…were mounted on a cotton lining with two side pieces that would cross over and fasten in front, providing a type of “binding” or support. It acted as a type of early brassiere, and for many women, was the only thing worn. (Sketch and photo: Regency bib and pleating)
…the chaotic aftermath of the French Revolution and worship of antique fashion would simplify the dress still further. All extra material was gotten rid of in both dress and stays, and by about 1808 for most women, stays were just a simple band or were not worn at all. (Photo: …
…were fully boned, others half-boned, and some not boned at all. (Photo: Early Regency corded corset modern reproduction)
…silhouette, simpler and lighter types of stays were worn. At first they were cut like previous ones but made of lighter and less stiff materials and bones, but as the body of the dress shortened, the stays began to shrink in size too. The back became short, and the front …
…were of the same fashion lines as stiff silks, but gradually with increasing use, the looser, simpler, and plainer style of dress began to evolve. The simple cotton muslin dresses of the 1780’s had wide sashes. By 1793, the sash narrowed and the waistline raised up. (Sketch: 1805 high and …
…the “corset” was a pieced and complex garment. Gussets, which assisted making the breasts and hips “rounded” were the beginning of innovative cutting techniques. (Sketch: Early regency style achieved with early regency corsets)
…gussets to enhance the bust and hips with light bones or cording to facilitate lacing. These had a central, usually hard wood tapered busk, up the center front to assist in pushing the bust line up into a prominent position. (Photo: Beautiful modern reproduction of an early Regency corset)
…Heavy, thick, or extra undergarments were discarded though, as they distracted and ruined the “natural” body shape, and so the boned stay lost popularity with the woman trying to obtain the “fashionable” shape of the day. (Extant: early Regency corsets looked much like softer and shorter versions of late 18th …
…clung to the body, showing every nuance and every contour of her shape. This meant some form of support would have to lift the breasts. It also meant small women or older or less endowed women might need some type of padding or augmentation. (Portrait: Lydia Hartford Wallace Berrett in …
…with high rounded breasts and long well-rounded legs and arms was the ideal every woman strived to obtain. Neo-classical fashions demanded a more revealed and youthful bosom in its natural state. (Portrait: The youthful bosom of the early Regency era)
