Corset
1880
Black cotton sateen, pink lace, and metal
Museum purchase
Object number98.29.4
There is a common misconception that all 19th-century women had 18-inch waists. This stereotype has been perpetuated in literature and film, most notably in "Gone With the Wind", when Scarlett O’Hara laments that she can no longer fit into her 18.5-inch corset. Yet advertisements of the time promoted corsets from 18 to 30 inches, and ready-made corsets were available in further sizes. Women could also adjust the way their laces were tied and how tightly they closed their corsets, in some cases leaving an inch or more open at the back.
DescriptionFully boned corset in black cotton sateen with contrast pink lace trim, ribbon ornament and back lacings; bust shaped with fine parallel trapunto; two sections with CF metal bar and loops, CB lacingCollections
Exhibitions