The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-14

ing it. From the girdle has been de-
VelOped the present-day corset.
The corset of to-day is an astonish-
| ing and intricate piece of work, made
up of dozens of small segments of cot
ton, linen, silk, as the case may be,
put together with vertical, horizontal,
bias and V-shaped seams, in turn re-
enforced with steels. cords, and whale
bones, pliable in some places, unbenda-
| BILE in others.
Incidentally the more numerous the
seams and bones, the more a corset
costs. and the better prepared II is to
fulfill it's mission of training a woman's
| form in the way II should go. None
understands this important fact better
than the fashionable woman, who, I'M
deferred by a question of cost, seems
to BE spurred on to reckless extrava-
/ gance at the appearance of every new
design which bespeaks a change of fig
ure. No one rejoices more over her ex-
travagance in this respect than the cor
set-maker.
The new figure" explained a spec
ialist, follows the perpendicular as
nearly as 1t is possible for a woman's
outline to do ii. In acquiring this fig
ure a slight woman will have a great
| advantage over her stout sister. The
only hope of the latter lies in her cor
| set.
"A SlIdlSuI front Is 10 De aCCenIU-
ated, not only below, but above the
waist line, and the back, too. must
look as If a board was strapped to
| the spine. Indeed, the only spring or
curve permitted the lower part of the
corset is at the hip, which does not
mean, however, that large hips have
| come in fashion.
ION the contrary. hips are to be
compressed as much as possible As
| m this aYld tho To
longer than 1t has been for years, par
| ticularly over the hips and abdomen
| as long, in fact, as 1t can be and per-
| NIT the wearer to sit down-and the
| most strenuous efforts of the makers
are directed to pushing down and hold
ing down the flesh on the hips.
| And with the aid of heavy bones
and steels, also strong straps, the lat
ter fastened to the edges of the cor
set on either side and then to carriers
| clasped below the knee, it Is marvellous
| what sylph-like results are obtained.
| The straps, as may be imagined, are
the least comfortable part of the APP
paratus; nevertheless, some women
wear four of them, two in front as
we'll as two at the side, the better to
keep the corset firmly in place. After
the figure begins to fall into the new
| lines the straps are less important
From the waist line up there are
also marked changes in the. cut of the
new figure. AS most people are aware
| up-to-date corset designed to mold the
new figure. AS most people are aware
the models worn during the last year
| or two have been cut very roomy i'm
mediately above the waist line in front
This was to give the effect of a low
bust. In fact, a low bust have beer
perhaps the most distinctive feature
of the fashionable figure for more thar
a year.
NOW all this as changed. Fashion
commands that the bust shall be high
in order to promote the straight line
which she has made the keynote of the
new figure. Therefore, the corset IL
now fitted quite smoothly in front t
some distance above the waist line
and very closely indeed under the arm
Necessarily, the bust is mucl
heightened. The corset, too, is Gu
much higher than II was few months
ago."
Needless to say. the dressmakers ant
the corset-makers are in entire accord
The motto of the former until fashion
calls halt will be straight as &
string"
In making up her models every cou
turiere to the rich has in her minds
eye just now slab-like effects. Thi
does not mean necessarily that gown
! |
, that drapefies and trimmings will b
disposed with a view to fiat effects.
The baggy Fedora, dropping over TIL
waist line in front, and overhangini
blouse effect must disappear for a sea
son. The fashionable figure demand
it. The princess gown will enjoy
prominence long denied 1t; the smooth
ly fitted waist will once more appear
Sleeves may be full and fanciful from
the elbow down, but not above tn.
elbow.
In a word, draperies and garniture
of every kind will accentuate fiat eff
fects, the bouffant in skirts as we'll al
in waists and sleeves being prohibited
At least this is what is said by spec
ialists in designing, who add, however
that it is seldom wise to prophesy 70
much more than three months ahead
1t seems to be a foregone conclusion
though, that the new figure, which Il
already being adopted by some of tn
smartest women, is pretty sure t,
have a run of a year or more.