She likely would wear a child's corset, much less boned than an adult's.
Children's clothes had many indicators of them being children, until they
reach about age 16. The clothing was modified from adult styles but
contained indicators of childhood, through hairstyles, hats, sleeves,
collars, skirt length, etc. They may not be immediately recognizable to
the modern eye, but were to the people of the time.
If you are making a costume, you also must consider her families status,
finances and the occasion in which she is being portrayed. Clothing, and
by extension, underwear, varied greatly based on these factors.
I highly recommend the book Dressed For the Photographer to get an
idea of the real way clothing was worn and looked on actual people since
illustrations of the time are rather exaggerated. There is an excellent
picture on page 400. In the chapter on the 1880's she states, "A
looser bodice form was required for girls, as well, and tightly fitted,
boned garments were not proper until age 16." "When the extreme
bustle was fashionable for women, there was more material puffed and
draped as panniers and puffs for young girls, but in no case was there a
bustle structure per se."
Newer research such as Valerie Steele's book Corset have proven
many of the long held beliefs about the wearing of corsets to be false,
so I would recommend reading it as well as looking for books specifically
on historical children's clothing. The 1880's in particular had very fast
changing fads and silhouettes, Godeys Ladies Book, Petersens and other
magazines of the time can help pinpoint some of those and would also have
children's fashions illustrated as well. For example, in 1882 the bustle
was small, the silhouette was straight and long and very fitted.
At 05:43 AM 1/21/2008, you wrote:
Hello all--
I am sure there is someone on the list who can offer assistance
with
this question: at approximately what age did girls in the late 19th
century put on their corsets?
I am working with my theater department on a short program
featuring
the character of a girl who would have been 13 in 1882. They want
to
know if she would have been wearing a corset under her costume--and
I
have no idea! Would it depend on whether she needed it or not,
or
were they traditionally worn when girls reached a certain age?
Thank you in advance for any assistance!
--
Christian Carr
Director, Sweet Briar Museum
Assistant Professor of Arts Management
PO Box 144, Sweet Briar, VA 24595
Phone: 434.381.6246 Fax: 434.381.6132
(mailing address same as above)
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