18th Century Stays
The stays here were offered for sale in September '99 on eBay. Following is the text and photographs that accompanied the posting:
RARE & ORIGINAL 18th C. (c. 1750-60) CORSET
In the 18th century, a woman's stays were an
integral part of her wardrobe. The stays gave the
woman support and added the correct and fashionable shape to her
body. Later, in the early
19th century, this undergarment was renamed the corset. These
stays are entirely handmade
and are in extremely good condition considering their age. The
outer fabric is hand-woven
wool; there are numerous moth holes in this layer (see close-up
photos). The inner linings are
a heavy homespun linen. The stays are constructed with a
continuous series of 1/4" vertical
channels between the outer and inner layers. Whale bone (baleen)
was sewn into each of these
narrow channels, giving this undergarment a structured,
sculptural appearance-much like a
piece of armor! The inside front section of the stays has an
additional layer of seven
horizontally spaced lengths of whale bone (one section of the
baleen is visible where it has
poked through the linen). The stays are trimmed around all edges
in a light-colored buckskin
leather. Measurements: Waist, 26 1/2"; Center front height, 11
3/4"; Center back height, 14".
This style of back-lacing stay was in fashion during the mid-18th
century - BEFORE the
American Revolution. This is an extremely rare and wonderful
meseum-quality garment.
Successful bidder pays $5.00 shipping plus insurance. Please go
to my web site at
http://www.antique-fashion.com to view other historic items I
have for sale.
