Historical Corsets

A tumblr collection of historical corsets, stays and other parts of historical underwear.

[fashionindetail]

Early machine-made corset, c1886. On display at Harborough Museum.

Made from a black sateen-type cloth known an ‘lasting’ and lined with white cotton twill. Finished with attractive gold stitching with decorative hand-stitching at the top and bottom. Narrow gold ribbon is also slotted through the black lace trimming at the top front. One of the earliest commercial corsets. 

This lace edging forms the main decoration on the corset. The ribbon threaded through the lace picks up the bold yellow of the reinforcing stitches at the top of the corsets boning.

[historicalcorsets]

Postcard, Milford Haven Collection, Woman in corset and pink and white underclothes, lithograph, probably German, ca. 1906

Accession number: E.523:176-2001

V & A

[symingtoncorsets]

Corset made from yellow silk brocade and trimmed with white leather. It dates from around 1770 and was proberably made in Italy.

It forms part of the Fashion Collections of Leicestershire County Council.

This corset is available for study, by appointment, at the Collections Resources Centre in Leicestershire.

For further details please email: [email protected]

[historicalcorsets]

Le Lever des Grisettes.

Le Bon Genre, n°29.

1807

© RMN Grand Palais

[historicalcorsets]

Progress of the Toilet. - The Stays. - Plate 1.

1810

© the British Museum

[historicalcorsets]

Corset

c.1890-1900

Silk, cotton, probably steel

Sykes, Josephine and Co., London, UK

© National Museums Scotland

[historicalcorsets]

Corset

Dominion Corset Co.

About 1910-1920, 20th century

Cotton coutil

M2009.41.12.1-2

© McCord Museum

[historicalcorsets]

Corset, floral brocaded silk, silk ribbon, elastic.

Date: c. 1905

Country: England

Object Number: 98.37.1

The Museum at FIT

[historicalcorsets]

Silk stays c. 1770 

Stays with sleeves are rare, and may indicate that this corset was part of an at-home ensemble.

Object Number: P82.1.16

The Museum at FIT

[historicalcorsets]

La Toilette, 1898, by Marie-Louise-Catherine Breslau. 

[symingtoncorsets]

To get into the spirit of Christmas I have chosen this very festive black and red corset. 

Dating from 1900 and probably of German manufacture and boned with a combination of whalebone and flat steel. Made from black sateen and lined in white twill with casings and zone piece in red sateen. The decorative black flosswork is hand stitched.

[historicalcorsets]

Fashion print from 1838.

Le Follet

Courrier de Salons

ModeMuseum Provincie Antwerpen

[periodcorsets]

Exquisite Flossing on this antique corset. Nothing beats primary resources. This one is labeled R&G dowager model circa 1875. Geeking out on flossing details. #periodcorsets #periodcorsetsresearch #corsetflossing #bespokecorsetry #periodcorsetsindetail purchased from @karenaugusta

[historicalcorsets]

Corset

ca. 1895

[historicalcorsets]

Black silk satin corset with pink flossing

1890s

Waist: 51 cm (20 inches)

[historicalcorsets]

Corset

1880s

Accession Number: C.I.59.40

[symingtoncorsets]

Dating from 1900 this Lightweight busk front corset is made from light brown sateen lined in cotton and over-strapped with fawn sateen. This garment heralds the coming fashion change for corsets to the straight front of the early 1900’s known also as the ‘Health Corset’. It has a single long straight busk as opposed to the then conventional spoon busk. Across the front are double crossed straps for added strength. It is moderately boned with whalebone and split cane supporting the back lacing.