Corset
c. 1770
Blue silk, white silk ribbon, and whalebone
Museum purchase
Object numberP82.1.16
Stays were obligatory for the “strait-laced” woman of the eighteenth century. Although they were associated with respectability and high social status, stays also held an erotic allure. In France, the toilette—a semipublic ritual of dressing and undressing—included the subtheme of putting on a corset. Stays with sleeves are rare, and may indicate that this corset was part of an at-home ensemble.
DescriptionBlue silk stays with elbow length sleeves, deep square neck and white silk ribbon trim; stiffened bodice with princess seams and pointed waist, laced at CB; linen lining and waist tabsCollections
Exhibitions