CMU School of Drama


Thursday, December 03, 2020

How to Fix Funky Points on 18th Century Stays

blog.americanduchess.com: If you've got a pair of 18th century stays that lace at the center front, either fully or partially, you may have noticed those funky points that curve upwards at the bust. They're weird and annoying - they show their funky pointy selves when you wear the laces anything other than fully closed. Luckily, though, theses are very easy to fix.

1 comment:

Evan Riley said...

i found this article very interesting. Undergarments are arguably the most important part of a period costume. They give the costume shape and silhouette. Without proper stays the garment will look frump and the shape will not be proper. But it should also be noted that the stays or more commonly know as the corset, has many different variations over time. For Example whereas the stays in the article would create a flat bust and narrow waist, the corsets in the mid 19th century were more of a S curve that exaggerate the bust and hips. The article was very helpful in painting out a feature that one might experience when making a pair of 18th century stays. You don't want anything sticking out or looking odd underneath the garment so they stays much be the perfect silhouette. Also something that is commonly wrong in corsets is the way they are laced. In the photo you ca see they are straight laced wich was the only method until the late 19th century, not the criss cross lacing you might think of.