My Life in Paris: an Uplifting Experience

Theadora recalls a special visit to a legendary corsètiere.

I can still recall every detail of that electric-blue-sky morning back in October 2014. Thanks to my France Today credentials, I’d secured an interview with Poupie Cadolle at Maison Cadolle one of Paris’s last custom corsètieres. My sister, Wendy, was in town so I invited her to tag along.

The night before the meeting we could barely sleep, so instead, we pondered what to wear. How to greet the great-great granddaughter of the woman who had not only invented one of the first-ever modern bras, but had unveiled this lingerie innovation beneath the Eiffel Tower at the 1900 Exposition Universelle?
I had decided to contact Mme Cadolle after studying the Eiffel Tower during a particularly blustery jog. Gustave Eiffel had designed its 620ft gams with airy, lace-like struts so it wouldn’t topple on some seriously windy day. Contemplating them, I decided it was time to find my own support system: the perfect brassière. And why not go directly to the source? After all, Herminie Cadolle’s Le Bien-être (the well-being’) of 1898 is still considered the wonder bra of its time: smooth, hand-woven straps connected its sections for support with easy breathing and nary a restricting, pesky whalebone in sight.

Meeting a legend

We were so excited we arrived at Place de la Concorde way too early, but it gave us time for coffees at nearby Le Petit Flottes. In Cadolle’s studio on rue Saint Honoré, we perched on red velvet chairs amid frothy shades of champagne, pink and burgundy waiting for Poupie to appear. Surrounding us were chandelier-high piles of lacy confections and racks with hand-stitched, bespoke delights, painstakingly embellished with pearls, gold clasps, and embroidery on satin, mesh and tulle.

Then Poupie made her entrance. From behind her massive work table she launched directly into the story of the still family-owned business. Names and dates were followed by gossip, but only about their late customers, divulged conspiratorially. She mesmerised us with tales about princesses, actresses and the social elite. Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton had brought along her husband at the time, Cary Grant. “He charmed us all,” Poupie said. “We almost fainted.”

Exotic dancer, fellow shopping enthusiast and accused German spy Mata Hari had also been a loyal client. Bra fittings took place at the nearby Ritz, Poupie whispered, where her hotel room was full of feather boas made of real stork – marabou, of course!

La belle poitrine

Then Poupie suddenly gestured for us to lean forward as she gently picked up a Cadolle classic, the 424 French Chantilly lace bra, and began to deconstruct the complex art of la belle poitrine (the beautiful chest). I still have my notes. “A brassière is made up of 14 different components,” she explained, “from hooks to lace to elastic, and 11 to 18 pieces of fabric.

“Rigid cups are a must. Chantilly lace is best. Stretchy fabrics do not support the bust. I use just a little elastic in the back. For a high pointed silhouette, the back needs to stay low so the front will rise.” It’s all in the engineering, as Eiffel once boasted of his own eponymously-named pointy protrusion. “The curves… produced by our calculations, rising from an enormous base and narrowing toward the top, will give a great impression of strength and beauty.” I couldn’t agree more.

Down through the years, I’ve bought a few Cadolle showstoppers on sale, of course, since, after all, I’m a freelance writer. Topping my stash is an empire-style Joséphine balconette bra and a pair of hand-painted Orange Tabby Cat velvet pants. Recently I even pounced on a pair of burgundy-coloured mules by Cadolle.

Yes, I’m guilty, though certainly not in a Joséphine Bonaparte sort of way, who allegedly bought a Napoleonic-sized collection of 900 pairs of slippers during a single year. But I’m not judging. We’ve all been there definitely during the big sales. Cadolle creations can be found in major collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

From France Today Magazine

Theadora Brack has lived in Paris since 2003 and is the author of the peopleplacesandbling.com blog.