Object: Child's corset
Date: 1880s
Medium: Linen
Country: USA (possibly)
Credit Line: Museum purchase
Object number: 99.79.1
DescriptionChild's corset in natural linen; high cut, boned, with vertical bands of piped channel stitching and shoulder straps buttoning to front; two sections joined with buttons at front and lacings at back
Label Text:During the 19th century, little girls were expected to wear corsets. The goal of a child’s corset was not to make young girls appear slimmer, but rather to support their supposedly “weak” bodies and correct their posture. Children’s corsets were typically softer than those intended for adults, using sturdy fabrics rather than boning to shape the body.
In Collection(s)
Exhibitions:
- The Corset: Fashioning the Body
- The Body: Fashion and Physique