Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-18
ACQUIRING THE NEW FIGURE
The Waist Line is Lowered and the
Bust Increased.

r E'Ii Cd" New York Journal
Flttlng a dress is a fine art NOWADAYS
Gowns are NJ longer made To tit women
nut "omeu's figures are nodded to 81 the
prevailing fashion in dress Hence the Sc
eret Of the ever-changing fashionable shape
new figure has just been introduced
which is giving the dressmakers of the
smart sat much TO think of For, no mat
Ter how long suffering the customer, It is
II" easy matter to remOId the female form
divine
And, 10 say the least. this new figure is
peculiar even If it does bear the STAMP Of
s"ciety's approval IL has lowered the
waist line to a marked degree and has in
CEASED the size of the bust. With ultra
fashionable women the normal waist line
J. no" q thing Of the past. The new waist
line Is two and half inches i'm front lower
lhth Il used to be and about an inch in
the back By a novel adjustment of the
corset lAcings the bust is increased in size
ifom two 20 four inches. The waist is small
again, Notwithstanding that this is "a COM
m"n-sthse age. and the hips are merely
normal though they have the appearance
Of looking smaller than they actually are
PERHAPS because OF the Increased size of
the bust.
Now. to attain this latest shape the fash
i"nable dressmakers have been forced to
introduce an entirely new method OF fitting
The woman who goes to be fitted In these
latter days Of the nineteenth century mas
an ordeal before her. She must give no
thought to time or her own comfort. For
not only must her figure be changed at
the will vi the dreSsmaker and ner gown
painstakingly nodded to her latest shape
bat she must learn TO walk gracefully in
her new Ciinging skirt, which means not
only work in plenty, but pa thence bcsIdcs.
II Is on j platform surrounded with mir
Tors that the fashionable woman Is now TT
LED The new gown Is not tried on over
petiIcoats and chemises, as of old, but
merely over cOrsets and tights Petticoats
and wristbands are discarded when the new
figure i to be attained
ANA Inc corset is laced in an entirely new
fashion From the upper part of the corset
10 close to the normal waist line the iacings
arr drawn 81 loose and the corset Is so
wide apart that 1t would seem as If IL must
itH OF the figure. 1t Is laced purposely to
give no support whatever to the bust and
owing 10 the fact that the bust IL neither
held Hp nor confined in the slightest de-
gree II looks larger than when property
COFsetsd. But when the corset lacings reach
the place where the waist line used to be
they are no longer loose but are drawn
tightly. and from there down to the end Of
the corset. which is usually long, the corset
is laced as II It were wise This Is the
first step toward producing the abnormaIIy
long. slender waist
And here Is the second step Instead Of
the skirt being tried on before the bodice
as used 10 be the custom, the bodice Il tried
ON hrst. while the woman OF fashion. ar
Tayed In her tights and corsets is seated
The bodice Is at least two inches longer
than formerly. 1t must At to rerfection,
and IL - invariably finished at the bottom
Win a row of small patented hooks
Now for the skirt. which Is also made and
lifted In new and novel manner. 1t has