary, two ribbons suffice. i
speak for myself In these days favor as
little of the corset as possible, and believe
In ribbons or braces, leaving the back and
the launches free. French women are too
| slight and too well made to have need for
even the lightest support. And in this not
one of your lady readers will contradict me.
Mile. Sanderson-The corset, in my opin-
ion, is very useful In certain cases, In socie-
ty as in the theator Speaking of the thea
ter alone, the corset should be used In roles
of the present timo in the costumes
Louis XIV, as in "Manon," for example. 1t
is absolutely useless in antique pieces like
'Thais' and "Phryne," in which dispense
with it entirely.
Nine. Judic-It is very delicate question.
and / am not sufficiently learned to criti-
else 1t or to make an apology for it. Never
theless, If had the great advantage, es-
pecially for an artist. Of remaining slight,
l would most assuredly follow the example
of Nine. Tallien, who never consented to
shut her waist up in an iron prison. For
all that, / owe to the corset daily pleas
ure, ecause the bother Of putting 1t on
every morning is more than compensated
for, to my mind, by the pleasure of taking
If off every night.
Mile. Darlaud-Oh pshaw! that beastly
cuirasse, fit only for a coquette! Up to her
twentieth year a young woman can do
without IT. / dispense with 1T, and I have
adopted the little brace (brassiere) OF such
refined elegance in white satin. set off with
Valenciennes
Mile. Granier-For my part don't believe
that the thing has any Importance.
Mile. Yvette Guilbert-All women, fat and
lean alike, belttle the services rendered by
the corset, bee ause they all pretend to be
able to dispense with 1t without impairing
the beauty of their figures. For my part,
l admit that since I began to get a little
fat have rarely worn one; but when 1 was
lean 1T helped me in the manufacture of a
shape. and consequently l owe some little
gratitude to the corset.