Foundations Revealed introduces you to the varied and beautiful world of corset patents.
These historic diagrams show the cut of original Victorian corset patterns. They help us to see into the mind of the expert designer of the Golden Era of Corsetry, allowing us to uncover the secrets of fit and style that modern corsetry is only just beginning to explore.
For those who are working with modern corsetry, these designs will allow you to branch out from the ordinary, standard, vertical seamed “Victorian” style which is so common now, and into something fresh and new, yet classically elegant. They also allow historical costumers to move beyond the limited number of commercially available corset patterns that may not be appropriate for your body type, and explore styles more suited for you.
Our writers figure out and test each pattern for you, so that you can both benefit from their experiments, and make interesting choices for your own work.
17th Century Stays and Boned Bodices
Elisa looks at the history of stays and discusses a few extant garments to see if any conclusions can be drawn on their construction.
No commentsMaking a Pair of 1760 Stays
Izabela gives us a simple, yet historically accurate construction guide for the non-expert that offers the maximum number of fitting opportunities.
A Pair of Stays c.1776-1785, part 1
Knowing how stays were really made allows us to imitate those techniques and produce an accurate garment. We study the genuine article in detail.
add Read more...1855 Peterson’s Stays
Carmene guides us through making "a well-fitted corset made by every housewife or active woman who needs to move" from 1855.
Recreating Elizabethan Bodies
Alison Kannon demystifies the construction and recreation of “bodies”, the stiffened supportive layer of clothing that later came to be called a corset or stays.
1862 Mina Sebille Corset, Part 1
Andrea guides us through the mockup of the Mina Sebille’s Patent US39964 which is a basic corset pattern comprised of only five pieces per side.
Regency Stays 1790-1820, part 2
Wendy puts her earlier research on transitional Regency stays into practice and reproduces a set of stays for herself, walking us through the fitting stages.
A Pair of Stays c.1776-1785, part 2
Hallie Larkin provides the pattern and sizing instructions, and walks us through period-accurate construction and replication of these authentic stays.
1868 Madam Foy Corset, part 2
Part 2 of Madam Foy's 1868 patent corset, with two finished corsets, one in coutil and one in silk.
Regency Stays 1790-1820, part 1
Wendy analyzes over 80 stays from 1790-1829 for fiber, colour, weave, length, opening placement, shoulder treatment, bust shaping, boning or cording.
18th century Pregnancy & Nursing Stays
There have always been pregnant women, and women nursing, but what they wore during these times is harder to know. Amanda investigates and makes her own.
1868 Madam Foy Corset, part 1
Carly recreates an 1868 corset patent for her own unique body type, using Laura Loft's Silverado corset instructions. 1: drafting and first mock-up.
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