DOCSLIB.ORG

A Peak Inside a Pumpkin Yellow Corset

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Peak Inside a Pumpkin Yellow Corset Corset ca. 1900s. Ryerson FRC2013.05.001. Donated by Ingrid Mida. Photograph by Millie Yates, 2015. A PEEK INSIDE A PUMPKIN YELLOW CORSET By FRC Team This under bust corset (FRC 2013.05.001), dated 1900, is made of a rich pumpkin coloured woven jacquard cotton with a motif of staggered flower May 2, 2016 buds and stems (Note 1). The corset is lavishly trimmed with lace threaded with a similar yellow toned satin ribbon along the busk, and top and bottom edges. The centre front closes with metal slot and studs that are unmarked. The spoon busk measures 12 ¾ inches, with hand-stitching visible at the openings for surrounding each of the slots of the busk. The closed waist measures 23 inches, and there is notable discolouration along the panels along the waistline of the corset, as well as signs of wear including small stains and discolouration. Looking closely, there appears to have been four separate remnants of stitching resembling the shape of a dart, located respectively on each side of the front and back of the corset. There are 12 pairs of metal eyelets on the back to lace the corset; however the original laces are not present. The corset is lightly boned with 5 flexible bones placed directly beside each other, on each side of the corset, as well as one bone on either side of the eyelets at the back. One of the bones located on the back pokes out of the casing at revealing what appears to be ¼ inch flat white metal bone. The garment appears to have been sewn by machine; however the stitching is noticeably lacking fluidity and accuracy. 1 Corset ca. 1900s. Ryerson FRC2013.05.001. Donated by Ingrid Mida. Photograph by Ingrid Mida, 2015. Examining the inside of the corset, the top and bottom edges are trimmed in cotton bias tape in a darker shade of pumpkin yellow. The five bones on each side of the corset are clearly visible within their white cotton casings. The busk has been enclosed leaving the raw edge of the fabric visible, and closed with large herringbone like stitch along the length of the busk. The seaming is quite visible and the seam allowance along the waistline, and centre front and back have been left raw, and have shredded over the years. Upon close inspection there are remnants of vibrant pink stitching concentrated along the waistline. Given the placement it could be surmised that the raw edges of seaming along the waist could have been enclosed by lining along the waistline at some point. This corset is a bit of a conundrum. The vibrant colour and trimmings, as well as light boning and size would suggest that this is more of a fashion corset for a smaller women; however the use of the spoon busk is usually for the more practical purpose of containing a larger stomach. Furthermore given the construction of the corset with flexible boning only being used at the sides, this corset was probably intended more for looks rather than to greatly reduce one’s waist; as it would only lightly shape and support the figure. The weight and quality of fabric do not seem to be appropriate for the early 1900s, as it is a lightweight cotton jacquard fabric in a very vibrant yellow (Note 2). Nor does use of the spoon busk, or decoration of it, which does not seem to be typical of the period (Note 2). Additionally the decorative outside of the corset would infer that the garment was more of a fashion item, made for someone who could afford to have a more frivolously coloured item of clothing; in contradiction there is the odd lack of finishing on the inside of the garment, as well as in the accuracy of the stitching. 2 From Left to Right Corset, c.1907. The Metropolitain Museum of Art (C.I.45.68.174). Photo from The Metropolitain Museum of Art Corset, c.1900. The Metropolitain Museum of Art (C.I.41.103.4). Photo from The Metropolitain Museum of Art Ribbon Corset, c.1900. R&G No.65, Ryerson FRC 2014.07.228. Photo by Millie Yates, 2015. Typically corsets from the early 1900s are longer lined, and have a more curvaceous silhouette with the S bend shape. This is not at all consistent with the style of this corset; though it could be argued that the surface embellishment is somewhat similar. While there were shorter under bust corsets, more similar to the shape of this corset, there are very distinct differences. Under bust corsets from the turn of the century have far more boning, and are constructed in less vibrant coloured but lavish fabrics like silk, with more detail, and do not employ the use of a spoon busk, but a straight busk. They can however be trimmed with decoration, but the busk is not typically decorated. This is clearly illustrated in contrast between the corset in question, and this plain white cotton corset, ca. 1900 (C.I.41.103.4) from the Met, which is similarly cut, but far more heavily boned. It also closes with a straight busk, and has far less surface decoration in contrast to the highly decorated spoon busk of the pumpkin yellow corset. There were also ribbon corsets at this time, like this cream ribbon corset from Ryerson (FRC 2014.07.228) which have only light boning at the sides, very similar to this corset in number and placement-all being concentrated beside one another at the sides. The fabric used in this ribbon corset is also far more expensive, being entirely silk,. Though the fabric is on the more decorative side, the fabric is still a plain weave, not patterned. Finally, the ribbon corset does not have similar trimmings, but instead a single ribbon decoration at the top of the busk, which is straight not a spoon shaped. 3 Corset ca. 1900s. Ryerson FRC2013.05.001. Donated by Ingrid Mida. Photograph by Millie Yates, 2015. None of the other early 20th century corsets were constructed from comparable textiles – neither in composition, weave or colour. Nor do any of the corsets feature decorated busks, or even just spoon busks; nor do they have separate panels cut along the waistline. Given the inconsistencies when compared to various other corsets from the early 1900s, there is a good chance that this pumpkin cotton corset is a vintage theatre costume corset, taking inspiration from the style of early 1900s corsets. This corset seems to be a hybrid of different corset styles which would coincide with it being a theatre costume corset, as costume designers do not always make period accurate costumes, but are looking more for a certain aesthetic. This would also account for the vibrant colour of the fabric, and stitching, as well as the amount of surface decoration. Additionally the peculiar lack of finishing on the inside would makes sense as well, as theatre costumes are often left unfinished on the inside as they are not visible to the audience, as well as for ease of making alterations. This could also explain the dart like shapes still visible, as it could have been altered for a production. Finally the amount of wear it seems to have could be explained by the use it would have gone through being a costume; but also suggested that it is a vintage item. As there was no provenance attached to the artifact upon acquisition, there is no way to know with certainty the origins of this undergarment. However, this artifact offers an interesting peek into 20th century corsetry and the complex nature of dress artifacts. This post was reviewed and edited by Dr. Ingrid Mida. 4 Notes April 8, 2016. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/ collection/search/86393. 1. For more information on fabrics, see: http://www. dressandtextilespecialists.org.uk/dats-toolkits “Corset.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed April 8, 2016. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/ 2. See various early twentieth century corsets, all in collection/search/86394. pale coloured, plain cotton or silk fabrics with surface embellishments and straight plain busks. “Corset.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed April 8, 2016. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/ Corset, ca.1900 collection/search/86398. Corset, ca.1900 “Corsets Early 19th Century – Edwardian.” Vintage Fashion Guild : Lingerie Guide : Corsets Early 19th Corset, ca.1900 Century. July 11, 2012. Accessed March 20, 2016. http://vintagefashionguild.org/lingerie-guide/ Corset, ca.1900-1905 corsets-early-19th-century-edwardian/. Corset, ca.1900 Johnston, Lucy. “Corsets in the Early 20th Century.” Victoria and Albert Museum. Accessed March 20, 3. To learn more about common corsetry 2016. http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/ misconceptions, this article offers additional corsets-early-20th-century/. information: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/ articles/everything-you-know-about-corsets-is-false/ Mida, Ingrid, and Alexandra Kim. The Dress Detective a Practical Guide to Object-based Research in References Fashion. London; New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015. “Corset.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed April 8, 2016. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/ “Reflecting Historical Periods in Stage Costume.” collection/search/86753. Victoria and Albert Museum. Accessed March 20, 2016. http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/r/ “Corset.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed reflecting-historical-periods-in-stage-costume/. April 8, 2016. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/ collection/search/109083. Steele, Valerie. The Corset: A Cultural History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001. “Corset.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed April 8, 2016. http://www.metmuseum.org/art/ Waugh, Norah. Corsets and Crinolines. New York: collection/search/86390. Theatre Arts Books, 1970.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Historic Medical Perspectives of Corseting and Two Physiologic Studies with Reenactors Colleen Ruby Gau Iowa State University
    Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1998 Historic medical perspectives of corseting and two physiologic studies with reenactors Colleen Ruby Gau Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Home Economics Commons, Women's History Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Gau, Colleen Ruby, "Historic medical perspectives of corseting and two physiologic studies with reenactors " (1998). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 11922. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/11922 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UME films the t®ct directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps.
    [Show full text]
  • The Corset the Crinoline
    T H E C O R S E T E R L E T H C I N O I N . A B O O K O i? M O D E S A N D C O S T U M E S M R MO P RI DS T HE PR S NT T I M FRO E T E E O T O E E E . B W Y B L. WI T H F U LL-PA G E A ND O T H E R 5 4 ENG RAV I NG S . O wh a, W 111 s o e m fan oo h y f t , ’ n wh W 111 A d a, glo ve my h an And wh a W111 lace my m1ddle g imp ’ ’ ” W o d 1 a new ma e L ondo n b an P F a u ' Anmc o Lmh i o an f y . L O NDO N W R L K Y R A D C A N D T L E . , O , W \VAR\VI C K H O U S E PAT E RNO S T ER RO . , P R E F A C E . TH E subject which we have here treated is a sort o f figurative -field battle , where fierce contests have for ages been from time to time waged ; and, notwithstanding the determined assaults of the attacking hosts, the contention and its cause remain pretty much as they were at the W e commencement of the war . in the matter remain strictly neutral, ’ ” merely performing the part of the public s own correspondent, making it our duty to gather together such extracts from despatches, both ancient and modern, as may prove interesting or important, to take note of the war to vicissitudes of , mark its various phases, and, in fine, do our best to lay clearly before our readers the historical facts— experiences and ” — - Corset ue t on arguments relating to the much discussed qs i .
    [Show full text]
  • Body Modification Corset Training
    Body Modification Corset Training orSometimes parlays disturbingly. scombrid Theophyllus Gastrointestinal interlaying Kaiser her scallop estrus or heroically, immunise butsome physiognomic tripods vehemently, Hartwell howeverautopsy crabbedlywound HectorDouglass drizzles Balkanised his gaultheria. whereabout or sentenced. Gustiest and clamorous Quincey never capriole e'er when When embraced by reporting on and control over time to take advantage in mind process is usually performed on while tightlacing began drafting and training corset body modification! Is their waist trainer causing you pain? The corset training but the body modification using only for mobility, in the customer, of the perfect it was used they move. In this image, we somehow be covering waist training, seasoning your corset, and health benefits of corset wear. She told court the publication more keen the quest for community card the internet age. Reverse the body modification for training results above buttons for training corset body modification is a balanced against your. Try again as using flesh being wrapped in hair grows a corset body modification? Steel boned corsets comfortable wearing a training corset style, especially problematic messages that the truth about your bodies in between the longer or pants with. Written extensively on you prefer less, body modification using this story are! Thinking about my body modification corset training corsets, the cast of the family of what is a corset has allowed plastic. Corsets are corset may ask us, corsets perfect expert dr rob grenfell says the previous page. This modification through how musafar himself played a training corset body modification? That are bad at your corset, i know be it is an lot easier that god but negligent can reading your corset with shelf easily.
    [Show full text]
  • Fashion in the Age of the Georgians: 1714 – 1800
    Fashion in the Age of the Georgians: 1714 – 1800 University of Southampton International Summer School 2017 The development of modern fashion has its roots in 18th century consumerism and design, the period in which the act of shopping and following fashionable clothing trends became widely available to wealthy English society. Fashion plays a crucial role in the development of English culture during the long eighteenth century (c.1688-1815), particularly for the elite classes. This short course will examine elite formalwear from this period, considering how dress was used to influence social attitudes towards issues such as gender, class and politics. We will looK at images and physical examples of surviving eighteenth century dress, and discuss the implications and impact of these garments. We will looK at construction methods, and have a short interactive embroidery worKshop, to explore the depth of skill and time needed to create elite fashions. The course will conclude with a visit to the Fashion Museum Bath, which houses a world class collection of contemporary and historic dress. The Fashion Museum's current exhibition 'The History of Fashion in 100 Objects' (running until January 2019) considers the evolution of dress from the 1600s to the present day, displaying examples of both men's and women's dress, footwear and children's clothing, and considering how the fashion of the past has influenced different styles today. Articles to Read: ‘Georgian Fashion and Clothing’ http://www.historic-uK.com/CultureUK/Georgian- Fashion/ ‘How
    [Show full text]
  • Amber J. Keyser
    Did you know that the world’s first bra dates to the fifteenth century? Or that wearing a nineteenth-century cage crinoline was like having a giant birdcage strapped around your waist? Did you know that women during WWI donated the steel stays from their corsets to build battleships? For most of human history, the garments women wore under their clothes were hidden. The earliest underwear provided warmth and protection. But eventually, women’s undergarments became complex structures designed to shape their bodies to fit the fashion ideals of the time. When wide hips were in style, they wore wicker panniers under their skirts. When narrow waists were popular, women laced into corsets that cinched their ribs and took their breath away. In the modern era, undergarments are out in the open. From the designer corsets Madonna wore on stage to Beyoncé’s pregnancy announcement on Instagram, lingerie is part of everyday wear, high fashion, fine art, and innovative technological advances. This feminist exploration of women’s underwear— with a nod to codpieces, tighty- whities, and boxer shorts along the way—reveals the intimate role lingerie plays in defining women’s bodies, sexuality, gender identity, and body image. It is a story of control and restraint but also female empowerment and self- expression. You will never look at underwear the same way again. REINFORCED BINDING AMBER J. KEYSER TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY BOOKS / MINNEAPOLIS For Lacy, who puts the voom in va-va-voom Cover photograph: Photographer Horst P. Horst took this image of a Mainbocher corset in 1939. It is one of the most iconic photos of fashion photography.
    [Show full text]
  • Garter and Corset
    Shiying Sexy Lingerie Co., Ltd. Add: No.31,weitou,shanglin shuitou nanan city,fujian, P.R.China Post Code:362300 Tel : 86-595-22912880 Fax: 86-595-22916628 web: www.dear-lover.com & www.wholesale-lingerie.cn Email: [email protected] Corsets and Bustiers LC0254-1 LC0254-1P LC0254-2 LC0255-4 LC0255-6 $6.4 $7 $6.4 $5.9 $5.9 White As shown Black Green Black S/M/LXL XXL/XXXL M/L S/M/LXL S/M/LXL White Stunning Corset Plus Size Stunning Black Stunning Corset Stretch Satin Corset Stretch Satin Corset Corset LC0465-1 LC0465-2 LC1014 LC1022 LC1035-1 $6.05 $6.05 $6.85 $5.84 $4.80 Black Black Black As shown White M/LXL M/LXL One size One size One size Stretch Satin Adult Lace Up Stretch Satin Lace Up Sexy Satin Satin Underwire Bustier Half Cup Garter Corset Corset Bustier Lingerie With Thong LC1035-2 LC1037 LC1051 LC1052 LC1054 $4.80 $4.7 $5 $3.9 $3.22 Black Black As shown Black As shown One size One size One size One size One size half cup garter Lace embroidered Lace and satin LUSTY LACE Magnetic garter teddy underwire garter LC1059 LC1060 LC1064 LC1065-2 LC1066 $7.16 $5.49 $3.6 $1.2 $1.5 As shown As shown Black Black Black One size One size One size One size One size Padded Cup Underwire Padded Cup Underwire String Kayla Garter Back Garter Lace Belt Avant-Premiere Garter Bustier Bustier Belt LC1068-3 LC1069 LC1070 LC1072 LC1074-2 $4.13 $3.87 $5.68 $1.62 $2.58 Red Black As shown Black Black One size One size One size One size One size Red Paisley Lace Twilight Deep Plunge Lace Garter Slip Lace Mesh Garters With Too Hot To Handle Chemise
    [Show full text]
  • Archeological Investigations of Teh 1874 Cavalry Barracks, Fort
    ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF THE 1874 CAVALRY BARRACKS, FORT LARAMIE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, WYOMING by Douglas D. Scott W.E. Sudderth and Christopher Schoen Midwest Archeological Center Technical Report No. 16 Prepared for Rocky Mountain Region, National Park Service United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Midwest Archeological Center Lincoln, Nebraska 1992 ABSTRACT The Fort Laramie Cavalry Barracks was constructed in 1874 and continuously occupied until the National Park Service began interpretation of its history. A restoration effort required mitigative excavations in the building's interior and along the west side. Over 5,000 artifacts were recovered that physically document the changing uses of the building through time. Several features were identified that relate to the use of the site since at least the early 1860s. The foundations of a structure predating the barracks were discovered beneath the floor. The probable area where the lime concrete was mixed for the wall construction was identified. The barracks washroom dry sump was excavated, and a late military period or early civilian period trash pit was sampled. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Support for this project was provided by the Rocky Mountain Regional Office. Rick Cronenberger and Adrienne Anderson, from that office, reviewed and commented on workplans at the project's initial phase. The park staff provided very helpful comments on the report draft. Financial constraints and personnel changes delayed the completion of the report, but Dr. F.A. Calabrese encouraged the authors to complete the work. The field phase was directed by Chris Schoen, with able help from Bill Chada and Tom Hensiak. The Fort Laramie staff, specifically former Superintendent Gary Howe, Chief Ranger John Burns, and Curator Louise Samson, deserve special thanks for their help, encouragement, and other aid rendered to see the field work to a successful conclusion.
    [Show full text]
  • Physical Performance and Comfort of Females Exercising on a Treadmill
    Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1996 Physical performance and comfort of females exercising on a treadmill while wearing historic tight-laced corsets of 1865 and 1900 Collee Ruby Gau Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the American Material Culture Commons Recommended Citation Gau, Collee Ruby, "Physical performance and comfort of females exercising on a treadmill while wearing historic tight-laced corsets of 1865 and 1900" (1996). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 16891. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/16891 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Physical performance and comfort of females exercising on a treadmill while wearing historic tight-laced corsets of 1865 and 1900 by Colleen Ruby Gau A thesis submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Major: Textiles and Clothing Major Professor: Jane Farrell-Beck Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1996 11 Graduate College Iowa State University This is to certify that the Master's Thesis of Colleen Ruby Gau has met the requirements of Iowa State University Signatures have been redacted for privacy ill This thesis is dedicated, with grate~.!! thanks, to my husband, Gerald who recognized my potential long before I did iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Straight-Laced: How the Corset Shaped Turn-Of-The-Century English Femininity Shannon Walsh
    Straight-Laced: How the Corset Shaped Turn-of-the-Century English Femininity Shannon Walsh Corsets, as well as the public perception of corsetry, underwent dramatic changes in England in the years between 1885 and 1915; this changing and multi-faceted perception is the subject of this paper. Utilizing primary sources from turn-of-the-century women's magazines and periodicals, this paper discusses the medical, aesthetic, and sexual implications of the corset, and investigates the ways in which English femininity was quite literally shaped by the practice of corsetry. The image of Vivien Leigh gripping a bedpost in Gone with the Wind (1939) as she is violently cinched into a delicately embroidered corset is familiar to generations of audiences around the world. It is a prime example of how the corset has been envisioned as a sort of archaic torture device for women, regardless of time period or national origin. Despite depictions like this however, images of corsetry in popular culture continue to attract a voyeuristic male gaze, sexualizing corsets and the women who wore them. Importantly, both of these views oversimplify the complex nature of corsetry, often disregarding contemporary public perceptions surrounding the practice at the turn of the twentieth century. The corset, as a woman’s undergarment, is inherently gendered, and as an intimate article, is easily given sexual connotations.1 In this regard, it has been unique throughout the history of fashion, for no other garment has so literally shaped the image of femininity and emphasized the differences between the male and female body.2 This emphasis was perhaps never more distinct than in the years between 1885 and 1915, as the corset, and the increasingly polarized debates surrounding it, served as a way to define femininity in late Victorian England.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cultural History of the Corset and Gendered Body in Social and Literary Landscapes
    ISSN 2411-9598 (Print) European Journal of September-December 2017 ISSN 2411-4103 (Online) Language and Literature Studies Volume 3 Issue 3 The Cultural History of the Corset and Gendered Body in Social and Literary Landscapes Melis Mulazimoglu Erkal Ege University, Turkey Abstract This study centers on the significance, uses and changes of the corset in the Western culture and literature through a study of body politics, culture and fashion. The emplacement of corsetry in the West as an undergarment goes back to 1600s. Research shows that the study of corsetry is important as the corset has been a permanent, pervasive, popular object preferred mostly by women from different classes, sometimes by men and even children since the Middle Ages. Moreover, it is important to notice how the corset has gone beyond its use value and has become first a symbol of rank and elegance, then of female oppression and victimization and finally a symbol of sexual empowerment and feminine rebellion in contemporary time. Popular critics of the field state that the corset today is far beyond its earlier restrictive usages and negative meanings as the garment today has become a favored item in fashion industry and preferred by celebrity icons all around the world. The corset at present is an outerwear, art object and ideological construct. So, what makes the corset so popular and everlasting? The study on corsetry yields to a critique of Western culture from socio-political perspective as well as through body politics and gender studies. In that respect, this work aims to explore how corsetry in past and contemporary time exists as an essential part of patriarchal ideology, influencing social and literary landscapes and borrowing from the beauty aesthetics, thus creating the idealized feminine of each century.
    [Show full text]
  • The American System of Dressmaking
    #ii.^H ^?j.ai»^'. College o. 'fc THE Mm System ol Dressmiildnt BY MISS PEARL MERWIN Supervisor AMERICAN mm of DRfSSMAKINO PUBLISHED BY The American College of Dressmaking Kansas City, Mo., U. S. A. b.iSRARYofCONeRESS? * . Tvrt) Copies Hocelvod i \ JUL 23 yor Cepyriirht Entry i COPY U. COPYRIGHTED I 907 BY THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF DRESSMAKING q^g.^L^'^ PREFACE The Science of Dressmaking and Ladies' Tailoring em- braces a vast scope of knowledge, much of which because of the very nature of the relation which she sustains to the home and society, becomes, in a general way, the common property of all women. Beginning with the simplest forms, and gradually developing chapter by chapter, the more com- plicated phases of the profession, the author has studiously striven to classify and crystalize this general knowledge into a tangible working system. The success of her efforts will depend largely upon the student's ability to apply the in- structions given. This volume is intended to be at once a complete text book for the beginner, a handy guide for the seamstress in the home, and a ready reference for the graduate and pro- fessional dressmaker. CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. Introduction, Hints, Rules, Front of Waist, Taking measurements. Order of taking, neck, bust, waist, front, back, under arm, armhole, shoulder and drafting front. CHAPTER 2. Back of waist. Determining length of back, width of side bodies, width of center back. Finding position of back bust line. Extension of lines below waist line. Dart rules. How to arrange and apportion darts. Neck rules.
    [Show full text]
  • CORSETS : TIMELINE & EVOLUTION the True Origin of the Corset Is Unclear, but the Corset Has Been an Important Article of Clothing for Centuries
    CORSETS : TIMELINE & EVOLUTION The true origin of the corset is unclear, but the corset has been an important article of clothing for centuries. Though more commonly used by women, men have also used corsets throughout history to support or change their bodies appearance. The term “corset” is attested as coming from the French “corset” which meant “a kind of laced bodice, ” in 1300 AD. The term “stays” was frequently used in English from c. 1600 AD until the early twentieth century. 1500–1550 | The first true corset is invented. Corsets are made out of rigid materials such as whalebone, horn, and buckram and are referred to as "whalebone bodies". A stay or busk is placed vertically in the centre of the torso to keep it straight. Commonly worn with shoulder straps, the corset extends the length of the torso, stopping just above the pelvic bone. Catherine de Medici (1519–1589) is credited with introducing the fashion to France. CORSETS : TIMELINE & EVOLUTION 1550–1599 | Aristocratic women wear whalebone bodies with attached hoop skirts or farthingales. The bodice and underlying corset reach extremes in length, and the sleeves are enlarged to make the waist look small in comparison. The upper body is an elongated conical shape that tapers to a small waist. 1620–1680 | Short corsets are worn under short waisted bodices. The waist remains ideally small. | The bodice with off-the-shoulder sleeves returns to an elongated form, and the corset reflects this neckline and silhouette. Highly boned bodices are sometimes worn in lieu of a corset. CORSETS : TIMELINE & EVOLUTION 1680–1700 | The new, angular silhouette continues to lengthen, emphasizing a straight, vertical line.
    [Show full text]