Dear Sir,–The two following gadgets mentioned below may be of interest to corset lovers, who like the Greeks, are always looking for some new thing.
The first is an accommodation strip. This is worn by women who have a gaping open back in their new corsets. All corsets stretch in wear, and if a woman corsets herself carefully she wishes to keep her waist to one even size. So her new corsets are purchased an inch or more smaller than her waist size, and while they are being stretched to her figure during their first month’s wear, the accommodation strip – a piece of material matching the corset, eyeleted down both sides, and about an inch wide – is added between the back opening.
This, of course, necessities two sets of stay-laces for the time being, but it adds greatly to the comfort of the wearer, who has no unsightly gape at her corset back. After a month, by which time the corsets are usually fully stretched, the accommodation strip can be dispensed with, and then the corsets are laced close in the ordinary way, showing a perfect fit.
The other affair was shown me by a friend who, while she does not require her two girls to tighten, insists on their being trimly corseted. It is an arrangement of her own which is designed to prevent anyone interfering with their stay-laces once they are corseted for the day.
The idea is very simple, and consists of a piece of material the same as the corsets, and about three inches wide, which is sewn on to the left-hand side of the corset at the back, about half an inch from the eyelet hole. The corset is put on and laced to the required tenuity, after which the strip is brought over the lace portion and fastened on the right hand side with suitable hooks and eyes. The stay-laces are thus completely covered.
My friend told me that while her girls quite see the desirableness of being properly corseted, they are anxious to have good figures. They have a tendency occasionally, especially when they are engaged in some of the more strenuous sports indulged in by girls, to release their stay-laces – with disastrous results to their corsets and figures.
The stay-lace cover makes any attempt to release the laces a difficult proposition, and by the time they have got to their stay-laces the necessity for releasing their waists a little has gone – the slight breathlessness caused by their exertions in games having subsided.
In neither of these cases mentioned above (I may say I have seen both arrangements in use) is there tight-lacing, in each case wearers are very carefully corseted, and the stay-laces are used to a certain extent, but not any abnormal degree, and their figures are a tribute to the art of their staymakers.
Faithfully yours,
“Practical.”