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11/10/2010
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11/08/2010
A Short History of Corset Making
Exploring the Corset – Day 5
Corset making in centuries past, was serious business. Corset or stay making was considered heavy work and therefore not appropriate for women. All corsets were made by men/tailors.
Tailoring was also a heavy job, the “pressing” was considered too difficult a task for a woman.
France imposed many restrictions on fashion and trade. A couturier, a female dressmaker, was not allowed to make a corset. Eventually, around the end of the 18th century, the restrictions were lighten and women were given the rights to produce corsets.
The construction of a corset is fascinating. Originally they were made from many layers of fabric. Most often linen, cotton and silk. The base fabric needed to be a very dense weave so that there was no stretch or give in the fabric.
The fabric was covered in a paste that stiffened it further. The corset was then hand stitched in small channels over the entire body. Whalebone was then slipped into all the channels. You can see the stiffened rows on the pink corset shown here.
The whalebone was actually Baleen. It is not a bone but cartilage like strings from the roof of the whale’s mouth. One of the heaviest jobs was cutting the Baleen to fit and forcing it into the channels.
The edges of the corset were encased in silk ribbon and the eyelets for the laces were hand stitched in silk thread. Metal grommets for eyelets were not invented for years to come.
To make a corset was labor intensive and a work of art when completed.
Win a corset – enter here
Corset making in centuries past, was serious business. Corset or stay making was considered heavy work and therefore not appropriate for women. All corsets were made by men/tailors.
Tailoring was also a heavy job, the “pressing” was considered too difficult a task for a woman.France imposed many restrictions on fashion and trade. A couturier, a female dressmaker, was not allowed to make a corset. Eventually, around the end of the 18th century, the restrictions were lighten and women were given the rights to produce corsets.
The construction of a corset is fascinating. Originally they were made from many layers of fabric. Most often linen, cotton and silk. The base fabric needed to be a very dense weave so that there was no stretch or give in the fabric.
The fabric was covered in a paste that stiffened it further. The corset was then hand stitched in small channels over the entire body. Whalebone was then slipped into all the channels. You can see the stiffened rows on the pink corset shown here.The whalebone was actually Baleen. It is not a bone but cartilage like strings from the roof of the whale’s mouth. One of the heaviest jobs was cutting the Baleen to fit and forcing it into the channels.
The edges of the corset were encased in silk ribbon and the eyelets for the laces were hand stitched in silk thread. Metal grommets for eyelets were not invented for years to come.
To make a corset was labor intensive and a work of art when completed.
Win a corset – enter here
If you enjoyed this article, Please share it with others...
I would love to hear your comments.
Technorati Tags: corset history,plus size corset,history of lingerie
I would love to hear your comments.
Technorati Tags: corset history,plus size corset,history of lingerie
11/07/2010
Romantic Silk Corset
Exploring the corset – Day 4
I adore this antique silk corset from the 18th century. It is part of the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Collection. It is not on display at this time.
Items such as this are a treasure. There is not a huge collection of ancient clothing to study. The properties of textiles naturally breakdown and fall apart. Most old garments were subject to moisture and sunlight. Both killers of fabric. Most often now these items are safely stored to preserve them and only shown for special exhibits.
This is a beautiful example of the corset style of the 1700’s. It is thought to have been Spanish in origin. When corsets were first being worn they were elaborately covered in decorative fabrics. These corsets became a feature piece of a woman’s costume. It was not until later in history when the corset became an undergarment.
The corset was never worn on bare skin as they are today. The corset was always worn over a soft cotton or linen garment called the chemise. This, soft shirt like garment, would show slightly above the corset at the neck and extend to the knees. The more elaborate the details, the more wealthy the woman. The purpose of this garment was to protect the corset from the body. It was easy to wash a chemise but not a corset.
This corset style waist is long in the front and short in the back. When it was worn the small tabs at the waist would spread open to accommodate the full skirt. The purpose of this corset was to keep the front bodice flat. The corsets were fitted with a stomacher, a solid plate of wood, metal or ivory that would slide in the front panel to keep it rigid.
The stomacher would often be carved and decorated beautifully even though it would never show. The pieces of the corset that fasten with the silver hooks would have been reinforced with bars called Busks.
The corset was originally called a stay. If you unlaced the back and open the hooks the corset was in 2 pieces. For this reason the corset was often called “a pair of stays”.
All women wore corsets. Not all were as lovely as this beautiful piece.
If you enjoyed this article, Please share it with others...
I would love to hear your comments.
I adore this antique silk corset from the 18th century. It is part of the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Collection. It is not on display at this time.
Items such as this are a treasure. There is not a huge collection of ancient clothing to study. The properties of textiles naturally breakdown and fall apart. Most old garments were subject to moisture and sunlight. Both killers of fabric. Most often now these items are safely stored to preserve them and only shown for special exhibits.
This is a beautiful example of the corset style of the 1700’s. It is thought to have been Spanish in origin. When corsets were first being worn they were elaborately covered in decorative fabrics. These corsets became a feature piece of a woman’s costume. It was not until later in history when the corset became an undergarment.
The corset was never worn on bare skin as they are today. The corset was always worn over a soft cotton or linen garment called the chemise. This, soft shirt like garment, would show slightly above the corset at the neck and extend to the knees. The more elaborate the details, the more wealthy the woman. The purpose of this garment was to protect the corset from the body. It was easy to wash a chemise but not a corset.
This corset style waist is long in the front and short in the back. When it was worn the small tabs at the waist would spread open to accommodate the full skirt. The purpose of this corset was to keep the front bodice flat. The corsets were fitted with a stomacher, a solid plate of wood, metal or ivory that would slide in the front panel to keep it rigid.
The stomacher would often be carved and decorated beautifully even though it would never show. The pieces of the corset that fasten with the silver hooks would have been reinforced with bars called Busks.
The corset was originally called a stay. If you unlaced the back and open the hooks the corset was in 2 pieces. For this reason the corset was often called “a pair of stays”.
All women wore corsets. Not all were as lovely as this beautiful piece.
If you enjoyed this article, Please share it with others...
I would love to hear your comments.
Technorati Tags: corset history,plus size corset
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