On Oct 3, 2008, at 9:49 AM, Natalie wrote:
Andrew T Trembley wrote:
<snip>
The Elizabethan corset is a perfect example. It doesn't cinch down
the waist much, it just produces a very flat front and the illusion
of a smaller waist. For larger women it often includes a little
interior support pillow for the breasts to rest upon, reducing the
need for compression to provide support. It doesn't have to be
really tight to do its job.
I confess that my knowledge of period correct corsetry is still
rather new, within the last two years or so, but I have not seen
reference to this interior pillow before. Do you have some sources
you can refer me to? I am a larger woman myself and if this is a
more comfortable alternative then compression, I'll be glad to
experiment with it.
Haven't got doc for it. Wasn't my corset.
It was a way of coping with the solid (often wood) busk in the front
of an Elizabethan corset. Many of my friends at faire put in a firm
"twinkie" sized support pillow, without which they would not have been
able to achieve the right silhouette.
Without the pillow they would have had over-mashed breasts, falling
breasts, or (with a less-rigid busk to compensate) a non-flat front.
None of them would have matched the silhouette represented in
portraits and sculpture.
If you're doing something for competition, I would worry about
documentation. If you're using machine stitching and other modern
techniques to make your costume, I wouldn't worry. If it's a cheat,
it's a completely invisible cheat.
andy
_______________________________________________
h-costume mailing list
[email protected]
http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
