Maternity Dress [Brown]

The dress was remade from a somewhat older model, which had been worn as a wedding dress. The bodice closes tightly above the waist. The skirt has a waistband that moves upwards at the front. In camouflaging the figure, the most important factor was to retain a visible waist, as shown in this example. Fashionable ladies were asisted in this regard by the requisite posture of the day: leaning slightly backwards with a gently hollowed back. A corset or back-board ensured that the shoulders were drawn back. In this way, a woman had a hollow back, shortening the length of the back section and extending the front to some degree. In this way, there was enough space to slightly, and inconspicuously, raise the waistline, while the corset pressed the belly downwards. Women could then continue to present a tight-fitting waistline.