I was doing a bit of research on corsets and came across this site. I’m sure there’s more informative ones but I haven’t had the time to look for them yet.
Isn’t this stuff (19-20C) gorgeous? The clothes had so much character back then.
http://www.gupistan.com/gallery/1/JaneBlodgett1.jpg
Jane Blodgett’s 1860 Day Dress
Flowered muslin dress, USA. This dress was worn by Jane Blodgett Dunnell and is described as being her engagement dress. It was probably worn for her engagement party or barbecue, and is typical of a simple cotton formal day dress of the period that a upper-class American girl of good family would have worn. The neckline is cut across the shoulders, typical of a young girl’s dress, but it has long flared sleeves with piped frills, typical of a young lady’s dress, and it is long, pointing to the fact that the wearer would probably have been around 17 or 18, still considered a child in some ways, but allowed to have some grown-up ness about her clothes. The material is an extremely high quality cotton print, which would not have been cheap, and is printed with an extremely attractive sprig motif in pink, green and lavender. Jane Blodgett Dunnell’s 1860s wedding dress and shoes have also survived and can be seen (please see the “Bodice” and “Footwear” section). (From the Milford- Cottam collection)
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1861 Black Moire Dress
Large crinoline skirt with two bodices, a long-sleeved bodice with a demure neckline and long flared sleeves trimmed with black bows, and a low-cut evening bodice with a Chantilly lace bertha around the neckline, tiny puffed sleeves, and black jet braid. The skirt would go over quite a large hoop. This was probably made around 1861 as social mourning following the death of Prince Albert. Because there is an evening bodice, it wouldn’t have been family mourning as if a relative had died, you wouldn’t be going to balls or dances. It was probably worn by quite a young lady, or a recently married woman, as the bodices are quite simple. Click here to see a photo of a lady from c. 1861 wearing a similar dress in the same fabric. (Dress rom the Milford- Cottam collection, photo from the collection of Crinolinegirl)
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Polonaise Dressc.
1880- 1883. The polonaise style of dress became originated in the late 18th century with the “Shepherdess” look, the fashion was revived in the early 1870’s when the Dolly Varden style became fashionable (this style was a revival of the late 18th century look) and later in the early 1880’s, a simpler longer version became fashionable. The polonaise is merely a bodice with a very long basque, 1870’s polonaise’s were puffy at the hips mimicking 18th century panniers, the 1880’s style were cut like very long bodices. Some such as this one, are so long, almost to the floor that sometimes they are mistaken for Princess style dresses. The polonaise bodice was always worn with an underskirt. The underskirt worn with this polonaise bodice, is made out of silk satin. Its decorated with a band of jet beads going around the hip of the skirt and with 3 flounces edged with lace and each flounced is hand sewn onto the skirt by using the shirring technique (the fabric is runched up, this was extremely fashionable at the beginning of the 1880’s). Waist measures 24" and the length is 39". The bodice is made out of cut velvet and originally had sleeves, I believe the original owner was in the process of renovating it into a long waistcoat which could be worn over a blouse. The front of the bodice has a lovely crocheted fringe hanging down, heavy upholstery trimmings like this, were popular during the 1880’s. The bust measures 28" and the waist, 23", shoulders 13". The bodice is fully boned. The total length of the polonaise bodice is 51" at the front and 55" at the back (this would allow for the bustle to be worn underneath). This dress certainly would have been worn with a bustle and a set of half hoops due to the sheer weight of the fabric of the dress (regular fabric petticoats wouldn’t be full enough to hold out the dress. (From the Crinolinegirl collection)
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http://www.gupistan.com/gallery/1/1880corset1.jpg
Heavily Gored and Cossetted Corset
C. 1885- 1890. Mid to late 1880’s and is the typical heavily gored and gusseted of the bustle era. Bodices were very tight fitting so a corset was required to mould every lump and bump on the bodice. This corset would have been worn by a very busty and hippy lady. The bust cups have gores in them and are “boned” to support a large bust (would fit a C- D cup). The hip area of the corset features elastic gussets and the sides are “boned” with vertical and horizontal “boning” for extra control. When I mention “boning”, the corset is actually boned with cording made out of a hemp like material. This meant it was probably worn by a working class lady and would have made it sturdy and more comfortable to wear instead of whalebone although there are watchspring bones at the sides, back and one at the front. It is in wearable condition (with extreme care, no antique corsets should be worn very often), it does have some damage. At the back of the corset at the top of the lacing holes and at the front bottom point of the corset, it looks like something has chewed on it ( a mouse?). The fifth grommet from the bottom on the right side is also pulled out. There is also wear to the top and bottom finishing around the edges of the corset, some of the hemp “boning” is sticking through. There is also the typical rust and yellow colored “age staining” typically found on old cotton and the elastic in all 6 gussets have ceased a long time ago to be elastic! The coutil is still very strong and the bust gores have zig zag gold thread embroidery on them. I must mention that this corset has been RENOVATED sometime during the late Victorian or Edwardian era. The corset used to have a curved busk, but on closer inspection, it looks like it was taken out (probably when the straight busk became fashionable) or either ripped out as was common (busks are sharp and tended to cut the material. The corset was sewn togther (looks like old treadle machine stitches) at the front to make it a closed front one, the new seam at the front, was then finshed by sewing a long peice of lace over the seam on the inside. I don’t know what kind of lace it is. It was welld one and the corset is very strong in that area. Most corsets were thrown out when the busks ripped out or when fashions changed but a working class woman couldn’t really afford to do this especially if the rest of the corset was comfy and wearable. It just goes to show that recycling was present even over 100 years ago! It probably was a size 26 corset but since the busk is out, the waist measures 25". It is quite a shortwaisted corset, I’m 5’9" and am relatively shortwaisted for someone of my height but this corset is too short on me. Someone who is 5’6" and under, shortwaisted with a natural waist of around 30" would have fit into this. (From the Crinolinegirl collection)
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http://www.gupistan.com/gallery/1/mikecorset8.jpg
c. 1896 corset
An overbust style in black fabric with printed roses on it. The high bust style of corset was popular with large breasted Victorian and Edwardian women before the bra was invented. This type of corset often had shoulder straps fastening to the front of the breast cup, almost like a modern day bra strap, to give extra support. This corset is heavily boned with very thin strips spaced side by side over the entire body of the corset. There are two wider bones on each side. There are 20 of the smaller bones on each side not counting the two bones one on either side of the lacing grommets. The front busk is curved and has 5 hooks. Each clasp has F. C. co. printed on it. The inside is stamped FC No. 75. It appears that it is stamped size 22 on the inside. The busk is also backed by a second steel, a busk stiffener, to help stop breakage and give a fuller figure, the support it needs. There is also some very fine trim at the top but its not really lace. There are 13 grommets on each side and the length at the back is 14" long. The front is 14 1/2" long at the busk. The waist is 22" and the length over the bust is 16". As shown by all the evidence by the curved busk, high full bust, high back and the busk stiffener, this corset was certainly made for a curvey lady who wanted to tightlace. (From the collection of Mike)
http://www.corsetsandcrinolines.com/
I guess this is the stuff the rich people wore.