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History of Fashion & Dress |
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Lesson 6: 18th Century Europe till the French Revolution |
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Comparison of 1700�s & 1800�s corsets |
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Lesson Instructions:
18th Century Stays (what we would now call corsets), were primarily intended as posture support for women and children. Because their bodies were generally softer and weaker than those of adult males, women (and children) were supposed by many to need the artificial support and molding of stays. Osteoporosis may have fostered this belief.
However, even in the 18th Century, doctors were also concerned with the practice of fashionable women "tight lacing" their stays to create a smaller waist. Medical debate raged in the late 18th Century about the pros and cons of stays, until fashion temporarily discarded them in the 1790s.
Go to BISSONNETTE ON COSTUME The Lingerie Collection: 1700 to 1799 or Corset, circa 1775-80, Museum of Costume, Bath and 18th Century Stays and view these actual examples of 18th Century stays. Compare them with images of Corsets from Lord & Taylor, 1881 how do the two types of shape mold the body?
Go to the Manifesto's main Corset Page and look at sites selling corsets to modern women. By Saturday, post to the Message Board. your reflections on the motivations of modern corset wearers. Have you ever worn a corset? Would you want to? Why or why not? |
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The corsets of the 1700�s were not shaped to accommodate the bust, but to flatten it, creating a board-like bodice on the dresses. Looking at the pictures, below, left, I�ll bet it felt like wearing a board, too. In addition, the overall upper body shape that was created was like a funnel. These corsets stopped at the waistline and appeared to ride much higher at the back than the 1800 counterpart, shown below right.
The pictures of the corsets of the 1880�s by contrast were much more curvilinear, shaped like an hourglass. The pictures look as if they were designed to cup and support the bust, had no shoulder straps and ended at upper or mid-hip level instead of the waist. In addition, they seemed to create a smaller waist than the earlier corsets.
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In looking at the modern corsets for sale, I was amazed at the sheer number & variety that were available. Plain fabrics, plainly sewn, fancy fabrics, all kinds of fashion details applied or sewn in, all sizes from simple waist-cinchers to covered from shoulders to knees, to be worn inside or outside.
Looking at the variety of corsets out there, I realized that there are a variety of motivations for wearing them. There are a lot of corsets available for RenFaire people. These ran the gamut of being very authentic to the �OK, that looks close enough to the time-period to get into the RenFaire at a reduced price for wearing a costume.� Some were for re-enactors who want to wear as close to the real thing for their time period as possible, like the Civil War re-enactors who are sticklers for authenticity. That desire for authenticity dismayed me when my son got involved in the Civil War unit at his college. He figured Mom can sew anything & could help him with his outfit. He forgot that while Mom can sew anything, Mom does not like to sew everything. Not to mention the fact that Mom works 2 jobs & takes a course, which pretty much guarantees that Mom will be sewing nothing! |
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| Other motivations I saw were the sheer fun of making the garments, as the colorful corset at the Folkwear Patterns site attested. In some cases I got the sense that the sewer had just had the fun of making the corset & showing it off on the web-site. Or how about being motivated by wearing a corset as a party, Halloween or dress-up costume? Then there�s the erotic aspect of wearing a corset. |
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There�s the motivation of wearing a corset as the central part of an outfit for the eye-popping value, too. While not exhibited on the �for sale� pages (I�m sure they are for sale, just not at prices we can afford) I got the biggest kick out of the ones shown on the Oscars� fashion highlights web-page, especially the �what were they thinking� page. Unfortunately, the links seem to be broken. |
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I have never worn a corset, although some of the Renaissance costumes tempt me. If I went to the RenFaire on cooler weekends, I wouldn�t mind wearing one of the fuller, fancier noblewomen�s costumes. Since my son & I always seem to manage the hottest weekend of the summer, I�ve opted not to be rich; I wear a loose fitting wench�s chemise & apron. No corset required, no fancy fabric to spoil if I stand on the watered bridge too long. |
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I had to smile when the Spring '04 issue of Quilting Arts came out, with this heavily textured corset, came my way. Other sources of fun and interest were the Dictionary of Corset-related Words and Terms, the book, The Corset, and the online chapters from The Corset: A Cultural History. |
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Index |
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Next Lesson: Tying a Regency Neckcloth |
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