Introduction

As discussed in The Six Rules of Good Corsetry: a basic guide, we are only able to create a checklist of rules or guidelines by narrowing our field of vision and following tried-and-tested principles.

The Victorian corset and its contemporary counterparts give a perfect starting point for these “rules”. The contemporary-Victorian corset for the female figure features, to my mind, a distillation of corsetry principles that can be taken to their most refined, clear, and simple points.

The Six Rules of Good Corsetry (for the classic contemporary-Victorian design):

1. It must create or enhance a flattering feminine silhouette.
2. The corset must have a front busk and rear lacing.
3. Seams must be reinforced and a strong, non-stretch fabric (cut with the grain either parallel or perpendicular to the waist-line) must be used.
4. The corset pattern must be cut to reduce areas of stress by having the corset work hard only at the waist.
5. The corset must feature a waist tape and two-part reinforced eyelets/grommets for lacing.
6. The fabric and shape of your corset must be supported with vertical strips of spiral or flat steel.

To reiterate from the previous article, these “rules” are presented as such for beginners/refreshers. Any rule can be bent or broken and I am a big advocate for innovation in corsetry, but these guidelines are, none-the-less, a great tool to start out with.

As you will see in this simple demonstrative corset, we can break those rules almost immediately (I am creating a closed-front corset here), but knowing the repercussions of that choice (eg: longer laces and/or more time spent dressing/undressing) and the reasons for it makes us more informed for the future.

Figure 1: Careful stitching

Putting these principles into action

Whilst many intermediate and advanced corsetmakers produce wildly elaborate and time-consuming designs, there is a certain merit in revisiting the basics every once in a while. Likewise, those new to the craft would do well to ignore all the “bells and whistles” at first and focus on these rules. I say this knowing fine well that many will dive straight in at the deep end as I did, with ribbon corsets, flossing, and who knows what else!

We can take couture corsetmaker Mr Pearl as a perfect example of paired down construction. Many of his pieces (produced for haute couture collections as diverse as Dior, Mugler, and Gaultier) are wildly elaborate, feature unusual patterning or embellishment. But many others, when you look closely, are actually exceptionally simple and refined beneath those embellishments. For example, the basic patterning for this corset body creates exceptional cinch and smoothness with cleverly placed hip gussets, vertical seaming, and minimal boning. But taking it further, this heavily embellished corset made for Gaultier appears to use the exact same principles, simply with more external decoration.

Simplicity of cut and construction is inspirational. It actually isn’t that “simple” at all to produce something so refined! So following a small set of basic rules can be a very worthwhile approach for corsetieres both new and old. It is worth noting to new makers that the more you have going on in the corset (figure 2), the more there is to potentially go wrong. Multiple layers create the issue of turn-of-cloth... Doubling up on coutil adds to bulk at the busk... Adding a lining challenges your accuracy once again... Using a delicate fabric pumps up the “risk factor”, making mistakes expensive and worrisome...

In short, the challenges of more complex corsets can, I fear, put many people off very early in their corsetry studies. By beginning with simple construction, students will hopefully feel rewarded and encouraged to continue past their first few efforts.

Figure 2: A Sparklewren midbust. It looks rather simple, but the processes required are actually quite involved.

Patterning and Fitting

In this article, I won’t be looking at patterning. I will point out where my example corset adheres to rules 1 and 4, and will give some information on fitting, but I won’t outline an approach for creating the pattern itself. This reason for this is that I want to focus on construction and let you see how the rules look in practice. It is also because I don’t normally follow a step-by-step formula when drafting, nor do I use commercial patterns. My method of drafting is similar to the “framework” of the Beginners Tutorial available for free on FR, but is essentially a matter of eyeballing seam placement and proportion followed by neatening up the measurements then altering/refining the fit with toiles. It varies for each client's body and is difficult to explain in type.

So for now I am going to focus on construction and stick to one of my own old prototype patterns for this corset, in a sweetheart style that cinches the waist leaving the hips and bust full (thus adhering to both the First and Fourth Rules: the corset must create a flattering feminine shape with the only strain to the corset being at the waist).

Figure 3: The pattern.

Some Ideas for Patterning:

• For those who love mathematical precision and are up for a labour intensive pattern alteration challenge, look to Laura Loft’s in-progress series on the Laughing Moon Silverado corset.
• For those who want to learn more about how a flat pattern becomes a 3D garment, I suggest following the Beginners Drafting Tutorial mentioned above.
• For those who find flat patterns or mathematical alterations daunting, I would suggest using the Truly Victorian 110 pattern, with a toile or two. I have seen beautiful results with this pattern, even in the given “standard” sizes and in my opinion it is the most prettily shaped of the commercially available multi-size patterns (caveat: I haven't tried this pattern myself, so can't comment on the enclosed instructions, etc.).
• For those who have a few pennies to spare and really want to get straight to the fitting stage, it may be possible to find a corsetmaker who produces custom/bespoke patterns to order. Try searching the livejournal corsetry community or etsy. But please do your research before making a purchase...

Inspiration

Now, you may have gathered that I love writing for Foundations Revealed as an opportunity to explore new ideas and take the time to create new samples. We may be focussing on simplicity of construction, but the sample produced for this article is no different!

I love Victorian corsetry, this is no secret. Perhaps more than any other aesthetic, I am  obsessed with silky smooth, fully-boned, Victorian-inspired pieces. Sumptuous silk satins and calendered moires are absolute classics of this style.

Violets, lilacs, and heliotropes are amongst the most archetypal Victorian colours, being related to the emergence of certain dyes and industrial advancements. They can be kept classic with black finishing or contrasted against zesty chartreuse, lime and lemon details. Even this repair job shows an interesting way of incorporating a flash of violet. Violet can be regal with gold details, pretty with pink, or cool against blue. They can be hazy and muted, bold and vibrant, anything you want them to be. It's a wonderful colour family to play with.

So, I love Victorian Violet! But I also love innovative contrast and clashing aesthetics.

Whilst the classic violet corset would be silk satin (which you can see me explore in the Violet Ink articles, Part 1 and Part 2), our corset today is going to be made from a wildly different fabric. Something simpler... more utilitarian...

Opening Principles

This corset is about simplicity. It is about taking those Six Rules, exploring their worth, and showing how simplicity can be unusual or interesting.

With that in mind, today's example corset is loosely based upon my spot broche coutil corset dresses.

As some of my followers will know, I have explored corset dresses in both ornate (figure 4) and simple (figures 5 and 6) styles, but each idea has been built around the functional beauty and simple construction options of spot broche coutil. This incredible corsetry-specific fabric is thick and heavy without being difficult to handle or sew. Readily available in white, mid-grey, black, light nude and so on, it may also be dyed easily.

Figure 4: An ornate spot broche coutil corset-dress in white.
Figure 5: A simple spot broche coutil corset-dress in grey.

Figure 6: A simple spot broche coutil corset-dress in grey.

Broche is beautiful to work with because of its functional properties. It is potentially the best fabric for illustrating the Third Rule: the strength of the fabric must correspond to the construction choices made, it must be “strong enough”. Incredible, smooth shaping can be created with the minimum of steels which is in contrast, for example, to a corset with satin fashion layer (a far greater challenge to execute smoothly).

Broche wears beautifully, is perfect for foundation wear, and is a dream to press and sew.

With broche, it is simple and clear to discern grain (again, reference the Third Rule).

With broche, cutting is a piece of cake!

In short, whilst many new students ignore broche on account of its reasonably high price tag, it is in fact one of the best and easiest corsetry fabrics to learn on and is currently available in a small range of beautiful colours. The ease with which you can great results with broche make it actually a rather cost-effective way to learn in the long run and I would in fact actively encourage people to buy and try broche (Vena Cava in the UK) so that we may assist in keeping these mills and machines running (Farthingales in Canada). There are so few beautiful corsetry-specific fabrics out there, let's make the most of what we do have available (SewCurvy in the UK)!

Using spot broche coutil and a standard sized pattern allows us to adhere quite closely to the Six Rules and worry about little else. It allows us to focus on the rules above all else. But even with this focus on simplicity in mind, it is possible to have a bit of fun with the design...

Figure 7 shows a couple of quick scribblings I did when imagining this corset. The construction method we are using today features applied casings, but even within these limited parameters (dyed broche, exterior casings, contemporary-Victorian style), we can create vastly different effects simply by altering the depth of a curve, the height of a hip, using single, double or triple boning channels, or even applying a trim in the simplest way possible (caught beneath the top binding). Simplicity does not have to be dull or repetitive.

Figure 7: Violet spot broche corset ideas.

 

Materials

• 1.5m spot broche coutil in white (which I dyed using Dylon's machine dye in “Intense Violet”).
• Flat and spiral steel (I cut my steel from the roll, but you can also measure your channels and purchase appropriate lengths).
• All-purpose thread.
• Two-part Prym eyelets (I'm using chrome).

Figure 8: White broche, “intense violet” Dylon machine dye, and violet thread.

Equipment

• Straight-stitch sewing machine.
• Tailor's awl or fabric/leather punch.
• Bias-makers.
• Water-soluble dressmaking tape.

Preparation

Broche has about a 5% shrinkage. Vena Cava tell us to “wash at 30º, air dry, and iron whilst wet”, also stating that the fabric is 81% cotton and 19% viscose (the dots). Those of you who are dying your coutil (be it spot broche or any other patterned coutil) will soon notice that the viscose and cotton dye differently, giving a subtle shaded effect. So first I washed my length of broche, dyed it, then steam-pressed it. Even so, the colour came out less even than I would have liked, with a couple of marks affecting the amount of usable fabric available to me. This is why I ended up breaking one of my own beginners' rules and making a closed front corset (ie: no busk or other front fastening), to be able to avoid most of the unevenly dyed areas by using less fabric overall. Remember, the “rules” are just guidelines really... They're your starting point, giving a little kickstart on your corsetmaking studies.

Figure 9: The “intense violet” coutil.

Next, you must check the grain is straight. Then you may cut the fabric.

Broche is a delight. It is heavy, well-behaved, sturdy. It doesn't slip around when cutting. I would recommend using pattern weights and a rotary cutter, as pinning your pattern to the broche can make the fabric buckle. Broche behaves so well that you can absolutely cut on the fold, though I know that many prefer to cut each side separately for guaranteed accuracy.

Cut the CB (centre-back) pieces twice, on the fold with no seam allowance at the back (figure 13 shows this CB fold more clearly as it goes through the sewing machine). Cut the CF (centre-front) piece once on the fold, one with no seam allowance at the front. The cut fabric (figure 10) shows why I had to choose a closed-front style for this piece... There were so many marks, such as the dark line down the CF, that I had to be careful about where I placed my pattern pieces when cutting (eg: placing uneven dye marks in places that I knew would be covered by exterior casings).

Figure 10: the cut broche.

I cut each of the other pieces twice, keeping the waist-line on the cross-grain (you may cut your pieces with the grain either parallel or perpendicular to the straight-grain. This appears to be how most of the antiques visible online were made, and it has always worked for me.

At this stage, I thought a bit about decoration (figure 11). In the end, I decided to keep the design very simple so that the corset is all about colour and line.

Figure 11: design options, including flossing colour ideas.

The Centre-front and Centre-back Panels

Our classic contemporary-Victorian corset should have a front busk and back lacing, but as explained above, my uneven dye job reduced the fabric available for use. Memo to self: always dye much more than you think you need!

None-the-less, the corset must feature back-lacing and flat steels at both front and back in order to retain firm upright shaping. But this does not have to mean that our corset will be bulky or complexly constructed. The simplest way to reduce bulk at these areas is to cut our pieces on the fold rather than using seams, as outlined in the cutting stage above.

STITCHING TIP: Stitch much more slowly than you think you need to. I'd hazard that most of the wrinkles and errors I see on corsetry come from stitching too quickly (contributing to shifting between the layers, etc.).

Figure 12: Stitching channels down the CB panel.

I like to prepare the CB panels first.

Stitch a series of lines to create a boning channel, eyelet/grommet channel, and a final boning channel. Either mark these out in advance, or use the presser-foot and/or gauge on your sewing machine to create nice straight lines. I normally like to use 5mm flat steel, but you need to make these channels as wide as is suitable for your preferred width/thickness of flats. If you are unsure, stitch a couple of test channels first and make sure your flat steel runs through them smoothly but snugly.

Figure 13: Stitching channels down the CB panel.

You can also stitch immediately against the CB edge to stabilise the fold. Sometimes (especially with tightlacing corsets), leaving off this stitching line at the edge can allow the flat steel at CB to twist in its channel. This twisting tends to sort itself out as you lace up, but that extra line of stitching can prevent it entirely. It comes down mostly to whether you like the look of that extra stitching line or not.

The Seams

Now we are ready to begin stitching the seams!

You may pin or baste your pieces together before stitching each seam, but if your seams are trued (matched) it can be possible (with close-to-vertical seams especially) to simply match up the top edges and guide the seams through the machine without securing first. This requires practice and isn't suitable for all projects, but (with a fabric as sturdy as broche in particular) it is certainly possible and is a technique that will challenge you and rapidly improve your abilities. Figure 14 shows the CF panel and right-hand panel 2 being stitched.

Figure 14: Stitching the first seam.

As I go along, each seam is pressed open (figure 15), using a press cloth to prevent glazing of your fabric. The seams are stitched to the outside (ie: wrong sides together), as these seam allowances are going to be covered by the exterior casings. Seams that are pressed open are a bit of a hot topic in corsetry, but for a piece that cinches only gently they work fine. The important thing is to use a waist tape and ensure your exterior casings are of strong coutil fabric to help “strap” and support the seams.

Figure 15: The seams are pressed open, either as you go along or once they are all stitched.

Stitch all remaining seams in the same manner. Figure 16 shows all of the seams stitched but the right-hand CB panel. You can see the waist-tape (currently unattached) running into the left-hand CB seam. This allows for a tidy finish to the interior of the corset.

Figure 16: All seams but one stitched, showing the placement of the waist-tape.

Advanced Thoughts on Waist-Tapes:

For Rule 5 (The corset must feature a waist-tape), I am using a classic interior waist tape (figure 16). But let's pause for a moment to think about horizontal support...

The waist must be supported by a horizontal support (often a twill tape or petersham ribbon, anchored on the inside of the corset). I have created experimental corsets without waist-tapes before, but they are only really suitable for occasional wear at around a 2” waist reduction. In more extreme circumstances, corsets without waist-support fail. I am still experimenting though!

But so long as you achieve horizontal support, there is no reason why the classic interior waist-tape must be your first choice. As I touched upon in my last article, horizontal waist support can come in many guises. A very simple alternative is exterior waist support.

Whilst studying part of the Symington Collection with the FR museum study group who visited last year, I spotted a very lightly constructed corset that had four narrow horizontal bands (just like exterior casings) in place of a waist tape (figure 16a and 16b, I apologise for the images not being quite sharp enough). I myself have often placed bands/casings around the corset, but would still include waist tapes to be careful. This antique suggests that the additional interior tape is perhaps unnecessary, and that angled tapes are also an option.

Figure 16a: (c) Leicestershire County Council Museums Service, Symington Collection.

Figure 16b: (c) Leicestershire County Council Museums Service, Symington Collection.

Note also the angled horizontal waist and abdomen support of Warner's “Trophy” corset (figure 16c). Another Warner's corset (the 888, figure 16d) features a similar waist band, but one which splits into two around the front half of the corset. Both of these designs, and more, attest to the idea that the greatest strain to the corset's waist takes place from the side-seam around to the back.

Figure16c: Warner's “Trophy” corset design,. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Warner%27sTROPHY.png Figure 16d: Warner's “888” corset design. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Warner%27s888.png

Another interesting design from 1892 features horizontal waist support that has been angled dramatically on either side of the side-seam (figure 16e). Whether this was intended as an overlay or singular pattern piece, it is certainly a novel way to address the issue of waist support at the most stressful points (the side-seam and back).

Figure 16e: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USpatent472931_1892.gif

These examples show us that you could alter the placement, width and number of your waist tape(s) quite easily. You could also make your waist-tape exterior and decorative (perhaps in a contrasting coutil or petersham ribbon), or create panel pieces that run from front-to-back, essentially taking on the job of providing horizontal support (ie: reducing the number seams at the waist that require additional support).

Angled and horizontal tapes/panels at the waist can also help us achieve Rule 1 of contemporary-Victorian corsetry for women (the corset must create or enhance a flattering feminine silhouette), by encouraging the illusion of a smaller waist. Figure 16f shows an antique-inspired corset of my own, featuring an exterior waist-panel which both functions as the horizontal support and highlights the waist reduction.

Figure 16f: Play around with different panel shapes when creating exterior waist-supporting panels.

At this stage I like to stitch the seam allowances down (figure 17). I do this before stitching the final seam so that the waist-tape is anchored at each seam and will accurately match up to the final seam. You can stitch from the inside or outside of the corset. As broche presses crisply you can stitch from the inside with little risk, and I prefer to do this as it allows me to see exactly what's happening with the waist-tape.

Figure 17: Stitching the seam allowances open and anchoring the waist-tape simultaneously.

TIP: Handle and become familiar with your materials. Observe what happens to the waist (of the broche and the tape) when pulled taut. This will help you learn not to set the waist-tape too loosely or tightly.

Once the waist-tape is anchored at each seam, you can stitch the final CB panel in place. Simply catch the waist-tape between the layers as you stitch the seam (figure 18) and then press it open, stitching the allowances down as previously (figure 19). Figure 20 shows the interior at this stage.  

Figure 18: Catching the waist-tape in the seams of the final panels.

Figure 19: Stitching open the final seam. Figure 20: Seams stitched open and waist-tape anchored in place.

Additional Thoughts on Horizontal Support:

If, for any reason, you are concerned about the strain being put upon your seams at other areas of the corset (eg: if you are producing a heavy-duty corset that trains the ribs along with the waist, or a stem-waist corset in which the length of the waist is artificially extended) then you can consider utilising more horizontal tapes to assist further in supporting the seams.

Whilst additional horizontal support would arguably be unnecessary in most situations, it is still worth keeping in mind. It can also lead onto ideas for supporting panels to accentuate/enhance the shaping created by the corset overall. For example, you may be influenced by vintage shapewear to add “sling” shapes to the bust or buttocks of certain corset designs, or you may wish to add a small amount of definition to the shaping just below the front ribs by placing a curved exterior casing there (as shown on the grey corset dress of figures 5 and 6).

Think about the purpose and usefulness of waist tapes, and you may find that this simple  idea (of horizontal support) has potential beyond your initial imaginings.

Summary

At this stage, your piece will be starting to look like a corset. This is a great moment to pause, as many potential decorative options can be explored now. Decorative elements such as silk ribbons can be placed to reference elegant lattice corsets... Lace overlays can be placed to run beneath the exterior casings... You could even embroider your coutil strips at this stage, before turning them into casings, to reference another Victorian detail. There is a lot of scope for creativity, and by pausing every so often I believe we can allow the garment to develop more naturally into something beautiful and interesting.

For my part, this corset will follow the simple idea outlined earlier, focussing on line and colour. More on that next time...

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