Corset

Corset, womens, cotton drill with [whalebone] inserts, place of manufacture unknown, c,1895.

Corset with original laces made from pale blue and grey cotton drill with whalebone inserts. Sleeveless with bodice, waist and short basque. The bodice area is made in four separate panels of blue cotton drill with the waistline made in one band. The inside is of blue cotton drill and the outside is grey. The basque is made in two panels of blue drill. The corset has eight, 7mm whalebone inserts running vertically down the length of the corset and one 15mm insert. Each whalebone with covered in a strip of grey cotton drill with long lines of stitching down each side keeping the whalebone in place. These inserts are on the outside of the garment. The inserts across the bustline and at the bottom of the whalebone inserts are kept in place with decorative pink stitching in cotton. This stitching gives the thicker whalebone insert an inward curve at the bottom. This stitching is reflected on the inside in blue. The shape of the breast is moulded with the fabric and inserts and strengthened with horizontal rows of cording in grey drill across the breastline. The corset has a centre front and back fastening. It has a narrow straight busk up the centre front with inserts lightly curved inwards at the bottom. Its is fastened with five metal loops that hook over five small metal round headed buttons. The centre back opening has eighteen metal eyelets surrounded by two rows of inserts. The pale blue lacing is rolled up and threaded through two of these eyelets. The lacing has gold coated metal ends. The top of the corset is trimmed with a row of grey machine made torchon lace with a narrow pink ribbon threaded through it.