In a message dated 6/6/05 9:28:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> While I was away this weekend I bought from a junk stall a delightful pink > satin "corset". I don't know a lot about underwear and wonder if there is > anyone that could give me some ideas about date. > > It is waist length (10" from the highest arch of the bust shape), the front > boned top to bottom. There is a 2" wide elasticated panel in the centre > back > and two small elastic gussets at the lower back edge. It does up down the > centre front with silver colour hooks and eyes. The elastic panel edges are > > turned over top and bottom with a 1/4" hem and is finished with a form of > multiple > thread machine stitch. The rest of the stitching is straight stitch. There > > is no evidence of there ever having been a label inside the garment. > Dear Jacquie, The first question you might ask yourself is what type of garment would be worn over this corset? That will move you closest to an answer. Then, there is the matter of the commercial box, suggesting (but not absolutely) 20th Century. Also, condition - especially unrusted or unpowdery silver hooks and eyes - suggest a date in the 20th Century (to me, a conservator). Without seeing the actual corset, I would guess it was made to be worn under garments inspired by Dior's "New Look" -- they had a tiny waist, and very very full skirts with crinolines. Dior was widely copied by other designers and manufacturers. This style was very popular when I was in High School in the early 1950's. Most schoolgirls would not have needed such a garment, but if you look at what full-grown women were wearing in this time frame, you will realize they had to wear something to keep from popping seams in fitted suits, dresses and gowns. To help with lace and embroidery identification, I have collected a variety of costume books. Not much on undergarments, but I do have a copy of "A Century of Lingerie - Revealing the Secrets & Allure of 20th Century Lingerie" by Karen Bressler, Karoline Newman, and Gillian Proctor, Quarto is publisher of the U.S. edition, 0-7858-0836-1, 1997. Jacket says Newman is a lecturer on design management at the Chartered Society of Designers in London and a Fellow of the RSA. It says Proctor has lectured in design colleges throughout the UK & Switzerland and is currently Head of Embroidery at the Nottingham Trent University. (You are in England, Jacquie?) Though they may not still be in those positions, they may be well known there. My recommendation would be to go to a very good public or university library, to the costume section, and find books on lingerie. I looked for "Axe" and "Double Axe" in the Index of the above book, but they were not there. The above book has no bibliography, but *others may*. If a book you'd possibly benefit from is not in the library, order what you need from InterLibrary Loan, which is a service available in your country's libraries. Several contributors to Arachne spend a fair amount of time in libraries doing research. Even though we are no longer (technically) students, we enjoy learning. It is *fun*, and leads to expansion of expertise and interests; especially useful for collectors. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace & Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
