Garments that cover and support the bust, wrap and bind the breasts include variations of leather bands, strips of cloth ( ancient Crete, Rome), the bassiere (Old French braciere: arm protector), the bra and
This first example, I made from cotton duck and calico. The center row of clasps (the busk) is made of steel. Within narrow vertical pockets steel corsetry (bones) support the garment and make it rigid. The lacing up the back runs through two rows of metal grommets. I used a commercial pattern (such as the Fashion Historian Martha McCain) for this corset designed to emulate nineteenth century fashion.
www. merriam-webster.com www.richardthethread.com
Today the corset exist in an undergarment form in styles of dress as well as structured and boned bodice forms such as evening gowns.
There are corset forms in many cultures. With figures and artifacts, art and article the corset and variation forms are found in ancient history. Fashion historians agree that the padding, lacing and close fit of the cote (cotte) or kirtle worn over looser chemise or underneath the cotehardie during the Middle Ages (500 to 1500) is the beginning of the corset in western fashion.
Support and Seduction A History of Corsets and Bras by Beatrice Fontanel, Harry N Abrams, Inc. New York 1992
The Corset A Cultural History, by Valerie Steele, Yale University Press, London 2001
Corsets and Crinolines by Norah Waugh, Theatre Arts Books, New York 1954, 1970
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