'Fighting The Corsetless Evil': Shaping Corsets And Culture, 1900-1930

Manufacturers did indeed develop this profitable concept, and by 1929 Corsets & Brassieres included a monthly "Junior Department" in each issue. Juniors were girls between 12 and 18 years of age, and the column often dealt with the special care required for their commercial rite of passage. "Each child is fitted as her individual need requires and for this work there are special fitters trained to care for the children.. ... The younger girls do not like being disrobed and fitted, but now that the new silhouette is so apparent even the 12-year-olds are offering much less resistance." [54]

Miss Mildred Tucker, head of a corset department in Denver, discussed the importance of "tactfulness" in dealing with the "little girls and even college girls [who] are not quite used to the return of youth to corsets, which the new Princess line in dress styles has necessitated." She explained that "tact ... usually consists of compliments and direct conversation to the child." Another column noted, "Buyers who are wise will put their best foot forward to encourage and capture this class of customers." By March 1930 Lucien T. Warner reported that "a large number of smaller sizes are being called for by the younger girl." [55]

In July 1930 the Corset and Brassiere Manufacturers Association laid plans for the first National Junior Corset Week to take place the following September. [56] This was a specialized version of the previously held National Corset Week, a coordinated national advertising campaign by merchants, retailers and trade journals to boost corset sales. The need for a such a cooperative effort was explained by Corsets & Lingerie in a 1924 editorial.

Why A Week?.... most people found our they could do a lot in a week if they all started to talk at once and talked long enough and loud enough.... If the corset industry wants to put corsets on every woman and keep them there; all they've got to do is talk a language that most American women understand--English. Talk to each age-group of women about their particular corset problems and if the industry is smart, and economical as well, they'll also get about 10,000 merchants to do a lot of talking for them.... "[57]

The editorial also encouraged manufacturers to imitate other branches of the garment industry in their use of "the principle" of style. Style played an especially important role in the younger market, as the editorial noted, "If corsets were as crazy as some of the shoes we see, the flapper would buy a pair of corsets with every new dress." [58]

The National Junior Corset Week's purpose was clear. "Insistent propaganda has really aroused an interest on the part of the young girl, and buyers realizing that they have succeeded in luring the girl into the department are tireless in these efforts to keep her interest." Lauding the junior department at Gimbel's Department Store in New York City, Corsets & Brassieres reported that "every possible kind of restraining garment that is manufactured for the young figure is found here ... made to appeal to the eye of the discriminating youngster.... There are many girls, not only the debutantes and society girls but even working girls who are willing to pay for better class merchandise, just as these girls have always been fastidious in the matter of their lingerie." The month following the Junior Week, Corsets & Brassieres reported "increased sales among the younger women in all the larger retail centers. Girls who never before wore a foundation garment came in to buy some type of fashion-forming garment and c ollege girls stocked up generously for the season's needs." Three years later, the trade journal stated that "nearly all the stores now have special sections in their corset departments devoted to garments for the young figure." [59]