Waistband

“ It is scarcely to be supposed that any lady of the present day possesses such an absurdly small waist as thirteen inches, but I am certain that not a few could be found whose waistband does not exceed fifteen inches and three-quarters or sixteen inches. Much depends on the height and width of the shoulders; narrow shoulders generally admit of a small waist, and many tall women are naturally so slender as to be able to show a small waist with very little lacing. It is needless to remark how much depends on the corset. ”

“ He pulled the tan leather belt straight, so that the plain silver buckle was in the middle, took something off the bed and pushed it carefully inside the waistband of his trousers, on the left side, taking great care that its position was right to the fraction of an inch. ”

“ The comparative advantages of waistbands or braces have been frequently controverted; at best it is only a question of choosing the lesser evil. A tight belt is almost as injurious as a corset, while non-elastic suspenders may interfere with the functions of the respiratory organs, and even occasion stooping. ”

“ It seemed that both had lately had a touch of that pain under the waistband which comes of a sedentary life. ”

“ If it were not for the pockets, waist bands would be useless, and no pants require waist bands over the back. If waist bands are cut over the back, they should be sewed on loose over the back, especially on high waists. A great many hold the backs full on the waist band, but this is not good, for if the waist is to be smaller, the gore in the back may be cut larger. Sewing on the waist band tight, is just as bad as sewing the collar of a coat tight over the side of the neck. ”

“ The use of the corset is to transmit the pressure of the skirt-bands to the hips and the ribs, and so to protect from their pressure the organs in the region of the waist. The conclusion is that so long as skirt-bands are fastened round the waist, corsets should be worn. They should be stiffer than usually made if they are effectively to protect the soft middle portion of the body from the pressure of the waist-band. The front should be quite straight, and the waist measurement should be at least as large as the wearer's waist measured over a single soft garment. ”

“ A waist-band is nearly always put to hold it in at the back and sides, the only exception being when they are made very full round the bottom, and not intended to define the waist at all; but tins is a style we have not yet treated of, as they are only occasionally seen in wear. The edges are more generally turned in and stitched, the fronts fastening with hooks and eyes; but there is no reason why, if so desired, they should not be made to fasten with holes and buttons. In such a case the inch of button-stand would require adding all down the front. ”

“ The waist-belt is of use, and has constantly been used, in cases of sudden and great exertion, and in those cases where it becomes necessary to counteract the tendency to a useless storing up of blood in the abdomen; and by persons in health, in bringing more blood into the service of the brain and muscles to produce a condition of increased mental and muscular activity. Flaccid abdominal walls are rather the rule than the exception with women, and among men occur in those leading sedentary lives. We are, therefore, brought to conclude that among women some form of waist-belt is advantageous. ”

“ If a vest is to be sewed up clear down over the hips, the bottom must have a width, which corresponds with the hip measure, when sitting down, after it is finished and buttoned up, or 1⁄2 hip and 21⁄2 in., the same as the breast. At the waist, a vest must be treated on the same principle as a pants, that is, it must be made wide and comfortable enough for the waist when a person sits down. At the waist, a vest is shut up all around, and can not give, and provisions must be made for expansion when sitting. ”

“ It must have the right sleeve and collar and the skirt must be the correct width and length. The waistline must come at the right place. Don't wear a high, Empire waistline when a low or normal waistline is the vogue. Don't wear a belt that gives you a pinched-in waist when a wide waist is in fashion.
Be sure that the collar is not only the right size and shape but is absolutely fresh. Collars get hard wear and a collar that is still good style might be worn and shabby. ”

“ The armholes are cut round, and the sleeves are cut in one piece with the garment itself, or sewn in regardless of any shape. This prevents the arms from being raised unless the chemise can be dragged up with them, which it rarely can, as it is generally fixed down by the pressure of other clothes round the waist. Any garment which impairs the free movement of the arms is objectionable, as such movement is necessary to the proper development of the chest. ”

“ Now, it must not be supposed, that when a waist grows larger in proportion, that it grows, or spreads very much forward of that line. Whenever the waist grows larger, the body becomes more erect, in order to keep in balance, and the relation between the front of such a waist, and the line running parallel to the front of the leg, change very little, and Dia. XX may be considered to be large enough at that point for almost any form. On the other hand, we find large-waisted forms which do not carry their fronts of waists in front of that line at all, though their abdomen may curve outside of it. ”

“ The waist seam may be drawn by hollowing it over the hips about 1 inch. The underarm seam may be placed in the position considered the most effective (we prefer a narrow sidebody ourselves) , and take out 1 inch at this part for a figure 4 inches smaller at waist than chest, and adding on or taking off 1⁄3 of the disproportion at this part as the waist increases or diminishes in its relation to the chest. Now measure across to the front the waist measure, plus 2 inches, add on a button stand, and shape the front to agree with fashion or fancy. ”

“ Around the waist, secured by a belt or cestus, is wrapped a piece of blue cloth, the sides of which meet, or come nearly in contact on the outside of the right thigh, and the whole extends downward as far as the knee, or to the mid-leg; around the left shoulder is a similar piece of cloth, which is attached, by two of the corners, at the axilla of the right arm, and extends downward as far as the waist. ”

“ In fact, it may be claimed that the waist reduction of the back is wholly imaginary, because the whole part of the body between the arms and waist is a flat surface, and can be fitted with a straight piece of cloth. Considering that the natural position of a garment when on the body runs from the shoulder blade downward and into the hollow of the waist, it must come in contact with the seat below, and must be sprung outward, but differs somewhat according to the nature of the garment—all of which is clearly shown in the diagrams. ”

“ If a waistcoat be worn, it should have a double sateen back with canvas interlining, and may be high in the throat or made with a step collar like that of the waist. The cuffs are simply indicated by stitching and are buttoned on the outside of the sleeve with two or three buttons. Simulated waistcoats, basted firmly to the shoulder seams and under-arm seams of the waist, and cut high to the throat with an officer collar, are liked by ladies with a taste for variety, and are not expensive, as but for a small quantity of material is required for each one. ”

“ The neck and arm's eye should be fitted by making slashes in the curve—never cut around the curve. For the collar or neck band have a true bias of thin canvas or crinoline and draw it around the neck and pin with the ends out, towards the worker. (Never lap any edges of waist, belt or collar when fitting.) Mark on the waist where the lower edge of the neck band touches. Draw the sleeve on the arm, pin and mark where it sets right, seeing that the elbow fullness is in the right place and that it does not twist at the hand. ”

“ It will also be found a great convenience to have an elastic band, about an inch in width, stitched around the lower edge of the waistcoat on the inside. When the waistcoat is in wear, the band makes it press tightly round the waist, and any object of moderate size—a card, or pack of cards, a handkerchief, etc.—may be slipped under it without the least risk of falling. ”

“ Tight waists and high heels are still so common that the courageous protests of the emancipated pass almost unnoticed.
My own opinion is that female dress will never be thoroughly satisfactory until women have realised that they have no waists. Nature has not endowed them with waists, which are artificial forms produced by compressing the body.
This seeming paradox is easily proved by considering that the waist of woman has been placed by fashion in every conceivable position, from under the armpits to half-way down the hips. ”

“ The clothing should always be loose about the waist. As suspenders are inconvenient to wear and very uncomfortable in hot weather, I would suggest that the simplest, and I think the best, way of holding up the trousers is by means of a band sewed around the inside of the flannel shirt, with buttons sewed through the shirt and band and then the button-holes made on an extra band on the inside of band of trousers, the same as little boys’ waists and trousers are joined. ”

“ The fashionable English waist, also, is not merely far too small, and consequently quite out of proportion to the rest of the figure, but it is worn far too low down. I use the expression “worn” advisedly, for a waist nowadays seems to be regarded as an article of apparel to be put on when and where one likes. A long waist always implies shortness of the lower limbs, and, from the artistic point of view, has the effect of diminishing the height; and I am glad to see that many of the most charming women in Paris are returning to the idea of the Directoire style of dress. ”

“ It should have sleeves to the wrist; and, so that it may fit closely to the throat, it is best to make it fulled-in to a little shoulder-piece or yoke. Like the other garment, the robe should only reach the feet, or a couple of inches below them.
None of the clothes should be gathered at the waist, but what little weight there is should hang from the shoulders. When, from unusual tenderness of the skin, the woollen material of the vest irritates or induces too much perspiration, spun cotton may be used ”

“ Then the short-waisted woman came into fashion—or rather, fashions fashioned themselves for her benefit—and her long-waisted sister had to struggle to make her waist look to be where really her ribs were. Only a few weeks back a woman's waist and bust and hips had all to be definitely defined. Nowadays they bundle them all, as it were, into clothes cut in a sack-line, and are the very last letter of the very latest word in fashion. I can well imagine that a few years hence women will be as severely corseted as they were a short time ago. ”

“ In fact there is naturally but little difference between the proportionate size of the male and female waist. But by the baneful practice of tight-lacing, the waist is seldom allowed to be even twenty-five inches; women whose waists measure twenty-four and even twenty-one exclaim with horror if accused of tight-lacing, and these are the majority; but many reduce their waists to much under twenty inches, and at a certain fashionable stay-maker's I saw corsets measuring only fourteen inches, which the maker assured me she supplied to many customers. ”

“ The too common custom of pinching in the waists of growing girls has most probably arisen from the difficulty of keeping their clothes, as ordinarily constructed, from slipping down. The difficulty is a real one, but it can be overcome by a more rational plan of fastening clothing and a more even distribution of its weight. If stays are not worn, petticoats and drawers are fastened round the waist with bands or strings, and have to be fastened tightly, or else they would slip over the narrow hips natural to girlhood. ”

“ The waist-band is another item of feminine apparel that is always too big. The dressmakers make these things so loose that the hooks and eyes by which they are fastened burst off, every now and then, with a report like thunder. ”

“ On a vest, I find that all waist allowances may be divided between the side and front with very satisfactory results, but extremes should have a trifle more in front than at the side. On a coat, the most of waist allowances should be at the side, because surplus cloth at the front of a coat will produce too much skirt below, while on a vest it will not show, because the vest is cut off or ends a few inches below the waist. ”

“ With corsets made so small in proportion through the hips women could not get them on without increasing the size of the waist. So fashion made a virtue of necessity and created the mode of "large waists." These "flattening hip" corsets exert extreme pressure in lateral direction around the body-one zone of pressure at the base of the thorax around the floating ribs and another from about six inches below that around the hips extending as far down as possible and still permit the wearer to assume the sitting position ”

“ When collar-facings are used, great care must be used to avoid soiling them, a caution which is very necessary, seeing so many of them are of a very light colour. We have not yet referred to the finish at the waist, but it should be borne in mind that the waist is to be made to fit closely. It is customary to put a waist-belt and clasp on the inside, the colour harmonising with the lining. ”

“ The scientific design permits the garment to conform to the figure over the hip bones, snug the abdomen and give a gentle upward and backward support reinforcing the abdominal wall. The elastic section in the back permits freedom of movement in standing, sitting or bending. The side lacings are so placed as to avoid the usual operative area; the holding-knots aid in maintaining the support of the garment. The back sections are of sufficient length and so shaped as to give a smooth, pleasing back line and aid in maintaining the anchorage of the garment on the body. ”