In 1926
Berlei, a leading designer of undergarments, in conjunction with the University
of Sydney, measured the body shapes of more than 6000 women. The results were
distilled into five typical body shapes: Sway Back; Average; Big Hips; Big
Abdomen; and Short Below Waist. This information was translated onto a Berlei
Figure Type Indicator board, and all a trained Berlei corsetiere had to do was
dial in three measurements—the bust, the waist and the hip—to quickly establish
the appropriate product for a customer. Boards were first produced in the late
1920s and were still in use in the 1960s.
The company’s Executive Designer, Desolie Richardson (later Lady Hurley),
described her work in 1955: ‘It is like building a bridge … there are strains …
and stresses. And you’ve got to know just where they come, otherwise your
bridge—or your foundation garment—soon collapses’.
Display item Figure Indicator, 1950s
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