Inspiration abound...

Well, it's nearly the end of my maternity leave and I am very excited about starting work again.

I feel so inspired by my last trip to research the Symington collection last Saturday that my mind has been buzzing with new idea's. Laid out for us was about 60 corsets of varying design and era, and after an informative talk by Phillip Warren on the history of the Symington company and how the collection came to be, we were allowed to take pictures and make notes.

I was most interested in the complex seaming and longline cut of the Edwardian corsets, as this is most relevant to my next collection. Although I managed to get round all of the corsets and take reference shots of all the things I found interesing, I picked out 4 corsets for special attention to really get my head around the construction techniques particular to that era.

It's all about exaggerating the most obvious of female assets...glorious big hips, a tiny waist and a full bustline! The development of the longer line corsets of this era were a reaction to a changing silhouette in which skirts fit snuggly over the hips and the development of elasticated suspenders which had the effect of keeping the long corset wrinkle free over the hip by the tension of pulling up the hose.

Anyway, it has sparked a renewed interest in getting really into the pattern cutting of corsets, and paying attention to those extra special details that make it unique in the world of fashion.

On my long train ride to get there, between bouts of sleep, I really thought hard about what it is about corsets that I find so interesting and I came to the conclusion that what excites me is the role of the corset to physically change and conform the body to it's shape, to exert force to intimatly and modify the nature of the wearer directly. Unlike other garments which externally alter the silhouette through disguise.

But more news on my next collection later, as it's still very much early stages in the process, but I will say that my mum is knitting furiously to give me some rather interesting accessories.

Research trip, Feb 5th 2010

I have learnt more in one day of field research studying corsts than the entirity of books on corsets I own!

On Friday I slogged my way up to Leicestershire to go to the archive of the Symington collection, the largest collection of historical corsets in England. Being able to handle, feel , measure and observe these corsets has given me a valuable insight on how to make historical corsets of a completely different fashion to the one's I regularly make.

Laid out for me was a generous cross section of corsets dating  from 1875-1911, all of them particularly special in their own way. They varied vastly in materials, cut and construction and was even a beautiful french corset was was a transitional design between the traditional corset and the first developemnt of the bra.

The first corset I saw was one I had always wanted to see:

Made in 1875, this is a triple layer corset, made of outer and inner heavy cotton and interlined in hessian.
This corset, despite being corded, rather than boned, was built for pure strength as well as beauty. Flaring at the bust and hip is created using godets, and the quilted topstitching stengthens the layers further. It also has a double busk, in which the busk fastener is backed by another flat steel to greatly strengthen it. The amazing construction of this corset has doubtless kept it in good stead over the ages.
I particularly love the contrast of stitching in amber, and the flossing is immaculate.

Symington Collection, 1875, 24" waist.




There were also many various turn of the centuy corsets, in which new idea's were being experimented with. There were a couple of interesting corsets that had removalble busks, to make laundering easier, ventilation holes to make the corset more breathable, and one corset was double laced at either side of the busk for further adjustment. There were also some inngenious methods of tightening, one which had straps instead of lacing was particularly exciting and the last corset I saw was an early Jenyns corset which has an extraordinary 3x lace pulley system for improved security and strength.

The corset will always be my first love in clothing, they are what got me sewing in the first place and being able to see this resource first hand had only deepened my knowledge and understanding and inspired me to keep reinventing and persuing the art of corsetery.