"Though I rather disapprove of the latter," says Ms. Cadolle, an ebullient blonde of generous proportions who knows most of her clients, keeps tabs on her sewing staff and has all her own lingerie made in the shop. But she's seriously pushing the bustier-corsets as evening wear, and says they love them down in Dallas (Neiman Marcus), sometimes in New York (Bergdorf Goodman) and especially out in Hollywood, "where everything is glamour. They adore being sexy out there." Whaleboned a la l8th century, with lashings of ruching and lace, fullish silk skirts underneath, Ms. Cadolle's corsets made by nimble fingers in her Rue Cambon shop shine as gala evening wear for those who want to look sexy.

"French men and women aren't embarrassed, and the women love things like dainty garter belts -- which the men adore, too.
"They're comfortable," she insists. "The boning is made to follow the anatomy naturally, and we leave plenty of room to breathe. It's like an instant figure fix, and I think women are paying more attention to a small waist these days." For Ms. Cadolle, construction and good fabrics mean everything -- even as they did for her ancestor some 100-plus years ago. "The bosom was neglected in favor of just waist-pinchers," says Poupie. "Construction started with Herminie, but her bra concept of support didn't really have much success until after she died in 1925." Herminie had emigrated with her family to Argentina, made a killing with dainty couture French little nothings, and came back to Paris later to work out of a small shop she had kept here. "She was finally a rival of Chanel's up the street," says Poupie. " Chanel dictated the boyish look, and women were binding up their breasts.

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