Hi Saragrace,
The warp threads as you describes are stitched on. Some corsets had
horizontal boning to make shape, and the stitching of these bone channels
are visible at the front part of the stays.
The lacing you have seen on the front is purely decorative, for the looks.
The x stiches also are made for decorative purpose, but they also help to
reinforce the stays.
Bjarne
----- Original Message -----
From: "WickedFrau" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2005 5:37 PM
Subject: [h-cost] 18th & 19th Century corset questions
We went to Phoenix Art Museum yesterday to see their history of lingerie
exhibit. They have an early American (1780) corset on display that has a
feature I have a question about. The corset laces up the back, but across
the front (now only on the point mostly) there are some very fine cords
laced at very close distances (~3 mm) to one another. You can see that
they extended all the way up the front at one time. The cord is a little
thicker than upholstery thread and has been drawn through the fabric with
a needle. The holes are not reinforced in anyway so I assume it didn't
take much stress.
Also in several areas on this corset and one from the 1890's there are
areas up near the bustline where there are threads about 2 inches long
which almost look like warp threads that have been purposely left out of
the weaving. I am not sure how they do this because these threads run at
a diagonal. On the later corset there are two sets which cross each
other. They are the same plain white as the rest of the corset...I wonder
if they had a function. On a corset of an even later period they appear
as decorations in a contrasting color in "X's" here and there. The
literature says they thought those were sexy???
Any thoughts?
Sg
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