Mrs. Brown is big in the hips and small in the bust. For her type of figure a corset low above the waist, long in the hips—front laced, is best. Supple corsets, long in the back, are a preventative against a large back and help to slenderize. They should, therefore, be worn as long as grace and comfort will allow. If they are too short, a roll of fat will form around where they terminate and cause you to lose the easy curve that even big folks can be proud of. Mrs. Brown should also have a slip to wear over the corset in preference to a brassiere. The slip should be semifitted, shaped over the hips so that not a wrinkle or line will show.
Mrs. Jones—another stout type—is normal size but large in the abdomen. She should have a corset fitted close over the hips, but not tight in the waist, allowing the fat to drop down in the top of the corset and find a comfortable resting place. A brassiere that is long in the front should be worn.
A square shoulder, broad hip type of figure needs a deep girdle—an elastic one is best—one that is low in the waist, snug and straight over the hips with an easy fitting boyish form brassiere.
THE BEST KIND OF BRASSIERE FOR YOU
“And what is a boyish form brassiere?” you ask. A straight piece of material with the darts coming down from the top in the front. You can make one for yourself in a few minutes. For a fashionable line across the bust don’t ever dart from the waistline up, as we have been doing in the past. For when you do, the fullness is pushed up under the chin, as it were, and actually will add six inches to the bust measure. If you are small in the waist and large in the hips, you can, by right corseting and “brassiering” cause some of the fat of the hips and abdomen to come up slightly, thus acquiring a more slender and better balanced effect. But as a general rule, let your watchword be: Distribute the fat comfortably and correctly. Don’t crowd it or push it here and there. Your face, your disposition, and your figure as well will show it if you do. You can’t be uncomfortable and be well poised.
Brassieres are as necessary as corsets. They should never be so tight as to bind, but always close enough to give a smooth outer line. They must always be high enough to confine the bust perfectly and long enough to come down well over the corset so that an unbroken waistline is attained.
Darts at the tops of brassieres give good bust control and hold the garment in correct position on the figure.
Hunt for the “large above the waist” figure. If the bust is very low, be sure to wear a brassiere that lifts up slightly and confines comfortably. Youth in its greatest perfection can have unconfined busts; older women, especially large women, should take care that no shaping of the bust is discernible. If V necks are becoming and the bust is full, provide a band of ribbon or a double fold of Georgette and wear it over the brassiere, pinning it tight and high around the figure. This will conceal the crease between the busts.
Finally, don’t fail, when you are being fitted in your corset, to stand up in front of a mirror, walk right up and “shoulder arms” and survey yourself. The corsetiere is sure to be stout. Who ever saw a thin one? She will sympathize with you and be patient. Try on her best models—not her silkiest ones, but her best designed ones. Sit down, stand up, bend over. Buy the one that shows the least red in your face when you bend. Be sure it has plenty of supporters.
