Re: [h-cost] Advice on fitting 18th c stays
I'm a 2d, and have supported the works by a stuffed, rolled-up sock inside the straight front :) In college, when we did The Country Wife, some of the larger girls needed what we called a sausage...a padded roll that went under the bust the width of the front of the corset. We made them for each girl. They were merely tacked to the inside of the corset so they could be adjusted if necessary and wouldn't disappear between shows. Or could go away altogether because... In reality, it shouldn't be needed. The idea of the corset is not to get cleavage or lift the boobs under her chin (Though many designers go for that in a bawdy 18th century comedy). The corset should lift and support and slightly compress the bust into a higher-than-natural, smooth prow shape. Many corsets have a CF seam that flares gently and slightly at the top. But all this takes time to get right, and some padding under the bust looks good sogo for it! Also, a secret to fitting are the shoulder straps. where they attach to the front (I always leave that to the actual fitting...or make it so it laces together and is adjustable) and how small and snug the armseyes they create are. They should be as snug as the girls can stand it. ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Advice on fitting 18th c stays
In practice (rather than reality :) ), I found the girls disappearing into the stays. Since I make only my 19th c stays, the 18th c stays needed help, hence the roll/sock/wossname! == Marjorie Wilser =:=:=:Three Toad Press:=:=:= Learn to laugh at yourself and you will never lack for amusement. --MW http://3toad.blogspot.com/ On Sep 23, 2010, at 9:26 AM, albert...@aol.com wrote: I'm a 2d, and have supported the works by a stuffed, rolled-up sock inside the straight front :) In college, when we did The Country Wife, some of the larger girls needed what we called a sausage...a padded roll that went under the bust the width of the front of the corset. We made them for each girl. They were merely tacked to the inside of the corset so they could be adjusted if necessary and wouldn't disappear between shows. Or could go away altogether because... In reality, it shouldn't be needed. The idea of the corset is not to get cleavage or lift the boobs under her chin (Though many designers go for that in a bawdy 18th century comedy). The corset should lift and support and slightly compress the bust into a higher-than- natural, smooth prow shape. Many corsets have a CF seam that flares gently and slightly at the top. But all this takes time to get right, and some padding under the bust looks good sogo for it! Also, a secret to fitting are the shoulder straps. where they attach to the front (I always leave that to the actual fitting...or make it so it laces together and is adjustable) and how small and snug the armseyes they create are. They should be as snug as the girls can stand it. ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Advice on fitting 18th c stays
Heh. I'm a 2d, and have supported the works by a stuffed, rolled-up sock inside the straight front :) == Marjorie Wilser =:=:=:Three Toad Press:=:=:= Learn to laugh at yourself and you will never lack for amusement. --MW http://3toad.blogspot.com/ On Sep 22, 2010, at 7:19 PM, mims...@gmail.com wrote: I'm making my first stays, for a mid-18th century robe. I'm short for time, so I started with a commercial pattern. Now that I've mocked it up, partially boned, I'm wondering how to check the fit. How far up should it go on the bust? How much support should it give the girls? I understand the fitting principles for GFD, but since these stays are flat-fronted, how do the girls stay, um, elevated? In other words, the support isn't from below, so what should a D cup-sized person be looking for here? What other elements of fitting should I be checking? Many thanks, Siobhan ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
