.. steel! In 1856, inventor Bessmer applied new technology to the teeny rings. By this time, women were trusting the metal grommet, and were open and willing to try a new type of metal. (Featured the new steel grommet on an extant corset. Below, a late Regency/early Victorian corded instead …
strong or durable yet, but they were stronger than hand sewn eyelets! Corsets were not yet capable of tight cinching in the ’20’s and ’30’s. Of course, that being the late Regency period, most corsets were only used for smoothing and slimming, and many were corded, not boned, so there …
…the metal grommet had been invented in 1822. As with any new technology, there was some doubt as to it’s effectiveness, and women trusted what they new. The metal grommet was really not effectively applied until 1828. (In 1829 women still liked their handmade fancy work and hand sewn eyelets, …
.. a ring made in two parts, “male” and “female”. A hole is punched through all layers of fabric. The female part is on one side, and the male part goes through the fabric. Since the male part is slightly flared, a grommet machine or tool is like a pair …
.. a corset of course! The invention and application of metal grommets in 1822 made the tightly cinched waist possible. Prior to that eyelets were made by hand with metal ring reinforcements and whip or buttonhole stitching. (1825 Handmade eyelets with whip stitching on a nursing corset)
became the ideal early in the Victorian era. By the 1850’s, the wide shoulders from the “Bertha” neckline, combined with the huge width of the hips with the crinoline hoop, meant the only thing remaining to get the desired silhouette of the era was to bring the waist in to …
… and the skirts and bodices separated in the early Victorian era (started 1937), a tighter waist could be achieved. The “robe”, or the “little white dress” of the prior Regency era had evolved into a “dress” made of bodice attached to skirt. The fashion for 2 piece ensembles would …
… lower class families lived together or nearby. Grandmas were there to help little ones; women understood the needs of each other to make adjustments for periods, pregnancies, and health issues. For those who struck out on their own and dared to live with just their husbands, cartoonists of the …
Satire and portraits of the day tells the “real” story. Wealthy and middle class women had servants and maids to lace and dress and button and adjust. The rest of the world had.. each other! (Portrait: working women help each other lace in the 1830’s)
.. middle and upper classes. Victorian working class women would never reveal so much flesh. This meant the shawl had to become an essential feature of dresses. (Portrait by Lepoitteven: “Farm Girl at Toilette”)
