The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-29
OF INTEREST TO WOMEN.
THE EVOLUTION
OF THE CORSET

The old French proverb that a woman.
II she would be OF good appearance, must
DO well gloved and well shod is correct
as far as it goes; but in these days it is
even more important that she shall be
well corseted. writes an expert in the
New York American.
Fortunately. human skill and inventive
genius are solving the problem OF con-
verting the corset from an instrument OF
torture into a garment of comfort as we'll
as OF grace and beauty; and never has so
much been accomplished along this line
as during these last two years OF strenu-
Gus striving for sylphlike slenderness-
In the ultra styles French models still
hold the lead. But ultra styles are pleas
ing and possible 20 only very few wom-
en-, SO the French corset, so far as Amer
lean women are concerned. is to-day but
little more than a recollection.
The true Partisan corsets, such as are
made to order by the great coutouriers
expressly for wear with given costume,
represent perfection In the art of corset
~; but the ready-made French corset. as
produced for the American market, Is as
a rule simply an American model indif-
ferently copied and rather poorly made.
OF course. the woman who can have
Paquin, Worth, or any OF the other great
arbiters of fashion make her c0rsets with
her gowns will secure high degree OF
comfort as well as grace, but for the
great majority of womankind American
eorsets are far better-quite as stylish.
more. comfortable, and decidedly more
durable.
Corset models for this season show no
radical changes in their general lines.
|Slenderness of figure has been and al
ways will be aimed az. The very stiff,
straight lines have given place to mod
crate curves. The long skirt, with its
many hose supporters. is an ever-present
feature.
The problem OF achieving extreme COM
preston below the waist line without
danger of physical injury has given cor
set makers much concern. and is being
solved IN various ways. Most long cor
sets have a tendency TO stretch around
the bottom and across the abdomen.
which sometimes quickly destroys the
usefulness Of en- otherwise perfect cor
set This is overcome IN q very recent
model. seen in the shops for only few
weeks past. which has an ingenious de-
vice composed OF strong front tabs that
extend from the waist line downward
and cross each other Ike a pair Of sus-
penders, being then hooked 20 the bottom
Of the skirt az the opposite side. where
the hose supporters take up the work
and pull the entire garment in so snugly
that pounds Of flesh seem TO have van
ished. This particular model Is made Of
very new fabric called corduroy batiste
which. though wonderfully firm and
strong. Is nearly as light as net. yet will
not give" and get out Of shape like the
ordinary batiste.
Another recent model especially suitable
for women OF stout figure is made with a
semi-elastic band or belt which is so ef.
fective IN supporting the abdomen and
neutraiizinE the evil effects OF tight lao.
ing that It has won the favor Of many
physicians who have hitherto opposed
the wearing OF any corset.
This new corset has naturally found
quick favor with women who have beer
compelled TO wear an abdominal belt tc
offset the pressure Of the mcdish straight
corset, as it seems to completely take the
place of that always bothersome contriv-
ance.
In several OF the newer shades are
really ingenious novelties in the shaping
OF the long corset skirts. some of which
are ''slashed" or have insertions Of elias
tic TO provide the amount OF give" when
is imperatively required when the vsarer
chooses to sit down. No less ingenious
| is the arrangement and distribution OF
the numerous hose supporters. reminding
one Of the extreme French styles, where
by the acme OF straight slenderne7s is
reached.
These are only a few OF the many i'm
provement which ingenious American
corset makers have recently devised
They indicate that the evolution of the
| corset into garment OF health and grace
is being rapidly accomplished. and give
the real reason why the center of the
worlds corset industry is being trans
ferred from Paris TO New York.
| 0TD TEE6TnTETr TTTTzror YONG