development of mass production techniques which focused on uniformity.  Women, previously hating to look like anyone else, embraced the new armoured “cuirasse” look like they were a part of a military regiment more and more as the century progressed. (Early 1870’s (estimated 1872) tightly fitted bodices)

From about 1875-1900, Europe would again be at war (in South Africa), so military uniforms would again affect women’s fashion.  The long, well fitted and superbly tailored woolen tunic with gold trim guided fashion houses to build women’s costumes based on these types of garments. (1870 Men’s Russian military uniform …

lined in white cotton.  Coutil was a special, very densely woven fabric that had little to no stretch in any direction.  It is still the preferred fabric for today’s corset construction and is very expensive in the US has there are few sources for it.  Companies in Canada and the …

white corsets were considered ladylike, although gray, putty, red, and black were worn more often as they were economical. (1865 extant white and red reproduction corsets show a wide variety of period correct colors)

the bottom of the 1850-1860 corset was of little concern, so there was a wide variety in fit, shaping, boning, and seaming into the 1860’s as the crinoline grew in popularity. (1860’s corset varied quite a bit and accommodated the crinoline which hid the hips)

position of the bones worked with the front metal busk along with back bones to bring in the waist. (Early 1860’s corset)

actually fairly lightly boned, but had added techniques of cording and quilting, have somewhat the appearance of the previous Regency corsets. (Reproduction corded corsets: left 1820’s, right 1850’s)

waist and strong cinching, was popular in the US and France, while England wore the older, longer and gored shapes still. (1864 Eugenie, Empress of France’s Worth gown and 1860’s antique French waist cinching corset)  

the focus of the fashionable silhouette, so this “waisted corset” was ideal to force the waist into a small shape.  It was an extremely short corset. (1860 corset construction)

was made from 7-13 pieces, each one being shaped to the waist. (1844 corset construction)