Pink brocade Au Royal corset

Spain. c.1911-1913. An early 1910's longline corset made from bow patterned pink brocade. Although it does not have any brand stamp, it does have the same model number (T- 54 and E/5) and maker's pencil marks as two other Au Royal corsets from Madrid, Spain in the collection. Au Royal Corsets were based at 13, Fuencarral, 15- Madrid.



The top of the corset is edged in a wide band of finely made lace trim with pink silk ribbon inserts ending with a bow at the front. The front busk is curved which is slightly unusual for the 1910's but more common in European corsets than in North American longline corsets.



Although longline corsets were cut straighter and gave less waist reduction than earlier Edwardian corset gave, some early 1910's corsets still utilized diagonal seaming to give the body shaping. This model of corset uses an unusual placement of diagonal seams with the seams running towards the back rather than to the front. The corset is not lined and only the bottom inside edge is bound in twill tape.


The corset is boned with 18 spring steel bones, most of which are pre-curved to fit the figure better and shorten the breaking in time for a corset. The bottom front of the corset's skirt fastens with a hook and eye under the busk. The busk also has an ornate pointed busk hook sewn on top of the material. These are often seen on European corsets and were used to anchor the waistbands of petticoats, etc underneath it to stop them from riding up and creating bulk at the waist. Their second use was if you tied the excess ends of the corset lacing around your waist, you could anchor them underneath this hook to also prevent additional items at the waist.

Au Royal diagonal seam corset

The busk is fairly unusual for 1910's corsets as it is curved, most busks by this date are straight. The busk also has a ornate busk hook slotted into it to anchor down excess corset lacing and the waistbands of petticoats. The front bottom of the corset fastens with 3 sets of hook and eyes. Although this corset is typical of 1910's corsets with it's high waist placement and fashionable long line shape, it has two unusual features.



C.1910. A drab sateen corset made by Au Royal Corset 13 Fuencarral, 15. Madrid. The high, heart shaped bustline is covered in beige colored silk satin with a wide 4 3/4" band of scalloped lace trimming the top of the corset. Peach silk baby ribbon is threaded through the ribbon slots in the lace and a peach silk rosette (now shattering from age), decorates the top of the busk.



Most 1910' corsets have straight seams or some diagonal seaming left over from the S-bend styles of the early Edwardian era. This particular corset has diagonal and curved seams running to the back and front. The seams on this corset look like a cross between the backwards running seams of the late Victorian Y&N Diagonal Seam corset and the forward running seams of a typical early 1900's S-bend corset. The unusual seaming on this corset gives a more pronounced hourglass figure yet still retaining the slim fashionable lines of the 1910's. The second unusual feature on this corset are the metal loops sewn on the right hip. These were meant to attach stocking suspenders to but the lack of any on the left side is a mystery.


The corset is boned with whalebone along with flat side steels. The back steels are curved to follow the lines of the figure which allows for a smoother and comfortable fit. Silk flossing strengthen and decorates each bone casing.

Baleinage Extra "Ariston" along with the model number of 1800 is stamped in purple ink on the inside. The corset is not lined.
Measurements: Bust 32", Waist 22", Hips 35", Busk length 12", Front length 17 3/4", Back length 19".

Abdominal Corset

 
England. c.1910. A creme coutil lady's abdomen corset belt. These were worn by pregnant women as an alternative to the maternity corset, by women after surgery/pregnancy or by plus sized ladies who needed extra abdominal support. Elastic panels at the sides provided comfort while the


cotton twill belt provided the needed support and fit. The abdomen corset is boned with watchspring and adjusts like a regular corset at the back with lacing. There is decorative flossing on the bone casing in an effort to relieve the surgical starkness and add some femininity. Shell buttons placed around the corset enabled the wearer to button her petticoats and pantaloons to the corset.
Measurements: Waist 30".

Extremely Long 1910s corset

 
United States. c.1911-1912. A white longline corset made out of white coutil and trimmed with a band of scalloped lace around the top in which baby ribbon can be inserted. This corset is much longer than most 1910's corsets were made and dates to approximately when hobble skirts were in fashion. It is so long that on a woman with a height of 5'9", it would end at the upper mid thigh .area and would be even longer on a woman of shorter statue.

The corset still has some vestigial elements of early Edwardian corsetry such as a heart shaped bust which had been popular on turn of the century corsets and the use of diagonal seams with a long straight busk, a remnant from S bend corsets. The corset also has a waist which is nipped in more than most 1910's corsets found giving the wearer a more hourglass shape than a tubular shape.
The small waist paired up with the diagonal seaming, long, straight busk and extremely long hips, would have given the wearer a an elongated S bend shape. A sort of happy medium between the exaggerated S-bend shape of the turn of the century and the straight tubular shape of the 1910's.

The corset is not lined and is boned with flexible watchspring. The corset is old store stock and was never worn.

Measurements: Bust 26", Waist 17 1/2" although it is stamped as being 18", Hips 30 1/2", Front length 15 1/4", Back length 20", Busk length 11".

M&K Hip Confiner corset

United States. c.1910-1914. A white coutil hip confiner corset made by the M & K Corset Company (Jackson, Mich.). This minimalist style of corset was popular with slender women who did not need the full support of or want to wear a longline corset. On a thin lady, it would have given light waist reduction and minimized the hips to that she could wear the newly fashionable narrow, tubular skirts. The hips are still deeply cut and shaped like the hips seen on an Edwardian S-bend corset. It was also an early form of the stocking suspender belt.
The corset has a short busk front and laces up the back. The only boning (watchspring boning) is found at the back on each side of the grommet holes.
Measurements: Waist 22", Busk length 7".

H & W maternity corset

Produced from 1910-1913. A white coutil maternity corset made by the H & W Co (Newark, New Jersey) in the longline style fashionable during the 1910's. In 1914 however, the design for this model changed and became shoter in the bust and longer in the hip. This corset has a very high bust for breast support and is boned with very flexible, thin and narrow watchspring bones. Five sets of lacing allow the corset to expand as the "bump" grew and give perfect fit and support. The corset is not lined and has a button front closure back with a long flexible steel instead of a traditional busk front closure. The regular busk option was available however.

Contrary to popular belief, maternity corsets were not worn for tightlacing but for body support. During early pregnancy before a noticeable bump formed, it could be worn as a regular corset but then once the figure changed and grew larger, the corset could be let out easily. After the birth, a maternity corset could be worn to regain the figure once more.

An original 1913 advertisement for this corset describes it as such:
"The H. & W. (Marmo) Maternity Corset Waist gives a trim and stylish figure without the slightest endangerment to the well-being of either the mother or child. Soft and pliable with lacings on either side, adjustable to the comfort of the wearer. All steels removable. Particularly desirable in convalescence or after surgical operations. Buttons or clasp front. sizes 20 to 36: Price $2.00 at all dealers or sent prepaid on receipt of price."
Measurements: Bust 30 1/2", Waist 23", Hips 36", Length 15 1/2".

Corset 1786 stays

c.1786 pair of stays made from brown cotton and lined in natural homespun linen.
Stays of the 18th century were conical in shape and gave the wearer a pinched in waist and a full, pushed up bustline. They were very stiff being heavily boned with whalebone or cane and many women complained of bruising under the arms and at the waist from the sheer rigidity of the stays.
This pair of stays originally had shoulder straps which would have supported the bust while the tabs at the bottom of the corset would have adjusted to the shape of the hips and allowed for movement while the rest of the upper body was firmly corsetted. They are boned with 68 pieces of whalebone.
The stays are completely handsewn and have handworked eyelet holes at the back for the lacing. Bands of light blue linen tape provide decoration for the stays. There is a note written in ink pinned inside the stays which reads, "Grand Mother's stays when she was 17 years old. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Baker. She married Captain Jacob Coatie when she was 17. She died in 1849 aged 80 years. Elizabeth Baker Coatie, b. 1769 - d. 1849" She was probably was the wife of a New England sea captain.
Measurements: Bust 29", Waist 21", Front length 12 1/2", Back length 16 1/2".

1740 stays Corset

United States

c.1740-1760 stays made from natural homespun linen. Stays of the 18th century were conical in shape and gave the wearer a pinched in waist and a full, pushed up bustline. They were very stiff being heavily boned with whalebone or cane and many women complained of bruising under the arms and at the waist from the sheer rigidity of the stays.
Boned with 120 pieces of baleen boning which were inserted into hand sewn one quarter inch channels. The characteristic white leather binding held the baleen bones in place while protecting the wearer should one poke through the linen. Leather also reinforced the 8 pair of eyelet holes from the tension of the laces. The center 6 eyelet pairs are offset, allowing the stays to be laced up the back in a single lace, spiral fashion. The tabs at the bottom of the stays would have adjusted to the shape of the hips and allowed for movement while the rest of the upper body was firmly corsetted.
Measurements: Bust 33", Waist 26", Front length 12 1/2", Back length 14 3/4".

1830s Corset stays with blue embroidery

United States

c.1830 stays made from creme cotton sateen and lined in a natural muslin.
Soft stays of the early 19th century were not worn so much for a dramatic waist reduction but to give the body a long flowing line underneath the high waisted dresses of the era. Early 19th century stays lifted up the bustline and compressed the waist and hips into a narrower "tube" like shape so that a high waisted gown would fall unencumbered down from the high waistline.
Although waistlines were still comparatively high in the 1830's, the waist level on stays and dresses during this decade started to drop down very slowly to the natural level foreshadowing the hourglass figure of the Victorian era.
Stays from the first part of the 19th century often had a wide, vertical center slot in which a long, straight busk made out of wood, ivory or whalebone (often highly decorated with cavings or poems) which could be inserted into the center slot for support. Busks were not always worn and could be removed easily according to your activity. Generally busks were worn for formal or evening functions and taken out for leisure.
This pair is completely hand stitched and have cotton cording inserted into the narrow channels to give structure to the undergarment. The surface embroidery is worked with a teal blue floss in both satin stitch and tambour stitch.
The stays were never worn and were never finished as there are no eyelet holes present and the bottom edge was never finished off.
Measurements: Bust 33"-36", Waist 23"- 26", Front length 16".
From the collection of K. Augusta

1828 Trapunto work stays

United States

c.1828. A pair of creme cotton stays most likely worn by a young lady. Soft stays of the early 19th century were not worn so much for a dramatic waist reduction but to give the body a long flowing line underneath the high waisted dresses of the era. Early 19th century stays lifted up the bustline and compressed the waist and hips into a narrower "tube" like shape so that a high waisted gown would fall unencumbered down from the high waistline.
Stays from the first part of the 19th century often had a wide, vertical center slot in which a long, straight busk made out of wood, ivory or whalebone (often highly decorated with cavings or poems) which could be inserted into the center slot for support. Busks were not always worn and could be removed easily according to your activity. Generally busks were worn for formal or evening functions and taken out for leisure.
This pair has trapunto work for support arranged in an attractive geometric pattern. Trapunto work was often used in Regency stays for figure support and decoration and was made by inserting length of wool as the channel was being sewn not like in later corsets were the bones are inserted into the bone casings after they are sewn. The stays are entirely handsewn with back stitching and have ivory grommets (called French holes) at the back for the lacing.
Measurements: Bust 28", Waist 22", Hips 26", Busk length 13 1/2".
From the collection of L. Hidic