1911 Corset Pattern Draft, Part 2

In the first article in this series, I discussed the tailored 1911 corset and the drafting thereof. In this article, we will look at the "newer" 1911 corset with bra cups.

Corset with Bra Cups

The pattern for the back of this corset is exactly the same as for the tailored corset, so refer to part 1 for the back draft.

Front pattern

Towards the right hand side of the paper, a few centimeters from the edge, draw a vertical line.
Mark "f1" on the line, near the top of the paper.

Calculate "front length" - "depth of bust".

Example:
Front Length: 41cm
Depth of Bust: 23cm
Difference = 18cm

Measure this distance downwards from f0 and mark "f6".

12cm below f6, mark "f13", and 8cm below f13, mark "f19".

Measure one half of the half-bust minus one twentieth of the half-bust, to the left of point f1, to obtain point f2.

Example:
Half of the half-bust circumference: 45cm/2= 22.5cm
Minus 1/20 of the half bust circumference: 45/20=2.25cm
Difference = 20.25cm

f3 lies to the left of f6, at distance equal to f1—f2, completing the rectangle f1,f2,f3, f6.

Measure 1/10 of the distance between f1 and f2 along the line f3—f2 and mark "f4".
The waistline of the corset will follow the line f4—f6.
Construct the hip lines parallel to this waistline, at both 12cm and 20cm below the waist line.

Measure 10cm along the line f4—f2 and mark point "f5".
Measure 6cm along the line f6—f1 and mark point "f7".

Divide the line f5—f7 into three equal parts - label the intermediate points "f5a" and "f5b".

Divide each the two rearmost parts in half, marking the midpoints as "f5c" and "f5d", and draw vertical guides from the midpoints. Mark where these guides intersect the waistline and hiplines - "f5cw","f5ch12","f5ch20" and "f5dw","f15", and "f5dh20".

Calculate 1/6 of the half waist measurement.
One sixth of the half waist circumference: 28/6=4.67cm.
Measure this distance along the line f4—f6 and mark "f8".
Measure out half this distance along the waistline on either side of f5dw to get f9 and f10.
Do the same on either side of f5cw to get f12 and f11.

Calculate 1/6 of the half upper hip measurement minus 2cm.
One sixth of the half upper hip circumference: 42/6=7cm.
Minus 2cm.
Difference = 5cm.

Measure this distance from f13 along the upper hip line to obtain f14.

Measure the remainder of the half of the half upper hip from f15 along the upper hip line to obtain f18.

Example: half of the half upper hip measurement: 21cm.
Minus 5cm.
Difference = 16cm.

Extend the line f8— f14 to the lower hipline and mark f20.

Extend the line f9—f15 to the lower hipline and mark f21.

Measure the remainder of the half of the half lower hip from f21 along the upper hip line to obtain f23.
Example: half of the half lower hip measurement: 23cm.
Minus 5.22cm.
Difference = 19.78cm.

As with the back, it's necessary to correct the waistline so that the sides of the panels match up. As shown below, the uncorrected panels are slightly longer on one side.

If you are working with paper, it may be easier to fold the paper, redraw the waistline from f14 to f7, unfold the paper, and then make your corrections that way. Alternatively, lengthen f5a—f11 so that it matches f5a—f10 and f5b—f9 so that it matches f5b—f8.

Connect f11 and f10 to f5ch12.
Extend a line from f11 through f5ch12 to intersect with lower hip line. Mark this point f22.
Extend the side seam f18-f23 by about 2 cm to obtain the bottom of the corset: f23bot.

Connect f23bot, f23, f18 and f12 using a hip curve.

To line up properly, the distance f5ch12—f11 should be equal to f5ch12—f10.

It's possible to make up the difference by adding the deficit to the bottom of the corset.

The finished corset, with guidelines and point names removed.

The three pieces separated.

Drafting the Cups

The cups are drafted separately from the rest of the corset.

Begin by drawing a vertical line marking off the bust and waist line. The Bust line c1, should be at least 15 cm below the top of the paper, and the waist line c5 should be marked at (front length - depth of bust) down from c1.

Example:
Front Length: 41cm.
depth of Bust: 23cm.
Difference = 18cm.

Measure one half of the half bust to the left of point c1 and mark point c2.

Example:
Half of the half bust circumference: 45 cm/2 = 22.5 cm.

Measure the same distance to the left of point c5, and mark point "c3".

Measure 1/10 of the distance between c1 and c2 up from c3, and mark point "c4".

Example:
1/10 of 22.5cm = 2.25cm.

Divide the line c2—c1 into thirds. Mark the intermediate points, from left to right, "c2a" and "c2b".

Divide each of the two rearmost parts in half, marking the midpoints as "c2c", and "c2d", and draw vertical guides from the midpoints. Mark where these guides intersect the waistline.

Measure 1cm along the c5—c4 line, and mark "c5a".

Calculate 1/6 of the half-waist measurement.

Example:
Half-waist: 28cm
28/6 = 4.6667cm.

Measure this quantity from c5a along the c4—c5 line, and mark "c6".
Measure half of this quantity on either side of c2dw, and mark "c7" and "c8".
Measure half of this quantity on either side of c2cw, and mark "c9" and "c10".

Measure 5cm along c4—c2 and mark "c11".
Measure 3cm along c5a—c1 and mark "c12."

Measure Armpit Height - 4cm along c10 —c2, and mark "c13".

Example:
Armpit Height: 22cm - 4cm = 18cm.

Extend the line c5a—c1 by half the distance between c2 and c13 and mark "c1a".

The top edge of the bra cup is defined by a circular arc. The top of the arc should be between 5cm and 10cm above the c13—c1a line.

Shown here, the apex is 7.5cm above this line. (Note that in the diagram, the center of the arc - i.e. where the compass is placed, is located at c_arc) The point c_arc_base can safely be ignored...

Extend c9-c2a to intersect with the arc.
Extend c8-c2a to intersect with the arc
Extend c7-c2b to intersect with the arc.
Extend c6-c2b to intersect with the arc.

Mark "c10a" where the line c13—c10 intersects with the line c11—c12.
Mark "c9a" where the line c2a—c9 intersects with the line c11—c12.
Mark "c8a" where the line c2a—c8 intersects with the line c11—c12.
Mark "c7a" where the line c2b—c7 intersects with the line c11—c12.
Mark "c6a" where the line c2b—c6 intersects with the line c11—c12.

This corset is designed to button over the bust - only the bottom portion of the corset fastens with a busk.

Measure 3cm to the right of c1a and mark this "cbutton1".
Drop a vertical line from cbutton1, and mark cbutton2 where it intersects with the line extended from c11—c12.

Construct a shallow arc from c1a to c12.

Finish off the pieces as follows.

The finished pattern can be seen a bit more clearly with the guidelines and point names removed.

The four pieces separated.

The finished corset fronts displayed on a manikin.

The left half is the tailored corset, the right half is the corset with bra cups.

Here's a typical corset from the 1910-1911 season.

After this book was published, though, corset styles evolved into a more sheath like style. Here is a 1912 corset with bra cups, for instance, but in tricot - not coutil.