Steve Taylor (Photography)
The Corset
In the early 1870s, as the crinoline was replaced by the bustle, corsets changed shape. In order to achieve the fashionable slender silhouette, they became much longer. Corsets also had to be rigid to conceal the layers of underwear, including the chemise and petticoat, which were worn beneath.
This corset is cut from separate pieces and reinforced with leather. Strips of covered whalebone form the scaffolding of the corset. Whalebone is strong yet flexible and therefore ideal for moulding the body of the corset and its wearer. It created a cage around the torso, enclosing the upper body and accentuating the bust and hips.
The steel busk defined the front of the garment. On this corset the spoon-shaped busk is wider at the bottom than the top. This was supposed to equalise pressure on the abdomen, making the corset more wearable. In reality, it could make it more restricting as the corset could be pulled in more at the waist.
The Corset
In the early 1870s, as the crinoline was replaced by the bustle, corsets changed shape. In order to achieve the fashionable slender silhouette, they became much longer. Corsets also had to be rigid to conceal the layers of underwear, including the chemise and petticoat, which were worn beneath.
This corset is cut from separate pieces and reinforced with leather. Strips of covered whalebone form the scaffolding of the corset. Whalebone is strong yet flexible and therefore ideal for moulding the body of the corset and its wearer. It created a cage around the torso, enclosing the upper body and accentuating the bust and hips.
The steel busk defined the front of the garment. On this corset the spoon-shaped busk is wider at the bottom than the top. This was supposed to equalise pressure on the abdomen, making the corset more wearable. In reality, it could make it more restricting as the corset could be pulled in more at the waist.