Barcley Custom Corsets

by The Barcley Corset Company

BARCLEY CUSTOM CORSETS

Designed Especially for Each Client

Barcley custom corsets

COPYRIGHT, 1927, BY

THE BARCLEY CORSET COMPANY

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, U. S. A.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Barcley Designing Service

Safeguards Those Priceless Possessions—
­Health—Beauty—Lovely, Youthful Lines

Partial View at Our Designing Department

B

ARCLEY DESIGNING SERVICE is the most complete, most painstaking service of its kind in all the world.

Every woman needs some type of figure support.

Barcley Service not only supplies that need—whether it be a corset-brassiere, sports belt, dress corset or surgical support—but assures faultless fit in a garment which enhances the loveliness and safeguards the health of the one for whom it is designed.

Every Barcley support is an individual creation, designed with rare skill and utmost care from the COMPLETE body measurements of the one who is to wear it.

It is more painstakingly designed and from a greater number of measurements and specifications than any other corset or figure support.

Can the effect
of Beautiful Clothes be Ruined
by Poor Figure Lines?

F

EW WOMEN realize the importance--not only to appearance but especially to health--of perfect posture.

And yet, how often we see a woman wearing a beautiful gown, but somehow or other she doesn't look attractive.

Some slight fault in posture simply spoils her appearance.

Then again we see a woman wearing a plain inexpensive dress who attracts us by her perfect posture--­her smart stylish figure--her radiant personality.

Without perfect figure lines--and by that we mean not only symmetry of line but perfect posture--no apparel, however expensive it may be, can do a woman justice.

Properly Corseted Figure The properly cor­seted woman may retain her natural loveliness long after the woman, who is careless about her corset, has become ill-proportioned and unattractive.

Properly -- Improperly

Improperly Corseted Figure Note the incorrect posture, protruding abdomen and unsightly lines--an example of the results of figure neglect. Can any woman afford to corset herself incorrectly?

YOU--a Vision of Charm and Loveliness!

Y

OU--too--can attain that rare charm which can only be secured by having a Barcley support designed especially for you, from your own exact and COMPLETE body measurements, by the entirely different and distinctive Barcley method.

In designing your figure support, the art of the designer is in subduing any irregularity of flesh distribution, in straightening and correcting lines and in bringing to the fore your own individual natural loveliness.

Barcley Designing, however, goes still further. It not only brings out your individual charm, but safeguards health by correcting any faults in posture and by assuring proper placement of the abdominal organs.

Individual Designing Permits Infinite Variety

T

HE PURPOSE of this collection of photographs is twofold:

First, to show, by actual photographs, exactly what Barcley Designing Service can do in enhancing one's attractiveness.

And, in this connection, have you ever seen such beautiful, such perfect fitting, such exquisitely designed garments?

Second, to give you an idea of some of the ways in which a Barcley corset or support can be designed for you, depending upon your particular requirements.

No matter what type of figure support you require--whether it be a dress corset, surgical support or corset-brassiere--you can never truly appreciate the charm possibilities of your figure until you have had a Barcley support created for you-and you alone!

A Corset and Service
Which Are Entirely Different

B

ARCLEY DESIGNING SERVICE is distinctive in its character-altogether different from that of any other maker.

Each garment is an individual creation from start to finish!

It is designed and made throughout to individual taste and requirements. Barcley Service, in fact, is the only COMPLETE corset service which has ever been rendered. Let us prove this to you.

First, you decide, with the help of our corsetiere, on the type of garment and exact features ideally suited to your requirements.

The fabric may then be selected from a very lovely assortment--all of which combine durability with rare beauty. We know you will enjoy looking through our handsome collection.

There is likewise a very beautiful assortment of trimmings from which you may make your selection. Our corsetiere will take real pleasure in showing these to you.

In selecting the boning, you may have either the finest of flat boning or a new patented boning which provides perfect figure control and, at the same time, gives beautiful, natural .. looking lines with a degree of comfort never before realized in any figure support.

The Barcley marks a new era in corset comfort and in making the most of one's natural loveliness!

Unfolding the Beauty Possibilities
of Your Figure!

Y

OUR INDIVIDUAL CHARM--your style--­your natural loveliness can best be en­hanced by the painstaking care which our designers give to the needs of your figure.

In designing your support for you--and you alone--­our designer must accomplish the following results:

First--unfold the beauty possibilities of your figure. A large percentage of the influential women of this country have their figure supports designed by Barcley because they acquire a certain smartness, a certain charm of figure lines and posture, which can be secured in no other way.

Second--fit you faultlessly and give you a degree of comfort and satisfaction such as you never realized could be possible in any corset or support.

Third--safeguard that most priceless of all posses­sions--health--by assuring correct posture and pre­venting the condition known as visceroptosis, so prevalent among women of today, which is the cause of constipation, headaches, backaches, bearing-down feeling, nervousness, insomnia and an endless chain of ill effects.

Visceroptosis, as you probably know, is a sagging of the abdominal wall and the organs within.

Safeguarding the Most Priceless
Possession of All--Health

X-ray photographs.

In the above X-ray photographs, we show how a client's stomach has been elevated by means of a Barcley Supporting Corset.

Upon reading the letter from the laboratory where these X-rays were taken (see opposite page), it will be noted that the client's stomach has been elevated three inches by means of the support furnished by the corset.

In figure 1, the large dark mass is the client's stomach, its lower edge being 2½ inches below the top of the iliac crest (hip bone). In figure 2, its lower edge is ½ inch above the top of the hip bone.

It stands to reason that when any of the abdominal organs drop below their true positions, they cannot function as nature intended, resulting in headaches, constipation, backaches and many other ailments.

X-ray Proof
of the Benefits of
Barcley Service

The foregoing X-ray photographs, and the following letter from the laboratory which took them, prove the effectiveness of Barcley Service in elevating dropped organs so they can function normally.

AMERICAN X-RAY LABORATORIES

500 FIFTH AVENUE

Copy of Dr. Engel's Report of:--

Newark, N.J.

Roentgenograms taken in the upright pasture following the ingestion of sulphate and buttermilk:-

1. Roentgenograms taken with subject In erect position

without mechanical support.

The stomach is low in the abdomen,

its lowest point being 2½" below

the iliac crest. The transverse colon

is very low in the pelvic cavity.

2. Extent of corrected abdominal viscera position with corset adjusted.

The stomach is high in the abdomen, its

lowest point being ½" above the iliac crest.

The transverse colon is raised about 2" higher.

Conclusions: There is a marked correction in the

position of the stomach and colon with

the mechanical support furnished by the

corset.

Many Women Have Visceroptosis
and Suffer from Its Ill Effects for Years,
Without Realizing They Have It

M

EDICAL EXAMINATIONS of many thousands of women show that 70% of all women suffer in one way or another from ptosis. This, as previously explained, is a sagging of the abdominal wall and the organs inside of the abdominal cavity.

How many women can you point to, in fact, over 30 years of age, whose abdomens have not begun to sag a little?

Only a very few of these seven out of every ten women, however, realize they have fallen organs and that this condition is frequently the cause of their headaches, constipation and various other ailments.

In fact, an astonishingly large number of women have visceroptosis--and suffer from its ill effects for years--without realizing that their organs have prolapsed. The average woman will not bother to be X-rayed, so when she suffers from these ailments, she thinks it is something which cannot be helped.

This condition, however, can be avoided if the necessary precautions are taken, and in designing each Barcley corset or support, the purpose of the designer is to either prevent it entirely--or, if the condition already exists, to give relief from its ill effects by elevating the organs so they can function properly.

Quality That is Built
Right Into the Garment

T

HE RARE QUALITY of the Barcley support, so readily apparent, is built right into the garment.

For instance, a very strong material, known as 'duck', is used for the inner clasp lining, whereas the clasp lining used in other supports is a very thin, sleazy material. Our corsetiere will be pleased to show you the difference. You will then realize one of many reasons why a Barcley support, in the long run, is most economical.

The strong Barcley clasp lining completely envelopes the clasp, and extends from the top clear to the lower edge of the garment. This method of covering the clasp, in conjunction with the outer coverings, makes it almost impossible for the front clasp to wear through, especially at the lower end where the greatest strain comes.

The stripping used in Barcley supports is of a most unusual quality, being not only attractive but extremely durable. And the stripping is almost as important, to the life of a figure support, as the body material itself.

Each garment, in fact, is a lovely, individual creation of the finest quality procurable.

Faulty Posture
Ruins Health and Beauty

F

EW WOMEN have really perfect posture.

Slight faults in posture, in fact, are so common that most women are totally unconscious of them.

And yet--these slight defects not only mar one's appearance but--even more important--are injurious to health.

To prove the prevalence of faulty posture, analyze the figures of women you see from day to day. See if their shoulders are round, if their chests are sunken, if their abdomens protrude, or if they have acquired the exaggerated posture known as "sway back". Do this, and you will find only one woman in ten is really correct in posture.

A study of the sketches at right will prove interesting! The first figure shows a woman with perfect posture. The. other two show common types of faulty posture.

ERECT POSTURE

FATIGUE POSTURE

LORDOSIS POSTURE

A Garment
You Will Delight in Wearing
and Be Proud to Own

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ACH BARCLEY FIGURE SUPPORT, when completed, is an individual creation that gently moulds the natural beauty of one's figure into an entrancing vision of smartness and rare loveliness!

And the garment itself is a delight to behold!

Notice--as you look at the garment-how different it is from the ordinary support!

Notice the body materials, which are the strongest and most beautiful that money and large purchasing facilities can procure.

Notice the lovely trimmings, the beautiful ivory eyelets, the strong durable stripping, the splendid supporters and workmanship. Notice our splendid hooks and eyes, which can only be secured in a Barcley support.

Observe every little detail, and you will find it unapproached in style and quality.

Quality That is Built
Right Into the Garment

T

HE RARE QUALITY of the Barcley support, so readily apparent, is built right into the garment.

For instance, a very strong material, known as 'duck', is used for the inner clasp lining, whereas the clasp lining used in other supports is a very thin, sleazy material. Our corsetiere will be pleased to show you the difference. You will then realize one of many reasons why a Barcley support, in the long run, is most economical.

The strong Barcley clasp lining completely envel­opes the clasp, and extends from the top clear to the lower edge of the garment. This method of cov­ering the clasp, in conjunction with the outer cov­erings, makes it almost impossible for the front clasp to wear through, especially at the lower end where the greatest strain comes.

The stripping used in Barcley supports is of a most unusual quality, being not only attractive but ex­tremely durable. And the stripping is almost as im­portant, to the life of a figure support, as the body material itself.

Each garment, in fact, is a lovely, individual crea­tion of the finest quality procurable.

Your Natural Loveliness
--a Possession Beyond Price!

I

N CREATING a Barcley support for your particular needs, the purpose of the designer is to avoid any stiff or unnatural effect, but, with the help of a new patented boning, coupled with rare designing skill, to bring to the fore your own natural loveliness.

Comfort, too, is an important objective, and when you wear a Barcley corset, with its flawless fit and with this wonderful new boning, you can hardly realize you have a corset on.

Examine this boning! Notice its lightness--its perfect smoothness--and that it bends sidewise as well as flatwise.

When you have a Barcley support boned with Barco Bone and stoop over or bend sidewise, the boning bends with you. It does not turn on edge and cut into your flesh or put undue strain on the material.

Imagine the relief of being able to bend or stoop in any direction with perfect comfort!

Please note that this patented boning, known as Barco Bone, is not only light as a feather, but bends sidewise as well as flatwise-giving undreamed of comfort!

This ideal boning is also very firm-possessing fully as much supporting power as any flat stay. It produces the ideal combination of luxurious comfort with perfect support.

Barcley Supports Retain Their
Stylish Lines Until
Completely Worn Out

W

HEN YOU ORDER a Barcley support, you are assured it will retain its stylish lines until completely worn out.

The reason for this is due to the fact that the patented Barco Bone will not take a permanent bend.

To prove this, test it yourself!

Notice its exceptional resiliency--how it springs right back.

The reason for this resiliency is due to its patented construction, and the fact that it is woven of four strands of music wire made from imported Swedish ore.

Ordinary boning, as you well know, soon conforms to the curves of the body, so that the support thereafter has no merit from the standpoints of style or corrective value.

The Barco Bone, however, produces the ideal combination of perfect support, with luxurious comfort.

And its ventilative qualities are most healthful.

This boning is, beyond question, the only answer to present day needs--smart style--luxurious comfort--and that much desired quality of having one's loveliness appear absolutely natural!

What Every Woman Wants--
Smart Style--Genuine Comfort
--and the Most Beautiful of All Effects
--Natural Loveliness

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OMEN--today--want smart style with perfect comfort. But they want smart, lovely lines which appear absolutely natural.

This is precisely the result that each Bareley support creates.

It gently moulds one's lines, giving-NOT a stiff or unnatural effect-but the grace, the smartness, the unequalled beauty of natural loveliness.

And with it all, comes undreamed of comfort! Every line--every bone--every little detail of your Barcley support--whether it be a corset, corset-brassiere or belt--is carefully planned for you alone!

In most cases, we recommend a little flat honing in each corset in front and back, with the delightfully comfortable, resilient Barco Bone in the rest of the garment. However, if any client prefers it, we can furnish the finest of flat boning throughout.

The kind of boning and the amount of honing are optional with each client.

Each garment, in fact, is an individual creation to suit the taste and requirements of each and every wearer.

A Barcley support, created for you alone, conserves your health--enhances your beauty-and gives you the utmost in style and comfort!

The Danger
of Figure Neglect

C

AN ANY WOMAN afford to neglect her

figure?

This is what a prominent style authority , recently said:

"I do not know of any woman who has carried naturally small hips and thighs and a flat abdomen past--let's say thirty.

"One of the first signs of age is usually a little thickening of the lower limbs, an inch or two on the hips, an inch or two on the thighs, and a little sagging of the abdominal wall. The woman whose contour below the waist isn't just what it should be (especially in this age of straight lines) has put her birthdays where anyone can count them. She isn't young, despite what the masseuse has done to her face."

Age is a treacherous antagonist, and it is well for those who really care about their appearance to remember that the properly corseted woman may retain her original grace long after the woman, who is careless about her corset, has become ill-proportioned and unattractive.

What about your friends and acquaintances?

Are they quite sure they are not missing something, when they look in the mirror, that others see only too plainly? Or, are they, by means of scientific corsetry, hiding those tell-tale lines? Are they carefully safeguarding those most priceless of all possessions--their health--their lovely, youthful lines?

The Lasting Economy of a Support
Designed by Barcley

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ARCLEY SERVICE is not expensive-in spite of the rare quality of the garment itself.

The reason Barcley service is inexpensive is because Barcley supports are guaran­teed to wear.

They are not only beautiful to look at, but durable, long-lasting, and, in the long run, decidedly economical.

The Barcley guarantee, furthermore, is not merely a verbal one, but a written guarantee which accom­panies each and every Barcley support.

This guarantee covers the material, the boning and even the clasp.

Therefore, while the garment may cost more in the first place than an ordinary support, it is less expen­sive in the long run, and, at the same time, you safe­guard your health and acquire that smartness, that rare loveliness every woman so ardently desires.

For the safeguarding of health alone, if nothing else, you owe it to yourself and family to avail yourself of our designing service.

When you take into consideration the durability of the garment, the designing service actually costs you nothing, but assures you of health, style, comfort and beauty.

And-at the same time--you have the satisfaction of wearing the finest support that money can buy.

The Support Which Is Worn
by the Woman of
Distinctive Position

T

HAT LURE OF CHARM and individuality which a well-groomed woman possesses is the result of careful attention to the lines of her figure.

By having her figure support designed by Barcley, she acquires a certain smartness, a certain charm of figure lines and posture which can be secured in no other way.

That indescribable something-which makes even a simple frock take on an air of richness-depends, to a great extent, on the foundation underneath.

Beauty of figure lines, however, is not her only acquirement--as perfect posture and proper support to the abdominal organs, bring improved health and better circulation of the blood, resulting in added charm to both face and figure.

The Barcley is the finest--most luxurious--most painstakingly designed of all custom-made supports.

It is the figure support which is worn by the woman of wealth and distinctive position.

Keep Your Health--Your Beauty
--Your Lovely Youthful Lines
and Permit Our Corsetiere to
Analyze Your Requirements

S

UPPOSE you remove your dress, so that our corsetiere can analyze your requirements and quote you intelligently.

Do this--as you can never truly appreciate the charm possibilities of your figure until you have had a Barcley support created for you.

And you owe it to your family--as well as yourself--to safeguard your health and enhance the beauty lines of your figure.

Thousands upon thousands of clients have made truly remarkable improvements in their figure lines, posture and entire appearance by means of Barcley Service.

And remember--your outer apparel, no matter how expensive it may be, can never do you justice unless your figure lines are absolutely perfect.

Your figure support is the real foundation of your entire apparel.

Suppose you remove your dress. Our corsetiere, after determining your requirements, can then let you know the exact cost.

And Barcley Service is by no means expensive--considering the rare quality, the guaranteed durability of the garment, and the health-conserving, beauty-creating service which is rendered.

$5,000 Guarantee

This Check for $5,000

backs up our guarantee that

EVERY BARCLEY FIGURE SUPPORT IS DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR EACH AND EVERY CLIENT, FROM THE COMPLETE BODY MEASUREMENTS AND FIGURE DESCRIPTION SENT US. IT IS, IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD, A STRICTLY CUSTOM GARMENT, MADE TO THE INDIVIDUAL MEASUREMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS OF EACH AND EVERY CLIENT.

The sum of $5,000 has been placed on deposit with the Merchants and Manufacturers National Bank of Newark, N. J., and will be paid to any corporation, firm or individual (our own designers and other employees included) if they can prove that this is not a true statement.

This guarantee does not apply to the demonstration corsets or belts used as samples, nor can we guarantee against a possible operative error. Barcley brassieres are not custom made, nor are the brassieres (elongated brassieres) or other accessories.