The Washington herald., 1917-04-15
BACK And FRONTAGE
CORSETS BOTH PROPER
Health. Comfort and Smartness Depend
on Careful Fitting.


To the smart woman. the choice of a
corset is OF paramount importance. rank
ing in value far above her gown or hat.
II is the foundation upon which her other
articles of attire are built and It defines
the silhouette decreed by fashion from
season to season.
Aside from its utilitarian aspect, a cor
set is chosen for two purposes-modish
lines and comfOrt-and the perfect corset
will sacrifice neither. That Is the basis
Of all contention between the exponents
OF the back-lace and frout-lace corsets.
The former has the advantage of longer
usage. but final analysis brings the whole
argument down to a question Of personal
preference. Just as blue was made for
blonds. and the directoIre gown for the
slim princess type, SO the back-lace
corset is easily adjustable and preferred
by many, while the front-lace is the
choice Of others.
But to state the case fairly is to sum up
the separate advantages OF the front and
back-lace models To begin with. the
front-lace corset Is not 80 new as fashion
writer's, who seize avidly upon novelties.
would have us believe. The idea is not
new. They were made and sold more
than twenty years ago, went out with
the changing silhouette, and are now be-
ing revived.
The front-lace corset Is undoubtedly
easier to adjust. Moreover, its construc-
ton provides a smoother back. There
is no apparent line where the corset be-
gins or ends even when the wearer droops
her shoulders or leans forward. This is
OF inestimable advantage to the summer
girl whose sheer frocks reveal the slight
est irregularity of line and whose blouses
n ElraIu f0 ha r.yEFk -
OF the back lacings after she has tucked
a cushion behind her shoulders on a warm
day.
The back-lace corset has its correspond
ing advantages which cannot be furnish
ed by the front-lace construction. The
oack-lace device provides bodily support
which, in this age OF corset wearers, is
not only essential to health, but also
necessary to comfort. In the function Of
bodily support II is mechanically essen
tial that the base OF operations be from
some rigid point In most back-lsce cor
sets this point is the region Of the spinal
column, while in the latest and most
scientific construction the weight of the
support Is carried chiefly on the hip
bones. where It can be safely and COM
fortably borne,
Nearly every woman needs some degree
OF abdominal support. The back-lace
corset, properly adjusted, provides this
support from underneath-not by COM
pression-snd instead Of pushing the in
ternal organs back against the vertebra
and creating a serious misplacement,
merely supports them in their natural
arrangement One OF the newest sup
porting devices IN the back-lace corset
has inner elastic bands. which, by means
OF an inside laclng that is carried through
10 the exterior OF the corset Is made ad-
Unstable to the exact needs Of the figure.
This Is the nearest approach yet at
tained to perfection in physical support
and has value, not only from the stand
point OF health and comfort, but also lifts
the saggtng tissue to natural lines and
reduces and symmetriZes the figure.
As to the merits Of a back adjust
ment there are q number of arguments
Back lacing permits each vertebra OF
the spinal column to move, TO a greater
or less degree. with every movement
OF the body, and. as all the nerves of
the body pass down through the spinal
column and out between the vertebra,
the flexible back prevents nervous irri-
taion and muscular mobility as we'll, in
suring freedom OF movement and conse-
quent grace OF carriage. Pressure OF
the back steels IS not harmful to the
spine, because, when correctly adjusted,
at least two inches apart, the steels
do not press on the vertebra,
To sum up: A choice OF corsets de-
pends upon milady's taste and comfort
Try them both and adapt your corset
TO your hgure-not your figure to your
corset. Buy your corsets as you would
your shoes and see that they 1T Re-
member that health and comfort and
smartness depend upon your choice.