habitshirts

Updated: July 20, 2025

Her attitude allowed the Marquise d'Espard's mocking eye to take in Clotilde's lean, narrow figure, exactly like an asparagus stalk; the poor girl's bust was so flat that it did not allow of the artifice known to dressmakers as fichus menteurs, or padded habitshirts.

Honoré de Balzac - Scenes from a Courtesan's Life