Items · Palau in the 20th Century · dlib.colo.hawaii.edu

Corset

Corset of blue watered silk trimmed with broderie anglaise.

Fitted to the figure Around 1909, the fashionable s-bend silhouette gave way to a more elongated body shape and upright posture. This new figure required differently shaped underwear to control and support it. Bust bodices were designed to lift and contain the bust, which was largely unsupported by the low, straighter, hip-confining corset. Bust bodice Dickins & Jones Britain, London, 1910s Figured silk satin ribbon, machine-made lace, front fastening with mother-of-pearl buttons, boned and laced at the back V&A: T.33-1996 Given by Christina McMillan (16/04/2016-12/03/2017)

Postcard

A postcard depicting a woman smiling at the viewer and resting her foot on a low stool; she wears a blue corset and white and pink undergarments which are artfully falling off her shoulders

Cage Crinoline

The crinoline was invented in the 1850s. It was made of dozens of circles of fine wire held together vertically with fabric tape. It replaced layers and layers of petticoats made of heavy horsehair and linen with starched ruffles. The new lighter crinoline was eagerly adopted by women to achieve the fashionably full profile of the skirt.

Bustle

Given by Messrs Harrods Ltd.

Bustle

Cotton, French

Corset

Black twilled cotton figured with pink silk spots. Fronts in two shaped sections each side of boned centre front opening, fastening with five metal catches, lower edge dipping to sharply-pointed waistline; gusset for bust each side, separate section over hips; two more pairs of bones towards centre, side seam boned; back in two narrow sections each side, boned at seam and diagonally above waist, boned central opening with fifteen metal eyelet holes each side, the 7th and 8th from the bottom closer together, laced with green silk braid lacing; sharply-pointed waistline at centre back; black elastic suspenders attached to each side of centre back and front; top edge trimmed with black lace threaded with two rows of pink ribbon; white cotton inner waistband, stamped "Echt Fischbein garantiert" (translation: authentic whalebone guaranteed).

Corset

Corset of blue cotton twill with the bones covered in green sateen ribbon, feather stitched at the bottom and the top is trimmed with a band of machine-made lace through which is inserted two narrow bands of green satin ribbon. The corset is made in two halves joined at the centre back with a white tape lacing through brass metal eyelets and at the centre front with five sets of white metal studs and loops, and on each of the latter is stamped 'S. & S'. The corset reaches from the mid bust to mid hip and is steam shaped at the hips. It has two wide bones at each side, and strong metal at the back flanked by a triple row of more flexible bones. The front bust is strongly boned and five narrow bones slope from the side to the centre front. Inside the corset is a waistband on which is stamped in blue cursive writing on the right hand side with 'NOUVELLE FORM DROIT DEVANT' and on the left side with 'THE S & S CORSET REGISTERED made in Belgium' and a figure of the statue of liberty '23' is written in pencil inside the right centre back. The corset does give a 'straight fronted' outline.

Cage Crinoline

Crinoline cages were worn under skirts to distend them and preserve their fashionable shape. It is not difficult to see why some cage crinolines were known as "skeleton" petticoats. The undulating bands of spring-steel circle the void like a grotesque ribcage. Buoyancy is ensured by the lightness of the steel and the fact that each graduated hoop passes through a stitched opening in the vertical tapes. These tapes are attached to a waistband so that the crinoline sways with the movement of the wearer. An advertisement in the Illustrated London News of 1865 extolled the virtues of a similar crinoline: "…so perfect are the wave-like bands that a lady may ascend a steep stair, lean against a table, throw herself into an armchair, pass to her stall at the opera, and occupy a further seat in a carriage, without inconveniencing herself or others, and provoking the rude remarks of observers…thus modifying, in an important degree, all those peculiarities tending to destroy the modesty of Englishwomen; and lastly it allows the dress to fall in graceful folds." By the late 1860s crinolines were becoming smaller than the earlier bell-shaped cages. The focus of the skirts has shifted to the back of the body with a distinctive flattening at the front and frequently a slight train at the hemline. To support this silhouette the crinoline diminished in size and, as in this example, sometimes gained a spiral coil of spring-steel at the waist to form a bustle. This crinoline was widely advertised in 1971. These adverts state that the design was 'invented by S.B. Garrard, 57 Westbourne Grove, Bayswater' and sold at Addley Bourne, 37 Piccadilly, London, a Ladies' Outfitter. In The Exchange and Mart, 14 June 1871, p. 740, the jupon was praised for '[doing] away with the unsightly results of the ordinary hoops. It is remarkably light, so that a lady may walk in comfort, ascend a steep stair, lean against a table, throw herself in an arm-chair, pass to her stall at the opera, or occupy a fourth seat in a carriage without inconvenience to herself or others; and, lastly, it allows the dress to fall into graceful folds, in which artists so much delight'.

Wedding Corset

White satin corset trimmed with machine made lace and orange blossoms, hook fastening in front for S Bend silhouette.

Corset

Brown cotton twill corset, possibly made in England or Germany, ca. 1890

Tango Corset

A 'Tango' corset The tango was introduced to Europe and North America from Argentina. By 1913 it had inspired a craze for dancing. Corsets were now designed to control the waist, stomach and hips. This ribbon corset has bones in the back and on either side of of the front panel. The panel itself, made from interlaced ribbons, allows more freedom of movement, making it suitable for dancing.

Corset

Corset made of whalebone and cotton trimmed with broderie anglaise and silk ribbon. Front-fastening busk, slot-and-stud fastening and centre back supports are made of steel. Slightly below waist length and with gussets to accommodate the breasts and hips. Machine stitched.

Charles Bayer Corset

English produced calico corset

Unpleasant Occurrences

Satirical etching showing a fashionably dressed woman whose bustle has fallen off and been picked up by a dustman.

Thomson's Empress 272 Cage Crinoline

Cage crinoline made from bands of white double woven linen braid, the stripes for the insertion of the hoops are an inch apart, and is interspaced with a woven zig zag pattern. There are seven of these tapes hanging from a shaped cotton waistband which ties with tapes in the front and has printed on the triangular shape on the back with 'Thomson's Empress No. 272' inside an oval medallion. The hoops of spring steel are arranged from ground to waist inside the back four quarters, from ground to hip at the side breaths and from ground to knee duly at the centre front. The tension of the hoops has been arranged to give a regular bell shape slightly convex on the behind.

A Favorite Of The Empress

Crinoline consisting of a spring steel frame covered with red wool and linen. Red and white striped woven waistband fastened with stamped metal hooks and eyes, and to the back of which is attached a semi-circular red wool back panel lined with white cotton and machine stitched in white from which hang a red diamond pattern woven woollen tapes which are threaded spring steels covered with braid woven wool which wrap over to fasten with a brass metal clamp in front. The hoops reach from the sides around the back to knee level and from there to the base and around the whole of the body. The outline is circular with extra fullness at the back. The bottom row of steels are covered with a red wool 'skirt'. Extra fullness is created at the top back with half hoops.

Corset Cover

White cotton camisole corset cover with a cross-boned front creating a monobosom silhouette. Cotton over a wire framework.

Summer Corset

Summer wear Ribbon corsets were recommended for slender women for summer. This one was worn by a woman from a merchant family living in Brazil: Fanny Harvey Fleetwood Raper, nee Duder (1879-1957). While the upper edge of the corset lies under the bust, allowing more freedom of movement, the bones in the sides constrict the waist and those in the back reinforce an upright posture. Corset Possibly Britain, about 1900 Silk satin ribbon, whalebone (baleen), metal eyelets and steel busk

Corset

Corset made of dark cream silk with purple ribbon and embroidered accents. Original lacings of purple silk. Elasticated suspenders with purple satin ribbon bows.